“Female impersonator Divine portrays women from the sleazy to the sublime,” Pat Prescott says at the start of Night Flight’s “Take Off to Drag.” The episode is another timeless Night Flight classic that also features Joey Arias, David Bowie and more. It begins with scenes from 80s Canadian Drag star Craig Russell in clips from the film Too Outrageous! (1987), also featuring impersonations of Mae West and Barbara Streisand.

“She was born Norma Jeane Baker in 1926,” Pat Prescott says at the start of tonight’s new Video Profile, “but as Marilyn Monroe, she became a sex symbol that millions of women modeled themselves after and millions of men dreamed about.” Night Flight’s tribute to the icon features Monroe’s 1950 original screen test with Richard Conte for 20th Century Fox’s “Cold Shoulder" and a mix ‘80s musicians that carried the torch: including the Night Flight-staple "She Went Pop" from Synth Pop from Iam Siam in the Zbigniew Rybczyński-directed video (below), 'Blitz Clubber' and Boy George associate Marilyn's single "You Don't Love Me," and more.

"Viewer discretion is advised" Pat Prescott tells us at the start of tonight's 1988 Take Off episode to Controversial Videos. "Sex, Drugs, Religion, Politics..." what more can you want from Night Flight's curated collection of controversial music videos. Everyone knows that while other fledgling music networks from the era avoided controversy, Night Flight actively courted it. Just ask creator Stuart Shapiro about what happened the first time we aired The Clash's "Rude Boy" completely uncut :). This episode brings you music from Billy Idol, Motley Crue, Slovenian avant-gardists Laibach, Sheena Easton's fantastic "Sugar Walls", the always classy George Michael and maybe one of the best sequencing decisions ever: a transition from the "Ballad of Jim and Tammy Bakker" to a Raucous Dead Kennedy's performance with Jello Biafra compelling the audience to "Shoot Up With God." Then, stayed tuned for two films from the Glasshouse Production Team, Tom Stern & Alex Winter: "Aisles of Doom" and "Squeal of Death." CLASSIC NIGHT FLIGHT.

Resurrecting the sizzling pre-punk R&B attitude of British pub rock, The Godfathers came slamming onto the scene in 1986. Tune in for an interview with founders the Coyne brothers and hits from the band's discography, including '87's existential anthem "Birth, School, Work, Death."

Welcome to Radio 1990, bringing you the latest news from the world of entertainment and today's best music videos. In this episode, Lisa Robinson shares sad news for any The Who fans out there, previews a new Mel Brooks episode and videos from Hall and Oates, Men at Work and 1983's #2 power cut from "The Album Network" countdown.

Directed by Don Swaynos. A late night horror show host is having a bad day.

Heavy Metal Meltdown Welcome to Hit Parader Magazine's Heavy Metal Meltdown, the hottest show on TV. This week we take you up close and personal with Kip Winger of Winger, then we'll journey into the home of Faster Pussycat's Taime Downe. We'll also bring you a once in a lifetime performance from Kingdom Come, metal advice from Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and a look at tour life with Anthrax.

This '90s syndication episode of Night Flight is dedicated exclusively to duets featuring a match made in art-pop heaven: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, KLF and Tammy Wynette's idiosyncratic country/dance-pop hybrid of pedal steel guitar & drum machines "Justified & Ancient," UB40 & Chrissie Hynde, and finally, Cher hits on Butthead in "I Got You Babe," the mega-crossover event of music television history we all needed. It's a bonafide hit-parade and a perfect specimen of our unique "Take Off" format, indeed.

Seasoned Night Flight viewers always knew to expect the unexpected; this unique approach to curating our content and exposing underexposed artists, musicians and filmmakers of the era was built into the show's DNA. In this week's new arrival from the archive, we deal in the latter with a look at independent filmmaking. Kicking off with Academy Award winning animated short "Special Delivery," and ending with a long-form dance off performance video for UTFO deep cut, this episode is FULL of surprises.

In this 2016 feature, 60 Minutes Australia covers the career of the singular Cyndi Lauper, from her 80s pop stardom to her career revival on Broadway. Featuring an interview with Lauper herself.

This episode of Heavy Metal Heroes profiles Dokken, Keel, Raven and Def Leppard.

We begin this 3 hour As-Aired episode with an excellent selection of videos from Eurythmics, Jermaine Jackson, Prince, and Prince produced The Time. Night Flight's Rising Stars covers songs from classic acts Psychedelic Furs, Slade, and Night Flight's Discovery Segment features Milk 'N' Cookies' Ian North and Eva Everything. Hour 2 brings an incredible selection of new film and video art featuring experimental animation and video from Chel White (who we interviewed on the Night Flight blog in 2015). There's so many hidden gems in these full episodes, we don't want to give it away. Yes, the dog police are in town and Yes, a lizard goes surfing. We leave the rest up to you to DISCOVER!

