Tonight, we "Take Off" to the Motown Sound, the most successful independent record label in the world. Former boxer and auto mobile assembly line worker, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown in 1959 and created the sound of young America with Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Little Stevie Wonder (pictured above), and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Gordy ran Motown like an assembly plant, churning out hits all through the 1960s, eventually making Motown the largest black-owned corporation in America. Unlike most music television programming, Night Flight went beyond genre when curating and tonight’s episode is one of our crown jewels!

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.

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!

This time capsule compilation from Night Flight creator Stuart Shapiro and Laurie Dolphin celebrates the work of 40 innovative media artists using Flash in the early 2000s. At the time, Flash animation was the heartbeat of a new generation of pop culture enthusiasts at the beginning of the Internet. Whether creating their own independent animated clips or working with some of the biggest names in the music world, such as Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Todd Rundgren, Dr Dre and Phish, these Flash artists used the medium's unique quality to make art that defined a pivotal internet era.

"Take Off To Animation" takes a colorful look at the use of animation in music video over the previous few years in styles ranging from experimental camera technique to 'Saturday morning cartoon'. Many of the videos compiled for this episode first became well-known due to their repeat exposure on Night Flight. Bona fide Night Flight classics here include Tom Tom Club's "Pleasure of Love", Randy Andy's "The People (Livin' in the USA)", Machinations: "Pressure Sway" & Will Powers: "Adventures In Success". 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 not-ready-for-MTV cult favorites. Original Air Date: 2-17-84

“They’re the flashiest bands in Rock ’n’ Roll” Pat Prescott says at the start of tonight’s new ‘Take Off’ arrival from the archives, “Musicians who express themselves as much through packaging as playing.” What follows is a high chroma, technicolor video mix featuring Fishbone’s “Modern Industry,” We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It!, Kid Creole and The Coconuta, and more.

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.

August, 1983. The reassuring voice of Pat Prescott is summoning you through the TV into an alternative dimension of wonder that is... Night Flight. “Def Leppard is still out on tour supporting the Pyromania album, and Night Flight has ALL the latest information.” Tonight's episode contains a lost Alan Vega video for “Video Babe,” a new “Video Artist” segment with analog experimenter Steve Sattler, Space Patrol and more. P.S. Make sure to check out the interactive component of the episode, where viewers could call toll-free numbers to vote on their favorite segments!

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."

1985's "Take Off" to street music featuring Chaka Khan, Grand Master Flash, Run DMC and more...

"One of the sturdiest trends in rock videos," Pat Prescott says, "is the use of 'high art' to elevate down and dirty Rock 'n' Roll." Tonight's original episode of Night Flight from the archives is a "Take off" to Art in Music Videos! The episode highlights art and music collaborations like New Order and William Wegman (and the dog supermodel Fay Ray), Grace Jones's cadre of counter-culture luminaries in "I'm Not Perfect," Warhol's video for The Car's "Hello Again," and Roberto Longo's for The Golden Palominos (feat. Michael Stipe).

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.”

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.

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.

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

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.

In 1965, as leader of the NY Band: The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed became Rock's first leather-clad social outcast. At the age of 20, Reed took violence, drugs, sadomasochism, and sang about them in a rock context creating music as painful as it was compelling. He set the stage for the punk revolution. Night Flight tells the story of Reed with music videos, live footage and amazingly candid interviews discussing his love for performance, writing and his unique approach to recording.

Night Flight finally makes it to Alt Rock this weekend in a new addition to our “Take Off” features. This 1994 showcase appeared in the twilight of Night Flight’s 90s syndication. The music videos and concert footage included (The Breeders, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Afghan Whigs, Rage Against the Machine, and more) is as accurate a snapshot of the era as one could ask for, but it’s still a bit uncanny to see the NF chyron next to quintessential 90s acts.

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").

Welcome to Night Flight's video profile of one of Rock's greatest vocalists and song stylists, Robert Plant and Night Flight goes to the movies with Arnie Action Thriller Red Heat, Bull Durham and more

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.

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

In this Night Flight original episode, Blues legend B.B. King is interviewed by Al Bandiero and discusses his origins as a disc jockey, the fiery incident that inspired his famous guitar's name, and why he tours so heavily. Also featuring a Joe Cocker performance from 1969.

Night Flight's independent filmmaker showcase featuring Ilene Segalove's "Why I Got Into TV and other stories," Daniel Reeves' "Thousands Watch," "Mirage" and a special directions in Jazz special, featuring members of Steely Dan's live band.

A classic "Take Off" episode highlighting European rock including videos from Peter Schilling, Nina Hagen, Scorpions and more.

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

A classic episode of Radio 1990 (from 1984) arrives on Night Flight Plus. Lisa Robinson interviews Mick Jagger, Kathryn Kinley looks at the Hot Sports Illustrated of the Year and music videos (then known as video music) from Elton John, Bob Seger and The Rolling Stones.

One of the most memorable episodes of Night Flight canon and the purest example of the original series' commitment to avant-garde music and experimental video. Stream the official Video Profile of musical groundbreaker trio, Art Of Noise: The low profile, high tech wiz’s of British music. A production trio with whose unique sonic approach defined the advent of sampling and whose background sounds enhanced the megahits of Yes, Pet Shop Boys and Kate Bush. Featuring an incredible lost interview with Art of Noise founders J. J. Jeczalik and Anne Dudley and a suite of the groups iconic music videos including those by Zbigniew Rybczyński, Anton Corbijn and more. (Yes, we’ve got both versions of “Close (To The Edit)”).

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.

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

TV 2000 is Night Flight's spin on the top ten countdown format from 1985, hosted by comedian John Kassir & Joie Gallo. In Episode 2 of TV 2000, Bryan Adams takes us to heaven, the Eurythmics ask: "Would I lie to you?" and Lisa Robinson goes on location with Boy George and Marilyn at the "hottest new club in New York," Palladium! Commercials are included.

Night Flight covers the origins and politics of reggae music, featuring interviews and performances from artists such as Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley. English musicians influenced by reggae such as UB40 and The Police are also featured.

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.

"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.

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.