Since its premiere this summer SCI FI’s “Flash Gordon” has been an easy target for fan ire and critical pans.
But the show’s producers have asked fans and critics alike not to lose faith in the show and promised that the second half of the first season will be better.
During an interview with a group of us on-line reporters, executive producer Peter Hume acknowledged that the writing and production staff is aware of the negative comments lobbed at the series. He said the staff has taken them to heart and not become discouraged, instead using the negative comments as an incentive to work harder and make the show better for its second half of the season.
“The two big complaints were Ming isn’t strong enough or mean enough, and that it’s not enough Mongo,” Hume said. “We’re all Mongo all the time now. This show just gets more complex and actually a little bit darker, and it’s still fun and rompy, but there’s a gravitas that comes into the second part of the season that wasn’t there in the first half.”
“Well I like actually like what you’ll see coming up is you’ll learn a lot more about the Planet Mongo and how it got to be the way it is and how Ming is,” said Hume, “I like this new Ming and that he’s a really horrible guy but he’s – in a weird way he’s doing things that have to be done to save the planet.
“So at the end he’s – and he really gets better and better and his character really gets more complex. And he’s a guy that you just thing God, he’s just the most horrible person in the world. And then at the end you’ll go ooh, but maybe he had to do it that way.
“He’s just sort of the Saddam Hussein kind of tyrant but ruling a planet that may need a tyrant to be in charge. And I think the relationship with him and his daughter and the development of Aura, that’s a weird twisted relationship. I like where that’s going.”
The producer went on to say, “But just as we kind of break down and get more – a little bit more off earth and more onto Mongo and start discovering the layers and the intricacies and the politics of that planet, that – and it’s just been easier for us as writers as you know, because this show was developed quite quickly and we’ve been building it and discovering it and it’s getting more intricate and more complex.”
Hume also took time to discuss the apparent love-triangle in the series.
“They’re so weird, like she’s (Aura) so my favorite. I just think she’s just great. And there’s a weird dynamic with her and Flash. There’s weird stuff with Barin,” he said. “There’s a lot of complex triangles going on and Aura will really come into her own and sort of go from being a spoiled little girl and at the end of the season will really have to grow up and make some really hard decisions. And there’ll be some big huge twist with her at the end.”
During the conference call, SCI FI addressed the rumors that “Flash” had been given an early pink-slip and wouldn’t finish its first season.
“Yeah, no, we can put that to rest. When that popped up early on, when people would call to ask for verification, we of course corrected them. Don’t know where it came from but it was not true,” said SCI FI Publicist: Bill Brennan.
“That makes me feel better.” said Mr. Hume.
According to Brennan, SCI FI has been pleased with the numbers “Flash” is getting. The numbers saw a drop after the 90-minute pilot but have been steadily building. And the show is getting good ratings in a competitive Friday time-slot against CBS’s “Moonlighting” and the baseball playoffs. But the producer did acknowledge that ratings might have been helped by the preview episodes of “Razor” currently showing during “Flash.”
I don’t know. It’s definitely too late for me.
I’ve not had time to call in and say this, but I actually like the show.
I hated the 80s movie, but I also hate ‘campy’ sci-fi. I can’t stand the swamp thing, or when that one movie started singing ‘bud the chud’ I about threw the remote through the screen to shut it off.
Other than the flying dudes episode, I’ve not found much to hate in this as much as some of the comments on the VM show have been a bit harsh and I am not seeing the same show they are. Other than the weird guitar riffs when they’re driving in the car it’s not bothered me that much.
lose faith? Sci-fi fans are not that starved for good content that we’ll eat up whatever low budget garbage they try to jam down our throats. Even if TV had no good sci-fi choices many of us are content to bunker down and READ BOOKS. Many better shows have been cancelled. This one needs to be ground up into tv mulch to fertilize a better show.
Maybe it’s just due to not being able to hear the actual voice of Peter Hume… but, wow, he sounds like a 14 year old Valley Girl.
Here’s how you make the show better:
Have Sylar arrive on Mongo, kill Ming, and use his illusion ability to make everyone think he’s the real Ming. Bam! Ming the Merciless.
much like penguins I’ll hang out in back as I wait for other folks to get pushed into the waters
I didn’t see “rocket ships” anywhere in that bit of rambling.
It sounds like we’re still going to get Ming, the Misunderstood.
I get why people might liek it, its probably good as some sumday morning speical, buliek posted above, theres so much stuff that do the same scifi stuff, and do it alot better. You have Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Torchwood, Doctor who, Stargate Atlantis, Pushing Daises and at least for me, Bionic woman is getting a bit better as time goes on.
But Flash just seems like some flat, borign 190s scifi show. Its alreayd been cancaled, and has a good reason to get cancaled. So..e.veryobdy singa long…its to late baby yeah its to lat….we shoudl shoot whoever green lit this lol
Emily, you really shouldhave read the article. SciFi has nixed the cancellation rumors.
