History Series / TheFlash

* ''Series/{{The Flash|1990}}'', the 1990 series starring John Wesley Shipp.
* ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'', the 2014 series starring Grant Gustin [[SpinOff and spinning off from]] ''Series/{{Arrow}}''.

* [[Series/TheFlash1990 The 1990 series starring John Wesley Shipp]]
* [[Series/TheFlash2014 The 2014 series starring Grant Gustin]] [[SpinOff and spinning off from]] ''Series/{{Arrow}}''

[[quoteright:333:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_flash-show_7151.jpg]]

''The Flash'' was a 1990 live-action TV series based on [[TheFlash the comic book character of the same name]], starring John Wesley Shipp in the title role.

Central City police scientist Barry Allen is caught in a freak lab accident involving a bolt of lightning and several random chemicals on a shelf; the bizarre combination alters his body chemistry, allowing him to move at incredible SuperSpeed. Shortly afterwards, his older brother Jay is murdered by notorious gang leader (and ex-cop) Nicholas Pike, prompting Barry to seek the aid of STAR Labs scientist Dr. Tina [=McGee=] in order to bring Pike and his gang to justice. To that end, Barry dons an experimental high-pressure diving suit, modified with lightning-bolt designs, and sets out on a one-man war on Pike, and eventually on crime in Central City as a whole.

The series lasted for one season, 22 episodes in all, and was eventually canceled due to poor network time scheduling. It was produced by WarnerBros in association with Pet Fly Productions.

!!Tropes present in this television series based on ''The Flash'':
* AbandonedWarehouse: The Nightshade's secret lair is located in one, as a heroic example. For a villainous example, the Trickster commandeers one as his own personal base of operations in his debut episode. See also NeverRecycleABuilding below.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Barry is blond in the comics; here, he sports brown hair.
* AgentScully: Officer Murphy refuses to believe the Flash exists, even after seeing the speedster running around a bus to defrost it ''right before his eyes''. (In fact, his ''just'' missing the Flash so many times leads to HIM being suspected of being the hero in one episode).
* AntiHero: The new Nightshade in "Deadly Nightshade".
* ArtificialHuman: The titular cyborg in "Alpha."
* AxCrazy: The Trickster.
* BadassInANiceSuit: This series' version of Captain Cold and Mirror Master.
* BadassLongCoat: Captain Cold.
* BatmanGambit: A criminal mastermind gathers a team to supposedly steal a foreign treasure. While the police sit on the treasure, he sends them out to pick the city clean. As it turns out they're just distractions to pull the police away so he ''can'' steal the treasure.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Between Barry and Tina.
* BerserkButton: Prematurely canceling a contract with Captain Cold is not a wise thing to do, especially because [[TranquilFury his offended feelings won't show openly]].
* BigEater: Barry, by necessity due to his powers.
* BlackBestFriend: Julio Mendez, also his co-worker.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: This is Pike's attitude in the pilot, when Flash confronts him about Jay's murder.
--> '''The Flash:''' You made me when you killed my brother.
--> '''Pike:''' I've killed a lot of men's brothers.
** The Trickster has this as well. He constantly reinvents himself, and disregards his past actions entirely once a new inspiration takes him. In his second appearance, Jesse is broken out of jail and even though Central City, the Flash, and his Harley Quinn-esque devotee are all prepared for the Trickster's return, he himself just dismisses the whole thing as another passing phase and prepares to do something new. He has to be convinced to care enough to put on the suit again.
* CanonForeigner: Barry's older brother Jay.
* CaptainErsatz: The Nightshade was essentially a combination of Radio/TheShadow and Franchise/TheGreenHornet, with his outfit based on that of the GoldenAge [[ComicBook/TheSandman Sandman]] and sharing the [[NamesTheSame same name]] as the [[Creator/CharltonComics superheroine]].
* CassandraTruth: A toddler in an episode calls Barry "Flash" as she's begun talking. Fortunately, since she is a baby nobody takes her seriously.
* CloningBlues: Pollux was a clone of Barry Allen. He didn't take it very well when he found out.
* ClothingDamage: Barry has to be careful about how fast he runs out of costume (or when carrying civilians) because the wind shear from super-speed will shred their clothes (and a lot more if he's ''really'' negligent).
* CompositeCharacter: Barry Allen's eating tendencies and connection with Tina [=McGee=] are all taken from Wally West's run as the Flash. The costume is based on Wally's subtly different one as well.
* ContinuityNod: Some of the later episodes would reference events from earlier episodes. One example would be Nicholas Pike, the BigBad of the pilot episode, returning for revenge in "Fast Forward." Also, in the same episode, Barry mentions what Nightshade had previously said to him.
-->'''Barry:''' Someone once told me the Flash would be forgotten in a few years. I never thought he'd end up in a museum.
* CorruptCop: Pike used to be this.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: Inverted in the pilot, as Pike's murder of Jay is what motivates Barry to use his powers to fight crime. Also played straight twice, both times indirectly--Flash's existence motivates James Jesse, already a criminally psychotic StalkerWithACrush, to become the Trickster, a StalkerWithACrush [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys with outlandish gadgets]]; and Flash's DNA is used (through a stolen blood sample) to create his not-quite-EvilCounterpart Pollux.
-->'''Barry:''' Since I became the Flash, these eccentric criminals have been coming out of the woodwork. [[ContinuityNod The Trackman, Ghost, Gideon,]] now this. Maybe I should hang it up.\\
'''Megan:''' Stop blaming yourself. Blame society. Welcome to [[{{Eagleland}} post-modern America]].
* DaChief: Lt. Warren Garfield.
* DamselInDistress: Megan Lockhart in "The Trickster," though she [[DefiedTrope defies]] the status.
--> '''Megan:''' I'm no damsel in distress! I'm a detective!
* DarkerAndEdgier: Most of the episodes portrayed Central City in a manner more akin to [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Gotham City]]. Plus, the Flash wasn't afraid to kill (unlike his comic book counterpart, who only ever killed once out of desperation).
* DeadpanSnarker: Lt. Garfield. An example from the episode "Captain Cold":
--> Okay, somebody call the coroner to pick this guy up before he melts...On the other hand, may be better to call the Good Humor Man.
** Barry himself, at times. From the same episode:
--> '''Terri Kronenberg:''' All right, look. About the other night. I acted like a jerk. Well, I mean not so much a jerk as much as I was just pushy. All right, no, actually, to tell you the truth, I was a jerk. You know, but it's my job. It's just, I take it very seriously and it makes me a little aggressive sometimes. And I know that it's a problem and I've been working on it. I'm actually a lot better. You should have seen me before. Woo. It's a trait, it runs in my family, you know? So, what I'm trying to say here is that I'm sorry, okay?
--> '''Barry:''' Do you ever breathe?
--> '''Terri:''' Yeah, that's another thing, [[MotorMouth I talk a lot]].
--> '''Barry:''' Oh, really? I hadn't noticed.
* DisabilitySuperpower: In "Sight Unseen" a blind newspaper vendor's [[SuperSenses other senses]] are so sharp he's able to give the Flash a relatively detailed description of a murder. He would probably know that Barry was the Flash if someone referred to him by name during their talk.
* ElectricTorture: In the episode "Fast Forward", Barry Allen is transported ten years into the future where his brother's killer Nicolas Pike runs Central City. He uses an electric chair in the old STAR Labs to give whoever opposes him an electric lobotomy. However, when Nicolas had Barry strapped up to the chair and given a full measure of the chair's powers, it briefly restores Barry's superspeed allowing him to escape
* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the pilot, one of Pike's men tries to run off with his girlfriend when he fears Pike is crazy. But his girl ratted him out to Pike and killed him by tying him on a motorcycle with a bomb.
** The mob boss in "Good Night, Central City".
* EvilAlbino: The show's version of Captain Cold.
* EvilDetectingDog: The dog does ''not'' like the disguised Trickster, while nobody else can tell who he is.
* ExecutiveMeddling: There was a constant shifting from one time-slot to another, eventually causing the show's cancellation after one season. Explained more fully on the show's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flash_%28TV_series%29#Cancellation Wikipedia page]].
* {{Expy}}: Pollux, Barry's clone in the episode "Twin Streaks," was essentially the show's [[EvilCounterpart Reverse-Flash]]. He also has roots in Speed Demon and the Blue Trinity, all early speedster foes of Wally West who got their powers via lab experimentation.
** Omega to the Terminator in "Alpha".
* AFatherToHisMen: Pike.
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Happens in "The Trickster," where Barry goes to a police costume ball as his alter ego...and a number of the guests there are clad in similarly-colored costumes, since nobody knows what the real Flash looks like beyond the red-and-gold speed blur. Amusingly, Barry is told that [[YourCostumeNeedsWork his costume is bland]].
* GadgeteerGenius: The Nightshade, the Ghost, Mirror Master, and [[EvilCounterpart Deadly Nightshade]].
* GenreSavvy: In the pilot, Tina says if the government found out about Barry's abilities, they would try to cut him up to make more like him. Barry responds that she has read too many comic books.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In "The Trickster," when Barry brings Megan back to his apartment while Tina's there:
--> '''Megan:''' ''(to Tina)'' Barry mentioned to me what happens to you when you don't get enough sleep. [[ItMakesSenseInContext All-girl gang, huh]]? ''([[ContinuityNod referencing the previous episode]], "Tina, Is That You?")''
* HandyCuffs: In his titular debut episode, the Trickster was handcuffed with his hands in front of him. While sitting in the middle of a police car with three officers, he grabbed a gun from one officer and shot all three dead. Oh, and Trickster is also an escape artist so he was out of the handcuffs seconds later.
* HeroesLoveDogs: Barry has a dog, Earl.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Captain Cold's demise]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Captain Cold ''will'' finish a contract, even if the employer cuts the contract short without paying him.
* HotScientist: Tina, of course.
* ILied: [[spoiler:The mad scientist in "Out of Control" lied to everyone about growing up as a privileged rich kid. His parents were very poor, and was ashamed of his upbringing. To the point that he's disgusted with the poor.]]
* TheInformant: Fosnight, an ex-mobster and thief.
* {{Invisibility}}: Brian Gideon and his [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin invisibility cloak]].
* InternalAffairs: Jack Farrow in "Good Night, Central City"
* ItsAllMyFault: In "Sins of the Father", Henry blames himself for getting his friend and former partner Pete involved, resulting in his death.
* ItsPersonal: Garfield in "Shroud of Death", after the assassin shot his fiance.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Barry pulls his on one of the members, by scaring her that the "demon" Flash will come after Pike if she doesn't talk.
* KangarooCourt: In "The Trial of the Trickster", the Trickster refers to his trial as one. He even set up his own later in the episode.
* KickTheDog: In "Twin Streaks," Pollux complains to his creator, Dr. Jason Brassell, that he doesn't know who his parents are, whether he's a good or bad person, or what his true identity is supposed to be. His creator's response?
--> '''Brassell:''' You're nothing. Absolutely nothing. A random accumulation of molecules grown in a lab. An experiment. A lab animal who at the moment is getting on my nerves!
** TheDogBitesBack: Brassell tries to shoot Pollux. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard It goes as well as you'd expect]].
* KillItWithIce: In this series, Captain Cold was a mercenary assassin whose freeze ray did [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just what you'd expect it to do]]; he also utilized freeze-bombs that did basically the same thing as the main ray. (His original comics incarnation's freeze ray didn't kill people, merely put them in a sort of suspended animation with the freezing appearance as a side-effect, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards he never killed unless the situation absolutely warranted it]].)
* LaughingMad: The Trickster.
* MadLove: Toy designer Jinx has this bad for the Trickster in his second appearance.
* ManChild: Pollux.
* MarkHamill: A couple years before he'd become the voice of the Joker in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', he plays the similar character The Trickster. He would later voice [[HarmlessVillain a more harmless version]] of Trickster in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
* MasterOfDisguise: The Trickster. In his titular debut episode, while infiltrating the police department, he is able to fool Barry and the other cops into thinking he's an FBI agent by [[ClarkKenting putting on glasses, a fake mustache and skin-like wax on his nose and ears and tidying his hair]]. However, [[SubvertedTrope Megan takes one look at him and sees him for who he is immediately]].
* MeaningfulName: In "Twin Streaks," Pollux is named after the Greek/Roman mythological figure; his creator [[LampshadeHanging notes as much]] when naming him. [[spoiler:Pollux gives up his own life to save Barry at the end of the episode, just as his mythological namesake gave up part of his own immortality to save his brother]].
* MistakenIdentity: In "The Trickster", Officer Bellows thinks Officer Murphy is the Flash due to never seeing them together. He even has a chart of the Flash sightings with Murphy's patrol log. Barry and Megan humor this revelation.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Gun shop owner Calligan for the Warriors of Freedom in "Shroud of Death". The leader's daughter Angel found out and killed him.]]
* MythologyGag: Several throughout the show's run:
** Mentions of several [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash villains (Professor Zoom, Gorilla Grodd; neither actually appeared in the series, however).
** A "Garrick Avenue" address (Jay Garrick was the alter ego of the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Flash).
** While the series is ostensibly based on the adventures of the [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash (Barry Allen), in "The Trickster" the villain creates a statue of the Flash which wears a winged helmet and winged boots, which were hallmarks of the uniform of the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Flash.
** A mention of "Police captain Julius Schwartz" (JuliusSchwartz was a legendary DC Comics editor and a co-creator of the [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash).
** A reference to "the Hotel Infantino" (CarmineInfantino was another co-creator of the [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash).
** The appearance of a TV reporter named "Linda Park" (in the comics, Linda Park is the girlfriend -- later wife -- of Wally West, the modern Flash, and was originally a TV reporter).
** A mention of "the intersection of Gardner and Fox" (Gardner Fox was the creator of the [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash).
** In ThePilot, Barry Allen's older brother was named Jay, another reference to Jay Garrick.
*** Also in the pilot, Tina has Barry run on a treadmill, a nod to the Cosmic Treadmill (a device he uses to travel through time and between dimensions).
*** Barry tells Tina she's "been reading too many comic books". Barry himself is a comic book fan of the Golden Age Flash.
** In "Watching The Detectives", Tina mentions expecting a call from [[{{Hawkman}} Dr. Carter Hall]].
** In "Honor Among Thieves", Barry said he loved museums. In the comics, the Flash gets a museum dedicated to him.
** In "The Trickster", one person went as Franchise/{{Superman}} at the costume party.
** In "Flash Forward", TheResistance made a museum dedicated to the Flash.
** In "Captain Cold", Barry calls Terry "Lois Lane".
** In "Alpha", Fosnight asked Alpha if she was from the [[ComicBook/TheWarlord center of the earth]].
* NeverRecycleABuilding: Just how many abandoned warehouses and run-down apartment complexes ''are'' there in Central City for criminals to exploit?
* NonIndicativeName: ''Julio Mendez,'' who couldn't be more black.
* NotWearingTights: Flash does, of course, because [[MySuitIsAlsoSuper the red suit is resistant to friction]] but the villains, even the ones from the comic, mostly avoid their classic looks: Captain Cold wears a trenchcoat, Mirror Master wears a suit. Trickster is an exception, but then, he's crazy.
* PoliceAreUseless: ''Oy vey''.
* ThePowerOfRock: Used to defeat the VillainOfTheWeek in "Child's Play".
** Which was also where, and how, Barry discovered his ability to vibrate through solid objects.
* PragmaticAdaptation: Several aspects of the comics' mythology were altered or mixed together for this series. For example, the Flash became a CompositeCharacter of Barry Allen and Wally West--he was a police scientist (Barry's occupation) but had to [[BigEater eat huge quantities of food to sustain his powers]] (Wally's main weakness early in his role as the Scarlet Speedster).
* ProfessionalKiller: Captain Cold.
* PungeonMaster: Captain Cold. Some examples:
--> "Even you can't outrun the cold hand of death."
--> "I'm here to take you to the Ice-capades."
--> "You look pretty hot. I think I'd better cool you off."
* PunnyName: Leonard Wynters, Captain Cold's real name in this series (in the comics, his real name is Leonard Snart, which...doesn't lend itself to cold puns).
* PutOnABus: Iris West, Barry's girlfriend, after the pilot.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: In "Beat the Clock," Flash has one hour to save an innocent man on death row for the murder of his wife. Made all the more intense because the episode's time was counted according to real-world time, including the commercial breaks.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In "Captain Cold," Flash rips into wannabe reporter Terri Kronenberg when she complains about the titular villain's destruction of her photos that she'd taken of him earlier in the episode, [[UngratefulBastard disregarding the fact that the speedster had just saved her life]]:
--> '''Flash:''' I don't believe you! All you care about is your money and your career. You almost got us killed!
--> '''Terri:''' N-no, I-I-I didn't mean to--
--> '''Flash:''' You didn't mean to ''what?'' To be an unprincipled, manipulative brat who thinks the truth is something to be twisted to get what you want? If you really wanna be a good reporter, you have to learn to care about the truth. And about people.
* TheResistance: The Liberation Movement in "Flash Forward".
* RetCanon: Shortly after the show's debut, Wally West began to use a costume similar to the one Barry used on the show.
* SanitySlippage: Harry Milgrim in "Good Night, Central City".
* ScaryBlackMan: Whisper in "Beat the Clock".
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The series aired for only one season on CBS and had its time slot constantly changed before it was canned.
