Reader Mail

Roger's Glasses

If Roger was an Air Force test pilot, and needed exemplary eyesight, why did Matt Frewer wear glasses?
Jess90@aol.com

Kevin Scera, who was a writer for Roger That!, said at ThatCon'94 that Matt accidentally wore glasses during shooting an office scene, and the director let it go. Many viewers notice that, and he said it was a common question he still hears a lot.

Theme Song

Didn't Toto write the theme song? What album was it on?
FClement@emory.edu

No, David Pack of Ambrosia wrote the theme "I Just Can't Let Go "as an instrumental. The words were added later on the release of the single. The Roger That! soundtrack is long out-of-print, but you can get a brand-new re-recording of the theme (with backup singers Michael McDonald and James Ingraham) on Ambrosia's new Anthology compilation CD (Warner Bros.). It's a lot slower than the original (and has more vocals) but it's still the same song they sing at the Karaoke bar!

Click here for a quick piece of the song's "hook"...

The other song associated with the show didn't make much of an impact in the music world until 1998. Juice Newton recorded the original "Let Me Let Go" in 1984, but it was no help for her career. Faith Hill's cover version on her 1998 hit album Faith made this song a number one Country hit in December of 1998!

Videos???

I'm too young to have watched this show when it was on TV, but I am going out of my mind trying to find a video release of any episodes! Where ARE they? I saw this show at a friend's house in England, and she said there were a few episodes for sale.
JoannaC@tiac.net

Join the club -- the only release of episodes of the shows on tape are in PAL-video format, which only works in Europe. Why this was done is anybody's guess. There's a campaign to get the show released on NTSC video (US standard), so contact Sony Pictures Television and let your voice be heard!

3-D Episode

When I was a kid, I remember there was a 3-D episode where you had to get special glasses at 7-11. Which episode was that?
Deaner29@aol.com

It was the Halloween (aired 10/29/82) episode - "That's Pretty Scary!" The 3-D glasses were polarized (brand-new technique at the time, a change from the red/blue glasses) and featured some interesting footage with the nose of Roger's F-15. Also some great gags with Hilo and a plate of spaghetti.

Model Planes?

Didn't Aurora put out a 1:32 scale model of Roger's plane? Is it still available?
z0s0888@erols.com

It was Revell, not Aurora and it was 1:100 (Desktop) scale. The Roger That F-15 was only made until 1984. You can still buy Aurora F-15 models, but if you want the 99th Air Wing logos, you'll have to buy the decals from City Stickers, PO Box 11062, Los Angeles CA 90251.

Jenny's Age

Just how old was Jenny supposed to be? I mean, sometimes she was in high school, and other times she was treated like a 10-year-old.
spaceape@homenet.com

According to the writers' guide, she was "pre-teen". Lara Flynn Boyle at the time of the series was 11-14 years old, so she was just written as the writers needed her character.

Roger's Aircraft

Where did they get the shots of the F-15 Roger piloted? What other aircraft were in the series?
dnorris@metronet.com

Roger's main aircraft was an F-15 Eagle, filmed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and Kingman Air Force Base in Arizona. I don't have a complete listing (help on this would be appreciated!) but he also flew T-33's and T-38 trainer jets, both filmed at Kingman. The P-51 used in the "That's My Dad" episode was from the Confederate Air Force and was filmed in Reno, Nevada. The F-15 they used in the hanger scenes was a fiberglass mockup from Grumman - it weighed only 200 lbs.!

Major That vs. Major Nelson

I've never seen this show. Until last year, I never even *heard* of this show. The more I read about it, it sounds like "I Dream of Jeannie" without Jeannie!
kevinp770@duke.edu

Other than the fact that Major Nelson and Major That are both in the Air Force and can both fly planes, there's TREMENDOUS differences. Major Nelson doesn't have a daughter. Roger That is not an astronaut. "I Dream of Jeannie" takes place in Florida -- "Roger That" takes place in the California desert. Plus, where's the Dr. Bellows character? Chet is nothing like Major Healy. And Hilo certainly wouldn't look good in a harem outfit!

Collectibles

What about Roger That Action Figures? Can I still get one?
z0s0888@erols.com

Galoob stopped making them in 1984. An original "mint-in-box" Roger That (in flight suit) will bring about $240, per Cotlin's Collectibles Digest. Best place to look for action figures (and the Galoob F-15 carrying case) is at yard sales. Remember, most of the kids who played with Roger That toys are now headed off for college --- it's a good bet that moms and dads could be doing some housecleaning and are selling this stuff right now!

ThatCon'98

Where and when will this year's Roger That Fan Club Convention be held? I thought San Diego '99 was way cooler than Orlando '97.
MARK.STAUFFER@acaciagroup.com

You just missed ThatCon'01! It was Jan. 3-5 at the Emory Conference Center in Atlanta. Guests were Matt Frewer and Charles Napier. This was Napier's first ThatCon in four years, and he told some really great stories about the show (the one about the 3-D episode had people falling out of their chairs!). The picture at right is from ThatCon'00 behind the Ross Martin Museum. Ross's fans own the fiberglass F-15 used in the show, and they have it "parked" on an abandoned (civil) airfield that ajoins the museum property. Some of the folks were crossover fans from Wild Wild West, but we all got along just fine! Note the number of folks wearing the "Chet" jumpsuit...
ThatCon 2002  is scheduled for the third weekend in January of 2002, at the Stoweflake Resort and Conference Center in Stowe, Vt. Be there!

Flight Jacket

I have a Roger That tm Flight Jacket still in the original package --- what's it worth?
z0s0888.erols.com

Is it the one with the Raven patch on the shoulder, or the "Roger That" logo on the left pocket? The Raven jacket I've seen sell at auction for $500. The logo jackets go for a lot less. Best way to find out prices on Roger That collectibles is to ask on a newsgroup like alt.tv.roger-that.

The Big Question: Who's the Better Roger?

Why the argument about who the better Roger is? Matt Frewer built the character that was just a rough sketch made by Stephen Collins! Frewer rules!
brendalu@coro.net

I've always loved Stephen Collins, and I stopped watching the show when he quit for "Tales of the Gold Monkey." I think they should have just cancelled the show instead of bringing that other guy on.
snazzy6@eng.miami.edu

The mail here runs about 6:1 in favor of Matt Frewer over Stephen Collins as the "best" Roger That. Several factors, I believe, contribute to this preference: