Locked THE FLASH TV Series Discussion Thread 1.0

[Jing]

You don't think Arrow has been much, much better than Smallville?

I thought Smallville was basically 90210 with a dusting of super powers.

What else would you expect from a Superboy story? Not like 90210 was a bad show either. The first 3 seasons were absolutely stellar and over the course of the series Tom showed more range than any other actor that has played Superman.

Arrow sucks shit on so many levels it's not even worth getting in to on the why's. For those of you that enjoy it, it's obvious you would regardless of what they do with the character.

 

[D Train]

Fun fact: Oliver's house in Arrow is Lex's house in Smallville.
And Jing, I'd be curious to know what you hate about Arrow. It's not perfect, but the characters are pretty interesting, the way the back story is told is unique, the fight coreography is actually pretty good, and the girls are pretty. That's enough to keep me tuning in.

 

[Jing]

Fun fact: Oliver's house in Arrow is Lex's house in Smallville.
And Jing, I'd be curious to know what you hate about Arrow. It's not perfect, but the characters are pretty interesting, the way the back story is told is unique, the fight coreography is actually pretty good, and the girls are pretty. That's enough to keep me tuning in.

Horrendous dialogue/plot-lines coupled with so-so acting. The dark atmosphere that can't be taken serious due to those things. A Superhero who isn't much of one (there's punisher for that). Shitty portrayals of villains. Smallville did this a few times but Arrow makes a habit it out of it.

I will give you fight choreography. It's superb for a TV show but that's not enough for me. I've noticed an attitude in the Arrow thread of people trying their best to like the show. That's just blind support because you like the character and want the show to succeed. I should like the show for what it is, not what it could be. Can the show grow in to itself and become more? Of course. I just don't see it happening and I'm surprised they are supporting a second season.

 

[prod2821]

movie only no tv show! unless it's animated

 

[D Train]

Jing, the ratings have been really solid. It's no wonder they picked it up. Like I said, it's not perfect, but I really enjoy it. Maybe I'm just easily entertained, but I certainly prefer it over Smallville.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

The show improved a lot since you stopped watching. The finale was one of the best episodes of the year.

Fine, fine. I'm going to watch Arrow again. But I doubt they fixed the complaints I had against the show.

 

[Loiosh]

What else would you expect from a Superboy story? Not like 90210 was a bad show either. The first 3 seasons were absolutely stellar and over the course of the series Tom showed more range than any other actor that has played Superman.

Arrow sucks shit on so many levels it's not even worth getting in to on the why's. For those of you that enjoy it, it's obvious you would regardless of what they do with the character.

I would expect a hell of a lot more.

Smallville showed a lot of promise and had an excellent cast, but the scripts were written by a random plot generator powered by a Commodore 64.

I won't lie, I watched every episode, but for every five minutes of awesome I had to watch several hours of crap. I must have been borderline masochistic to put myself through that, and when the show was finally over my first thought was thank God, no more weeks of praying for them to get it right.

Tom was great, for sure. He deserved better than what was written for him.

Arrow isn't brilliant, but I'm enjoying it a lot more than I enjoyed Smallville, which is odd, because I hate The Green Arrow.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: February 28, 2014

First Look at Grant Gustin in Costume for The CW’s THE FLASH

Arrow debuted to a sizeable amount of success—both critical and commercial, and now The CW is expanding its DC Television Universe even further with a pilot for The Flash. As the pilot begins filming next week, a first look at star Grant Gustin in costume has now been released online (click HERE). The character actually made his first appearance on Arrow, but The CW is giving the character his own spinoff pilot with the hopes of launching a full The Flash series this fall. The costume is quite impressive, and it was designed by legendary, Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Sleepy Hollow, Alice in Wonderland).

The cast for The Flash also includes Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Tom Cavanagh (Ed), Danielle Panabaker (Shark), Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries), Candice Patton (The Game), and Carlos Valdes. The official logline for the potential series is as follows: Through a freak accident, scientist Barry Allen is given the power of super speed that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive, in THE FLASH.

