Thanks to a free download on iTunes, I watched half of it, and thought I would post back here that it doesn't seem to be anything special. Nothing really jumped out at me, except to say that the lead doesn't have a lot of charisma.

Will I watch the second half or another episode? I don't know. It didn't have much of an edge, but certainly seems the thing for those who want their sci-fi kind of lukewarm.

I will say it. I love the old flash. I loved its camp its horrible acting, all of it down to Hawkman saying "It's OK, he only winged me." However I was hoping with the new flash we would get some of the same pizzaz with much better acting. What we got was a travesty to the classic basics of Flash Gordon. 1) Flash Gordon should be trapped on Mongo. No jumping back and forth this is not SG-1. 2)Ming is supposed to be Merciless, have a skull cap, sharp brows and a pointing beard. As cheesy as it sounds Ming is the quentisential evil mastermind. He is the template upon, which most evil masterminds in sci-fi and comics was made from. He is not some floppy haired fop who can't feign merciless and evil. Think Max Von Sydow eating grapes while watching his daughter be tortured. That's Ming! 3) As nice as it is to learn about Flashes family, relationships, etc. The first episode should have thrown the character and viewer into another world. Into the world of flash. You want to do Earth scenes and sets then do it in flashbacks.

Overall, my entire group ( a blend of old and new Flash viewers) who had been looking forward to the series turned off the TV disappointed and disgusted. I felt ashamed that I was toting the new series, who I hoped would use the old Queen song in their intro didn't even have an intro!
I don't even know if you can save this series, which really sucks.

ohhh, this show is horrible. Bad special effects, bad acting and horrible writing. Even the women aren't particularly attractive. It can't decide if it is camp or serious and by straddling the line it becomes just bad.

If you want to do serious, you have to have better writing and acting than this, if you want to do camp, you better do it over the top and have incredibly beautiful women spilling out of clothing and beefcake and villians who chew through scenery and have wild makeup and hair styles. Your hero better have a ready supply of quips at hand.

This show should only last 4 episodes - max.

Check it out, if you LIKED the show, head over to www.flashgordon.myfandoms.com and join up!

Pete,

Oh, I know. I was just making a bad joke. But what are the odds that two people named Richard Hatch would become famous, roughly 25 years apart? Are we due to have a Nobel prize winner in 2035 named Britney ("Not THE Britney Spears") Spears?

I watched the old show, but haven't seen the new BSG. Everyone says I need to watch it.

Jack,
The Richard hatch being talked about is NOt the guy from "Surivor," but the guy who originally played Apollo in the 70's.

From a business sense, Sci-Fi may have made the right decision. Additional seasons past this next one MAY have watered down the show. They also may NOT have. But with David Eick pursuing Bionic Woman, and RDM pursuing whatever he's pursuing, ending BSG after Season 4 is likely the best business decision made between partners all acting in good faith.

Now, the show may have been able to sustain itself in perpetuity, but go back and watch "Woman King" and tell me how you feel again. And that's an episode that RDM himself has implied he would prefer not to have to do in the future.

Also David, Hatch claimed Sci-Fi didn't want to COMMIT to more seasons. That is FAR different than canceling. So, either way, you are wrong.

What exactly would RDM have to cover for?

Try this on for size.

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/blink/2007/07/battlestar_secrets_revealed_to.php

Quotes to pay attention to
"There are no plans to do a series of direct-to-DVD movies after "Battlestar" ends its run. While it can't be ruled out as ever happening, Moore pointed out, "At some point we're going to strike the sets, and it'd be very difficult to rebuild the Galactica on a TV movie budget."

"The decision was to end the show at the top of our game," said Moore. "That choice precludes certain other choices. [Like wrapping up every possible loose end of plot]. We'll always be able to say we could have done more."

So, who is wrong now David?

I for one believe MrsRon a hell of alot more than I do Richard Hatch.

To me, this isn't either-or, and it shouldn't be. Think of all of these shows in their first season as an investment. Some pay off, but most don't. By going with a 22-season pick-up instead of a 13-episode, their investment also can result in a higher-priced DVD package, plus likely more international sales as well.

Now, will it be good? I don't know, but I look forward to the result. It's likely not fair to judge it based on the unfinished product.