Flash Gordon (SCI FI)

[Brian in Mesa]

Flash Gordon Gets the Green Light
Source: SCI FI Channel
January 12, 2007

SCI FI Channel has greenlit production on "Flash Gordon," based on the popular comic strip franchise, it was announced today at the Television Critic's Association tour. Production on the 22 one-hour episodes begins in Canada in early 2007. The series, produced by Reunion Pictures, is slated to debut on SCI FI in July of '07, with a broadcast syndication window to follow.

Under an agreement with property owner King Features Syndicate, the new series is being produced by RHI's Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., who previously produced SCI FI's popular miniseries event "Legend of Earthsea."

Ming, Dale Arden, and Dr. Hans Zarkov are among the many beloved characters returning to television in this contemporary retelling of the intergalactic exploits of "Flash Gordon." Stellar adventures and heroic battles mark this inventive new take on the perennial science fiction classic. The "Flash Gordon" comic strip was created in 1934 by legendary comic-strip artist Alex Raymond and is still distributed internationally today by King Features Syndicate.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Pretty sure they've alraedy tried a Flash TV show...wonder if there has been more than one.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Will they use the 'Queen' song for the series? I could dig that!!!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Pretty sure they've already tried a Flash TV show...wonder if there has been more than one.

Only one live action TV show.

Flash Gordon (1954-55)

Steve Holland, starred in a 1954-1955 TV series which ran for 39 episodes and is, to date, the only live-action TV series based upon the character. The series had the distinction of being filmed in West Berlin, less than a decade after the end of World War II. It was recut into a movie in 1957.

There were three animated series but two of the three took extreme liberties with the character.

Only The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979-80) stayed true to the original Flash Gordon character.

In Defenders of the Earth (1986), Flash teamed up with fellow King Features heroes The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician in 65 episodes. This is how badly they tweaked the character: Flash had Dale Arden had conceived a son, Rick Gordon, who is in his mid-teens when the series begins. Dale has her mind torn from her body by Ming in the first episode and is preserved in a crystal, which Rick is able to recover and give to his father. Dale is reborn on Earth as Dynak X, the strategic battle computer of the Defenders' base Monitor Earth. Flash vows he will restore Dale to her human form but later episodes of the series see him openly flirting and embracing other women, in one case developing a relationship with the android Kala in the episode "Flesh and Blood."

Flash Gordon (1996) - In 1996, Hearst Entertainment premiered a Flash Gordon animated television series which had Flash and Dale as hoverboarding teenagers.

 

[Pariah]

Pretty sure they've alraedy tried a Flash TV show...wonder if there has been more than one.

Maybe you're thinking of Flash, the DC comics character?

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Maybe you're thinking of Flash, the DC comics character?

Yes, that is what I'm thinking of. They aren't the same?

 

[Pariah]

Yes, that is what I'm thinking of. They aren't the same?

No, Flash Gordon is the time-traveling (I think) spaceman--the 80's movie with the Queen theme is that Flash. The Flash is a comic book speedster that's in the Justice League--the early 90's live-action TV series is this one.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

No, Flash Gordon is the time-traveling (I think) spaceman--the 80's movie with the Queen theme is that Flash. The Flash is a comic book speedster that's in the Justice League--the early 90's live-action TV series is this one.

Wow.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Surprised you never saw the 1980 film, Mike. ---> It has a 79% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes.com.

From Wikipedia: With its camp style, exaggerated costumes and synthesized music, Flash Gordon had a poor box office performance, although Max von Sydow (Ming) received a good deal of praise for his performance. The film nonetheless went on to become a cult classic; many of the film's lines are intentionally tongue-in-cheek, and this knowing sense of humor contributes to the collective affection with which the picture is remembered by its fans. Despite its shortcomings, it maintains a 79% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes.com.

The film is also notable in that, according to the biography Skywalking, George Lucas was an admirer of the original comics and serials and attempted to secure the rights to produce it, but finding the rights had been secured by Laurentiis, went on to write, produce and direct Star Wars instead. Perhaps as a tip of the hat, when Lucas produced Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999, Blessed was cast as the CGI character "Boss Nass", the leader of the Gungan people.

-------------------------------------------------

I saw it in the theaters and have seen it a few times since. Prince Barin was played by Timothy Dalton. He and Flash take turns sticking their arms inside a tree stump which has a wood beast inside it. Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless.

Pretty fun movie if you don't take it too seriously.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Surprised you never saw the 1980 film,

I was 5

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I was 5

You've had more than 26 years to see it.

 

[Pariah]

Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless.

I didn't realize that was von Sydow. Cool.

I haven't seen this movie since I was a kid, but man, we sure did like it then. Loved the seen with the scorpion-like things in the rock when they were sticking their hands in there. Cool stuff.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Johnson Cast as SCI FI's Flash Gordon
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
April 11, 2007

"Smallville" alum Eric Johnson has landed the title role in SCI FI Channel's upcoming series "Flash Gordon."

The 22-hour series, a contemporary take on the popular comic strip franchise, is slated for an August premiere. It will feature Johnson as space traveler Flash Gordon embarking on all-new adventures.

Peter Hume wrote the first two episodes, which will be directed by Rick Rosenthal ("Smallville"). Production is to begin May 1 in Vancouver.

Casting is under way for the other roles, including Flash Gordon's fellow space travelers Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov.

The "Flash Gordon" comic strip was created in 1934 by Alex Raymond and is being distributed internationally by King Features

 

[nathan]

*Bump*

Best thing on Sci-fi since BSG

 

[Gaddabout]

Flash! ah-ahhhhhhhh .... he'll save everyone of us! Only thing I ever liked about that movie was the soundtrack. Queen rocked.