Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)

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Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Genre	Drama Science fiction
Created by	Alex Raymond
Starring	Eric Johnson Gina Holden Karen Cliche Jody Racicot John Ralston Anna van Hooft Jonathan Lloyd Walker Steve Bacic
Country of origin	United States Canada (Production)
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	22
Production
Executive producer(s)	Robert Halmi Jr. Robert Halmi Sr. Peter Hume
Running time	42 minutes (60 minutes with commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	Sci Fi
Original run	August 10, 2007 – April 3, 2008
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

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. The series was developed by Peter Hume, who served as executive producer/showrunner and wrote the first and last episodes, among others.

The series, based on the comic strip of the same name and its adaptations, follows the adventures of Steven "Flash" Gordon (the nickname referring to his running ability), who lives with his mother in Maryland and whose scientist father was apparently lost in a mysterious accident when Flash (Eric Johnson) 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 provides the only safe drinking water in Mongo (Source Water). Unlike the previous adaptations, he is not normally called "the Merciless" (in this version, it serves as more of a seldom-used nickname) 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.^[1]. Once again, 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.

The peoples of Mongo live in "cantons", tribal groups that echo the outlandish 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 Lion Men), the Dactyls (the series' version of the strip 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" lead 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 mistrusted by almost everyone and not recognized as a true canton.

On April 3, 2008, it was announced that Flash Gordon was cancelled.^[2]

1 Cast
2 Episode list
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Cast

Eric Johnson as Steven "Flash" Gordon
Gina Holden as Dale Arden
Karen Cliche as Baylin
Jody Racicot as Dr. Hans Zarkov
John Ralston as Ming
Anna van Hooft as Princess Aura
Panou as Nick Gilmore
Giles Panton as Joe Wylee
Jonathan Lloyd Walker as Rankol
Jill Teed as Norah Gordon
Carmen Moore as Joely Lavant
Steve Bacic as Barin
Ty Olsson as Vultan
Jody Thompson as Azura

