Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)
A loose adaptation of the classic comic strip, set on Earth and Mongo.
Flash Gordon is a science fiction TV series that first aired on Sci-Fi in the United States on August 10, 2007, with new episodes running until February 8, 2008. It also broadcast on Sci-Fi’s British/Irish channel and on Space in Canada. Peter Hume developed the show, acting as executive producer and showrunner, and he wrote the premiere and finale, along with other episodes.
The plot loosely follows the original comic strip, borrowing from earlier adaptations. It centers on Steven "Flash" Gordon, a 25-year-old living with his mother whose scientist father vanished in a mysterious accident when Flash was 13. His ex-girlfriend, Dale Arden, works as a TV news reporter and is engaged to police detective Joe Wylee. They reconnect with Professor Gordon’s eccentric former assistant, Hans Zarkov, when space rifts open, enabling travel between Earth and the planet Mongo.
Mongo is ruled by the ruthless dictator Ming, who controls "Source Water," the only safe drinking water on the planet. Unlike earlier versions, Ming is called "the Merciless" only in private and publicly referred to as "Benevolent Father." He acts like a modern, media-savvy dictator, not the simple, stereotypical villain of past portrayals, and appears as a blond Caucasian rather than a bald East Asian man. His daughter, Princess Aura, is troubled by his cruelty. A new non-human character, Baylin, a bounty hunter from Mongo, gets stranded on Earth and joins Flash, Dale, and Zarkov as a guide to Mongo and its inhabitants.
Mongo’s peoples live in "cantons," tribal groups resembling the animal-human hybrids from the original strip. These include the Verdan (based on Prince Barin’s forest people), the Turin (Lion Men), the Dactyls (Hawkmen), the Omadrians (women who create powerful medicines), the Frigians (living in frozen wastelands), the Tritons (underwater dwellers), and the Zurn (blue "Magic Men" led by Queen Azura). Another group, the Deviates, are mutants whose ancestors drank toxic "Grey Water" to survive. They are led by Terek, their unofficial king, later revealed to be Aura’s brother, and are widely distrusted.
The main cast includes Eric Johnson as Flash, Gina Holden as Dale Arden, Karen Cliche as Baylin, Jody Racicot as Dr. Hans Zarkov, John Ralston as Ming, and Jonathan Lloyd Walker as Rankol.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction · Adventure · Action · Fantasy · Comedy drama · Superhero
- Developer
- Peter Hume
- Based On
- Flash Gordon / by / Alex Raymond
- Starring
- Eric Johnson / Gina Holden / Karen Cliche / Jody Racicot / John Ralston / Anna van Hooft / Jonathan Lloyd Walker / Steve Bacic
- Music
- Michael Picton
- Country
- United States / Canada
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 21
- Executive Producer
- Robert Halmi Jr. / Robert Halmi Sr. / Peter Hume
- Runtime
- 42 minutes
- Network
- Sci-Fi
- Company
- Flash Films / Reunion Pictures / King Features Entertainment
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series follows Steven 'Flash' Gordon, a twenty-five-year-old who lives with his mother and whose scientist father was lost in a mysterious accident when Flash was 13. Flash's ex-girlfriend, Dale Arden, is a television news reporter engaged to police detective Joe Wylee. They meet Professor Gordon's eccentric former assistant, Hans Zarkov, when rifts in space appear, allowing travel between Earth and the planet Mongo. Mongo is ruled by the ruthless dictator Ming, who controls 'Source Water', the only safe drinking water on Mongo. Unlike previous adaptations, Ming is publicly called 'Benevolent Father' and exhibits traits of modern, media-savvy dictators, and resembles a blond Caucasian human rather than a bald East Asian man. Ming's daughter, Princess Aura, is disturbed by her father's brutality. The series adds a new non-Terran character, Baylin, a bounty hunter from Mongo who becomes a comrade of Flash, Dale, and Zarkov. The peoples of Mongo live in 'cantons', tribal groups that echo the animal-human hybrids of the original comic strip, including the Verdan, Turin, Dactyls, Omadrians, Frigians, Tritons, and Zurn. There is also a group called the Deviates, mutants whose ancestors drank toxic 'Grey Water', led by Terek, later revealed to be Aura's brother.
Reader's Guide
The show was not well received. Metacritic gave it an average score of 35/100 based on reviews from 13 critics. UK science fiction magazine SFX described episode 3 as 'possibly the worst episode of anything, ever', and named the series as the worst they had ever reviewed in their 200th issue features. The New York Post 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'. Another UK science fiction magazine, TV Zone, in a review for episode 13, stated that the series continued to improve and that viewers might see meaning in the producers' madness, but noted that early episodes were so dire that only reviewers were still watching. When the show premiered in the UK, the magazine recommended it to readers, noting that while early episodes are dire, the series eventually rewards patience and endurance. The series was canceled in April 2008. Re-runs began airing weekly on ION Television on August 1, 2008. Home media releases include an exclusive Best Buy DVD in August 2007, a Region 1 (Canada only) complete series DVD from Phase 4 Films in July 2009, and a complete series DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment in the USA in April 2013. In February 2014, Perseverance Records released a CD of selected cues by composer Michael Picton, with a second album in May and a final volume scheduled later that year.
