The Flash - The Complete Series (1990)

IF YOU BLINK...YOU'LL MISS...THE FLASH !!

This six disc set put out from Warner Studios is a welcomed addition to my superhero DVD collection and also contains the 90 minute pilot episode. This amazing six disc set also contains the entire 21 episode run of the much underrated, underdeveloped and short lived live-action 90's television series "The Flash". The packaging and disc artwork are well done and even though the discs overlap one another I find them easy to remove and replace in the package. For comic book fans and Flash purists this 90's live action version resembles the 1960's scarlet speedster and more than anything else it stays true to that character. Struck by lightning during an experiment and doused with all sorts of chemicals police scientist Barry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) quickly discovers that his metabolism is rapidly changing and he now has the ability to move at incredible speeds. With the aid of a beautiful scientist Tina McGee played by Amanda Pays, Barry Allen AKA "The Flash" learns how to control his new found powers as he turns his efforts to crime fighting in Central City. Watching this series all over again reminded me why I loved it so much in the first place. The series was full of great set designs, amazing special effects and a solid soundtrack from Danny Elfman. It's no secret that "The Flash" was an expensive show to create each week and a floating time slot by the network pretty much sealed its fate from the start. Where the show also faltered was in its development of villains to combat the Flash and wreak havoc on the citizens of Central City. The show had a more human feel rather than comic book and the rogues gallery of high caliber villains didn't really surface until the show was almost over and by then nothing could save the flash. If the network would have taken the time to introduce the villains earlier in the series and kept the show in a solid time slot, the flash would have probably lasted a long time. I think the choice for John Wesley Shipp to play the scarlet speedster was a good one and only wish he could have played the flash more than one season. Disc freezing during the pilot episode has been a poroblem with this set and I hesitated for the longest time to purchase it. Fortunately I haven't encountered that problem and I rate the picture and sound 7/10 on this set. The only crime with this set is there isn't any bonus features, commentaries or extras included. We all need heroes and I wish "The Flash" would make a speedy return to television.

DVD Episodes:

Disc #1

Pilot Episode
Out of Control
Watching the Detectives

Disc #2
Honor among Thieves
Double Vision
Sins of the Father
Child's Play

Disc #3
Shroud of Death
Ghost in the Machine
Sight Unseen
Beat the Clock

Disc #4
The Trickster
Tina, Is That You?
Be My Baby
Fast Forward

Disc #5
Deadly Nightshade
Captain Cold
Twin Streaks
Done With Mirrors

Disc #6
Good Night, Central City
Alpha
The Trial of the Trickster
July 5, 2008

Cut past the cheese, and the rest is smooth sailing

Sure, the set was pretty bare-bones (seriously, would it have killed them to cobble together a interview segment with the cast and crew looking back on the show, or dig up some behind-the-scenes footage, or even throw in a single commentary track?), and some of the earlier episodes were somewhat cornier than I remembered, but the show definitely picked up speed (pardon the pun) pretty quickly. In fact, one episode in particular, "Beat the Clock", was a surprisingly good dramatic story, and even featured a young Angela Basset. (There's also the fun of spotting actors who became famous much later in their careers. For instance, both Brian Cranston and Jonathan Brandis were featured in episodes, and Gloria Reuben and Jeri Ryan both had cameos.) All in all, it's defintely worth owning, in my opinion. July 3, 2008

Good show, bad timing...

I can't really say too much that hasn't been said already. When this show came on the air, I was afraid that the special effects would be cheesy beyond words, but in fact were top notch for its time. J.W. Shipp as the Barry Allen was very solid, as was Amanda Pays (yum) as Tina McGee, and Alex Desert as Julio Mendez (a bit under-utilized, IMO).

The stories ranged from the excellent: the two with the late Jason Bernard, and the "Beat The Clock" episode with Angela Bassett (yes!) in a cameo where The Flash has to save a condemned man in "real time", to the rather silly (the episode where Flash got blown 10 years into the future). But overall, the show really had potential. I faithfully taped them on VHS, but knew the show was in trouble as it bounced around from one time slot to another, and was interrupted for breaking news in the Gulf.

