Lee Umstetter (Academy Award® nominee* Nick Nolte, 48 Hrs., Warrior) is serving 'life without possibility' at San Quentin - a life sentence, with no possibility of parole. While other men might give up hope, Lee puts pen to paper and writes a play about living behind bars. Performed with his fellow inmates it causes a sensation, winning him the heart of a local drama critic (Rita Taggart, Mulholland Drive) - and a pardon. Now a free man, Lee reunites his prison buddies to perform the story of their lives across America. With the harsh and brutal reality of a criminal's life behind them, Umstetter and his troupe get a new chance to experience a world they never dreamed possible. Music by Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks).

Welcome back to Viewer’s Choice, where you get the videos you asked for. “We’ve got some wild requests tonight...” Pat Prescott proclaims as she lists of: Zappa, The Cure, Falco (“Jeanny!!!”), Whistle, Ultravox, Shriekback and Phil Collins. Another snapshot of pop music in the '80s from the perspective of the fans, preserved forever in an episode of Night Flight. “Ska is a pre-reggae Jamaican dance rythym first popular in the 60s…” Pat Prescott explains, while introducing this very special Video Vault. Tonight we all dance to a Ska beat when the vault opens to the leaders of Britain’s ska revival of the 80s featuring Special AKA, Madness, Fun Boy 3, The English Beat and more.

Night Flight’s full episode from June 30th, 1984 kicks off hot and heavy with a bold “Take Off” to Sex. “Music videos use phallic and vaginal symbols,” Pat Prescott tells us as she introduces videos from INXS, Berlin, Mary Jane Girls and of course, Prince. Then we get into a Heavy Metal Half Hour with Ratt, Divinyls and Def Leppard. Dig into more music videos from Rush, The Go Go’s, Nick Lowe, and a strange short film called The Speed of Light, starring Sally Norvell (later cast by Wim Wenders as “Nurse Bibs” in Paris, Texas).

How did I get here? Night Flight takes on Talking Heads in this brilliant profile, originally aired September 20th, 1986 and now streaming on Night Flight Plus. "In the 1970s, a group called Talking Heads became staples on the Bowery music scene..." explains Pat Prescott. The Heads’ fused artistic concepts with rock, relying on the tight structure and quirky lyrics which have become a heads trademark.

Night Flight profiles quintessential rock video director Bill Fishman, on the debut of his film Tapeheads (1988) with John Cusack and Tim Robbins. This tour de force of his work explores videos by Suicidal Tendencies, The Ramones, and more.

In this revealing 2002 interview with David Bowie, he reflects on his storied career and various musical styles and personas, as well as his latest album, Reality.

Episode 272. An original episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring Tracy Ullman, Devo and Lisa Robinson's interview with Mick Jagger.

"Hi, I'm Divine. And tonight we're going to be taking a looking at my career, from the early years in Pink Flamingos, to my performances and right up to my current hollywood film." He was one of america's most glamorous, campiest, and outrageous movie queens and Night Flight's interview is one of the most treasured parts of our library. Watch Divine discuss the legacy of Pink Flamingos, meeting John Waters and more, tonight!

Tonight, Night Flight Take’s Off to Eclectic Ladies in music in a 1994 syndication special. This Night Flight original episode is a tribute to female artists whose musical missions and video visions are what syndication host Tom Juarez refers to as “the most interesting, the most unusual and well… the most Night Flight.” Inquire within for music and videos from all stars Kate Bush, Juliana Hatfield, Bonnie Raitt, Siouxsie and the Banshees, a very special public service announcement from Laurie Anderson and here’s a bit of surprise: BJORK.

Welcome to Night Flight circa 1993. “Ten years ago,” Pat Prescott tells us “The Replacements played their first ragtag gig in a church basement in Minneapolis. Much to everyone’s surprise, including their own, the ‘Mats became one of the hottest underground bands in the world.” Tonight’s Video Profile shows off some of the band’s finest moments and features ultra-candid interviews with Paul Westerberg. Part B of Night Flight's Original Episode tonight is the German-surrealist short film "Balance." Created by twin brothers Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein, this stark experimental animation allegory won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1989. Another treasure of the archive.

An underachiever is fired from his construction job.

Tonight we find out what gives a six string its zing! We look at the origin of some of the most soul-stirring, far out guitar sounds with a special "Take Off" to Guitar Heroes. We salute the creme-de-la-creme of guitar playing with a look at virtuosos like Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and the Firm, Stanley Jordan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and more on this special trip to Valhalla of Guitar Gods. Tune Up, and Take Off. Then, stay tuned for European import videos from Peter Schilling, Nena, Nina Hagen, the Scorpions, George Kranz, Taco, Telephone, Chagren d'Amor, Yello and Krokus!

A boy is left in charge of several puppets by his mentor, under the condition he doesn't let them drink even one drop of salt water. The puppets, however, have another plan in mind. The boy allows himself to be manipulated by the puppets and enters a world of existential horror. An official Adult Swim short.

English imports arrive on Night Flight's New Sounds. Videos include Blancmange's Zbigniew Rybczyński directed video for "Lose Your Love," Kate Bush classic "Cloudbusting," Paul Hardcastle and Big Audio Dynamite.

Kicking off with a clip from the U.S. Senate's 1985 "Porn Rock" hearings, Night Flight Takes Off to Right-Wing Rock in this classic episode. "Parents hate it and politicians ban it, but ironically today's Rock is not the subversive cry of revolutionaries it once was..." Pat Prescott laments, while pointing to the right-wing co-option of rock in the '80s. The episode weaves a unique tongue and cheek video playlist featuring Van Halen/Blue Angels, the "Top Gun" Anthem, Christian Rockers Stryper and unabashed capitalist image makers Sigue Sigue Sputnik's homage to the Military Industrial Complex "Love Missile F1-11."

New from the vaults: Night Flight's Fourth Anniversary show, featuring a Special Top Ten video countdown from NF’s panel of music experts. Focusing more on the artistry of the filmmaking than the song’s themselves, Night Flight honors videos from The Cars, Art of Noise, Jean-Luc Ponty, Herbie Hancock and more. Little bit of trivia: Night Flight was the first television program to add the names of the Director’s to the music video Chyron.

Van Halen video music highlights bookended by entertaining bites from incorrigible singer David Lee Roth's interview with Lisa Robinson. An excellent survey of the band in pure Radio 1990 style.

Tonight Night Flight profiles one of Rock’s great renegades: Neil Young. The essential episode features a candid NF studio interview with Young discussing his origins and inspirations and features some of Young’s more esoteric deep cuts on Geffen Records in the '80s including 1982’s techno track “Sample and Hold” and his Rockabilly ballad “Wonderin'.” Night Flight creator Stuart S. Shapiro's independent film distribution company International Harmony distributed Young's film "Rust Never Sleeps," a regular title in our early days on the air. It’s great to have the icon back on Night Flight.

Welcome to Night Flight’s exclusive Video Profile of Kate Bush. “This multimedia performance artist has combined dance, music, literature and mime on her way to becoming Britain’s most popular female star,” Pat Prescott says to introduce the pop polymath. Featuring Bush’s candid interview from the Night Flight studios (recorded in November 1985), this episode is an immersive survey of her creative vision and premiered as “Running Up That Hill” was topping the charts. A timely treasure from the archive in 2022!

His fellow musicians call him “Fitzy” a term of both affection and respect. Born March 27, 1970, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, the hockey loving multi-instrumentalist is always busy. In his long, eclectic career, he has worked with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Theory of a Deadman, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Union, Gene Simmons, The Guess Who, Brad Whitford from Aerosmith, Derek St Holmes, and Ronnie Montrose just to name a few. This caffeinated conversation took place at our mutual favorite, Star Wars-themed local coffee house, Grouchy John’s, just days before he hit the road for a three-month European stint with the Dead Daisies. He is truly a prince in a land of few gentlemen.

Night Flight invites you into the the existential weirdness of the wonderfully loopy Soviet-era sci-fi comedy KIN-DZA-DZA, recently restored by Mosfilm for its first-ever U.S. release by Deaf Crocodile. Two average Muscovites are teleported across the universe to the planet Pluke, a Tatooine-like desert world whose inhabitants are hilariously noncommunicative and where common wooden matches are tremendously valuable. A deadpan, absurdist mixture of Kurt Vonnegut, Monty Python, Samuel Beckett and Jodorowsky's never-made Dune where alien cultures are even more haphazard and WTF? than our own, the film is also a savage satire of bureaucratic idiocy and dysfunction no matter what political system you're living under - or what planet you're living on.

This Night Flight original episode is part 1 of the 1983 New Year's Special. Featuring Music Videos, Video Profiles, and more. Night Flight rings in the New Year in style!

Highlights from R.E.M.'s career to date in music video form are shown with some great interview bites from the group members. Whether or not you approved of the direction Kenny G, Branford Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin & Herb Alpert took this beloved genre back in the heady days of 1988, that was pretty much the best of what the mainstream had to offer and here it is in all of its pre-fab, slick and kid-friendly glory. Call it "Jazz" or what you will, you cannot deny the brassy entertainment value of the music videos you will see in this edition Night Flight's "Direction In Jazz"! Miles Davis does make an appearance, so there is a bit of credibility thrown in the mix, too.

Night Flight rocks regional tonight as we travel to Asbury Park and beyond to explore the sounds of The Garden State. Featuring music from, of course, the Boss, blues revivalist Southside Johnny, Hackensack’s Joe Lynn Turner, Clarence Clemons and more!

Night Flight's 1985 Episode of New Sounds music's latest trends and hottest rising stars. Tonight: Dance music, sounds from the national club scene, with Peter Brown, Feelabelia, Goon Squad, and more. Also in this episode, a hardcore video profile on Metal's leading lady, Wendy O. Williams.

Tonight we’ve got a comprehensive survey of the music and visuals of Australian band INXS. (“The band from down under who've come out on top!” - Pat Prescott.) In 1983, Farriss brothers and co. came out of Sydney to become part of America’s “Aussie Invasion.” This episode tracks the band’s rise to the top with excellent visuals (like Director Richard Lowenstein's clip above), concert footage and a one-off interview with the the Farriss brothers brainstorming a future music video. Watch with us tonight.

60 Minutes Australia follows INXS on their 1991 world tour, interviewing members of the band as well as their devoted fans.

Welcome to Night Flight goes to the movies, a. Tonight we look at the growing emergence of black leading men in a variety of film genres including Carl Weather's "Action Jackson" and Spike Lee's "School Daze" including interviews. This episode also previews "The Return of Ruben Blades," now come full circle and streaming on Night Flight Plus.

Night Flight’s full episode from September 1984 starts off with a Lou Reed’s wild dancing in his video for “I Love You Suzanne,” and doesn’t stop until way past your bedtime. Night Flight’s Video Picks give you selections from Art of Noise, Billy Idol, Sheila E. and Elvis Costello. Cut away to some classic commercials, and we’re back with AC/DC, Hendrix and Judas Priest on Heavy Metal Heroes. Finally stick around for a full episode of Radio 1990 featuring Billy Squier, as he releases his video for "Rock Me Tonite", the clip that may or may not have torpedoed his career.

Night Flight takes you to the dazzling animation of contemporary music videos, from Herbie Hancock's computer-assisted imagery to the kaleidoscopic videos of Adrian Belew and the Tom Tom Club.

Night Flight's innovative "Take Off" series dispensed with playlists, bland VJ set-ups and the usual tired video countdown format and instead cleverly programmed music videos and performance clips by theme. The series regularly featured hits from Eighties pop icons juxtaposed against obscurities from many not-ready-for-MTV cult favorites. Original Air Date: 4-13-84 This episode "Take Off to Androgyny" premiered in 1984 and takes a provocative peek at gender-bending styles and comic cross-dressing in vintage video from the vaults featuring many pop icons such as David Bowie, Eurythmics, Grace Jones, Culture Club & Queen.

Night Flight's Short Cuts jets off the the world of underground comix, featuring alternative luminaries such as Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, and Victor Moscoso discussing their craft.