Flash

The Flash is one of DC comics most endearing heroes for this simple reason; even though he has been given a tremendous gift of super-speed, he is still only human. Superman always could do the incredible tasks of saving the world and managing to rescue Lois Lane from the bad guys... The Flash is always trying to beat the clock. Batman makes detective work look easy, The Flash spends the majority of his day painstakingly analyzing evidence in a lab. Imagine one of the crew of CSI spending the whole day collecting evidence and then trying to stop villains in whatever time he had left of his day: all of this while working in a police station that is hunting down his alter-ego! For those who were not comic book fans, this series is still worth a look. It was ahead of it's time in many ways: X-men, Spiderman, and the upcoming Batman Begins all focus in on the people behind the masks and the costumes to reveal the true character of the Hero.

The Flash Series had a hero who was fast, but not too fast. He had weaknesses and limitations and problems with his love life. And no matter how fast he was he never seemed to be on time! Memorable performances from John Wesley Shipp, Amanda Pays, and Mark Hamill as the Trickster.

Budgetary reasons were the reason the show had to shut down, which was unfortunate. The show was definitely hitting a good stride between good characters and great plots. There was a large body of rogues to choose from, and I personally loved the adaptations of Captain Cold and the Mirror Master. No need for flashy outfits for these guys, the writing and action was so stylish that there was no need to put these two in ridiculous colored spandex.

If you can find either the Pilot or the Trickster episodes to rent, give them a look. You will be able to see where the movies of today were able to prosper for the ideas that either flew or fell in this show.

I thought this was a great series. The wonderful theme by Danny Elfman rivalled his other great creations. John Wesley-Shipp was not a bad cast. I knew him from his Guiding Light days.

At the time it came out, it might have been a tad confusing for comics fans who had just seen Barry Allen extinguished in the Crisis of Infinite Earths. But such is Network TV

It was a bit camp, but I didn't feel it was overdone. It had the feel of the early 70's Flash comics.

I remember a particular episode where the villain sprays a drug in the Flash's face, and he starts tripping out a bit. He uncontrollably vibrates through a wall without damaging it. His hi-speed activity have caused his body to burn off the effects of the drug and he realizes what has just happened (that he can vibrate through walls). He then goes back inside (some sort of auditorium) grabs a guitar on stage and plays a frantic hi-speed solo that makes the baddies pass out. It was hilarious.

Also, similar to the old Batman series, celebs wanted to play baddies on the show. Mark Hamill as the Trickster, David Cassidy as the Mirror Master, and others...

As the shows progressed, the creators gained to confidence to make him do the stuff he did in the comics, and it worked.

unfortunately, someone didn't think it worked.

Those who know about the reboot of the actual TV show with Grant Gustin should take it lightly. The 1990 version is a bit campy, very art-deco vs. modern and it is less about sentiments, more about commitment.

Some of the classic Flash villains are represented here. John Wesley Shipp does do a great personification of Barry Allen. However, there is few to compare to what is today, as Star Labs is represented here as a simple laboratory compared to the "stadium" structure of today...

Good note here: Mark Hamill makes us forget his Star Wars heroics by portraying the wacky Trickster. And Amanda Pays is so cute, even as a bad girl in one of the episodes.

However, enjoy it for its camp humour.

The Flash still rules in Central City !

This show was so special to me when I was a kid, because I felt like they were finally making something for the kids who were different, and before this show there wasn't really anything like it. John Wesley Shipp's flash had this way of speaking that always made you feel alright. It was a different time. There were a lot of kids who needed it, and I was definitely one of them. Of course the networks had no idea what to do with it - even Batman was a fluke at the time, because comic books were still considered something specifically for nerds - and liking nerd things meant being uncool. Now after 25 years, comic book movies rule entertainment. I gave it 8 stars out of ten, because there were some cheesy moments. It comes off very G-Rated these days, but we shouldn't measure our shows by how dark and violent they can be, because people are forgetting about the goodness and kindness that comes from the natural desire to do good. The flash is a kind person who respects the people around him, and I'm happy to see that the 2014 Flash series with Grant Gustin is carrying the torch in not only giving us another flash, but paying homage to the 90's version by including John Wesley Shipp. I hope to see more of the 90's cast make appearances as time goes on.

It was great to find this series again as I missed many of the original episodes when they came out. This series is great in that it has more heart than the new series. The special effects are, at times, better than the CGI intensive new episode. It is refreshing to see the Flash speed pummel an adversary, old Flash is more buff an less wimpy/whinny then new Flash. Old Flash is more action and less angsty than new Flash.

The new series does have some better villains and Cisco's humor is great. It is interesting to see that the main characters from the first series are given roles in this series. I like both, but the old one has the edge!