Welcome to Night Flight’s tribute to the 1986 Oscars which explores nominees for Best Original Song. For that year, nominees included Quincy Jones for The Color Purple, "Surprise Surprise" by Greg Burg, Huey Lewis and The News #1 hit from Back To The Future “The Power of Love,” all of which are covered within. We go deeper with an interview with director Taylor Hackford about White Nights, which is one of the few films in Oscar history to receive two nominations for best song ("Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie was the eventual winner). Then Night Flight looks ahead to some of the upcoming films from 1986 in the genre that Pat Prescott lovingly refers to as The Sensitive Years. It’s a Who's Who of '80s child actors with looks at Crossroads, Pretty in Pink, Smooth Talk, and Lucas, which offers the bonus clip of an exclusive interview with none other than Corey Haim. This is pure ‘80s Hollywood, folks, Night Flight style.

Welcome to the Meat Loaf edition of Night Flight (1993), where we bring you a smorgasbord of videos with the star of Operatic Rock. Featuring “Getting Away With Murder,” “Surf’s Up,” and the duet that propelled 1978’s Bat Out Of Hell straight into the stratosphere, the pointed ballad “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” Bonus: Syndication host Tom Juarez reads Night Flight fan mail on air in this episode!

Tonight’s Night Flight Original Episode is from our “Video Artist” series, focusing on the animation and film art of Herbert Wentscher. The German video artist sources a variety of media for his projects: Super 8 footage, painting, and ancient iconography. “Eventually, everything gets blended into the video medium” he says to Night Flight interviewer and writer, Stuart Samuels.The episode includes his piece “SuperFaust” which features the german cultural icon Ampelmann, the country's universal green walk symbol (above), interpreted through Goethe’s Faust. 

A wacky musical comedy parody of George A. Romero's zombie films.

Tonight's new Short Cut dives into the theme of money in music, showcasing cash-and-capitalism themed videos from Talking Heads, the pioneering 3D-animated classic "Adventures in Success" by Will Powers, playwright Sarah Tuft's commercial collage, and the Pheromones' send-up of the '80s yuppie class in "Yuppiedrone."

Travel way back to the Halcyon days of Night Flight with tonight's New Arrival from the vault: a 1982 Video Profile of Adam Ant. This early episode format gives an uncut feel to the interview in which Ant talks about meeting the Queen, what it takes to break in America and taking inspiration from the fashion of the French Revolution.

A man threatens to commit suicide off a tall building.

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."

During Night Flight’s second season, interviewer Al Banderio sat down with the “Queen of Sass” Millie Jackson for a ribald interview that is emblematic of Night Flight's unique approach to music television. Jackson discusses her disdain for FCC, the qualities she looks for in a man (“nice feet, and a nice round ass,”), her love of Country and much more while promoting the release of her Hard Times album. This episode's B-Side is the video for Albany band Blotto's "Metal Head," a Night Flight and Dr. Demento favorite!

Tonight’s Video Profile looks at Minneapolis writers, performers, and legendary super producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Bassist Terry Lewis met Keyboard player Jimmy Harris when they were handpicked by Prince for one of Minneapolis's great spinoff bands: The Time. "C...O...O...L"! Night Flight takes us through a tour of classics the pair wrote and produced from Janet Jackson, Human League, Herb Albert, Force MD's "Tender Love," (Above) and Robert Palmer's cover of the duo's Cherrelle classic "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On."

Welcome back to Night Flight! “In a world where musicians bend over backwards to carry message of social responsibility, the wild and raucous Jane’s Addiction sings of personal freedom and non-conformity." - Pat Prescott. In tonight's 1991 original episode of Night Flight, find out why Jane's Addiction had become the most talked about band of the early ‘90s by going behind the scenes with lead singer Perry Farrell's Home Movie "Soul Kiss" This uncut original episode also features all the original 1-900 commercials, Night Flight comedy cuts, and clips from the 1938 exploitation movie, "Sex Madness."

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.