[Update: The CW has released a full-body image of Gustin as the DC Comics character (click HERE). The Flash was also spotted in action and in full costume on the set (click HERE).]


First Look at Grant Gustin in Costume for The CW’s THE FLASH
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Update: February 24, 2014

Michelle Harrison Cast as Barry Allen's Mom in THE FLASH

Deadline is reporting that Emily Owens, M.D. actress Michelle Harrison has been cast in the recurring role of Barry Allen's mother, Nora Allen, in The CW's upcoming Arrow spin-off The Flash. Since Nora Allen’s murder is the major driving force behind first the trip that brought him to Starling City on Arrow and later his superheroic career, it’s fairly safe to assume that Harrison’s part will be either small or that the pilot will rely heavily on flashback.

The show will feature a modern interpretation of Barry Allen (played by Grant Gustin), one whose mother was murdered and whose father was wrongly imprisoned for it. During his guest spot on Arrow, series star Grant Gustin described the strange and harrowing experience of seeing his mother killed by a seemingly-supernatural blur.

Harrison joins a cast that also includes Candice Patton as Iris West, Jesse L. Martin as Iris's father, Detective West, Rick Gosnett as Central City Police Detective Eddie Thawne, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon, Danielle Panabaker as S.T.A.R. Labs bioengineer Caitlin Snow, Tom Cavanagh as S.T.A.R. Labs CEO Harrison Wells, and John Wesley Shipp, from the original The Flash TV series, in an unspecified role.


Michelle Harrison Cast as Barry Allen's Mother in THE FLASH TV Series
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Update: February 11, 2014

Original TV Flash John Wesley Shipp Joins THE FLASH Series

Barry Allen, meet Barry Allen. The CW's The Flash has snagged Dawson's Creek star John Wesley Shipp, who played The Flash in the early 1990s CBS television series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Shipp will guest star in the pilot playing a mysterious character. Details for his character are being kept close to the vest. If the proposed Arrow spinoff receives a series order, his role would expand to recurring status. Grant Gustin stars as Barry Allen/The Flash in The CW pilot.

The news comes as the Flash pilot nears the end of its casting process. Shipp joins a cast that includes Tom Cavanagh as physics "rock star" Harrison Wells; Jesse L. Martin as Detective West; Candice Patton as West's daughter and Barry's love interest Iris; Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow, a bioengineering expert; and Rick Cosnett as Detective Eddie Thawne. This leaves one main role open: Hartley Rathaway.

CBS' The Flash aired 22 episodes during the 1990-91 season, getting the ax after struggling against tough competition from Fox and NBC's strong Thursday primetime lineups before being relegated to Saturdays. Shipp starred as patriarch Mitch Leery in The WB's Dawson's Creek and most recently recurred on MTV's Teen Wolf as Isaac's father.


'The Flash' Casts Original Barry Allen Actor John Wesley Shipp in Mysterious Role
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Update: February 10, 2014

Tom Cavanagh Joins THE FLASH TV Series as Harrison Wells

You can’t have The Flash without the man who brings the superhero into existence. Harrison is described as a rock star in the world of physics and the mind and money behind Central City’s S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator. He becomes a pariah after his lab explodes. But he redeems himself when he discovers that his failed experiment accidentally created the world’s fastest man, The Flash (Grant Gustin).

Cavanagh is best known for the title role on NBC’s Ed. His TV credits also include USA Network’s Royal Pains, ABC’s Scrubs and Eli Stone. In addition to Gustin, Cavanagh joins already announced castmembers Carlos Valdes, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker. Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and David Nutter are executive producing the Flash pilot, with Berlanti and Kreisberg writing along with Geoff Johns (Arrow, Smallville).


