"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:

When Christina McGee calls Barry for the first time, she tells him to come to "50, Garrick Ave". Jay Garrick was the name of the first Flash

Quotes:

Denise Cowan: Don't be a fool.
James Jesse: I can't help it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Daddy Day Care (2003)

Yet another good show that deserved a better chance.

I was a big fan of this show the first time around. I was already something of a comic fan, and this series was a great translation of the material into a series. The Flash was a great-looking show, and the actors played their parts flawlessly. John Wesley Shipp, who played the Flash, has that Bruce Campbell-like ability to portray a likable, average guy, who just happens to get super powers. His sidekick, the lovely Amanda Pays (formerly of Max Headroom) was a good, but underused, addition to the show.

The special effects were surprisingly good for a TV show, although I do seem to remember some wince-inducing moments, like one villain whose costume included - unless my memory is really messing with me, which has been known to happen - a Nintendo Power Glove.

On the subject of villains, they were usually done well. I highly recommend the episodes starring Mark Hamill as the Trickster. Fans of the animated Batman series will notice an early version of Hamill's Joker persona here, which is interesting since the Flash comics' Trickster character was basically a rehash of Batman's Joker in the first place.

All in all, this show really didn't deserve to get canned after one season. Given another season, it could have grown into something classic. Luckily, videos of this seem fairly easy to come by, so it's still possible to check out this underrated footnote in the history of superhero television.