For this edition of Night Flight, Morris Day, Prince collaborator and bandleader of The Time, sits down for an exclusive interview where he discusses what it was like acting for the first time in Purple Rain. Also featuring a special report on super-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, including music videos from their hit songs with Janet Jackson and Robert Palmer.

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

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.

"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.

In this original episode of Night Flight, we have an episode of 1950s Sci-Fi show "Space Patrol" and a profile on infamous Sex Pistols manager and artist Malcolm McLaren. Original Air Date: 5-2-85

Tonight on Night Flight Originals, we’re prepared the best slice of nighttime TV you’re going to find anywhere on the dial. Put down that remote! You’re about to experience Video Profile’s of two of 1980s most intriguing dance rock bands: The Thompson Twins and OMD. Packed with rare deep cuts, sentimental favorites and behind the scene’s interviews, this two for the price of one special is a knockout!

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.

In 1979, Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey were students at the London College of Fashion and Keren Woodward worked at the BBC. The flatmates decided to get together and with the help of their downstairs neighbors former Sex Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones and their friends Fun Boy Three, they formed a band and called it Banarama. "Banarama’s trademark is a happy go lucky lite approach," Pat Prescott calls it. Dive into a selection of the band's classic cuts and state of the art (for the time) videos.

This Night Flight episode focuses on religion in music, from the satanic accusations against Ozzy Osbourne to the Christian rock band Stryper. Also featuring videos from The Saints and XTC.

When you think of party time in the '80s... what comes to mind? It's totally understandable if a dark void exists for those of you who really found the time party. If the faint lingering echo of Gap Band's "Party Train," or Madness' "Our House" is ringing in your ears, then welcome - please step inside our time capsule to Night Flight's "Take Off To Party Time" from 1984. This version of Party Time mixes the elegant side of the soirée, with cuts from Lionel Richie and Huey Lewis and The News to the get out of your chair dance tunes from Men Without Hats and the Pointer Sisters. From the Kinks, to Prince, this is not a Party Time you want to miss!

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.

Tonight we Take Off to Cameos with “guest shot” appearances from Rodney Dangerfield, Milton Berle, Father Guido Sarducci, and more. Originally airing in 1984, tonight’s original episode features an eclectic music selection featuring the likes of Sons of Heroes, Tracey Ullman, Ratt, Ebn Ozn; all defined by their high-profile cameos.

Night Flight presents "Sold American," an eye-opening documentary about Marijuana production in California in the early 1980s - from seed to bud. The film explores political and economic ramifications of growing cannabis and features interviews growers, narcotics enforcers, and politicians.

Night Flight highlights one of the most important music icons of the 20th century with this 1987 feature on which includes "Ashes to Ashes," "Let's Dance", "Day-in Day-out" and more.

Welcome to Night Flight's Take Off to Rock Legends! Tonight we'll look at those performers who had a profound influence on popular music including Chuck Berry, Elvis, Smokey Robinson and more classics. In true Night Flight fashion, this episode explains the influences and cultural context of Rock and Roll through the decades and up to more contemporary (for the time) artists. This is an original episode not to be missed.

Traffic's Jim Capaldi sat down with Night Flight for a 1983 Video Profile to promote his new solo record, Fierce Heart. He talks about meeting Steve Winwood in a record shop, coming from a musical family, and his love for Little Richard. Capaldi reminisces about the "16-century cottage" years and a jam session with Bonzo: "I stood in the room and it was another world." Indeed.

Only Night Flight could find a way to program classic Devo cuts with soothing mystical New Age. Relive that original programming style tonight by climbing into Night Flight's video vault for a Devo retrospective featuring some of the best Devo videos using the pioneering experimental video techniques they did so well. For part 2, sit back and relax as we explore angelic hymns and soothing visuals from Kitaro, Jean Luc Ponty and Private Music. Revisit the much lampooned genre as it was earnestly presented, Night Flight style.

