"The Flash" (1990) TV series 1990-1991

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

James A. Contner
Gilbert M. Shilton

Writers:

Robert Kanigher (character)
Harry Lampert (characters)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

20 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Fantasy

Tagline:

Wipes Out Scum In Seconds

Plot:

A police forensic scientist battles crimes as a superfast superhero.

Plot Keywords:

Flash | Superhero | Imaginary Town | Hyper Speed | Based On Comic

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

John Wesley Shipp	...	Barry Allen / ... (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Amanda Pays	...	Christina 'Tina' McGee (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Alex Désert	...	Julio Mendez (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Biff Manard	...	Off. Michael Frances Murphy / ... (17 episodes, 1990-1991)
Vito D'Ambrosio	...	Off. Bellows / ... (17 episodes, 1990-1991)
Mike Genovese	...	Lt. Warren Garfield / ... (17 episodes, 1990-1991)
Richard Belzer	...	Joe Kline / ... (10 episodes, 1990-1991)

Runtime:

60 min (21 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:M (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Pet Fly Productions

Trivia:

The role of Barry Allen/The Flash was originally written for Richard Burgi.

Quotes:

Nicholas Pike: Who are you? Where did you come from?
Flash: I came from you, Pike. You made me when you killed my brother.
Nicholas Pike: I killed a lot of men's brothers.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stick It (2006)

Like everybody else says, the show ended too soon.

Though I vaguely remember it when originally broadcast (I was five old years back in 1990), the recent DVD release has allowed me to revisit all 22 episodes of this short-lived series. John Wesley Shipp played Barry Allen, a forensics officer in Central City. One night, he get's zapped by lightning while working at the lab and goes for a flying leap into a rack of chemicals. In the normal world, this would usually result in death or lasting injuries. But this is a comic book world, and these freak accidents leave people with super-powers. In this case, Barry gains the ability to run fast. Really fast. With the assistance of Dr. Tina McGee (Amanda Pays), Barry dons a spiffy, freakishly muscled red suit to fight crime as The Flash. What makes this a mostly successful show is how it didn't take itself all seriously or delve into camp. That said, it did have helpings of both. In episode six, Sins of the Father, Barry has to deal with his father (M. Emmet Walsh)) never really respecting his work because his brother was an actual police officer. On the flip side, you have Mark Hamill's appearance as James Jesse, a serious psycho who dons the persona of The Trickster, a twisted melding of The Joker and The Riddler.

As stated in other user comments on why the show was canceled, reasons often cited include messing around with it's schedule and the cost of each episode (by television standards, the visual effects were pretty good). Some of the better episodes include Out of Control, in which some highly illegal experiments yield some hilarious results; Captain Cold, which features the titular villain and his plans to put Barry on ice; and Twin Streaks, showing Central City isn't big enough for two fast dudes. The show seemed to be very much inspired by Tim Burton's Batman, with it's production design and visuals. Heck, the opening theme is from Danny Elfman (In one episode, Barry walks past a movie theater showing Batman and Superman). The show also benefited from an amusing supporting cast (especially officers Murphy and Bellows) and a slew of guest stars including Jeffrey Combs, Richard Belzer, Dick Miller, and Anthony Starke ("Jimmy's new in town"). At least fans can appreciate the show on DVD.