ROYAL PAINS Star Tom Cavanagh to Play Harrison Wells in CW's THE FLASH Pilot
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Update: February 4, 2014

Carlos Valdes Cast as Cisco Ramon/Vibe in THE FLASH Series

Carlos Valdes, who currently appears in the Broadway production of Once, will join the cast of The CW’s The Flash pilot as Cisco Ramon, better known to comic book fans as the Justice League member Vibe. According to THR, Valdes will play the series regular role of Cisco Ramon, a mechanical engineering genius and the youngest member of the team of scientists at STAR Labs. Born into a lower-income family, Cisco’s brains and talent helped him reach his potential. He is loyal and eager and provides the comic relief in contrast to his stiff co-workers. Best part: He is as much of a comic book fanboy as Barry.

he Tony Award-winning musical is starting to provide quite a few key players to TV and film; Cristin Milioti, also from Once, had a career year in 2013 as she appeared in Martin Scorcese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and won the coveted role of The Mother on CBS’s long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother, alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Alyson Hannigan, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog star Neil Patrick Harris and Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s Cobie Smulders.


Broadway Actor Carlos Valdes Cast as Cisco Ramon/Vibe in THE FLASH TV Series
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Update: February 4, 2014

Candice Patton Cast as Iris West in THE FLASH TV Series

Candice Patton (The Game) has been cast opposite Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin in the CW pilot The Flash, based on the DC comic. The project, from Warner Bros TV and Berlanti Productions, is an origin story about Barry Allen aka The Flash (Gustin), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who FLASH_Arrow w copyarrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past.

Patton will play Iris West, Allen’s fast-talking, quick-witted best friend who is also the daughter of Detective West (Martin), who serves as a surrogate father to Barry. Patton joins recently cast Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker. The Flash arrives from co-creators Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg who, along with Geoff Johns, will write the pilot episode with Arrow pilot director David Nutter at the helm.​

[Update: Variety is reporting that Broadway’s Carlos Valdes is set to play mechanical engineering genius Cisco Ramon (DC Comics fans might know him better as Vibe).]


THE GAME's Candice Patton Cast as Iris West in The CW's THE FLASH TV Series

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: January 29, 2014

SUPERNATURAL Spinoff, IZOMBIE, THE FLASH Get Pilot Orders

The CW is doubling down on Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas and Supernatural. The network has picked up to pilot Thomas' DC Comics adaptation iZombie, the rumored Supernatural spinoff and made official its pilot order for fellow DC entry Flash, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. iZombie is described as a supernatural crime procedural that centers on a medical student-turned-zombie who takes a job in the Coroner's Office in order to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat so that she can maintain her humanity. However, with every brain she eats, she inherits the corpse's memories. With the help of her medical examiner boss and a police detective, she solves homicide cases in order to quiet the disturbing voices in her head.

The network confirmed its pilot order for Arrow spinoff The Flash, which was formerly intended to be a planted episode but will now be filmed as a stand-alone. Grant Gustin stars as scientist Barry Allen and is given the power of super-speed that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive. Arrow's Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and DC's Geoff Johns will pen the script and executive produce alongside David Nutter, who will direct the pilot.


'Supernatural' Spinoff, Rob Thomas' 'iZombie,' 'Flash' Ordered to Pilot at CW
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Update: January 24, 2014

Professor Zoom and Killer Frost Cast in THE FLASH TV Series

The Vampire Diaries' Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker (Shark, Sky High) are set to co-star opposite Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin in the CW pilot The Flash, based on the DC comic. The project, from Warner Bros TV and Berlanti Productions, is an origin story about Barry Allen aka The Flash (Gustin), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Originally envisioned as a backdoor pilot episode of Arrow, Flash will now film a regular pilot directed by David Nutter, a move clearly geared toward a series pickup.

Cosnett plays star Detective Eddie Thawne, a recent transfer to the Central City Police Department, whose past is a mystery and who harbors a dark secret. Panabaker plays Caitlin Snow, a highly intelligent bioengineering expert who lost her fianc

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: December 26, 2013

Vibe Reportedly Set to Become a Regular Character in FLASH

One of the things that has helped to make The CW’s Arrow a fan favorite is the inclusion of other characters from the DC Comics Universe in the series. It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that it looks like the new Flash TV series will follow the same formula. According to a new report on Moviehole, The CW’s The Flash pilot episode will feature an appearance by Hispanic hero Cisco Ramon, who is better known as Vibe. This news really shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, especially as The Flash writer Geoff Johns has made it clear that he's a fan of the character, and writer/producer Andrew Kreisberg actually wrote Vibe's solo series.

