Night Flight's take off special feels uniquely 80s in its exposure of videos from Madonna, The Talking Heads and more relating to the culture of wealth and excess that defined the time.

We lost a close member of the Night Flight family on January 8th, 2022. Michael Lang and NF creator Stuart Shapiro were twin counter-culture spirits. Best friends since 1970, Michael and Stuart were at the center of the key revolutions that shaped the musical landscape in second half of the century: Michael, in the advent and supremacy of the music festival and Stuart, of course, at the inception of film, video and music television. Eventually the two would connect on projects like Woodstock.com and one of the first ever live streams broadcast over the internet for Woodstock ’99. To celebrate his life, we are sharing a fascinating unreleased interview with Michael conducted by Night Flight’s original writer, Stuart Samuels, in 2019. Lang gives a rich historical perspective on the festival and the time period, covering the lineup’s original conception and all the dark and light of the '60s that made the event such a defining moment. Thanks for being here to celebrate his life with us.

This Night Flight "Short Cut" features an exclusive interview with Miles Davis, who shares his unique musical outlook and more. “I go with my feelings… that’s in my system, my soul, in my body—my body’s full of rhythm.” Davis reflects on his affinity for the Yamaha DX7, the tactile experience of painting, the importance of his visual style, and the “street sound” of the era. The episode then features jazz pianist Chick Corea, who describes his creative philosophy in a short interview segment before Night Flight showcases his collaboration with vibraphonist Gary Burton in “Finale.”

“Their music was devil’s music: high decibel, tortured, frenzied songs about Death, Destruction and Black Magic.” Welcome to Night Flight’s 1984 Take Off to Heavy Metal History with a look at metal forgers Black Sabbath. We go back to the 1970s for classic Sabbath, trace the development of Ozzy Osbourne and Ronny James Dio from their days as Black Sabbath’s lead singers to their solo careers in the mid 80s as “Rock’s Top MadMen.” We’ve heard from many of you that your first exposure to BS was late at night on Night Flight, so consider this your return trip home to some 35 years ago. If you are a Black Sabbath original line-up purist and Dio isn't your thing, may we suggest the Black Sabbath Video Profile for another excellent episode?

Night Flight profiles rock’s 'rude boy' Billy Idol in this classic segment from 1985. “I don’t want to see the no flabby, boring old Billy Idol trying to be what he was when he was 21… I’m young, I need to move about.” he tells Night Flight in an excellent, candid interview, in which he talks about the role of New York City on his art, how he views his critics, and what inspired his name change. Classic and essential Night Flight right here folks.

“What do you do when a guy puts Mayonnaise on your shoulder?... Do the Watusi!" — Howie Mandel circa 1986.  And so goes 3 minutes of towering cringe (even by '80s standards) in tonight’s "Take Off" episode to Comedy in Music Videos from 1988 that also features the legendary Max Headroom, Father Guido Sarducci, Bette Midler, Will Smith and more!

“In 1985,” Visions host Al Bandiero says, “British rockers have held the #1 slot on the American charts for more than 8 months." With a mix of music videos, interview, and artist bios, this episode of Visions features 80s British musicians like Annie Lennox, Sade, New Order, and The Cure.

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!

"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. Fresh from the archives, this relic from 1983 features a dance sequence in between every segment. Alright!

It started in 1960 with Psycho, and ever since movie fans' appetite for blood and gore has grown by leaps and bounds. Today's movie slice, dice and spew geysers of blood. Featuring interviews with Nightmare on Elm Street star Robert Rusler, and House's William Katt with previews of Terrorvision, Critters, Nomads and more. On the B side of this episode is a classic cut of New Sounds featuring music videos from Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, Violent Femmes, Golden Palominos, and Public Image Ltd.

This special ‘90s syndication episode feature host Tom Juarez introducing multiple classic Night Flight segments. PAL Tape 7 profiles Simple Minds and Aretha Franklin.

We suggest you Take Off To The Beach with this Night Flight episode from 1986. This segment takes you through a video vignette series covering the land of the surf, sand and sun with videos include Y&T, The Beach Boys, Joe King Carrasco and Beastie Boys. Side B of this episode is a mix of videos loosely held together by the theme: 'Crime.' There's a topnotch selection of videos ranging from Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle, Golden Earring, Tony Powers and David Bowie's Labyrinth cut "Underground."

Tucked away inside this 1990s Syndication episode is Night Flight's "Take Off" to Reggae. Night Flight has always been proud of exposing our audience to Reggae music early on by being one of the first music shows to put the genre's music videos into heavy rotation. Tonight's "Take Off" episode is a perfect example of this. Featuring interviews and music with Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Third World, and Bob and Ziggy Marley, this classic episode is not to be missed and still serves as an excellent entry point to the incredible genre. Be sure to also stick around long enough to see Laurie Anderson's performance of "Language is a Virus (From Outer Space)."

In this hand-drawn short, a bird-like creature is drawn into an astral dimension rife with violence, vice, and vehicular homicide, rendered on black in electric lime greens and acid yellows. Animator James Duesing writes, "'Tugging the Worm' is an animation which is made up of 3500 drawings... the completed piece took approximately four years and a lot of Prismacolors to complete."

Side A: Welcome to New Sounds highlighting the burgeoning acts and micro-genres of the late 80s with Belgian synth act Front 242 (with a video from iconic photographer Anton Corbijn), Australian punk act Lime Spiders, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians massive hit “What I Am,” and some fantastic Joy Division inspired coldwave from Siglo XX. Side B: Time for some rapid fire Flash Tracks featuring the masters of party anarchy: Fishbone, the brilliant vocal contortionist Bobby McFerrin, and finally the big sounds from Scotland’s Big Country.

