The Flash television series premiered on CBS 36 years ago

The live-action television series The Flash premiered on CBS on September 20, 1990, starring John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen. The show followed a police scientist who gained super-speed following a laboratory accident and used his abilities to fight crime in Central City.

Despite a high production budget—with the two-hour pilot reportedly costing approximately $6 million and subsequent episodes averaging between $1.5 million and $1.6 million—the series lasted only one season, totaling 22 episodes. The production featured a costume designed to remain faithful to the comic books, fabricated by Stan Winston Studios, and a musical score involving Danny Elfman and Shirley Walker.

While the show was short-lived, the character and actor John Wesley Shipp maintained a connection to the franchise that spanned decades, eventually finding further narrative resolution in later television iterations.