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Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Flash Gordon is an American
science fiction
television series that debuted on Sci Fi
in the United States
on August 10, 2007 and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. It has also appeared on the United Kingdom
Sci Fi Channel
and SPACE in Canada
. The series was developed by Peter Hume, who served as executive producer/show runner
and wrote the first and last episodes, among others.
and incorporating elements from several previous adaptations, follows the adventures of Steven "Flash" Gordon
(the nickname is a reference to his abilities as a high school track and field athlete) (Eric Johnson
) who lives with his mother in Maryland
and whose scientist father was lost in a mysterious accident when Flash was 13 years old. Flash's former girlfriend, Dale Arden
(Gina Holden
), is a television news reporter and is engaged to police detective Joe Wylee. They meet the elder Gordon's eccentric former assistant, Hans Zarkov
(Jody Racicot), when rifts in space appear, allowing travel between Earth and the planet Mongo.
Mongo is ruled by the ruthless dictator Ming
(John Ralston
), who controls "Source Water", the only source of safe drinking water on Mongo. Unlike the previous adaptations, he is not normally called "the Merciless" and is instead called "Benevolent Father". He also exhibits the traits of modern, media-savvy dictators, rather than the more simplistic, stereotypically evil characterization of earlier incarnations. Also unlike previous depictions, Ming resembles a blond caucasian human, rather than a bald East Asian man, possibly to avoid the allegations of racism associated with the original depiction. Ming has a daughter, Princess Aura
(Anna van Hooft
), who is disturbed by her father's brutality. The series adds a new non-Terran character, Baylin (Karen Cliche
), a bounty hunter from Mongo. She finds herself trapped on Earth
and becomes a comrade of Flash, Dale and Zarkov and their guide to Mongo and its inhabitants.
The peoples of Mongo live in "cantons", tribal groups that echo the animal-human hybrids of the original comic strip. The cantons include the Verdan (based on Prince Barin's
forest-dwelling people from the strip), the Turin (based on the strip's Lion Men), the Dactyls (the series' version of the strip's Hawkmen), the Omadrians (women who create powerful medicines), the Frigians (who live in the frozen wastelands), the Tritons (who live beneath the ocean), and the Zurn (painted blue "Magic Men" led by Queen Azura). There is also another group known as the Deviates, mutants whose ancestors drank "Grey Water" (toxic water) to survive. The Deviates are led by Terek, their unofficial king (and Aura's brother) and are distrusted by almost everyone.
On April 3, 2008, it was announced that Flash Gordon was cancelled. Re-runs of the show began airing weekly on ION Television on August 1, 2008.
gave the show 0 stars describing it as "a disgrace to the name of the enduring comic-strip-character-turned-movie-and-TV space hero
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series that debuted on Sci Fi
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on August 10, 2007 and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. It has also appeared on the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi channel (United Kingdom)
Syfy is a television channel service specialising in science fiction, fantasy and horror shows and movies. It is available via digital cable, IPTV, satellite television and Top Up TV platforms. The channel launched in 1995 in the UK a sister channel to the US Sci Fi Channel , with a similar...
and SPACE in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The series was developed by Peter Hume, who served as executive producer/show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
and wrote the first and last episodes, among others.
Overview
The series, based loosely on the comic strip of the same nameFlash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
and incorporating elements from several previous adaptations, follows the adventures of Steven "Flash" Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
(the nickname is a reference to his abilities as a high school track and field athlete) (Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson (actor)
Eric Johann Johnson is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Whitney Fordman on the television series Smallville...
) who lives with his mother in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and whose scientist father was lost in a mysterious accident when Flash was 13 years old. Flash's former girlfriend, Dale Arden
Dale Arden
Dale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow-adventurer and love interest of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia Organa and Padme Amidala in Star Wars. Flash, Dale and Dr...
(Gina Holden
Gina Holden
- Early life :Holden was born in the small town of Smithers, British Columbia, Canada, and moved often while growing up. With every move, Holden would join whatever community group she could so she could follow her passion for acting. At fifteen, she was signed to a modeling contract and moved to...
), is a television news reporter and is engaged to police detective Joe Wylee. They meet the elder Gordon's eccentric former assistant, Hans Zarkov
Hans Zarkov
Dr. Hans Zarkov is a fictional character appearing in the Flash Gordon comic strip. Zarkov is a brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to come with him to the planet Mongo, and fight against Ming the Merciless...
(Jody Racicot), when rifts in space appear, allowing travel between Earth and the planet Mongo.
Mongo is ruled by the ruthless dictator Ming
Ming the Merciless
Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation.- First appearance :...
(John Ralston
John Ralston (actor)
John Ralston is a Canadian actor.Ralston's most notable roles are George Venturi on Life with Derek and Mr. Avenir on Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. Although John Ralston was born in Chatham, New Brunswick , he grew up in Fredericton and St. Andrews, New Brunswick...
), who controls "Source Water", the only source of safe drinking water on Mongo. Unlike the previous adaptations, he is not normally called "the Merciless" and is instead called "Benevolent Father". He also exhibits the traits of modern, media-savvy dictators, rather than the more simplistic, stereotypically evil characterization of earlier incarnations. Also unlike previous depictions, Ming resembles a blond caucasian human, rather than a bald East Asian man, possibly to avoid the allegations of racism associated with the original depiction. Ming has a daughter, Princess Aura
Princess Aura
Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.In 1936, Princess...