Another flaw in the series (besides, unnecessarily cheesy dialog) was the lack of usage of the Rogues Gallery from the comics. It took way too many episodes to get Mirror Master (a nicely cast David Cassidy), The Trickster (an amusingly over the top Marc Hamill, freed from The Force :-), and Captain Cold finally make appearances. Alas, a sort of Reverse Flash episode was one of the weakest.

The only down side to the DVD set is that there were no added features.

Be on the lookout for the various special guests and cameos. Angela Basset, Jason Bernard, Hamill, Cassidy, Jeri Ryan, and Richard Beltzer were just a few.

You know, with the explosion of the CSI genre, a police scientist (again, The Flash was ahead of its time) with super powers would make for a GREAT series. The cost of the FX work helped kill the series the first time. 18 years later (my god has it been THAT long?), perhaps those barriers have been lowered enough to bring it back. June 23, 2008

The Flash a bit miscast in his own show

In 1990, with a theme composed by Danny Elfman, the Flash made his live action debut. However, his would be gone in a flash, nowhere near the hits Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, his fellow DC superheroes would become. The pilot had him becoming a masked avenger similar to Batman who would avenge his brother's death. It doesn't quite work because those like myself to knew the early comic books of the late fifties when Barry Allen was introduced, his job already is Police Scientist.

The supporting cast characters were not in the original comic book. That includs Amanda Pays as his confidante scientist, Tina McGee, or Alex Desert as Julio Mendez, his police scientist co-worker. There was also an irate police commisioner and two dim witted cops for unnecessary comic relief.

All is not lost though as there were some stand out episodes. Unfortunately, Flash's excellent rougue's gallery were under utilized and those that did appear, Captain Cold, Mirror Master or the Trickster, did not wear the great costumes they wore in the comic book. Mark Hamill as the Trickster did wear a crazy punk outfit and actually Hamill would have fitted the nerdy scientist that Shipp played but that's not how the casting went.

Regarding John Wesley Shipp, he was a good, comical, muscular guy at times hampered with cheesy dialog. Not in the series were Iris West, Allen's girlfriend, Wally West as Kid Flash or Jay Garrick, the original Flash created shortly after the original Superman and Batman.

I forgive the series a lot due to my fondness of the character. Episodes I did like; Watching the Detectives: Megan Lockhart through her investigating skills discovers Barry Allen and the Flash are the same.

Shroud of Death: This episode introduces Comissioner Garfield (Mike Genovese) who wrestles killing the female killer while Flash intervenes.

Ghost in the Machine: This episode starts with a 50's flashback and introduces the Night Slade (very similar the 40's hero the Sandman) Jason Bernard as Night Shade gives the best performan in the entire series.

Beat the Clock: Innocent jazz musiican is about to be executed at midnight. My favorite episode.

The Trickster: Mark Hamill gives a mad performance though he still has to mouth cheesy dialogue. Megan Lockhart retuens.

Tina, Is That You: The best showcase for Amanda Pays, who gets to play good and evil.

Twin Streaks: A blue flash clone appears. A total freak of nature and this one has the best showcase of John Wesley Shipp forced to stop his twin, an emotional man baby.

Done With Mirrors: David Cassidy as the Mirror Master

Oddest episode: The Trial of the Trickster, especially the part where the Flash helps the Trickster destroy a police car. Somewhat inventive at times, but the weird ending to the comic book series.

I'm not familiar with Danny Belson or Paul DeMeo and due to the cost of each episode, this series ended quickly. Unfortunately, it ran at the same time as The Simpsons, the cartoon family that's still running at the time of this writing. It's also a trip to visit a not too distant era when all the high tech shown has been upgraded and replaced.











March 20, 2008

Before it's time

It would probably do better if it came out now. It was a decent series March 4, 2008

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