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Rating:  -
I always liked the character of Flash. With the CGI effects and seriousness in comic book TV and movies, Flash could be a spin-off of Smallville. That's how good the character is.
Now back to this review, I liked this show. Yet, I can see why it failed. Partly the war in Iraq and partly the corny Batman-ish feel of the show was it's downfall. The blame is not so much with the actors as with the scripts, the lack of seriousness by those in charge of the show. Even in failed TV shows these days that have a comic-book connection or along the lines of comic books (Terminator Sarah Chronicles and Knight Rider) even with their failed attempts they tried to take the subject seriously. In 1991 comic books were much less respected. The best we had was the first two Superman films (way back in 79 & 80-something) and Tim Burton's dark take on Batman. That's it. Most of the rest of comic book attempts were silly, often stupid shows that was more comedy (or attempts at it) than comic-book.
Now I must state I really liked John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/Flash. Yes, a lot of times they gave him junk to work with, but with the right scripts he did well, like in the Pilot and when he went into the future and saw what became of his city and friends without him. Those moments stood out for me. Amanda Pays was good as Tina, but relegated to the annoying female sidekick (remember this was before Lois & Clark where Lois was more assertive). These were still the days when the woman had to be rescued almost every episode.
One of the hurtful things with Flash is, (forgive me Flash fans), I was never crazy about his rogue-gallery (villains). Yes, Mirror Master, Reverse Flash and a couple others were interesting, but he never had a Joker-type to be his ultimate enemy. Someone to the degree that they could oppose other DC heroes like Lex Luthor or some of Batman & Superman's villains. To make things worse, this show did not take the villians seriously or much else for that matter. When the show did take things more seriously it showed and was much better.
This TV show was too goofy to last, but it had promise. If they could have brought the main actors and sets and put it in today's CGI and with the seriousness of todays comic book TV or movie, it could have lasted.
If you saw the show and want to get it, go ahead. I waited til the price dropped to a little less than $20. If you are not sure about buying I'd rent it instead. I can't recommend buying this to just anyone, but just for those who are die-hard Flash fans or fans of the show who barely remember this. In it's day it was good wholesome fun. Just not on the level of Smallville or Heroes. Not close, but I liked it anyway.
Rating:  -
Quality of picture was excellent. The set on which this series was filmed was a little redundant. I enjoyed the special affects.
Rating:  -
If you're a fan of this hero and interested in 80's tv shows,don't miss this.
Rating: -
When "The Flash" was announced as part of the 1990-91 season, I was excited. No doubt, a big part of the Flash's push to T.V. was the recent smash box-office success of "Batman". The influence is obvious: The Flash streaks through the streets of what seems to be a shadowy & neon glowing but streamlined version of Gotham City, which is Central City, the Flash's home turf. John Wesley Shipp did a fine job of portraying a ne'er-do-well, lantern-jawed hero, walking the fine line between heroic vigilantism & normalcy; a decent guy trying to do the right thing. The producers wisely stuck close to the hero's origin. The whole season kind of plays out as a two-parter: The first part had the Flash up against more human--albeit sinister & corrupt--baddies (Nicholas Pike, drug lords, gangsters, etc.); then the second half finally opened up full throttle as he was pitted against worthier opponents from the classic comic books. Michael Champion as the chilling & stoic Captain Cold. David Cassidy as the clever high-tech illusionist Mirror Master. And the loony, psychotic fun of the Joker-like villainy of Mark Hamill's The Trickster. Even Shipp got to play dual roles as the Flash's childlike twin ("Twin Streaks").
And let's not forget the supporting cast: Amanda Pays as Dr. Tina McGee of Star Labs, who becomes the Flash/Barry Allen's "right hand woman", and Alex Desert as Julio Mendes, Barry's friend/lab partner at the police science division.
I won't go into a detailed history of why the show was cancelled after one season, since everyone has re-iterated that point again & again. Suffice it to say that after numerous interruptions from sports & the Gulf War & a bad night (Fridays), the Flash was kept from finding its audience.
You'll find several familiar faces passing through the show: Angela Bassett as a (supposedly) dead jazz singer; the late former child star Jonathan Brandis & an older former child star (Bill Mumy from "Lost in Space"); Star Trek: TNG's Denise Crosby; veteran actor M. Emmett Walsh as Barry's retired policeman Dad; Anthony Starke as the 1950's-age villain "The Ghost"; and "Malcolm In The Middle's" Bryan Cranston as a baddie.
I'm disappointed that Warner Brothers thought so little of the series not to at least add a "behind the scenes" featurette or even cast/crew interviews. It would've been nice to know how they created those laser-generated Flash effects of speed or get an update on the stars.
Who knows what might have happened if "The Flash" prospered beyond its first season. More classic Flash villains? Romantic complications for Barry & Tina? Barry's dog Earl gains super-speed? Had the show been rescued from its expensive price tag & put on a decent (and solid) time slot, it might've been interesting to see what the creators had done with Seasons 2, 3, and maybe 4.
Rating: -
In the early 1990's Barry Allen returned as the Flash on CBS for a short run. CBS pulled the plug on the show saying that it was to expensive to produce and was not cost effective.
Like "Smallville" and "Buffy the Vampire Slyaer," they would also show about 3 or 4 new episodes then to be followed by reurns. Then to e follow by 3 or 4 more new episodes and then more reruns.
It ran for a half a season on CBS.
The series was a combination of the Barry Allen and Wally West Flashes with the Flash being Barry Allen, Central City Police Scientist.
The show was produced by Warner Brothers.
Only two super-villains from the Flash comic books show up in the series. One is Captain Cold. The other who apears in two episodes is the Trickster played by Mark Hamil (Luke Skywalker from "Star Wars"). This is where Mark Hamil first came up with the voice and persona of what he would go on latr to use for his portrayal of the Joker in the 1990's "Batman" animated cartoon series.
In the series along with gaining super-speed from a lightening bolt hitting a rack of chemicals in the police lab, the murder of his older brother, Jay Allen (Jay as in "Jay Gerick")a decorated police officer of the Central City Police moves him to use his newly acquired super-speed to capturing his borther's murderer and to continue fighting crime as the masked mysterious super-speedster, The Flash.
Barry Allen is aided by STAR Labs scientist Tina McGee, a characer that appeared in the Wally West "Flsh" comic book series.
Iris West appears only on the pilot to go off at the end to pursue her career goals. Leaving Barry Allen and Tina McGee to pursue a developing romantic interest.
Another character made up for the TV series is Barry Allen's fellow police scientist at the Central City Police Department, Julio, who does not know tht Barry Allen is secretly the Flash.
In my oung days back in the 1960's, I had always wanted to see Thef Flash in a live-action TV series like Superman and Batman had. I would have even settled for a full Saturday morning animated cartoon series of The Flsh. There were those few animated cartoons made by Filmation that appeared on occassion in the "Superman-Aquaman Hour," but I wanted more.
I was glad to finally see a live-action TV series appearing in prime time on CBS. But too bad that it was short-lived. But now you can watch the complete episodes of the short-lived TV series in this great DVD set.
A must have for all superhero fans.
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