Pilot 

Local track star "Flash" Gordon learns that his scientist father, believed dead for more than a decade, actually disappeared through a trans-dimensional rift.

Director:

Rick Rosenthal

Writers:

Peter Hume (developer), Peter Hume

Stars:

Eric Johnson, Gina Holden, Karen Cliche

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Johnson	...	Steven 'Flash' Gordon
Gina Holden	...	Dale Arden
Karen Cliche	...	Baylin
Jody Racicot	...	Dr. Hans Zarkov
John Ralston	...	Ming the Merciless
Jonathan Walker	...	Rankol (as Jonathan Lloyd Walker)
Anna Van Hooft	...	Princess Aura
Giles Panton	...	Joe Wylee
Panou	...	Nick Gilmore
Carmen Moore	...	Joely Lavant
Jill Teed	...	Mrs. Laura Gordon
Adrian Holmes	...	Earl
Alejandro Abellan	...	Ernesto Lupo
Spencer Achtymichuk	...	Young Flash Gordon
Brett Armstrong	...	Camera Man

Storyline

Local track star "Flash" Gordon learns that his scientist father, believed dead for more than a decade, actually disappeared through a trans-dimensional rift.

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Plot Keywords:

sword and planet | sword and sorcery | scientific experiment | changing clothes in car | marathon runner | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reunion Pictures, Flash Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min (original) 87 min (two parts) (DVD)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Guest star Adrian Holmes and series regular Eric Johnson both starred on the hit TV series Smallville (2001). Johnson for the first and second season portrayed Whitney Fordham, as an All-American high school star football player. In this series, he portrays an All-American track star and Holmes guest-starred on later seasons. Coincidentally, the series Smallville also starred an actor named Sam Jones who portrayed Pete Ross. Sam Jones (actually Sam J. Jones) is also the actor that portrayed Flash Gordon in the movie version of this series and also guest starred in one of the episodes of this TV version.

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Quotes

Ming: The state of Omadrian commerce is not my concern.
Luna: Well, the state of your people should be. I will remind you that if they are all dead you will have no one to tax.

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Alternate Versions

The 65 minute version of the pilot which was aired on The Sci-Fi Channel and released as a Best Buy exclusive DVD drastically differs from the 2-part, 87 minute version that was released on DVD in Canada. Changes in the two-part version include: -The show begins with an extended version of the scene in which Ming and Rankol open a rift. -Running late for the race, Flash changes his clothes in the backseat of the car as Nick drives. -The race is longer and features flashbacks of a younger Flash. -Joely appears in the scene in which Dale turns her ring around. -Dale and Joely have a conversation before Flash arrives at the cemetery. -There's an additional shot of Flash leaving the graveyard. -A scene with Dale and Joely in the newsroom is sandwiched between Flash and Norah's breakfast. -After Flash sees Dale's ring, there's an additional scene of a cowboy being attacked by Ming's minion outside of a convenience store. -As Flash is being tortured by Rankol, Joe stops in the newsroom to check up on Dale. -Dale has an additional scene as Ming's slaves "prepare" her. -After Flash is tortured, Zarkov searches the Internet for the Imex. -After arriving on Earth, Aura reprimands a group of workmen who are ogling her. -There's an additional scene with Flash arriving at home and conversing with Nick. -Aura further snoops through Dale's apartment. -Long intro to Dale's phone call with Joe. -Extended version of Flash discovering the Imex. -Additional scene with Aura encountering Nick. -Extended ending of the scene with Aura being reprimanded by Ming.

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Connections

References E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Soundtracks

Verdrai, carino
from "Don Giovanni, KV527: Act 2. No. 18 Aria (Zerlina)"
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as Mozart)
Arranged by Jim Long
Performed by Jim Long
Courtesy of Point Classics

User Reviews

The two-part version's superior

When the series debuted on The Sci-Fi Channel, the pilot aired in a 75 minute time slot, and it ran 65 minutes without commercials. This version was issued on a DVD titled "Flash Gordon: The Premiere Episode," which was briefly available at Best Buy stores. Included on that disc were 7 minutes of deleted scenes, one of which didn't have completed special effects... but that wasn't nearly all of the footage that was removed.

'Flash'-forward to 2009, when Canada's Phase 4 Films quietly sneaked the complete series onto DVD (which I didn't discover until long after the fact). That set includes a 2-part version of the pilot which runs roughly 90 minutes. Although it drags a little in a couple spots, the 2-part version is DRASTICALLY superior to the shorter cut. Part of the problem (though there were many others) with the 65 minute cut is that the characters all come off very shallow. The reason is because virtually every moment that didn't push the plot forward was removed. From the start, this incarnation of the classic story was a character piece but, in excising the little moments that showed what made the characters tick, The Sci-Fi Channel totally ruined it.

I was disappointed with the pilot when I saw it too, but unlike most fans of the source material and earlier incarnations, I stuck with the show and watched it blossom -- and by the end, I was glad that I did. It was abundantly clear that the network didn't have much faith in the show from the low-budget it was given, but now that I've seen the better, longer cut of the pilot, I can't help but wonder if the network bigwigs deliberately tried to sabotage the show from the get-go.