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.

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 !

The Pilot episode for the Flash TV series was the origin and was done very well. Barry Allen a scientist is working in a lab with many chemicals when lightning strikes through the window in which a small explosion occurs. What is so great about the origin is where he begins to discover how fast he is and how he learns to adapt to his new superpower. The discovering of his superspeed was done in a couple of semi-humorous situations. A scientist/physician (Amanda Pays -with big beautiful eyes) performs tests on him and helps him control his new found speed. She also gives him his costume so his clothes don't rip apart when he is running very fast. The subplot was fair to okay with The Flash catching a motorcycle gang who tries to take control of the city and killed his brother. - The rest of the series was up and down with good & bad scripts. Also the writers didn't do enough to build on the chemistry of Barry Allen and Christina McGee that was laid out in the pilot episode. John Wesley Shipp was an excellent choice to portray the Flash. The costume and the effects in the series were cool. The pilot can be found on video and the series has been occasionally shown on the SCI-FI channel.

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.

There are 3 TV shows that remind me of my college days and that time period: Twin Peaks, Red Dwarf, and the Flash. I was an avid viewer of The Flash since I was a fan of the DC Comic superheroes growing up. I thought the special effects were terrific, and I didn't have as big a problem with John Wesley Shipp being cast as Barry Allen as others did. I liked Amanda Pays portrayal as a pretty and intelligent scientist who assisted the Flash with his crimefighting.

Unfortunately, the combination of the expensive special effects and low ratings led to the show's cancellation after only one season, which was too bad. Seems like nowadays TV shows aren't given much of an opportunity to gain viewers if they don't get high ratings at once.