Posted in: CBS, CW, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: cbs, grant gustin, john wesley shipp, the cw, The Flash

The Flash: John Wesley Shipp Offers Grant Gustin "Parting Gift" Advice

On the same day that The CW's The Flash star Grant Gustin posted an image of himself trying on his suit for the last "first time" for a season as filming gets underway on the final, 13-episode ninth season, there's also a reason for fans of The Scarlet Speedster to celebrate. That's because on this very day in 1990, the Robert Iscove-directed, Danny Bilson & Paul De Meo-written first episode of CBS's 1990 John Wesley Shipp (Barry Allen/The Flash) & Amanda Pays (Christina R. "Tina" McGee)-starring The Flash. Though it would initially run for only a single 22-episode season, the series has become more appreciated over the years, with many seeing the show as a major contributor in helping convince viewers that superhero shows can and should be taken seriously. In fact, Shipp would be invited back to the role of Barry Allen for two major Arrowverse crossovers, "Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths," sacrificing himself in the latter to foil the Anti-Monitor's plans to destroy the Multiverse.

To honor the occasion, Shipp took to social media to remind folks of just how massive a premiere the series had (especially considering the shows it went up against in its time slot). But it was the last in a series of tweets that hit home, directed to Gustin in light of his run ending. "When you want to judge the quality & impact of a show, go to the reviews in major outlets that were written AT THE TIME," Shipp tweeted. "Not those written 30 years later, out of context, by those who may or may not have been alive. My parting gift for the future to the awesome [Grant Gustin]."

"At about this time in 1990–after a premiere on the backlot at [Warner Bros.] for the international press and amazing reviews coast to coast—we were eagerly awaiting our [CBS] debut. We were rewarded with over 22 million viewers despite opening in CBS' toughest time slot opposite 'Cosby' and 'The Simpsons,' Shipp write with an accompanying post that included some images from back during the show's run:

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