Creative Vision & Modern Reimagining
The 2007 Flash Gordon series was developed by Peter Hume, who served as executive producer and showrunner, personally writing the first and last episodes among others. Rather than a strict adaptation, the show drew loosely from the original comic strip while weaving in elements from multiple prior film and television incarnations. The most striking departure concerned Ming: instead of the bald East Asian villain of earlier versions, this Ming was a blond Caucasian projecting a media-savvy, modern dictator persona. Publicly he was known as 'Benevolent Father,' while 'the Merciless' was a title reserved for his inner circle. He controlled Source Water, the sole safe drinking supply on Mongo. The series also introduced Baylin, a non-Terran bounty hunter from Mongo who became stranded on Earth and joined the human team as their guide. Princess Aura, Ming's daughter, was troubled by her father's cruelty. Mongo's cantons—Verdan, Turin, Dactyls, Omadrians, Frigians, Tritons, Zurn, and the Deviates—reimagined the strip's animal-human hybrids into distinct tribal societies. The Deviates were mutants whose ancestors survived on toxic Grey Water, led by Terek, later revealed to be Aura's brother.
Cast & Character Ensemble
Eric Johnson headlined the series as Steven 'Flash' Gordon, a twenty-five-year-old still living with his mother Norah (Jill Teed) after his scientist father vanished in a mysterious accident when Flash was thirteen. Gina Holden played Dale Arden, reimagined as a television news reporter engaged to police detective Joe Wylee (Giles Panton). Jody Racicot portrayed Dr. Hans Zarkov, Professor Gordon's eccentric former assistant, while John Ralston took on the role of Ming. Karen Cliche brought Baylin to life, and Jonathan Lloyd Walker played Rankol. The recurring cast expanded the Mongo world considerably: Anna Van Hooft as the conflicted Princess Aura, Craig Stanghetta as Terek, Steve Bacic as Prince Barin, Ty Olsson as Prince Vultan, Jody Thompson as Azura, queen of the blue-painted Zurn, and Carrie Genzel as Vestra. The narrative was set in motion when rifts in space opened, permitting travel between Earth and Mongo, and the group of Earthlings—Flash, Dale, Zarkov, and Baylin—found themselves entangled in the politics of a planet whose ruler controlled its only safe water supply.
Critical Reception & Divided Legacy
The 2007 Flash Gordon series was met with overwhelmingly negative critical response. Metacritic tallied an average score of just 35 out of 100 from thirteen critics. The UK science fiction magazine SFX called episode three 'possibly the worst episode of anything, ever' and, in a 200th-issue feature, named the entire series the worst they had ever reviewed. The New York Post awarded zero stars, branding the production a disgrace to the name of the enduring comic-strip space hero. Yet a more nuanced view emerged later. TV Zone, reviewing episode thirteen, acknowledged that the series 'continues to improve' and suggested the producers may have intended to lure mainstream viewers with accessible plots before building a Dune-like complexity. When the show premiered in the UK, the same magazine recommended it, noting that while early episodes were dire, the series 'eventually rewards patience and endurance.' This split reception—scathing early reviews giving way to grudging appreciation—became a defining part of the show's cultural memory.
Broadcast Run & Home Media Availability
Flash Gordon premiered on the Sci-Fi channel in the United States on August 10, 2007, and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. The series also found audiences on the British and Irish variant of Sci-Fi and on Space in Canada. Despite this multi-market presence, the show was canceled in April 2008. Re-runs began on ION Television starting August 1, 2008, on a weekly schedule. Home video availability was staggered across regions and years. In August 2007, Best Buy offered an exclusive DVD containing the truncated 65-minute pilot as it aired, along with selected deleted scenes featuring incomplete effects and a concept art gallery. Later DVD editions included the full 87-minute pilot split into two parts. Phase 4 Films released the complete 22-episode series on a five-disc set in Region 1 (Canada) in July 2009, while Mill Creek Entertainment brought the full series to US DVD shelves in April 2013. In February 2014, Perseverance Records released a CD of selected cues from composer Michael Picton, with a second album following in May and a final volume planned for later that year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)?
Peter Hume created the series and served as its executive producer and showrunner. He also personally wrote the pilot episode, the finale, and several other installments in the run.
Where and when did Flash Gordon (2007 TV series) air?
The show premiered on the Sci-Fi channel in the United States on August 10, 2007, and ran through February 8, 2008. It was simultaneously broadcast on Sci-Fi's British and Irish feed as well as Canada's Space channel.
What is the basic premise of Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)?
The series follows twenty-five-year-old Steven "Flash" Gordon, a young man living with his mother after his scientist father vanishes in a mysterious accident. It is a loose reimagining of the classic comic strip, with the storyline spanning both Earth and the alien world of Mongo.
How many episodes does Flash Gordon (2007 TV series) contain and how was it received by critics?
The series ran for a single season of twenty-two episodes. Critical reception was largely negative, landing a Metacritic score of 35 out of 100 based on thirteen critic reviews.
What distinguishes Flash Gordon (2007 TV series) from other Flash Gordon adaptations?
Unlike many earlier screen versions that set the entire story on Mongo, this series splits its action between Earth and the alien planet, giving more weight to Flash's personal life on Earth. The show also benefited from a single showrunner who maintained consistent creative vision across key episodes including the premiere and finale.
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