As his name suggests, Vibe has the metahuman ability to emit powerful vibrations from his body. In the New 52, Vibe got his powers from being caught in the event horizon of a Boom Tube created by Darkseid which resulted in the death of his brother. He is a member of the Justice League of America. If Vibe’s appearance in The Flash pilot proves popular, it’s rumored that he could become a regular on the series. There's currently no word on whether or not he will be portrayed with his powers.


Vibe Rumored to Appear in FLASH Pilot, Possibly Becoming a Regular Character
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Update: November 18, 2013

THE FLASH to Debut in Stand-Alone Pilot Instead in ARROW
(Posted first by JBSchroeds)

There has been a change in the CW‘s plans for The Flash. Originally, the character, played by Grant Gustin, was supposed to appear in three episodes of Arrow this season — No. 8, No. 9 and No. 20, the last one serving as a backdoor pilot directed by David Nutter. Episodes 8 and 9, in which the superhero is introduced only as his alter ego Barry Allen, have already been shot. But now the CW has opted to film a traditional stand-alone Flash pilot instead of doing a backdoor pilot as Arrow‘s Episode 20.

With Episodes 8 and 9 serving as an origin story, the plan was for The Flash character to make his debut — red costume and all — in Arrow‘s Episode 20. He will now do it in the pilot. The creative team remains the same, with Arrow co-creators Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg and series scribe Geoff Johns writing the pilot and Nutter, who helmed the pilot for Arrow, directing. Berlanti, Kreisberg and Nutter executive produce, with Melissa Kellner Berman co-executive producing.

The decision was made after CW brass saw cuts of Episodes 8 and 9, which have been very well received. Filming a stand-alone Flash pilot would allow the creators to better flesh out the superhero’s story and his world on a bigger budget, as pilot budgets are significantly higher than episodic ones. While no longer a full-blown spinoff, The Flash still will be tethered to the Arrow universe since the the character (as Barry Allen) will first be introduced there. In light of the pilot order, it is unclear whether Episode 20 of Arrow will feature the Flash or any reference to him.


CW’s ‘The Flash’ To Do Stand-Alone Pilot Instead Of ‘Arrow’ Backdoor Pilot Episode
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Update: September 23, 2013

Grant Gustin Talks More About THE FLASH and Audition Process

Arrow guest star Grant Gustin, who will play Barry Allen and is expected to spinoff into his own series based on The Flash next year, will begin filming his Arrow episodes in Vancouver next week and has just seen his first script, the actor told Entertainment Tonight. “I still don’t know that much to be honest so I’m not in danger of giving too much away,” Justin said. “It was a long process and it was pretty crazy. I was put through the wringer, but it worked out.” He said that the studio never made him do a physical auditioning, in terms of a boot camp or running drills, but he expects that he will have to put some weight on by the time Barry gets his powers at the end of the season.

“I love that the character himself is actually a comic book fan; he’s a fanboy, he’s a fan of Arrow and in the comics he’s a fan of The Flash in the comics that came before him,” the actor added. “I grew up a Superman fan and a DC Comics fan–not necessarily a Flash fan–and I relate to that. That was my favorite thing during the audition process was kind of the awkwardness and the fanboy inside of him that I can really relate to.” Arrow returns on Wednesday, October 9 at 8 p.m. on The CW.


Grant Gustin Talks THE FLASH, Audition Process, and How Barry Allen is a Fanboy
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Update: September 21, 2013

Grant Gustin Talks THE FLASH, Admits He's a Little Young for Role

Grant Gustin: "I'm kind of running around a little bit, but mostly just for fun at this point. Just because I'm really excited...I'm a little fanboy. I'm so excited to be a part of the show. I got an audition and I was really excited and a little skeptical at first, because I'm a comic book fan. I know the character and know I'm a little young. I was at the ocean in Malibu with a buddy of mine [when he got the call he got the part]. And just had a movie moment and jumped in the ocean afterwards. It was pretty amazing."