Episode 276. An episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring The Icicle Works, Bonnie Tyler and an interview with Brian Setzer.

On tonight’s episode of “20 Years of Rock ’n’ Roll Style” Night Flight covers Glam Rock. “Twilight fell on the grassroots hippie sixties, and it was time to put the glitz and glamor back into rock,” Pat Prescott tells us before introducing T. Rex. From there we travel through Freddie Mercury solo cuts, D.A. Pennebaker’s live video for Bowie’s “White Light, White Heat” cover and much more.

In this candid 20-minute long interview we’re exclusively sharing with you over on Night Flight Plus, Romero talks about his influences and gives a detailed account of origins of Night of the Living Dead. This segment was created by Stuart Samuels, the original writer of Night Flight, for his excellent film Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream and offers a unique look at his creative process.

Episode 281. An episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring Duran Duran, Nena, and a Billy Idol interview.

A man threatens to commit suicide off a tall building.

Directed by Don Swaynos. The reunion of a woman and her estranged daughter is interrupted by a man with an unusual request.

This 1986 episode of New Sounds brings you a survey of Great Britain’s music geographies of the 1980s. The lineup includes Two Minds Crack, who rose from the industrial ashes of South Wales in 1981 to create some of Britain’s freshest techno-pop, video-vèrite innovators Cabaret Voltaire, Gene Loves Jezebel, Joe Strummer’s Sid and Nancy track “Love Kills,” and The Housemartins' “Happy Hour.”

We've seen the comments on Facebook and Instagram. It's clear that for many of you, Night Flight was the point of discovery for The Police. Let us just say (1) we’re honored by that fact and (2) tonight you can watch the official Video Profile (1985) that may have introduced you to them!

Tonight we salute the overworked and underpaid women who made it all possible, our Mothers! We bring you two hours of original Night Flight in the form of a 1991 Mother’s Day Weekend Special. This episode joins our “As Aired,” section, which means the commercials are Intact. (And WOW are there a lot of late night call in commercials!). Anyone who watched Night Flight in the 90s know that the syndication episodes took on an almost manic, break-neck editing speed. Look out for a myriad of strange 90s animation, oddball short films and video mashups, with the episodes top billing goes to the special feature: Mothers of Punk, looking at the music of Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, X’s Exene Cervenka, and Nina Hagen. Sit back and tune in for Night Flight, the show that tucks you in at night (just like your momma!)

Welcome to the Best New Sounds of 1986 on Night Flight! In ’86, England’s unabashed Sigue Sigue Sputnik went Snap Crack and Fizzle, Simply Red cemented “red-haired soul,” The Cure firmly establish neo-gothic rock and Pete Burns of Dead or Alive became every dance fan’s brand new lover. What a year. Inquire within to relive the best in sound from a knockout year.

Two "expressionistic wackos" argue over a glass of juice.

An eccentric, introverted man (Bob Bert of Sonic Youth) goes on an adventure in his bathtub. As he explores a warped and lopsided world, he chooses to ignore his surroundings in favor of his favorite comic book. Others around him react to his presence with lust, jealousy, desperation and violence while he remains blissfully naive. Winner of the 2020 LA Punk Film Festival's "Best Animated Film" award.

"More than music, more than television: it's FM-TV!" Tonight, let us take you on an incredible journey through 1980s entertainment ephemera. FM-TV was Night Flight creator Stuart Shapiro's short-lived prime time cable companion series aimed at a slightly different demographic. Part two features a lost Doors documentary, interview with members of Journey, rare Cat Stevens performance and clips from Rock & Rule.

Tonight’s original episode comes from 1983, i.e. the early days of discovery on NF that often featured uncut performance footage. Here, we see Toyah’s 1981 show at London’s Rainbow Theatre with the irrepressible performer at the top of her game. Listen up for excellent tunes like "War Boys," "Neon Womb" and more. 

In tonight’s original episode of Night Flight, Annie Lennox shape-shifts through the video work of Eurythmics and own her own. The gender-bending music videos featured tonight find Lennox portraying an 18th century dilettante, 1960s-era flip wig singer, and in "Little Bird," a Cabaret performer playing her most challenging role yet: a confederacy of all her previous personas! Tonight, we salute a pop music chameleon of the highest order. As syndication-era host Tom Juarez tells us, Night Flight was the only TV show that dared to spend an entire hour one artist’s music video efforts. This episode is a perfect example of that!