(Anna van Hooft
Anna Van Hooft
Anna Van Hooft is an American actress.She is best known for her role in the main cast of the 2007 live-action television series adaptation of the Flash Gordon franchise as Princess Aura....
), who is disturbed by her father's brutality. The series adds a new non-Terran character, Baylin (Karen Cliche
Karen Cliche
Karen Cliche is a Canadian actress. She's best known for her roles as a regular on the TV series Vampire High, Adventure Inc., Mutant X, Young Blades, and Flash Gordon.She is married to Brian Mellersh since September 24, 2005...
), a bounty hunter from Mongo. She finds herself trapped on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and becomes a comrade of Flash, Dale and Zarkov and their guide to Mongo and its inhabitants.
The peoples of Mongo live in "cantons", tribal groups that echo the animal-human hybrids of the original comic strip. The cantons include the Verdan (based on Prince Barin's
Prince Barin
Prince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories. He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria. Barin becomes one of Flash's best friends, and is deeply in love with Princess Aura....
forest-dwelling people from the strip), the Turin (based on the strip's Lion Men), the Dactyls (the series' version of the strip's Hawkmen), the Omadrians (women who create powerful medicines), the Frigians (who live in the frozen wastelands), the Tritons (who live beneath the ocean), and the Zurn (painted blue "Magic Men" led by Queen Azura). There is also another group known as the Deviates, mutants whose ancestors drank "Grey Water" (toxic water) to survive. The Deviates are led by Terek, their unofficial king (and Aura's brother) and are distrusted by almost everyone.
On April 3, 2008, it was announced that Flash Gordon was cancelled. Re-runs of the show began airing weekly on ION Television on August 1, 2008.
Reception
The show was generally not well received, with metacritic showing an average of 35/100. UK science fiction magazine SFX described episode 3 as 'possibly the worst episode of anything, ever.', and as part of their 200th issue features, they named the series as the worst they had ever reviewed. The New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
gave the show 0 stars describing it as "a disgrace to the name of the enduring comic-strip-character-turned-movie-and-TV space hero
Cast
- Eric JohnsonEric Johnson (actor)Eric Johann Johnson is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Whitney Fordman on the television series Smallville...
as Steven "Flash" GordonFlash GordonFlash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash... - Gina HoldenGina Holden- Early life :Holden was born in the small town of Smithers, British Columbia, Canada, and moved often while growing up. With every move, Holden would join whatever community group she could so she could follow her passion for acting. At fifteen, she was signed to a modeling contract and moved to...
as Dale ArdenDale ArdenDale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow-adventurer and love interest of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia Organa and Padme Amidala in Star Wars. Flash, Dale and Dr... - Karen ClicheKaren ClicheKaren Cliche is a Canadian actress. She's best known for her roles as a regular on the TV series Vampire High, Adventure Inc., Mutant X, Young Blades, and Flash Gordon.She is married to Brian Mellersh since September 24, 2005...
as Baylin - Jody Racicot as Dr. Hans ZarkovHans ZarkovDr. Hans Zarkov is a fictional character appearing in the Flash Gordon comic strip. Zarkov is a brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to come with him to the planet Mongo, and fight against Ming the Merciless...
- John RalstonJohn Ralston (actor)John Ralston is a Canadian actor.Ralston's most notable roles are George Venturi on Life with Derek and Mr. Avenir on Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. Although John Ralston was born in Chatham, New Brunswick , he grew up in Fredericton and St. Andrews, New Brunswick...
as MingMing the MercilessMing the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation.- First appearance :... - Anna van HooftAnna Van HooftAnna Van Hooft is an American actress.She is best known for her role in the main cast of the 2007 live-action television series adaptation of the Flash Gordon franchise as Princess Aura....
as Princess AuraPrincess AuraPrincess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.In 1936, Princess... - PanouPanouPanou is a Canadian actor.His birth-name translates to 'God Among Us' in his native Creole. He is 5'11". His first feature film was Trial of a Serial Killer in 1997; he has since had roles in such film projects as Steal This Movie! , the independent feature Fizzy Bizness, and the feature film The...
as Nick Gilmore - Giles Panton as Joe Wylee
- Jonathan Lloyd Walker as Rankol
- Jill TeedJill TeedJill Teed is a Canadian actress who resides in Vancouver with her young daughter. She is a genre actress who appears in many sci-fi roles. She has appeared in a range of television guest roles such The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Sliders, and The Outer Limits...
as Norah Gordon - Carmen Moore as Joely Lavant
- Craig Stanghetta as Terek
- Steve BacicSteve BacicSteve Bacic is a Canadian actor of Croatian origin. He is known for playing the character Telemachus Rhade on the Sci-Fi series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. After being a guest star in season 1-3, he joined the cast early in season four...
as Prince BarinPrince BarinPrince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories. He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria. Barin becomes one of Flash's best friends, and is deeply in love with Princess Aura.... - Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
as Prince VultanPrince VultanPrince Vultan is the prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Prince Vultan starts his career as a half-villain with a lecherous side , but soon reforms into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies... - Jody ThompsonJody ThompsonJody Rae Thompson is a Canadian actress working in film and television.-Personal life:Thompson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia to an English father, Ray Thompson, the lead singer of the garage rock band The Wiggy Symphony, and a German mother...
as Queen Azura
Episode list
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|