"I know I'm coming on as up-and-coming in my field [as an assistant forensics scientist]. He's not going to be The Flash immediately, obviously. We're going to be Barry Allen first in two episodes and then he'll come back later as The Flash. I haven't actually had a chance to read any scripts yet, so we'll see."

"I didn't realize before I started doing all my research that he can actually time travel, he can run so fast. I think that'd be a really fun thing to play with on the show is him kind of going to different times and experimenting with that. That'd be fun. "I would imagine, when The Flash comes he'll be in a pretty traditional Flash costume. That's kind of what I've caught wind of."


Grant Gustin Talks THE FLASH, the Costume, Admits He's a Little Young for the Role
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Update: September 13, 2013

Grant Gustin Officially Cast as Barry Allen/The Flash in ARROW

Earlier this summer, the CW announced plans to not only bring Barry Allen/The Flash to their Arrow series, but had hopes of starting a spin-off series around the speedster. Now, it appears the network has found their hero in Grant Gustin (Glee). Gustin will be introduced to viewers in the eighth episode of Arrow’s second season, following up that debut by starring in the ninth episode as well. The 20th episode will also feature Gustin and will act as a backdoor pilot for the potential spin-off series, The Flash. Here’s word on Gustin’s addition to Arrow via a press release:

Barry Allen is a Central City assistant police forensic investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. A comic book fan boy, Barry is obsessed with the Arrow unaware that working with Oliver and Felicity to solve the crime has brought him right into the dangerous world of the vigilante. Arrow returns for season two Wednesday, October 9th at 8:00 p.m. on The CW.


Grant Gustin Officially Cast as Barry Allen/The Flash in ARROW and THE FLASH TV Series

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: July 30, 2013

New Details for THE FLASH; Will Retain His Trademark Costume

Barry Allen, the alter-ego of the lightning-fast super-speedster, will be introduced in the eighth, ninth and 20th episodes of Arrow's upcoming second season, producer Andrew Kreisberg and DC Entertainment's Geoff Johns told reporters during a Tuesday afternoon conference call. Casting is now under way to find an actor to play the DC Comics hero in what will be an origin story similar to Oliver Queen/Arrow. The 20th episode will serve as the back-door pilot for Flash. All three Barry Allen episodes will be penned by Berlanti, Kreisberg and Johns.

"When we first meet Barry Allen, he's just a forensic scientist

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: July 30, 2013

Mark witz and Greg Berlanti Talk THE FLASH and Casting

"We plan to introduce a recurring character and the origin story of Dr. Barry Allen, who you know as the Flash," CW President Mark witz reiterated at the networks executive panel during the Television Critics Association press tour today in Los Angeles. "We do want to expand upon the DC Universe. We think that there are rich characters we can use, and we felt like this was a very organic way to get there."

Casting is set to begin next week as Barry Allen makes his first appearance in episode 8 or 9 of Arrow. However, witz doesn't have his heart set on any big names as of yet. "I’m from the old school — TV creates stars. If we get a name, great. If we don’t get a name, they’ll become a name. If you don’t feel the chemistry, it doesn’t happen," he added about The Flash spin-off.

Writer Greg Berlanti meanwhile was the one who confirmed which episode Barry will first appear in and also went on to confirm that the series has been cleared with DC and has the green light. "Barry Allen’s story always has been a favorite of mine, as well as of Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns."

As the hunt for the right actor to play the character begins, Berlanti shared his thoughts on what makes The Flash a good choice for his own television series and reportedly told journalists that he believes the Scarlet Speedster is in fact better suited to the small screen than most other DC superheroes. "We wanted everyone to know about the show as that process commenced. We think it fits well both in terms of (Arrow) and (as a stand-alone series)."