Episode 266. An episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring Billy Joel, the president of CBS Records and a Summer movie preview.

This special ‘90s syndication episode feature host Tom Juarez introducing multiple classic Night Flight segments. PAL Tape 8 profiles Elton John and Rod Stewart.

Pure 1989 Metal has returned. <cue amped up ‘80s metal announcer> Welcome to Hit Parader Magazine's "Heavy Metal Meltdown," tonight we go into a private rehearsal with Jake E Lee's band Badlands in Los Angeles, outrageous tour stories from BulletBoys, and if that's not enough, stay tuned for tonight's main story, a visit to legendary KISS frontman, Gene Simmons.

Night Flight profiles sonic wizard Thomas Dolby in this special episode of Video Flash Tracks. Cut with some of Dolby's best tracks, Pat Prescott brings us up to speed with Thomas Dolby's history in pop and status as one of its best collaborators with the inclusion of his 1988 George Clinton collaboration "Hot Sauce." This episode also features extra coverage on White Lion and Level 42. Night Flight gets some Metal In Your Face with clips and stories from Suicidal Tendencies, Britny Fox, Nuclear Assault, Overkill and more. Enjoy!

Broadcast in 1991, the same year they broke America with their steamy hit "I Touch Myself," 60 Minutes covers Australian band The Divinyls, from their controversial image to their years on the road.

Welcome to Night Flight's 1986 exclusive video profile of Black Sabbath. "They were the most successful and controversial metal band of the mid ‘70s. Hated by critics, adored by their fans, Black Sabbath mixed a taste for the occult with bone crushing volume,” Pat Prescott proclaims. This special episode features Night Flight’s iconic interviews with both Ozzy and Tony Iommi, and covers over a decade of the band's output and individual members' solo careers. Absolute essential viewing for Night Flight and Sabbath fans alike!

Brian Hansen’s Speed of Light (1980) is a strange, surreal 40-minute 16mm short about a neurotic blonde-bewigged mother and her young Oreo-munching daughter on a harrowing road trip across Central Texas in a beautiful red T-bird convertible. Speed of Light — using Apollo mission footage later seen in For All Mankind (1989) — was Hansen’s graduate thesis film and stars Sally Norvell, who memorably played “Nurse Bibs” in German auteur Wim Wenders’s film Paris, Texas.

Night Flight takes you for an exclusive look inside "Joe Coleman’s Carnival," the artist’s curated exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Projects in New York City. Filmed on-site in June 2025, this special hour-long presentation follows Coleman as he personally guides Night Flight through the gallery, revealing works that directly connect him to the carnival world, including his portrait of Tod Browning (Freaks) and a world-renowned collection from sideshow legend Johnny Eck, all culminating in his magnum opus: a life-size biographical portrait of his wife and muse, Whitney Ward. “I believe that the carnival is a kind of profane, holy place,” Coleman says, “where the private desires, fantasies, and fears of a society are given uninhibited free expression.”

Tonight on Night Flight, we feature masters of rock and roll comedy genr, including Weird Al, Dog Police, The Muppets, Mr. T., Doug and The Slugz and a whole new set of commandments from the bible of Mr. T! There are a bunch of hidden treasures in this hour long episode from 1985 that also includes the British TV show “Spitting Image.”

"Tonight, a trip into terror, a journey through the macabre," Pat Prescott explains at the beginning of tonight's episode. In this 1986 Halloween special, Night Flight looks at the past and future of Horror. Part 1 finds in-depth previews of multiple cult films of that year including "From Beyond," "Deadly Friend," metal monster movie "Trick or Treat," and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2." Next, Night Flight presents an hour-long mashup session of Horror throughout 40 years of film history, titles range are as exotic as "Beast With A Thousand Eyes," surreal as Buñuel's "Un Chien Andalou" and classic as "Nosferatu."

This newly added special segment from our 5th year anniversary goes deep. Featuring hilarious two-bit animation from Stop's "Wake Up," Columbia University grads The Special Guest's cubist anthem "Paul Cezanne," the sample-based ratings controversy inspired "Explicit Lyrics," by Blackwell Project, and a reverb drenched vocal take on techno-pop from act Growing Up Different. 

In this essential Night Flight interview, John Waters reflects on the transgressive ethos that defines his filmmaking. He recounts his humble beginnings touring prints from the trunk of his car, the neighborhood Baltimore crew of collaborators including Divine (“I don't trust anybody that hasn't been arrested at least once”), and a career built on offending multiple generations. A timeless snapshot of a Night Flight icon, and the perfect way to celebrate ten years of the streaming channel!

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

Directed by Yen Tan and Hutch Crane. A congressman is haunted by an outfit that won't go away.

Night Flight's 1988 New Metal Special spans the globe - covering bands from Japan, Germany and at home in the USA. Acts included in this essential Night Flight Take Off are Megadeth, Zodiac Mindwarp, Ezo, Warlock and more... Not to be missed!

Night Flight Goes to the Movies for John Waters' classic "Hairspray" and a couple of less fondly remembered also-rans released in March '88. Next is a high-octane look at The Cars legacy in music video with interviews between songs.

Yothu Yindi combine rock music with traditional Aboriginal instrumentation to create a distinct sound all their own. This 1992 60 Minutes story covers their history, influences and politics.

"Rockabilly is a strange brew," Pat Prescott announces, "part Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western, Gospel and even Pop. It's a style that takes us back..." Continuing with our recent theme of looking at the history of rock and roll, this week we've got Night Flight's 1984 Take Off To Rockabilly. With Jerry Lee Lewis, Stray Cats, Robert Gordon, The Blasters and X, this episode is pure americana music history, Night Flight style.

Music Video's directed by feature filmmakers for The Cars, Lionel Richie, The Art of Noise, Bruce Springsteen and more