Must-Watch Original Night Flight

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.

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

“It’s a quiet storm…” Nigerian-born fashion designer turned singer Sade is the subject of tonight’s Video Profile. Pat Prescott starts us off with an introduction to the “smooth and sexy high priestess of soul,” before jumping into a Sade mega-mix cut with exclusive interviews with the artist from the Night Flight studio (originally filmed in 1985). In her interview segment, Sade talks about her record Diamond Life and finally provide...Read More

“In 1977, the Sex Pistol’s Johnny Rotten was the most famous man in Rock 'n' Roll…” Pat Prescott tells us, “then he went to work on Public Image Ltd… a group that called everything to question.” A cadre of PiL’s music videos and candid interview segments with Lydon are the backbone of this epic episode. Let John's disdain for music industry and all it’s hypocrisy, bureaucracy and bullshit be your guide to this episode of CLASSIC NIG...Read More

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 Orig...Read More

An unfamiliar voice welcomes us to the proceedings in this Night Flight Original episode: “Tonight, we introduce you to the men behind the masks with an exclusive interview as well as concert films from their Inner Sanctum and Japanese tours.” By now, you must know this voice is NOT regular host Pat Prescott and the band he IS talking about is Kiss. Put it all this together, and you realize this is one of the early uncut lost episodes...Read More

Your perfect Oscar weekend companion has arrived... 35 years late. Tonight's Night Flight Original Episode is a preview for the 1985's Award's show! Ray Parker Jr. tells us about writing the Ghostbuster's theme, master filmmaker David Lean discusses Passage to India, up for Best Picture (lost to Amadeus) and much more.

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

Just in time for awards season, we're sharing Night Flight's "Take Off" special featuring video profiles on the 1986 Academy Awards acting and music nominees.

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 histor...Read More

"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)",...Read 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. Part two features a lost Doors documentary, interview with members of Journey, rare Cat Stevens performance and clips from Rock & Rule.

Hosted by Judy Tenuta, Night Flight's 6th Anniversary special from 1987 relives some of the best segments from Night Flight's history including moments from Mr. Bill, J-Men, Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps, Tunnel Vision, and more. Make sure to stick around for a classic Tenuta accordion set to close out the evening!

Tonight, we bring you another episode of "The Video Artist," an original Night Flight segment exploring the work of pioneers in New Media art. This episode highlights the self-proclaimed "TV Artist" Kit Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald creates abstract expressionist video collages featuring impossible landscapes and non-linear time. In an interview with Night Flight, Fitzgerald explains that her work "derives from Duchamp, the idea of artwork b...Read More

In 1985, SPIN Magazine asked Bob Dylan "What movies do you wish you'd been in?" One of his answers was "I Was a Zombie For the F.B.I," which had aired for the first time on cable TV on "Night Flight" earlier that same year (it was originally offered up with "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" for a cult double-feature). "I Was A Zombie For the F.B.I." is low-budget, black & white sci-fi/serial/adventure film, recreating the early 1950s...Read More

Night Flight’s 1985 “Take Off” to Animation Vol. 4 is a perfect mid-decade snapshot of the remarkable evolution of technology and creativity in animation happening in the 1980s. Featuring super-group The Power Station's composited cutout acid trip for their T-Rex cover, Machinations rotoscoped “Pressure Sway” (above), Steve Miller’s early 3D animation effort “Bongo Bongo," and even some interview segments with animators working on ...Read More

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!

Tonight, we look at the progenitors of the music video genre. Night Flight was born at bleeding edge of the music video era, and tonight's exhibit of gorgeously preserved early adopters shows it. Within you'll find slices of video brilliance from some of the pioneers of the genre including Michael Nesmith (whose "Rio" kicked off the music video art form), Devo, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren.

Welcome aboard Night Flight's 20 years of Rock 'n Roll style! Tonight we take a look at the Metal Pretty Boys with videos and Pat Prescott commentary covering Poison, Motley Crue, Britny Fox, Winger, Bon Jovi and the band that started it all: Kiss.

Night Flight looks at the roots of Irish rock 'n' roll tonight in this original “Take Off” special from the mid-1980s. With Bodhrán, Fiddles, Uilleann pipes and Irish Harps in hand, we kick off with the Chieftans' "Irish Anthem" before looking at the Ireland’s strong music tradition. Dating back to Celtic culture, when poets were elevated to the status of aristocrats, we take a closer look at the island that produced '80s era acts lik...Read More

Good evening high-flying fans, and welcome to Night Flight. Tonight, we share another edition of our distinguished Video Profile series with Van Halen. Wherever you stand on Sammy Hagar v. Diamond Dave, you’ll love tonight’s special episode, with videos and concert footage from both. The group's winning combination of charismatic frontmen, Eddie’s phenomenal guitar playing and insanely epic live shows made them an essential act of the...Read More

"All my life growing up as a kid, I either wanted to be in a Rock band or a baseball player," Johnny Ramone tells us from the dugout of tonight’s special episode on the Ramones. If Rock is a religion, then the Ramones are the high priests of Punk, and in this treasure from the archive, Night Flight provides an in-depth profile of the band with video excerpts from the Ramones' cover of the Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today," plus...Read More

Tonight, we return to 1994 for a Night Flight syndication episode covering the rise of iconic synth band Depeche Mode. "Of all the synthesizer bands that rose in the 1980s, one band has enjoyed repeated success in both their music and popularity while still retaining their unique sound and style." Syndication Host Tom Juarez tells us. This is another wonderful entry into the Night Flight episodes that feature commercials. Check it out!

