The Flash is a 1990 American television series that starred John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/The Flash. The series ran for one season of 22 episodes from September 20, 1990, until May 18, 1991. Despite attempts at renewing the series, which resulted in a franchise expansions such as promo comic The Flash TV Special and video games, the series was canceled due to a ratings drop resulting from a series of time slot moves. In some markets "Pilot", along with four episodes was distributed as television or direct-to-video movies: The Flash, The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster and Flash III: Deadly Nightshade.
After years the series garnered a devoted fanbase and a cult following. This resulted in the series being referenced multiple times in the shared multiverse which began with CW's Arrow and continued with The Flash, the latter of which cast numerous actors from the series in supporting and guest roles, including all three leads (John Wesley Shipp, Amanda Pays and Alex Désert) and several notable recurring actors (Mark Hamill, Corinne Bohrer, Vito D'Ambrosio), mainly returning to their roles.
The Arrowverse's 2018 crossover Elseworlds eventually put 1990 series into the shared multiverse as Earth-90.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/The Flash and Barry Allen/Pollux
- Amanda Pays as Dr. Tina McGee
- Alex Désert as Julio Mendez
- Paula Marshall as Iris West *
Recurring Cast[]
- Richard Belzer as Joe Kline
- Jason Bernard as Dr. Desmond Powell/Nightshade
- Vito D'Ambrosio as Officer Tony Bellows
- Biff Manard as Officer Michael Francis Murphy
- Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield
- Mark Hamill as James Jesse/The Trickster
- Joyce Hyser as Megan Lockhart/Prank
- M. Emmett Walsh as Henry Allen
- Dick Miller as Fosnight
- Priscilla Pointer as Nora Allen
- Gloria Reuben as Sabrina
- Robert Shayne as Reg
- Michael Nader as Nicholas Pike
Guest Stars[]
- Tim Thomerson as Jay Allen
- Patrie Allen as Eve Allen
- Justin Burnette as Shawn Allen
- Cohrinne Bohrer as Zoey Clark/Prank
- Richard Belgi as Curtis Bohannon/Deadly Nightshade
- David Cassidy as Sam Scudder/Mirror Master
- Michael Champion as Leonard Wynters/Captain Cold
- Stan Ivar as Dr. Carl Tanner/The Nuge
- Sven-Ole Thorsen as Omega
- Jeffrey Combs as Jimmy Swain
- Denise Crosby as Dr. Rebecca Frost
- Bill Mumy as Roger Braintree
- Anthony Starke as Russell/The Ghost
- Lois Nettleton as Belle Crocker/The Ghostess
- Sherrie Rose as young Belle Crocker/The Ghostess
- Jeri Ryan as Felicia Kane
- Jonathan Brandis as Terry Cohan
- Bryan Cranston as Phillip Moses
- Mark Dacascos as Osako
- Robert O'Reilly as Victor Kelso
- Robert Hooks as Chief Arthur Cooper
- Mariko Tse as Linda Park
- Brad Sevy as waiter
- Christopher Murray as highway patrolman and Williams
Notes:
- Griffiths appeared in the pilot as a co-star, though she was written out of the series once regular filming began.[1]
Episode list[]
| # | Episode name | Directed by | Story by | Teleplay by | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pilot" | Robert Iscove | Danny Bilson & Paul De Meo | 20 September 1990 | |
| A laboratory accident endows a police scientist with the ability to move at superhuman speed which he uses to battle a menacing gang as a superhero. | |||||
| 2. | "Out of Control" | Mario Azzopardi | Gail Morgan Hickman | 26 September 1990 | |
| Homeless people are disappearing/dying. But no one can find the bodies. Tina's friend comes to town for a visit. | |||||
| 3. | "Watching the Detectives" | Gus Trikonis | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | 17 October 1990 | |
| The corrupt District Attorney Thomas Castillo hires a private eye named Megan Lockhart to find out the Flash's identity. He then blackmails Barry to work for him, or he'll expose his secret. | |||||
| 3. | "Honor Among Thieves" | Aaron Lipstadt | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | Milo Bichmann, Danny Bilson & Paul De Meo | 25 October 1990 |
| Central City Museum prepares to receive a valuable historical object. A group of specialists tries to steal it. | |||||
| 4. | "Double Vision" | Gus Trikonis | Jim Trombetta | 1 November 1990 | |
| Someone spreads graffiti, and messages asking to meet "Flash" at a church. Barry goes to the church. Shortly after that, he begins to experience black outs and memory losses. | |||||
| 5. | "Sins of the Father" | Jonathan Sanger | Stephen Hattmann | 8 November 1990 | |
| A bank robber escapes from prison. He goes back to Central City to get his money and revenge on the cop who busted him, Henry Allen, Barry's father. | |||||
| 6. | "Child's Play" | Danny Bilson | Stephen Hattmann & Gail Morgan Hickman | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | 15 November 1990 |
| A reporter is killed as he's researching a drug story. Barry tries to help two homeless kids. | |||||
| 7. | "Shroud of Death" | Mario Azzopardi | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | Michael Reaves | 29 November 1990 |
| A judge is killed, the killer sends the victim a part of a medal before he dies. When a former DA is killed, Barry finds a connection. Garfield was the arresting officer on the case, when his girlfriend/fiancée is shot, Garfield takes it personally. Flash must stop him before he crosses the line. Tina gets a job offer that would send her to California. | |||||
| 8. | "Ghost in the Machine" | Bruce Bilson | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | 13 December 1990 | |
| The Ghost, a villain from 1955 emerges from a deep freeze, intent on continuing his plan to extort money from the city. Nightshade comes out of retirement to help the Flash stop him. | |||||
| 9. | "Sight Unseen" | Christopher Leitch | Gail Morgan Hickman | John Vorhaus | 10 January 1991 |
| An invisible man gets into Star Labs, and releases a neurotoxin with Tina inside the lab. Then he starts killing scientists who worked on the project. Flash must find the invisible man and save his friend. | |||||
| 10. | "Beat the Clock" | Mario Azzopardi | Jim Trombetta | 31 January 1991 | |
| 11. | "The Trickster" | Danny Bilson | Howard Chaykin | John Francis Moore | February 7 1991 |
| 12. | "Tina, Is That You?" | William A. Fraker | Chad Hayes & Carey Hayes | David L. Newman | February 14 1991 |
| 13. | "Be My Baby" | Bruce Bilson | Jule Selbo | February 21 1991 | |
| 14. | "Fast Forward" | Gus Trikonis | Gail Morgan Hickman | February 27 1991 | |
| 15. | "Deadly Nightshade" | Bruce Bilson | John Francis Moore | Howard Chaykin | March 30 1991 |
| 16. | "Captain Cold" | Gilbert Shilton | Paul De Meo | Gail Morgan Hickman | April 6 1991 |
| 17. | "Twin Streaks" | James A. Contner | Stephen Hattman | April 13 1991 | |
| 18. | "Done with Mirrors" | Danny Bilson | Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore | April 27 1991 | |
| 19. | "Good Night, Central City" | Mario Azzopardi | Jim Trombetta | May 4 1991 | |
| 20. | "Alpha" | Bruce Bilson | Gail Morgan Hickman | Denise Skinner | May 11 1991 |
| 21. | "Trial of the Trickster" | Danny Bilson | Howard Chaykin | John Francis Moore | May 18 1991 |
Gallery[]
Title Cards[]
Title card
Promotional Images[]
Videos[]
External Links[]
References[]