Tonight we Take Off to some of the "best bets of ’86!” That’s right, we’re talking about the mid-decade buzz bands (was that even a term in the '80s?) that landed on our radar. As you'll see, Night Flight was prescient in it's curation—many of these prospects went on to become massive acts. The episode includes The Hooters, Waterboys, Charlie Sexton, Tom Petty approved Del Fuegos and we think this episode is pretty special for its interview with Mr. Mister. Watch it tonight!

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

A look into the films and music of John Carpenter, including an exclusive interview where he discusses his influences for films such as The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, as well as his pioneering work on his own film scores.

Tonight, we present esteemed animator Bill Kopp’s original short “Mr. Gloom,” from an episode of "Toone Theatre." The psychedelic animation is hand-drawn theatre of the absurd. Kopp’s credits myriad credits include voice over work for none other than Night Flight animated “freak-out” classic, Jac Mac and Rad Boy Go! Also in this episode, the experimental animation “Machine Song,” a video collage from Chel White, who back in 2015, described the film to us as "as a minimalist vision of the post-industrial human condition, depicted in xerox cutout animation."

Ever since “Rock Around The Clock” was heard on the soundtrack of the film Blackboard Jungle, rock music has targeted the classroom as a constant enemy of all that is fun and good in music. Tonight we look at the bands revolting against school authority and classroom discipline with tunes from The Stray Cats, Ramones, Twisted Sister and more. The 1980s had no shortage of music videos set in High School classrooms, so believe us, this episode DELIVERS. Who was your homeroom angel?

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.

Welcome to an uncut 3-hour episode of Night Flight! You are now entering “As Aired” territory. Now streaming on Night Flight Plus, we’ve got a full 3-hour original episode from 1984 streaming in all its glory. That's right, start to finish you'll see an excellent representation of all the classic segments (including the commercials!). Look out for the essentials: New Wave Theatre, Heavy Metal Heroes, Radio 1990 (featuring Eurythmics) and much more. We'll stop there before giving too much away. Where would the trademark Night Flight discovery be in that? Tonight, it's all yours. Enjoy. Note: the dominance of workout-themed anthems in the commercial free video segment can correlated to the on-going ’84 Summer Olympics. That being said, they are truly a sight to behold.

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!

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

The sun has risen on the Aquarian Age. Tonight we return to 1988 for an intergalactic sojourn through the New Age movement. “A fascination with the eternal truths permeates New Age music…” Pat Prescott tells us, before jumping into an eclectic mix of Philip Glass, Ravi Shanker, Kitaro, and Yanni. Prepare your Pan Flutes, and ready yourself for New Age hour on Night Flight.

A bar mitsvah band director searches for a new singer.

A series of gruesome and gory horror shorts, including Alex Winter and Tom Stern's wacky "Aisles of Doom," and the hilarious zombie parody "Dawn of the Night of the Dead: The Musical."

Chel White's "minimalist vision of the post-industrial human condition, depicted in xerox cutout animation."

Where else on television could you find 1950s cult video segments like 'Space Cadet' followed by a pure Lynchian unknown filmmakers showcase into Kaiju Midnight Movie trailers? Blue Oyster Cult interviews back to back with Depeche Mode videos or Black Sabbath’s iconic Beat Club performance following The Belle Stars? Where on television could you be challenged, excited and inspired all at once? Night Flight of course!

Night Flight's video profile of one of the seminal bands of the 1980s, Manchester England's innovative New Order. Highlights include their music video for "Confusion" which contains scenes filmed inside legendary NYC nightclub 'The Funhouse' along with rare footage of revered dance music producer Arthur Baker at work in the studio.

Afro Beat: A look at Africa's music and politics. It's no secret that Rock and Roll is based on African Rythyms. Africa created tempo and 4/4 time, the basis for all our generation's popular dance music. Today, another sound is coming from Africa as the world turns to the political abuses on the continent. African-born musicians are crying out for their civil rights. Featuring preeminent pan-africanist Fela, Senegalese brothers Toure Kunda, Nigerian Juju music leader King Sunny Ade, South African Apartheid activists Juluka (with Johnny Clegg) and much more. This is Night Flight at it’s absolute finest: musical, cultural and historical.

This 1987 60 Minutes story features a rare in-depth interview with the pop superstar, as well as priceless footage from his legendary stage show.

Ryuichi Sakamoto's passing in 2023 has left an enormous void in the world of music, film, and beyond. Here at NF HQ, we were comforted by bittersweet arrival of a tape from the archives that includes Sakamoto's Man Ray inspired video for “Risky,” which features the inimitable croon of Iggy Pop. This "New Sounds" episode also highlights songs from ex-Go-Go's band House of Schock, The Smithereens, Pop Will Eat Itself, and more. Stick around for a New Filmmakers Showcase featuring a musical saga about a small-time hustler called Honky Tonk Bud (Scott Laster, 1986) the urban folk legend.

Welcome back to Night Flight. Tonight, we jump into the world of Slapstick Comedy. “Drawing on the theatrical tradition of Vaudeville, Slapstick Comedy is one of America’s most enduring traditions in cinema history,” syndication host Tom Juarez tells us. Its visual, it’s physical, and tonight we present collected the masters of the genre: Chaplin, W.C Fields, The Three Stooges, Jerry Lewis in drag and more.

"Welcome to Comedy Cuts, the most original comedy show on TV today starring Nancy Parker, Dennis Blair, Adrianne Tolsch, Night Flight brings you new sounds with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Human League, Level 42, Art of Noise and so much more.

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."

Sports! Tonight, we're kicking off with a 1988 “Take Off” to Sports Rock and Roll that is pure Original Night Flight. Almost every popular sport, from Basketball to Boxing get’s it’s ‘80s anthem in this 50 minute classic segment. You could say that Wrestling is over-represented in this episode, but that really all depends on how much you love or hate ‘80s wrestling. Here at Night Flight, based on our selection of specifically that genre, you could say we love it. A lot. With slam dunks like Dazz Band’s “Let It All Blow,” Pro Wrestling’s supremely weird “Land of 1000 Dances,” Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball,” Manfred Mann's Earth Band’s “Runner” and of course, the timely Chicago Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle," we really can't recommend this enough.

This special ‘90s syndication episode feature host Tom Juarez introducing multiple classic Night Flight segments. PAL Tape 2 features a survey of music from the ‘60s.

In Take Off To Self Destruction (1986), Night Flight focuses on some of the darker elements that defined the 1980s, looking at music that dealt with topics like drug abuse and crime. Featured songs like “Stop The Madness” and “Just Say No” convey a conflicted range of emotion when watched today. The videos are definitely humorous in their categorically ‘80s presentation but they also require a somber reflection of the ineffective and corrosive drug policies promoted by the Reagans. Along with artist interviews and PSA style interstitials (including a brilliant one from Frank Zappa), this episode features videos from Armband, Jazzy Jeff, Fine Young Cannibals and more. A closing video of David Bowie’s “Ashes To Ashes” for this segment proves that Night Flight was willing to take on uncomfortable topics like drug abuse and suicide with an elegance you couldn’t find anywhere else on TV at the time. That’s a fact.

This Night Flight segment from one of our early seasons ('81-83 era) features a 1955 episode of "Showtime at the Apollo," featuring an ensemble of African American performers live from the the landmark Apollo Theater in Harlem. The show is hosted by "Mayor of Harlem" Willie Bryant and features incredible performances from Bill Bailey, Ruth Brown ("Have a Good Time"), Cab Calloway and his Orchestra ("Minnie the Moocher"), Lionel Hampton ("Cobb's Idea"), Leonard Reed, "Big" Joe Turner ("Oke-She-Moka-She-Pop") and Sarah Vaughan ("Perfidio").

This Night Flight Original episode features a segment from the "Take Off" series on Politics and Progressive Rap. We also included extra special bonus feature on 'Movie Villains.'

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!

Welcome to tonight’s new original arrival: a 1988 special profile of The Traveling Wilbury’s. The a British–American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, gets the complete Night Flight treatment with a look at the groups signature songs and individual output from the 80s.

Something is missing from Gordon's life. Despite his colorful friendships and accomplishments Gordon has decided there's only one way out. Except... maybe not that way? Not that way, or that way, or that way either. In the end, maybe the way out is to give in. Created by Jessie Contour.

Night Flight is proud to present the 10 winners of our first Night Flight Music Video Film Festival, selected by Night Flight founder Stuart S. Shapiro. We are thrilled to see that music video creativity of independent directors and artists from unsigned acts is so vibrant and prolific. Congrats to director Tony Grayson, whose video "Wicked Wild" by The Metalliques was the Grand Prize winner chosen by the audience at Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn on December 13th, 2023.