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 the Best New Sounds of 1986 on Night Flight! In ’86, England’s unabashed Sigue Sigue Sputnik went Snap Crack and Fizzle, Simply Red cemented “red-haired soul,” The Cure firmly establish neo-gothic rock and Pete Burns of Dead or Alive became every dance fan’s brand new lover. What a year. Inquire within to relive the best in sound from a knockout year.

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!

Kicking off with a rock and soul temptress Tina Turner, host Pat Prescott presents an eclectic selection of female trailblazers and provocateurs including Wendy O. Williams, Patty Smyth's Scandal, Sheena Easton, Sheila E. and more tonight. "Take Off" to Women In Rock explores the pop-rock voices that left us with some of the best music of the 1980s in their wake. Strut!

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.

Welcome back to Night Flight. Tonight we celebrate the incredible life and career of Aretha Franklin with our 1987 Video Profile of the legendary artist. "She was the daughter of a preacher and by the late 60's the undisputed Queen of Soul" - Pat Prescott. With over a dozen million-selling albums, Aretha forever fused the passion of Gospel, the sensuality of R&B, and the precision of Pop. Tonight's episode is an incredible survey of ...Read More

“They said Rock n Roll would never last… They said it was a fad.” Tonight, we’re going to spend time with some alleged geezers who’ve stood the test and made a lot of kids look pretty limp by comparison. We're talking about the 1980s iterations of Rock 'n' Roll legends like George Harrison, Mick Jagger (in an incredibly bizarre video for "Let's Work"), Robert Plant, Robbie Robertson and Pink Floyd.

Tonight, we go back to 1988 to Take Off to Futurism in Music Videos. "The future is upon us, with Robots, Computers and new technologies" Pat Prescott informs us at the top of tonight's episode. Kicking off with Bonnie Tyler scored supercut of Fritz Lang's Metropolis this episode shows a multitude of visions of the future through music. Re-flex is "Hurt," the Earons explore "The Land of Hunger," Tangerine Dream's Peter Baumann signs o...Read More

"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 fi...Read More

Tucked away inside this 1990s Syndication episode is Night Flight's "Take Off" to Reggae. Night Flight has always been proud of exposing our audience to Reggae music early on by being one of the first music shows to put the genre's music videos into heavy rotation. Tonight's "Take Off" episode is a perfect example of this. Featuring interviews and music with Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Third World, and Bob and Ziggy Marley, this classic ...Read More

Night Flight's 1988 "Poets of Rock" special is a celebration of some of the greatest songwriters of the era. "Rock and Roll lyrics are the poetry of the masses" Pat Prescott tells us, before giving us a brief history lesson in rock lyricism that includes Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Lennon. Then we move into the 80s with a look and listen to the lyrics Patti Smith, Tracy Chapman, 10,000 Maniacs and more.

"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...Read More

Tonight we salute the overworked and underpaid women who made it all possible, our Mothers! We bring you two hours of original Night Flight in the form of a 1991 Mother’s Day Weekend Special. This episode joins our “As Aired,” section, which means the commercials are Intact. (And WOW are there a lot of late night call in commercials!). Anyone who watched Night Flight in the 90s know that the syndication episodes took on an almost ...Read More

"1983 was the year music video and music television revolutionized the way America listened to and looked at Pop Music." Need a refresher course on the world of pop culture in 83? Look no further than Night Flight's 1983 Playback episode, original air date 11/14/83. The episode is a perfect survey of the best music, fashion and films of the year featuring Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol, Prince, Donna Summer. Playback '83 shows you the exp...Read More

“Their music was devil’s music: high decibel, tortured, frenzied songs about Death, Destruction and Black Magic.” Welcome to Night Flight’s 1984 Take Off to Heavy Metal History with a look at metal forgers Black Sabbath. We go back to the 1970s for classic Sabbath, trace the development of Ozzy Osbourne and Ronny James Dio from their days as Black Sabbath’s lead singers to their solo careers in the mid 80s as “Rock’s Top MadMen.” We’v...Read 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...Read More

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...Read More

One of Night Flight's most revered segments returns on Night Flight Plus this weekend. This episode of The Video Artist follows Stephen Beck, who creates abstract analog visuals with his direct video synthesizer. Beck was an inventor, video artist and writer who was a pioneer in the video synthesis medium. "My interest is using the video synthesizer as a compositional tool," he says as he walks Night Flight through his process. His ha...Read More

For this short film series, we have “Double Exposure” a true hidden gem that aired on Night Flight in 1986. Starting with scenes of industrial Chicago, this short film takes you into a suburban household where a wayward artist-types stop in at home for family dinner. Later on in the evening the nervous suburban awkwardness explodes into pure energy (a la Pere Ubu) in a raucous club show at the end of the film that feels like a pretty ...Read More

A selection of innovative, landmark 1980s music videos from Devo, Tony Powers, Will Powers, Elvis Costello, Grace Jones, Chaka Khan, Peter Wolf & David Lee Roth.