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Date Posted: 20:10:21 08/14/11 Sun
Author: Tim
Subject: The Flash Gordon serials on television

The Flash Gordon (1936) serial was shown in full on AMC on Monday October 28, 1996 as part of their "Serial Thrillers Festival".

The Music Narrative page here at this site mentions all three Flash Gordon serials airing on AMC on October 31, 1996.

Was October 1996 the last time any of the Flash Gordon serials have been shown on American broadcast television, complete and uncut?

The Music Narrative page states that Image Entertainment obtained exclusive rights to the FG serials in 1997, initially releasing them on laserdisc. Image issued all three serials on DVD in 2000.

Did Image Entertainment obtaining the rights preclude them from being broadcast on television from 1997 onward? I assume the serials have never aired on TCM, but it would be fun to see them back on television at some point.


Sergeant Tim

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[> Re: The Flash Gordon serials on television -- Rick, 21:13:37 08/14/11 Sun [1]

Image grabbed the video rights in 1997 for laserdisc. I had all three of the serials on the format until the menus on all of them got ruined from cold storage and they refused to play. DVDs follows. To my knowledge, Hearst Entertainment had the TV and video rights before Image and may still own them to some degree. A few years before, Hearst issued all 3 on VHS double-sets in 1995.

Hearst hung onto the rights and Image gave them credit on the all video releases from 1997 to present, so this seems relavent. You can see this on the back covers and discs of the Image DVDs. The last time I saw them on TV was on AMC in 1996 for Halloween. It sounds to me like there is more than one rightholder involved with ownsership of the serials to this day. I hope VCI follows with FG 36' and TT Mars.







Rick


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[> Re: The Flash Gordon serials on television -- Officer Torch, 09:46:13 08/15/11 Mon [1]

I'll toss in whatever history I recall for what its worth.

Saw FG on TV as a kid in 50s; then much later,they aired briefly on PBS 1980 or so, maybe earlier. I'd hurry home from work to audio tape until all 3 serials on PBS were shown. I also locally ordered LP record, but they could never get vinyl of FGTTM, less than an hour of music/vocal mixed. It was 1976 release by Pelican Records but I got from ebay few years back. I dumped audio tapes when videos came out.

Got 1st VCR 1985, costly then but each year, things improved. Initially, we used for time shifting and prerec tapes (even blanks)were costly and not that available...you had to join a club, pay high dues/movie rental fees. Eventually, things improved. Then, an FG (movie version)came out for about $30. Pkg just marked "Video Treasures" TM, Jericho NY. Stuff became more available, prerec tape market became hot by early 90s, many more titles, lower prices, more stores, competition.

Went to a huge flea mkt which had new videos galore. One had a 2pt set of FGCTU w/pkg.labels "United American Video Corp, copyright, 1989 (was in 2 separate boxes for pts 1&2.)Later in mid 90s, in a mall A/V franchise store, got a boxed 2pk FGTTM saying "Collectors Edition, Original Copyright Version" and Hearst Entertainment, copyright King Features Syndicate Inc.

Somewhere, likely some cable channel, FG Space Soldier serial was on, since I've 2 tapes recorded at LP, but neglected to mark anything else on labels. Pix quality too good for simple air broadcast, so I likely took 'em off cable sometime in 90s likely.

First DVD I ever saw and purchased was dated 2004 by the Roan Group/Troma Team Video of FGCTU. After that, I got ahold of the Image trilogies, and aside from bargain bin clones of mostly CTU, have found Image to be best overall...but wish they were cc or subtitled.

So, that's the story...OH! Wait..a few years back, our local high school on a public access channel were showing FG chapters, but on a hit and miss kinda basis. Each chapter was intoduced by a HS student. I thought there might be nostalgic interest or...well, who knows, but after a year, funds dried up, maybe interest waned, and they stopped. Rarely....actually for me, never since then have I caught any eps of FG on TV, though TCM showed a few Ace Drummond recently. Perhaps a write in campaign would help. Hope this info provided some background of interest.

The aforemention applies to the Buster Crabbe serials and movie versions of FG. I never cared for the FG series with Steve Holland. I'm sure there are fans though, so know this is just a subjective opinion.


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