But, FG will never be any good. Why? Just read this. http://www.pajiba.com/flash-gordon.htm
From me, they’re not going to get a second chance for one very simple reason: I don’t have the time. I’m writing a novel, doing a podcast, and holding down a day job, in addition to trying to have a life. I have time for two shows in my schedule, MAYBE three. I can’t sit around and hope that a show will improve; if it’s not excellent, it’s not worth spending the time on. Right now my two shows are Heroes and Torchwood, and I’m saving any remaining space in my schedule for Battlestar Galactica. Unless you, as a TV producer, can make a show that’s better than those three, just step aside, because I have better things to do with my time.
What they need to do to make the show better is fire the entire cast and writing staff. If this current group of people couldn’t turn out quality work in the first half, they won’t be able to do it in the second half.
Sam, CBS’s show is “Moonlight”, not “Moonlighting”. No Bruce Willis.
well this is a switch. usually the sci fi channel runs the shows out of order. looks like here the producers did? I’ll be nice and give it the three strikes and youre out test. but i don’t have much hope for it.
tim
Aw, man. Sounds like crappy writers begging for their jobs.
Seriously, I know one of the writers must be using this show as therapy for his father abandonment issues. Guy, see a therapist, I don’t need to see your brain insides if they are gonna be so boring.
Ming the complicated? ^%^& $^&##$ ^5&*$#*7&%. Get these dumb ^%
This is just sad. We have SciFi canceling promising shows like Dresden, and then fighting to save this crap? I just want to know, who is sleeping with who? That’s the only way I can explain this.
Wow, what an amazing turnaround in this show. The writing acting and costumes and sets have improved dramatically in the second half of the season and the sound editing and music direction are absolutely top notch despite an obvious low budget.
The “sorrow” episode was just absolutely outstanding, telling the story of the planet Mongo with surprising emotional power. (The sound editing on this episode is also really, really good.)
Anna Van Hooft steals almost every scene she is in, giving surprisingly touching and nuanced performances. And while it was clear from the first episode that Gina Holden and Karen Cliche needed acting lessons, it’s also clear that they are taking this seriously, because they have improved as they get more comfortable with their characters. (And the excellent editing takes some of the pain out of their more difficult scenes)
I also have to give props to John Ralson’s corageous interpretation of Ming. He is not afraid to try really risky over-the-top stuff, and while the cringe factor is off the charts (resulting in what I think it way too much unfair criticism), I for one admire the enthusiasm he puts into this almost comically unstable character!
I think Flash Gordon should be renewed for a second season.I unlike many idiots out there have actually watched the show throughout. If you don’t like the show then don’t watch it . Read a fracking book .
Like Tom Boucher says “I really like Flash Gordon”! I have read lots and lots of people whinning, bihing and moaning about the show. I for one am not sure if I and them are watching the same show. Maybe, just maybe some of the characters may, and I say may not be as developed as some may like. I for one really don’t care if something happened in the past to a character to allow him/her to act like this or that, I just want them to be entertaining. I do not watch TV, shows, or movies for moral indignation, life lessons, cautionary tales or other social gibberage. I also don’t need movies or TV shows to tell me how to handle any crisis. I just am not that interested. I handle anything that comes up as I see fit. So while Flash Gordon may be a little shallow for some it is just fine for me! I do hope for a second season, and a second season very similar to season number one.
We must have a 2nd season of Flash Gordon! I stuck with the show, though it seemed slow at first because they were building the story and the characters. But now I’m hooked! The numerous plot lines that developed later in the show seem endless and intriguing. Great job on a fun Friday night show!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE FLASH GORDON.I think it is a very good show and the main thing I like about it is the character of flash the person playing him was always kinda overshadowed in smallville and now he gets to be his own and he is doing a very good job at it.I stubled across this trying to find out if there is going to be more of flash gordon,but i have not quite found that here but I needed to put in a good word and support for my fav show I lost charmed and Dresdin I don’t wanna lose Flash.
Kill this show. It is AWFUL. Bring back the Dresden Files. That show was smart, sexy, and felt like the old Moonlighting show with Cybil Sheppard and Bruce Willis. The characters are great and work well together.
Flash Gordon? Awful awful awful…Flash is a BORE, and Dale, please, eat something.
Are you kidding me. This show is awesome. I personally don’t like Sci Fi, but find this show to be very entertaining. It has a…. how you say je ne sais quoi. The writers and producer definitely got something good going on here and can really build on the story and characters. I’d be very excited to see what new characters come into play as well.
Huge disappointment for me if this show gets canceled.
*sigh* Sad. I really wish they’d put the money towards something else, something better.
Yes it had gotten better in the end but still it was a very mediocre show with fairly generic characters.
Ah well. *adds another mark into the BAD column for Scifi*
Got hooked on Odyssey 5 and they cancelled that, now hooked on this and just found out it’s cancelled as well. Flash was a bit like a B movie with its 1 liners and cheap special effects, but I loved that.