Mark witz and Greg Berlanti Talk THE FLASH and Casting the Right Actor for the Part

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

I don't watch Arrow but from the 10 minutes I have seen I'm pretty sure he killed Deadshot. Surely that isn't a great idea for the DC universe if they're killing off fairly big villains?

This is also my concern about mixing the Arrow TV show with the DC Cinematic Universe because some of the characters introduced in the series, like Deathstroke, were too unimpressive compared to their comic book counterpart. Deathstroke in the show was disappointing. He was portrayed as an ordinary hired hand. I stopped watching the show before Manu Bennett appeared, so I don't know if the character has improved.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Also... are these actors (Arrow and Flash) supposed to play those characters in the JL movie as well?

I think that's WB's plan to fit in with their planned Justice League in 2017. They can't give the key JL members their own movie in time and the failure of the Green Lantern movie has also made them gun-shy of greenlighting other untested superheroes. That's why they're pairing Superman and Batman in their own movie. Two birds with one stone; the financially successful Man of Steel gets its sequel and at the same time, introduce the new Batman to their Cinematic Universe. Same with the Flash. Give him his own TV show, build an audience around him, and then have him and Green Arrow join the Justice League in 2017.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Anyone remember the failed Flash TV series from 1990?

Oh yeah, used to regularly watch it. Though it wasn't that good, it was still entertaining to me. But it did get frustrating on how inept Flash was and how they keep on giving him retarded situations where he could have easily gotten out of. Love the Danny Elfman theme.

 

[Gambitpool]

This is also my concern about mixing the Arrow TV show with the DC Cinematic Universe because some of the characters introduced in the series, like Deathstroke, were too unimpressive compared to their comic book counterpart. Deathstroke in the show was disappointing. He was portrayed as an ordinary hired hand. I stopped watching the show before Manu Bennett appeared, so I don't know if the character has improved.

Manu is one of the best parts of the show. I hope his transformation into the real Deathstroke is handled well.

 

[Jing]

I would expect a hell of a lot more.

Smallville showed a lot of promise and had an excellent cast, but the scripts were written by a random plot generator powered by a Commodore 64.

I won't lie, I watched every episode, but for every five minutes of awesome I had to watch several hours of crap. I must have been borderline masochistic to put myself through that, and when the show was finally over my first thought was thank God, no more weeks of praying for them to get it right.

Tom was great, for sure. He deserved better than what was written for him.

Arrow isn't brilliant, but I'm enjoying it a lot more than I enjoyed Smallville, which is odd, because I hate The Green Arrow.

Just what is it that would you have done differently? I'd like to see the comparison in ratings because you guys are certainly on the outside of public opinion. It's nowhere near as popular and no way is it fuckin lasting 10 seasons.

 

[JBSchroeds]

This is also my concern about mixing the Arrow TV show with the DC Cinematic Universe because some of the characters introduced in the series, like Deathstroke, were too unimpressive compared to their comic book counterpart. Deathstroke in the show was disappointing. He was portrayed as an ordinary hired hand. I stopped watching the show before Manu Bennett appeared, so I don't know if the character has improved.

You gave up too early; that wasn't Slade Wilson, it was Wintergreen. Manu Bennet has been kicking ass in the roll as Slade. He's been a high point of the series so far, and there's still plenty of time to juice him up if need be.

 

[prod2821]

Agreed on Manu, dude was a badass in the 1st season, can't wait for his return

 

[IThinkNot]

thank god they have geoff johns in the mix otherwise i imagine it would be horrible if they didn't get someone with some sort of knowledge on the topic

I hate the CW shows though ...i keep thinking if i tune into a show it will be really bad or some "teenage hearththrobs" trying to act

i'm happy that this happening though..

even though i probably won't tune in.

I hope they make an animated series for the flash.
And a new justice league cartoon would be amazing.
Get Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett on that!
Have paul dini, geoff johns, and frank miller team up to write it!
^that would be beyond amazing!