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1990s Barry Allen John Wesley Shipp Talks About Grant Gustin & The Flash

John Wesley Shipp reflects on playing the Flash and looks forward to Grant Gustin’s take on the role.

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flashshippTwenty-three years ago, CBS premiered a high-budget series based on The Flash that they had so much confidence in, they put it on Thursday nights opposite some of the toughest competition on television. At the time, it was one of the most expensive TV series ever.

Playing Barry Allen in that series was John Wesley Shipp, who many may remember from his many other roles which have included soaps, Dawson’s Creek, and even a short recent run on MTV’s Teen Wolf.

Shipp recently did a guest spot on the “Out Loud and Live!” podcast with J.C. Alvarez, where he looked back on his Flash experience but also looked to the future, as Grant Gustin who, after 22 years of no Flash on TV, finally takes up the red suit.

“The first thing I thought when I saw Grant, I thought he’s aerodynamic,” Shipp said about his reaction to the casting of TV’s new Barry Allen. “That’s the modern sensibility. Back in the 90’s, everything had to be big muscle, but let’s face it: We had to cut down the suit. If you’ll watch, we pared it down as it went on, because it just didn’t make sense. But I thought he’s very aerodynamic, the way he’s built. It’s a good look.”

theflashThe former Flash is also aware of the many connections he and Grant Gustin have. “There are striking similarities between Grant and I. People were complaining. ‘Why is this guy playing a superhero? He just got through playing a villain!’ Well, both my Emmys were as a psychotic would-be rapist and a woman abuser. We were both born in Norfolk, Virginia. How’s that for a coincidence?” Mr. Shipp enthused.

Shipp has encouraged his fans to watch the Barry Allen Arrow episodes if they want to see more of the character and an actual spin-off show. “I wish him all the best. In fact, I’ve said ‘come on. How long have we waited? You want a Flash series? You better get into Arrow and support Grant, because they can say they’re gonna spin off, but you need to give him and them support so the series actually materializes,” he said.

If a Flash series does go, would Mr. Shipp be willing to return to Central City sometime, in a different role?

The Scientist“If it was the right fit. You know what? I’m not holding my breath. In fact, I so wanted my audience not to go in critically judging Grant so that I put a series of things saying that. ‘Let’s get behind him, let’s support him,’ and I stopped, because people began to say ‘well, you need to be on that show, and if you’re not on that show…’ and I said ‘Okay. Now it’s looking like I’m campaigning to be on that show, which I’m not’,” he said. “If that happens and it works, that’s great. And if it doesn’t, that’s great and I wish them well.”

You can listen to the entire [very fascinating] podcast appearance of John Wesley Shipp on “Out Loud and Live!” here.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Austin

    December 28, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    He has to play Jay Garrick. They need to do an adaptation of “Flash of Two Worlds,” and Shipp has to play Jay Garrick. It would make sense, especially since the writers have already established that the new TV Barry is something of a superhero fanboy, just like the earliest Barry Allen Flash comics. It would be perfect.

    • Miguel

      December 30, 2013 at 12:38 pm

      Completely agree! He would kill in the role of Jay Garrick. Or, at least, they should consider him to be Barry’s dad, Henry Allen, who’ll probably be behind bars.

      • MikellerAllen

        January 1, 2014 at 9:04 am

        I totally agree with you Miguel…Shipp can fit perfectly as Barry’s Dad (A recurring role) where by he’ll be seen in afew episodes (Maybe 5) heard if CW green-lit the series for a 2014/2015 schedule it’ll end up having 13 episodes unless they later change it.

  2. Arby

    December 31, 2013 at 5:11 am

    Well, I remember the original Flash series. I just loved it. And, as with other shows we grew up with and then revisited (which I did when I downloaded and re-watched a number of eps), it was like, “O my goodness that’s cheesy!” But I loved the show and that’s what it’s all about. You work with what you have. Maybe what we got then was the best they could do.

    What you have that makes it work, mainly, is your imagination. It was just so cool. But it is funny watching the old Flash zip around in a blur, when he’s sometimes not going much faster than you can if you can sprint, lol.

    As for the new Flash, We’ll see.

  3. Freefinger

    December 31, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Let’s not push the envelope.. The guy says he doesn’t NEED to be on the show. He says he’ll consider it if they ask, and at some point I think they will as they did with the Smallville series where many ex-Superman people were brought in at some point.

    I don’t see him as a regular, maybe a guest appearance would be the choice for him.

  4. Will

    January 3, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    I also agree with Miguel.
    He would make a great Henry Allen!

  5. Nivek

    January 22, 2014 at 12:07 am

    I would prefer to see him play Jay, it would be awesome seeing the 90’s Flash mentor the new guy.

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Flash References In New Grant Gustin Commercial

The Flash actor Grant Gustin has appeared in a new commercial for MNTN with former Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds.

