Flash Gordon - Season 1 (Part 2)
Premieres: Friday, January 4 at 8:00 p.m. EST
Network: Sci Fi
Creator(s):Steve Best, Gillian Horvath
Starring:: Eric Johnson, Gina Holden, Jody Racicot, John Ralston, Karen Cliché, Giles Panton
Website: SciFi.com
The classic comic book hero gets a makeover with this new series from the Sci Fi channel. Fifteen episodes aired from August through November, 2007, and the series returns with new episodes on Jan. 4, 2008.
Steven “Flash” Gordon (Eric Johnson) and his companions, Dale Arden (Gina Holden) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Jody Racicot) are the Earth’s last defense against the evil dictator Ming the Merciless (John Ralston).
To recap 2007: Flash’s father, the eminent scientist Dr. Lawrence Gordon, died in a laboratory fire when Flash was 13 years old. But there’s more to his death than Flash realized. When odd things start happening, he seeks advice from old flame, Dale, a reporter for their hometown TV station. She’s engaged to police detective Joe Wylee (Giles Panton), although we get the feeling he's not all he seems.
Adding intrigue is Dr. Zarkov, a quirky assistant to Flash's father who warns Flash of a transdimensional rift – a tear in the universe’s fabric. It’s just like the one Flash’s father was trying to create the night of his death.
Message boards are all over the map on this show. Some like it. Some find it dull and boring. I’m not familiar with the comic book series or really, much about the character of Flash Gordon. But the few eps I watched last season…ok, a little boring, but interesting enough to bring me back in January. I like the characters, but as far as storyline and production, they could take a page out of Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica. Still, I’ll be checking it out again.
For the full 2008 Winter TV Premiere Schedule: CLICK HERE
Here’s a short clip from the August ’07 pilot:
