History Series / TheFlash1990

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

** John Diggle from ''Arrowverse''[='=]s Earth-1 has one here who is apparently a Franchise/GreenLantern.

* CompositeCharacter: Barry Allen's eating tendencies and connection with Tina [=McGee=] are all taken from ComicBook/WallyWest's run as the Flash.

* 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).

** In "Alpha", Fosnight asked Alpha if she was from the [[ComicBook/TheWarlordDC center of the earth]].

* 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]].

* CloningBlues: Pollux was a clone of Barry Allen. He didn't take it very well when he found out. Humorously, the [[IncrediblyLamePun ''clone'' had a ''blue'' costume]].

** Mentions of several [[UseflNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash villains ([[ComicBook/EobardThawne Professor Zoom]], Gorilla Grodd; neither actually appeared in the series, however).

* ForWantOfANail: The differences between this universe and the ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'' ere noticeable:
** Charcaters' physical likeness, perhaps the most noticeable difference.

* HollywoodLaw: The line: "You're a police officer. You know its illegal to wear a mask." From "Watching the Detectives", is not true in a broad sense. The Flash might have transgressed a number of laws (such breaking and entering), but wearing a mask is not in a general sense illegal, and the statement seems more RuleOfDrama than rule of law.

* TheMultiverse: This series was retroactively made an AlternateUniverse to the Arrowverse, although this aspect wasn't tackled in the show itself until the Arrowverse's 2018 crossover, Series/Elseworlds.

** In "Alpha", Fosnight asked Alpha if she was from the [[ComicBook/TheWarlord center of the earth]].

* CaptainErsatz: The Nightshade was essentially a combination of Radio/TheShadow and Radio/TheGreenHornet, with his outfit based on that of UsefulNotes/{{the Golden Age|OfComicBooks}} Sandman and sharing the [[NamesTheSame same name]] as the [[Creator/CharltonComics superheroine]].

* HotScientist: Tina, of course.

* CaptainErsatz: The Nightshade was essentially a combination of Radio/TheShadow and Radio/TheGreenHornet, with his outfit based on that of UsefulNotes/{{the Golden Age|OfComicBooks}} [[ComicBook/TheSandman Sandman]] and sharing the [[NamesTheSame same name]] as the [[Creator/CharltonComics superheroine]].

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as [[CastingGag Barry Allen's father]], while Creator/AmandaPays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Creator/AlexDesert have occasionally [[RoleReprise reprised their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the newer one's own (the "Series/{{Arrowverse}}") after its Barry travels through dimensions. In 2018, John Wesley Shipp's Barry would come back for the yearly Arrowverse crossover event, ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}''. This show's setting is now officially designated as Earth-90 within TheMultiverse of the Arrowverse, after the year it was created, and received a FullyAbsorbedFinale as part of ''Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019''.

* AlternateSelf: An interesting case regarding a number of ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'' characters since they are played by different actors/actresses there, particularly the Allen family, Jay Garrick, Iris West, Linda Park, Leonard Snart, and Sam Scudder. So far, only five characters here are still played by the same actors there; Tina [=McGee=], [[Creator/AlexDesert Julio Mendez]], Anthony Bellows, [[Creator/MarkHamill James Jesse]], and Zoey Clark. In Jesse's case, he also has a another counterpart on another AlternateUniverse (dubbed "Earth-3") there.

** Barry is closer in age with both Tina [=McGee=] and James Jesse in this universe. In the Earth-1 ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', Barry is decades younger than Tina and James, who are instead closer in age to Barry's father.

* AlternateUniverse: Of ''Series/TheFlash2014'', as part of a [[TheMultiverse greater DC TV multiverse]] called the ''Series/{{ArrowVerse}}'', which takes place on Earth-Prime. This Flash series is eventually designated Earth-90.

* ForWantOfANail: The differences between this universe and the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'' ere noticeable:

* InSpiteOfANail: Despite the differences, certain things and events in this universe still align with those in the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'' in one form or another;