Flash Gordon (2007)

Here's a show that plays much better on DVD than it did over 6 months on TV. 2007's "Flash Gordon" got off to a really bumpy start , it was immediately and LOUDLY denounced by fans of previous incarnations, the network put it on hiatus for far too long and it ultimately bowed out with a ratings-deprived whimper. Thing is, it turned out to be a really interesting, entertaining show -- with an ongoing storyline that was nicely wrapped up by the finale. Few shows are given that luxury.

Steven "Flash" Gordon is a marathon runner whose scientist father vanished in a lab fire more than a decade earlier. Now an adult, Flash has remained at home to care for his once-cancer-stricken mother, and he co-owns a body shop in the garage with his best friend Nick. But life takes an unexpected turn when Flash encounters his father's former lab assistant, sarcastic nebbish Hans Zarkov, who clues him in to "rifts" that allow people to travel from one planet to another. Soon Flash and his former girlfriend, reporter Dale Arden, wind up traveling through a rift to the drought-ravaged planet Mongo, which is ruled by tyrannical emperor Ming, who has plans to steal the Earth's water supply. Feeling his father might still be alive somewhere on Mongo, Flash keeps stepping through the rifts to search for him, often aided by Baylin, a sexy Mongo warrior who seeks refuge from Ming on Earth. Word of mouth about the virtuous Flash soon spreads across the land, and he ultimately becomes a key player in the plot to bring Ming's empire down.

Because of the rifts, early episodes were compared to both "Sliders" and "Stargate," and plots often involved the 'alien of the week' winding up on Earth and Flash's attempts to send them back home. And yes, on a week-to-week basis, that quickly became tiresome. The internet backlash against the series was so strong from the start that it was retooled halfway through its run, with Flash and friends spending the bulk of their time on Mongo in later episodes. Thing is, the writers were clever, those early episodes slowly established Mongo characters who would go on to be pivotal to the overall storyline -- and this was a very character-driven show. By the end, many of the bumps from early episode were smoothed over and poorly-conceived characters (best friend Nick and Dale's cop boyfriend) were written out.

As for the deviations... There's no rocket ships, the hawkmen don't have wings (they 'glide on the wind' with their leather vests), and Ming is no longer the racial slur that he once was, but a handsome, shaggy-haired, ego-maniacal white dude. Probably the biggest complaint from fans was the depiction of Ming, but in trying to update the story and ground it in a reality, this Ming works far better than the previous versions would've. And by the end as his empire is verging on ruin, he truly does become "Ming the Merciless."

There's many other character deviations, but they nicely extracted the essence of the established characters and took them to new and interesting places. (And yep, I'm a fan of all of the earlier incarnations as well.) Ming's daughter Aura in particular has a massive character arc, beginning as a spoiled, bratty princess but ultimately becoming a strong, potential successor to the throne. And the show's original characters (namely Baylin and Ming's droid-ish sidekick Rankol) were wonderfully conceived, brilliantly acted, and seemed to become more layered as the series progressed. Plus I gotta mention that Eric Johnson, who had to wear many hats as Flash Gordon (charismatic, quick-thinking, athletic, funny, virtuous, devious when the moment calls for it, etc.), was perfectly cast. If fans and the network had stuck with it, the show could have gone on to become truly great. As is, it falls far short of that... but it is an entertaining show full of heart, humor, lovable characters, cheesy effects and campy moments aplenty.

Now, it seems as if The Sci-Fi Channel (pre-SyFy) intentionally set out to ruin this series. If the previous incarnations are to be held up as an example, there's no question that "Flash Gordon" should have been a big-budget show. Instead, they set up production in Canada, hired a cast of mainly unknowns, rejected the dazzling concept art, and gave the show a very restricted budget.

(mostly because the Sci Fi Channel wouldn't give them the money required to bring Flash to the tube on a weekly basis)

This Canadian DVD set feature all 22 episodes of the series (including a two-part, 90 minute version of the pilot, which includes a ton of footage that's missing from the 65 min. version broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel and released on the Flash Gordon - The Premiere Episode disc which was briefly available at US Best Buy stores). Sadly, there's no extras to be found anywhere on the set. And don't let the fact that it's Canadian throw you; it's Region 1 formatted, meaning it'll play fine on American DVD players.