“Take Off” to Animation is one of the most beloved original Night Flight formats, as true today as it was in the 1980s. Like our other animation specials, this 1987 arrival from the vault is a one-of-a-kind time capsule from an era when music videos and animation technologies were evolving side by side. Featuring Grace Jones’ multi-media visual spectacle, vibrant cel animation for Wally Badarou’s “Highlife,” and David Bowie’s rotoscoped video for “Underground” from Labyrinth (also streaming on Night Flight Plus), the episode highlights hybrid formats and emerging tools like early 3D computer animation at the height of the cultural zeitgeist.

Your original Night Flight programming returns with a 1988 episode of Flash Tracks. Tonight we have neo-60s psychedelia Australian style with Hoodoo Gurus, gritty english rock Flesh for Lulu, and from Bradford, England it's "Sanctuary” for your soul with The Cult! And for a timely bonus, stay tuned at the end of this episode for Australia's roaming reporter Norman Gunston who pays a visit to the 1979 Grammys!

Hottt videos from heavy headliners Madonna, Rod Stewart, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Queen and Van Halen are highlights from this epic installment of Night Flight's "Take Off" from late 1984.

“Heavy Metal is a musical reaction against the mellow love generation of the 1960s,” Pat Prescott tells us. Tonight’s 1984 Night Flight Original takes us away from this world for a history lesson in Metal with classics from Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and '80s arrivals in Heavy Metal of different varieties: German, (Accept, Scorpion), Woman-Fronted (Rock Goddess, Girlschool) and much more.  Watch in our “Take Offs” section tonight!

We were saddened to hear about Leslie West of Mountain passing away in late December of 2020. His Night Flight interview is an underrated gem of the library. A down to earth and spirited guest, West talks about his success in frank terms while musing about eating bagels behind the stage at Woodstock, watching Cream play on acid 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!

Well folks, the Night Flight library never ceases to amaze us. It is literally a treasure chest of nostalgic gold. This week we’re incredibly excited to share a full, uncut interview with Mark Hammil conducted by Lisa Robinson in 1986. He dons a rare mustache for his theatre production role in Room Service. In the interview, Hamill talks candidly about knowing from his first reading of the Star Wars script it would be a success (“at least as popular as James Bond”), how not being allowed to read Comics as a kid lead him to obsessively collect them as an adult, the 33 1/3 birthday party he celebrated and much, much more. Watch this tonight! It’s an absolute joy.

Night Flight's 1989 Video Profile of "The Man and The Band" Bon Jovi, who made "Metal-lite safe for teenage consumption" according to Pat Prescott, arrives tonight on Night Flight Plus. The late-era Night Flight special episode covers all the essential Jovi Cuts, including the original videos from the New Jersey native for "Runaway," "In And Out Of Love," and more.

"Tonight we bring you your favorites!" "Over the last couple months you've written in to tell us what you want to see most," Pat Prescott says, explaining the viewer-requested curation behind this classic episode of Night Flight. Unsurprisingly, it turns out Night Flight viewers had great taste. Among the top requested artists are Kate Bush, Prince, Culture Club, The Thompson Twins, and Duran Duran. Check out this exceptional episode of that turns the attention back on the fans and viewers, who in 1986 were the ones making the Night Flight dream a reality. 

"Stay tuned for the latest music... on Night Flight's New Sounds!" Tonight, we head back to June 1988, Floodland-era Sisters of Mercy, Kid n' Play premiere the "Kickstep" Do This My Way, Electronic Body Music from Boston's Manufacture, and quiet storm grooves from Soul artist Terence Trent D'arby's single "Sign Your Name."

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!

"Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen," 1990s syndication host Tom Juarez exclaims, "and welcome to Night Flight: a beacon of fun, fantasy, and pure entertainment..." What follows is a hand-picked rerun of some classic Night Flight segments including a Bruce Springsteen Video Profile and an hour of cult classics. "You may as well put on another cup of coffee, because no matter how sleepy you think you're feeling, you're going to want to stay up for tonight's wild ride." You bet!