** For example, at one point, this hour long drama was moved to air at 8:30 PM. To avoid competing with ''The Cosby Show'' and ''The Simpsons'', as it had been.
* SecondComing: The Flash became a MessianicArchetype when he was accidentally blasted ten years into the future where his brother's killer Nicholas Pike runs Central City as his personal kingdom and its citizens are looking for his return to set things right.
* SecretKeeper: Tina, to Barry. Megan Lockhart and the Nightshade as well.
** In "Deadly Nightshade", it is revealed that police captain Julius Schwartz knew the identity of Nightshade. It has now been revealed to the public.
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: In "Flash Forward".
* ShoutOut: In "The Trial of the Trickster", the Trickster forced a band to play the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes theme during his mock trial.
* SkywardScream: Barry, while holding his brother's body.
* SoftspokenSadist: Captain Cold always speaks in a very gentle, very pleasant voice - no matter what he's doing or who he's killing. He rarely shows any overt emotion and barely ever drops the polite way of speaking - the only time he does is when he's menacing a runaway witness, and even then his threats and gloating still very softspoken. It's highly unsettling, especially in situations where the audience is expecting him to lose his temper (which he never does, [[TranquilFury at least not visibly]]).
* SplitPersonality: Happens to Tina in "Tina, Is That You?" Due to an experiment gone wrong, Tina becomes criminally aggressive and becomes the leader of a dangerous all-girl gang, and even threatens to use her knowledge of Barry's secret identity against him if he tries to interfere with her plans. Barry has to strap her to the machine that was part of the accident and [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight get inside her mind]] to get her back to normal.
* StarterVillain: Pike. Though he comes back in "Flash Forward".
* SuperSpeed: Well, of course.
* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Pollux does this to save Barry and Tina in "Twin Streaks."]]
* ThatsAllFolks: The Flash says this after beating the Trickster.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Officers Murphy and Bellows.
* ThouShallNotKill: [[spoiler:In "Watching the Detectives", a crooked DA who learned the Flash's identity tells him that the only way he would keep him from revealing to everyone is to kill him. However, he gets killed when his car exploded, rigged by the mob he was working for.]]
* TimeTravel: In "Fast Forward," the combination of him running at super-speed and the explosion from a homing missile ''somehow'' causes Flash to get sent ten years into a BadFuture.
* TheUnfavorite: In the pilot Barry was this for his father Henry, in stark contrast to his brother Jay; Henry always praised Jay's accomplishments as the leader of the local police department's major crime task force [[WellDoneSonGuy while dismissing Barry's work in the police lab]]. However, Barry never held it against Jay himself (and it helped that Jay supported Barry's lab-work).
* TheVamp: Megan Lockhart.
* TrophyRoom: The Flash Museum in "Flash Forward".
* VillainOfTheWeek: Many of them were mostly normal mobsters. Among those who used costumes or special gimmicks: the Trickster, Sam "Mirror Master" Scudder, Captain Cold, the Ghost (archenemy of the hero Nightshade who utilized television broadcasts), the Deadly Nightshade (an EvilCounterpart to Nightshade), Brian Gideon (who used an invisibility cloak) and [[CloningBlues Pollux]].
* WeirdnessMagnet: The Flash himself, apparently. Lampshaded by Lt. Garfield in "The Trickster."
-->'''Lt. Garfield:''' Costumed clown running rampant in my town? What next? It's like the Flash draws them out of the woodwork.\\
'''Barry:''' Wait a minute. [[SuperheroParadox You think the Flash is responsible for the Trickster?]]\\
'''Garfield:''' Circus suit, high media profile, works outside the law. Every loon in a three-mile radius has gotta have a case of costume envy.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Henry Allen, Barry's father and a former street cop, looks down on Barry's work as a scientist in the police lab, believing it to not be "real" police work.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Discussed in "Twin Streaks."
* WouldHitAGirl: Most of the villains, but Trickster stands out in particular.
* YouKilledMyFather: Pike murders Jay Allen, Barry's older brother, in the pilot.
** [[spoiler:In "Shroud of Death", Garfield has Angel's father arrested and he was sentenced to death.]]
* YoureInsane: What Barry Allen says to Nicolas Pike after he's seen what his nemesis has done to Central City during his ten-year absence through accidental time travel.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The Warriors of Death mentioned in "Shroud of Death".
----

** Also, Nightshade for the Golden Age Sandman (Wesley Dodds).