Fred Astaire's Final On-Screen Dance Number Was On Battlestar Galactica
The world knows Fred Astaire as a legendary dancer and iconic showman, but his guest appearance on "Battlestar Galactica" is a reminder that he was also a loving grandfather. In 1979, Astaire starred in "Battlestar Galactica" Season 1, Episode 15: "The Man with Nine Lives." He agreed to appear on the sci-fi TV show because of his grandchildren's interest in the series.
That act of love has since become a significant moment in Astaire's storied career. His performance in "Battlestar Galactica" as Chameleon, a con man who is Starbuck's father, featured his final on-screen dance number. He danced with Anne Jeffreys, a Broadway, film, and TV actress who was known for starring in TV's "Topper" and would go on to appear on the soap opera "General Hospital."
Following his "Battlestar Galactica" episode, Astaire did only two more projects: "The Man in the Santa Claus Suit," a 1979 TV movie in which he played nine roles, and the 1981 horror movie "Ghost Story." Six years after his last role, he died of pneumonia.
Musical performances in sci-fi shows have become more common since Battlestar Galactica
"Battlestar Galactica" may have seemed like an unlikely project for a musical-forward star like Astaire, given its sci-fi focus. That's also why a dance number could've been seen as out of place, especially considering the original "Battlestar Galactica" series aired a decade and a half after the end of Broadway's Golden Age. But Astaire's guest appearance preceded other science-fiction shows that have done full-on musical episodes.
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" used a quantum accident to weave a musical storyline into Season 2, Episode 9: "Subspace Rhapsody." It gave Celia Rose Gooding, a Tony-nominated performer who had starred in Broadway's "Jagged Little Pill," a chance to showcase their musical-theater talents. Meanwhile, the Arrowverse starred several musical-theater stars, from Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin in "The Flash" to Melissa Benoist and Jeremy Jordan in "Supergirl." Many of the musically inclined Arrowverse actors were featured in the musical episode of "The Flash," Season 3, Episode 17: "Duet."
While more horror fantasy than sci-fi, "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" also had a musical episode. Season 6, Episode 7: "Once More, with Feeling" is often regarded as one of the best episodes of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer."