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.

"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. 

A lo-fi gore epic directed by actor and cinematographer Bill Hinzman, star zombie in the classic Night of the Living Dead, FleshEater is a fitting tribute to Romero’s masterpiece that updates the setting to the late 1980s while piling on the gut munching, throat ripping, and limb tearing action! While assisting on a dig, a construction worker accidentally destroys the final resting place of a demonic zombie, rousting him from his unholy slumber, and reigniting his taste for human flesh.

In this excellent Flash Tracks episode from June, 1987 Night Flight covers Women in Rock including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Yazoo's Alison Moyet and Suzanne Vega. Born Susan Janet Ballion in a London suburb, Siouxsie Sioux cut her musical teeth on rock legends the Sex Pistols and David Bowie. Siouxsie Sioux brought unrestrained fashion and rock together, (what Night Flight's Pat Prescott calls a modern day "Mata Hari") with a style imitated all over England. Performing since 1976, Siouxsie and the Banshees unique sound smacks of their fascination of the bizarre. 

“I don't need the Daytime, all I want is Nighttime.” Take off to the creation of Heaven 17’s music video for “Let Me Go” in this Night Flight special that goes on set (a closed-off train station in the middle of the night) and behind the scenes with the band. This early Night Flight Video Profile (1983) shows off an impressive suite of big budget music videos from ex-Human League synth rockers including “Penthouse and Pavement” and the German Expressionism-themed video for “Temptation.”

Tonight we head to Ventura, California 1987 for Night Flight’s special segment on a Motorcycle Rodeo. Like a Heavy Metal Parking Lot for the great American Biker community, this feature takes an intimate look at the customs of the leather clad, bearded, booted men of the Highway. Featuring such events as the Slow Race, Motorcycle Tug Of War, Keg Derby, and the couples competition Weenie Bite, (which features a mustard slathered Hot-Dog that you’ll just have to watch for yourself to truly understand) tonight’s episode gets you all need to know about “the modern day cowboys of the American Highway!” Stick around after the Easyriders motorcycle mayhem for a vintage episode of "Night Flight Goes to the Movies," where we featured clips from Hollywood movies released in 1988: "License to Drive," "Dudes" (featuring a young Jon Cryer!), "Arthur 2: On the Rocks," "Wall Street," and "Siesta." "And now the Summer of Love returns" Pat Prescott tells viewers next, "with this week's home video pick, 'Monterey Pop,' the concert that captured the dawning of counterculture rock, and one of the greatest gatherings of pop heroes of all time." Highlights from the Monterey Pop Festival include the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Who. After that, Night Flight talks to Full Force, Brookyln's family of fresh funk artists, and viewers get an up close 'n' personal look at Full Force's collaboration with the great James Brown ("I'm Real"). How's that for a tank-full of rollickin' good Night Flight fun?

Night Flight goes down under for an early Australian cultural invasion circa 1983. We looks at the land of Oz for deep cuts from Olivia Newton John, Brisbane natives the Bee Gee's, INXS, Jo Jo Zep, Mental As Anything and of course, how could we miss General Hospital's Rick Springfield. Bonus: check out the short section on Australian Film!

Kicking off with Lisa Robinson's inside scoop on Debbie Harry's 1983 Broadway debut, this April 12th, 1983 is definitive Radio 1990.  Tracks from Culture Club, Gary Numan, and a flashback to Ike and Tina Turner's epic performance of Honky Tonk Woman on BeatClub, soundtrack this excellent episode.

Emmy-winning director Stephen Hopkins navigates this harrowing journey of four suburban men into the nightmarish neighborhood of Chicago's crime-infested underworld. When four young men take a wrong turn, they witness a murder. Now, the killers cannot let them live... With a powerhouse cast including Young Guns' Emilio Estevez, Oscar winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., a maniacal Denis Leary, and Blade's Stephen Dorff, this edge-of-your-seat thriller takes viewers on a life and death road-trip into terror.

“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!

A man in the desert encounters a soda fountain.

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.'

Join us as Night Flight "Takes Off" to the Sounds of South, from the Bayou and beyond. A mix of country music, blues and old time religion: the sounds that define the south are echoed in many of Rock’s key pioneers. Tonight, Night Flight takes this geographic prompt to explore a broad range of ‘80s acts that carried the torch and established a sound inspired by southern roots, including: Jason and the Scorchers, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special and more. 

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!

Welcome to Night Flight’s video profile of the clown princes of Glam Slam Metal Rock: Poison. Pat Prescott explains how the Brett Michaels fronted outfit went from an LA club scene staple to platinum recording artist. Featuring interviews with drummer Rikki Rockett, guitarist CC DeVille, and all the POISON music you need!

In a tense but illuminating interview in 1988, George Michael opines on sex, his image, and pop stardom.

Salvador Dali, Bob Dylan, The Velvet Underground and other denizens of Andy Warhol’s netherworld make an appearance in this long-lost footage from the Factory for Nico's "Frozen Warnings." Featuring the gorgeous, droning arrangements of John Cale's pipe organ, and the otherworldly voice of Warhol’s muse, this The Marble Index deep cut is a perfect backdrop to some of the best looking footage of The Factory you can find.  “Somewhere along the line, punk and disco got all mixed up in the pulsating metal machine music of Industrial sounds.” Hell yeah, Pat Prescott. Sign us up. For Night Flight’s industrial dance mega-mix, our editors creatively synced footage of ‘60s Go-Go Dancers with crackin’ edits from Meatbeat Manifesto, Renegade Soundwave, KLF and 9 Inch Nails [sic].

Episode 287. An episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring Duran Duran, Paul Simon, The Pretenders and more.

This special ‘90s syndication episodes feature host Tom Juarez introducing multiple classic Night Flight segments. PAL Tape 1 takes on Van Halen and KISS.

Visions was an original series of 'Yesterday and Today' type music video features covering Sting, Beach Boys, Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and David Bowie/Mick Jagger. Hidden David Lynch interview inside as well!

Tonight’s original Night Flight episode is Video Profile of The The, featuring the broadcast premiere of the band's video-album, Infected. Matt Johnson’s 1986 music video opus, described by host Pat Prescott as a “hard-hitting musical statement shot around the globe,” features the work of directors Tim Pope (The Cure), Peter Christopherson (Coil), Mark Romanek (Michael Jackson's "Scream") and many more. “Infected” is our anthem in these unreasonable times right now.

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!

A criminal duo commits bizarre, lemon-based crimes.

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.

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.

“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!

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.

Classic Night Flight profile of avant-garde experimentalist Laurie Anderson. Featuring an incredibly candid interview with Anderson about her background and work.

Night Flight transports you to the wacky world of celebrity rap singles, featuring bars from such hip hop luminaries as Mel Brooks, Rodney Dangerfield, the Chicago Bears and Mr. T. Don’t miss Night Flight's wild ride through this uniquely '80s genre phenomenon!

Episode 284. An original episode of Radio 1990 from 1984 featuring Girlschool, Hotsox Fashion, and Billy Joel (it was his birthday!)

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.

A 1932 Rudy Vallee short is remixed for Night Flight audiences.

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.

A young girl develops telekinesis.

What begins as backstage banter and a photoshoot turns into a fun interview packed with Scorpions lore in this new Night Flight Short Cut. The band goes celebrating Rudolph's birthday to a candid recollection of playing Roger Waters’ The Wall concert in a newly unified Berlin, originally shot for Stuart S. Shapiro’s MetalHead Magazine.

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.

An abstract alien abduction.

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.

Fernando Perdomo born Fernando Jose Perdomo on August 17, 1980, is an American musician and producer. He is best known as one of the guitarists in the acclaimed music documentary, Echo in the Canyon, where he backed up Jakob Dylan, Fiona Apple, Beck. Nora Jones, Regina Spektor, Brian Wilson and Cat Power. He is currently a member of The Dave Kerzner Band, the highly regarded progressive rock ensemble that performs annually on the sold-out Cruise to the Edge. It was aboard a floating city in the middle of the Caribbean where I first encountered Fernando. He was laying down some mind-blowing riffs on the windy outdoor pool stage. I approached him after the set wearing a rare Kate Bush “Cloudbusting” shirt. “That’s the best Kate tee I’ve ever seen!” he shouted. “You and I are gonna be friends.” The session here was conducted in his cabin on the 2025 CTTE where he lent his formidable chops to three different groups.

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.

One of the more popular animated short films that aired during Night Flight’s '80s heyday was Wes Archer’s cult fave Jac Mac & Rad Boy, Go!, a wonderfully frenetic cartoon about two party-bound teens who inadvertently destroy a city on their way to hell, which Archer admits he may have also been inspired by his own wayward youth in Houston, Texas. Note: Wes went on to have an amazing career in animation and is currently the supervising director on Rick and Morty.

Ann Magnuson's performance art video piece in character as "Fallopia," the latest in a line of sexy Prince protégés — which she describes as "a classroom lesson in "How to Become a New Wave Video Slut"-- was produced exclusively for Night Flight in the 1980s, and you can now watch it in its entirety in this episode from 1986. "My rise to the top was pretty much standard stuff, same as everyone else's. First there was the live sex acts, then the stag parties, then the sleazy piano bars and conventions, then "Star Search." And then after, gosh, I don't know how many 'dates' with record company executives, I was signed to a major label, and my own rock video, and today I'm one of the BIGGEST New Wave Sluts in the industry!!"

“If we combine the modern new wave elements with the old, beautiful melodies, that might be an intriguing mixture,” says Taco discussing his hit cover of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in this exclusive Night Flight interview. Later on in this brand new Night Flight Short Cut, Falco talks about translating rap music influences into his German-language hits.

Pat Prescott let's us know its "party time in the sun, with food, sand, women and water." Night Flight Take's off to Summer Fun is an eclectic mix of classic Night Flight Zannies, summer-centric music videos and a Mr. Bill segment tucked inside. Dive in!