A hapless hitchhiker (Larry Hankin) gets advice on his road technique from a fairytale frog.

Night Flight’s classic “Video Essays” were a completely unique programming concept for the era. Lead by Night Flight’s writer Stuart Samuels (an instructor at the Cannes Film Festival), editors crafted hypnotizing video collages sourced from public domain archive footage and lost video artifacts - all linked by a common theme. Tonight’s original episode is the Video Essay “Machine Medley,” an adventurous mix of industrial sights and sounds featuring SPK’s “Machine Age Voodoo,” Swinging Piston’s “I Love The Sound Of Machines “ and more.

Tonight, we travel back to the airwaves of 1991 for a compilation episode of syndicated Night Flight. This hour and a half episode covers European Rock and Guitar Gods. Let syndication host Tom Juarez be your guide as you travel through the music and visuals of Nina Hagen, Taco, Yello, Telephone and more!

Welcome back its time to climb into the video vault for Devo, and follow the bands career through their experimental clips. Night Flight looks at the hottest metal in 1986 with new Twisted Sister, Black 'n Blue, Autograph, Kiss and more metal masters.

In "Take Off to Comedy IX," enter Jackie Mason's mind with the brilliant compilation “The World According To Me,” Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi get Brian Wilson out of bed to go surfing in a long forgotten clip that was one of our most popular stories on the blog last year. Other gems include Divine’s “These Lips Were Made For Kissing,” Dweezil Zappa, Weird Al Yankovich and an original segment with comedian Ritch Shydner’s hilarious bit in the Night Flight studios.

A special on legendary rock band Bauhaus, dubbed the "originators of Goth Rock," featuring interviews with members, videos from later spin-off band Love and Rockets, as well as the solo career of frontman Peter Murphy.

"Boy isn't heavy metal a lot of fun!" says Mr. Bill at the start of Night FLight's special "Take Off" to Heavy Metal Comedy, (before an untimely death by anvil.) And Mr. Bill is right: Heavy Metal is a reliably comedic genre, intentional or not. This episode kicks off with Alcatrazz's "God Blessed," a satire of MTV that doomed its chances of airplay on that channel, (but of course got play on Night Flight), Keel's "Right to Rock", Accept's kaleidoscopic video for "Midnight Mover," Japanese rockers Loudness and Ireland's Mama's Boys.

"The sound of surf, sand and Sunset Strip..." Coming to you direct from the nerve center of the entertainment industry, tonight Night Flight "Takes Off" to the City of Angels. In this special syndication episode from 1992, we explore the troubadours and minstrels that help shape the musical legacy of Los Angeles and the California sound, from Folk to Surf, Rockabilly to Punk. Featuring The Beach Boys, The Doors, LA Guns, The Motels and more!

This video profile on Simple Minds features backstory on the Scottish act and multiple videos throughout the bands career arc. Night Flight mines the video vault for select cuts from the Pretenders.

In this 1983 Video Gallery, Night Flight Take’s Off to Politics. “Rock Music has always had a strong political connection,” Pat Prescott says. This tour of rock politics takes us through the '60s with Bob Dylan, Hendrix, and The Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace A Chance.” After this tour of protest rock Night Flight, takes on Politics in the Nuclear Era with campy twist, fast forwarding to the ‘80s where we find ourselves enjoying the incredible experimental animation of Donald Fagen’s “New Frontier,” Men at Work’s ominous tune “It’s A Mistake,” and a little known promotional clip for the 1982 film WarGames by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Welcome to Night Flight! Tonight, we “Take Off” to Elvis. Ever since his 1956 debut, Elvis Aaron Presley has provoked more passion, more controversy and more adoration than anyone else in the history of Rock. Literally, the King. Fine Young Cannibal's Roland Gift sits down with Night Flight to discuss the sacredness of Elvis and the riskiness of their cover "Suspicious Minds."

What’s on the menu for tonight? Fish Heads! Our 1988 “Take Off” episode of Night Flight is a special salute to… Food? “Whether you slice it or dice it, chew it or spew it” Pat Prescott proclaims, “you can’t live without it!” Kicking off with Weird Al Yankovich’s “Eat It,” and including tunes from The Fat Boys, Tom Petty, Barnes and Barnes and a myriad of food-related, public domain interstitials, this episode is a pure cup of instant weird. Including the the notorious 'pot brownie' recipe from 'The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook!

In this original episode from October 30th, 1987 Night Flight presents two independent shorts as a part of our "Short Film Showcase" segment. The first up is the criminal-comedy “The Lemon Man,” by Super 8 auteur Michael Legge, followed by the mysterious experimental animation called “Xidu,” by Australian filmmaker Michelle Mahrer.