[edit] Episode list

Episode	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original Airdate
1-01/1-02 (1)	"Pilot Episode"	Peter Hume	Rick Rosenthal	August 10, 2007
Flash Gordon thought that his father died in a fire 13 years ago. Actually, Professor Gordon disappeared through a "rift", traveling to the planet Mongo... and now something has come back through the rift, looking for a mysterious artifact that Gordon left behind. Flash is forced to team up with his ex-girlfriend, Dale Arden, who travels with him to Mongo to meet Ming, the planet's brutal dictator. When they arrive, Ming imprisons Flash, and sends Dale to his harem to be prepared for his pleasure. In the end, Flash and Dale escape back to Earth.
1-03 (2)	"Pride"	Derick Martini, Steven Martini	Paul Shapiro	August 17, 2007
Ming's bounty hunter, Baylin, is trapped on Earth... and living in Flash's house. To bring Baylin back, Ming sends another hunter, who has a personal connection to her.
1-04 (3)	"Infestation"	Melody Fox	Paul Shapiro	August 24, 2007
A dangerous insect travels through an errant rift and bites Flash's friend, Nick. Dale is left behind to tend to Nick, while Flash and Baylin travel to Mongo in search of a cure.
1-05 (4)	"Assassin"	James Thorpe	Neil Fearnley	September 7, 2007
Flash is astonished to see his father come through the rift... but his joy turns to horror when Professor Gordon starts murdering his old colleagues.
1-06 (5)	"Ascension"	Scott Murphy	T.J. Scott	September 14, 2007
Vultan, leader of the Dactyls, extorts Rankol into opening a portal to Earth, so he can find the son he lost via a rift a decade ago.
1-07 (6)	"Life Source"	Melody Fox	T.J. Scott	September 21, 2007
Athletes begin disappearing and someone from Mongo seems to be behind it.
1-08 (7)	"Alliances"	Gillian Horvath	Grant Harvey	September 28, 2007
(part 1 of 2) Flash, Baylin and Zarkov travel to Mongo, searching for information about Flash's father.
1-09 (8)	"Revelations"	James Thorpe	Mick MacKay	October 5, 2007
(part 2 of 2) Prince Barin of the Verden agrees to marry Ming's daughter Aura. Ming is disturbed by a prophecy predicting his overthrow.
1-10 (9)	"Till Death"	Lisa Klink	Morgan Beggs	October 12, 2007
Aura travels to Earth to drug Flash with a love potion, so that she may get out of the arranged bonding with Barin.
1-11 (10)	"Conspiracy Theory"	Sheryl J. Anderson	Rick Stevenson	October 19, 2007
Rankol has Zarkov kidnapped and brought to Mongo. A government agent named Montgomery questions Flash and Dale about the rifts.
1-12 (11)	"Random Access"	David Tynan	Patrick Williams	October 26, 2007
The barrier between dimensions breaks down causing rifts to randomly develop. Flash and Joe end up on Mongo working in a mine.
1-13 (12)	"Secrets and Lies"	Peter Hume	Mick MacKay	November 2, 2007
Joe tries to convince his Captain that Mongo is real. Flash and Zarkov travel through a rift to prevent its detection. Ming secretly tries to start a war between two cantons to hide the fact that there is not enough source water to meet all promised amounts.
1-14 (13)	"Sorrow"	Melody Fox	Patrick Williams	November 9, 2007
Honor Day is celebrated on Mongo, in remembrance of lives lost during an environmental cataclysm known as "The Sorrow". During the festivities, Ming orchestrates a brutal attack on the Verdan.
1-15 (14)	"Stand and Deliver"	Gillian Horvath	Mick MacKay	November 16, 2007
Flash and the gang learn that the Verdan have become captured and are being sold as slaves. After Dale is captured as well, they learn that Ming is growing paranoid about a prophecy that he believes predicts that Barin will overthrow him.
1-16 (15)	"Possession"	Andrea Stevens	Patrick Williams	November 30, 2007
Joe sets off for Mongo with a rift blaster stolen from Zarkov's lab to secure photographic proof that the alien world exists. Flash and the gang pursue, and encounter a witch who steals Dale's soul. Elyse Levesque, Christina Jastrzembska.
1-17 (16)	"Thicker Than Water"	James Thorpe	Matt Hastings	January 4, 2008
Flash and Aura are kidnapped by a Deviant after he returns to Mongo with Baylin and Zarkov in search of the rift blaster that Joe lost. They need to find it before Rankol does.
1-18 (17)	"Ebb and Flow"	Sheryl J. Anderson	Patrick Williams	January 11, 2008
Rankol steals a lake from Earth and stores it in a reservoir on Mongo. This forces Flash, Baylin, and Zarkov to return to Mongo. They are forced to make a tough decision, resulting in Joe's death.
1-19 (18)	"Blame"	Melody Fox	Rachel Talalay	January 18, 2008
Water that is supplied to the Cantons is found to be contaminated. This forces Flash and Aura to go on a journey to find an antidote to prevent a massive loss of life.
1-20 (19)	"Cold Day in Hell"	Gillian Horvath	Pat Williams	January 25, 2008
Flash ventures to Frigia to free the cold region's queen and face the final test of the prophecy.
1-21 (20)	"Revolution - Part 1"	James Thorpe	Paul Shapiro	February 1, 2008
Ming sends his soldiers to raid the ice in Frigia, leaving the city unprotected. Flash and Terek rally the cantons in preparation for their attack on Ming's palace, with Rankol now on their side. Flash frees his father from Rankol's mind prison. Back on Earth, Dale and Mrs. Gordon are chased by Government agents and manage to flee to Mongo.
1-22 (21)	"Revolution - Part 2"	Peter Hume	Paul Shapiro	February 8, 2008
Terek's attack against Ming has begun and Ming enlists the help of Azura to repel Terek's forces. Dr. Gordon is reunited with his wife after 13 years. Ming is captured by Flash and Aura and brought before Terek. Placed in the death chamber, Ming escapes by utilizing the magic power of Azura's medallion. Flash's parents return to Earth but the others are left trapped on Mongo.