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The Flash Grant Gustin is in a new trailer for MNTN alongside Ryan Reynolds, who, of course, played another DC hero, Green Lantern, back in the day. In the trailer, Grant plays a character named “Seymour Roas” but despite this, Reynolds can’t resist making a few Flash puns at Grant’s expense.

The commercial is quite fun and ends with the thoughts many of us have had, with Reynolds saying to Grant “you’ll always be my Barry,” only to have Grant respond with “you’ll always be my Hal.” If only we had gotten to see this team-up in an actual film; maybe it would have redeemed the awful Green Lantern movie and given us a Flash we all love rather than the person who headlined this year’s flop.

You can see the trailer below.

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No, That Was Not Teddy Sears In The Flash Movie

Flash TV series actor Teddy Sears confirms that was not him playing Jay Garrick in The Flash movie.

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SPOILER WARNING: The Warner Bros. Pictures film The Flash is being discussed in this post.

The Flash is currently speeding onto movie screens, and considering the box office, it might be speeding out of theaters just as fast, but there is one particular thing that fans of The Flash TV series have been wondering: Did we see a cameo of Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick in The Flash movie?

The answer is: No. TVLine did their due diligence in finding out from Sears himself what is going on.

“People kept telling me that I was in the new Flash movie…,” Sears told TVLine in an article posted on their website. “I mean, I’m sleep-deprived with a newborn at home, so my memory is a little foggy. But I’m pretty sure I would have remembered shooting a major DC Studios film.”

“Sadly, I’m not in this,” he continued. He did acknowledge that the likeness does look like him.

There are some other cameos – sadly, not Grant Gustin or John Wesley Shipp, either. The movie is currently playing in theaters worldwide. As for Teddy Sears? Look for him in the DC Animated feature Justice League: Warworld where he will voice Travis Morgan, a.k.a. The Warlord. That comes out in July.

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The Flash Season 9 & Complete Series Blu-rays Announced

Flash Complete Series and Season 9 Blu-ray sets are coming out in August 2023.

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The Flash: The Ninth and Final Season and The Flash: The Complete Series are both coming to Blu-ray and DVD on August 29. Extras for the Season 9 set have also been revealed, as has box art for both. The Complete Series box art is a bit odd: While it’s truth in advertising for the final seasons to have Cecile front and center, the lack of Carlos Valdes (Cisco) or Tom Cavanagh (as any Wells) is.. a choice.

Here’s the press release with more info:

BURBANK, CA (June 1, 2023) – The fast-paced DC Super Hero drama ends its nine-season run as The Flash: The Ninth and Final Season arrives on Blu-rayTM Disc and DVD on August 29, 2023. The action continues through all 13 episodes of the final season along with brand-new bonus content. The season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers. 

Also available on August 29, is The Flash: The Complete Series on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, which includes 184 episodes from the exhilarating DC series along with hours of bonus content from all nine seasons in one complete set.

After defeating the Reverse Flash once and for all, the ninth season of The Flash picks up one week after their epic battle, and Barry Allen aka The Flash and Iris West-Allen are reconnecting and growing closer than ever. When a deadly group of Rogues descend on Central City, led by a powerful and unknown new threat, The Flash and his team including Meta-Empath Cecile Horton, the light-powered meta, Allegra Garcia, brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk and reformed cryogenics thief Mark Blaine, must once again defy the odds to save the day. But as The Rogues are defeated, a deadly new adversary rises to challenge Barry Allen’s heroic legacy. In their greatest battle yet, Barry and Team Flash will be pushed to their limits, to save Central City one last time.

The Flash stars Grant Gustin (Arrow, Glee), Candice Patton (The Game), Danielle Panabaker (Sky High, Friday the 13th), Danielle Nicolet (Central Intelligence), Kayla Compton (Making Moves), Brandon McKnight (The Shape of Water) and Jon Cor (Shadowhunters). Based on the characters from DC, The Flash is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Riverdale), Eric Wallace (Teen Wolf, Z Nation, Eureka), Sarah Schechter (Batwoman, Riverdale, Black Lightning, Supergirl), Jonathan Butler, and Sam Chalsen (Sleepy Hollow).

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

The Flash: The Saga of the Scarlett Speedster (featurette)
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel

The Flash: The Complete Ninth Season and The Flash: The Complete Series will be available to purchase August 29, 2023 on Blu-ray Disc and DVD both online and in-store at major retailers. The series is also available now to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. 

The Flash: The Ninth and Final Season

Includes 13 one-hour episodes:

Wednesday Ever After
Hear No Evil
Rogues of War
The Mask of the Red Death, Part 1
The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2
The Good, the Bad and the Lucky
Wildest Dreams
Partners in Time
It’s My Party and I’ll Die if I Want To
A New World, Part 1
A New World, Part 2
A New World, Part 3
A New World, Part 4

Pre-order today and support FlashTVNews and the related site network!

The Flash: The Ninth and Final SeasonThe Flash: The Complete Series

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