TVXOHOF, CHRISTMAS 2019 - FLASH THE FIRST

Every year, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame inducts a new member into the Hall.  Usually it’s some TV character who has a connection to the “Reason for the Season”….

Even if it’s a bit of a stretch.

But this year?  No problem!  We’re inducting the guy in the red suit….

BARRY ALLEN

“THE FLASH”

Oh.  You thought it was going to be Santa Claus?  Well as it stands now, there are three Santas in the Hall already:

• Santa Claus of Earth Prime-Time (as played by Charles Durning)
• Santa Claus of the Evil Mirror Universe (as played by Art Carney)
• Santa Claus of the “Puppetoobworld” (as personified by Santa Claus from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”)
• Plus Mrs. Claus of Earth Prime-Time.

So it’s time to share the wealth!

Originally the plan was to induct the current Flash, the Barry Allen of the so-called Earth-1 (as played by Grant Gustin in the current incarnation of ‘The Flash’.)  But that was before the mega-crossover, “Crisis On Infinite Earths”; before John Wesley Shipp bolstered his tally with appearances on ‘Arrow’ and ‘Supergirl’.

And that was before the events of the first “half” of the “Crisis” crossover made it necessary for us to honor Mr. Shipp’’s contribution to the DC segment of the TV Universe.

From Wikipedia:
He played the lead Barry Allen on CBS's superhero series ‘The Flash’ from 1990 to 1991.    

He portrays both Barry Allen's father, Henry Allen, Jay Garrick/Flash and Earth-90 Barry Allen/Flash on the current ‘The Flash’ series on The CW network.  

‘The Flash’ is an American television series developed by the writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo that aired on CBS from September 20, 1990 to May 18, 1991. It is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. The Flash starred John Wesley Shipp as Allen, along with Amanda Pays, and Alex Désert.  

The 2014 television series, ‘The Flash’, features several references to the 1990 series. John Wesley Shipp plays the recurring role of Barry Allen's father, Henry Allen, and Amanda Pays once again portrays a character named Dr. Tina McGee.

Shipp eventually portrays the Earth-3 version of Henry Allen, Jay Garrick / Flash. Regarding the difference in his portrayal of Garrick over Allen, Shipp "figured Jay is my version of Barry" from the 1990 series, adding, "I went back and I watched a couple of episodes of the 1990/91 version to kind of remind myself what I did. [Jay] is much more reminiscent of my Barry Allen from 25 years ago than my Henry Allen. I went back and I was amazed how much attitude my Barry Allen had in some situations. I went back and I picked up that thread and I brought it forward 25 years, and tried to weave it in."

In "Welcome to Earth-2", as Barry, Cisco and Wells are traveling to Earth-2, glimpses of the multiverse are seen, including an image of Shipp as the Flash from the 1990 series, implying that the series was retroactively being added to the Arrowverse-multiverse.

Shipp reprises his role as Barry Allen from this series in the 2018 Arrowverse crossover, "Elseworlds". The crossover also links the 1990 series to the Arrowverse, designating its world as Earth-90. The character reappears in the next year's crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", having been captured by the Anti-Monitor and used to power his anti-matter cannon to destroy the multiverse.

He ultimately sacrifices himself to destroy the machine, seeing his life with Tina (whom he had married at some point) flash before his eyes in the form of a clip from the original series, ending it properly with The Flash's sacrifice.  After the filming of the scene, John Wesley Shipp told ‘The Flash’ show-runner Eric Wallace, ‘Thank you for giving me this opportunity to close a chapter.'
Here are the series which add up to qualify him for membership in the TVXOHOF:

The Flash
Barry Allen / The Flash / Pollux
22 episodes

The Flash
Henry Allen / Jay Garrick / The Flash /
23 episodes

Supergirl
- Bunker Hill (2018)
... The Flash (uncredited)

Arrow
- Unmasked (2018)
... The Flash (uncredited)
- Elseworlds, Part 2 (2018)
... Earth-90 Barry Allen / The Flash

This post is also serving as my latest rumination, my O’Bservation, on “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.  As such I should point out that just as was the case with Dick Grayson of Earth-66, Barry Allen of Earth-2 is merely the doppelganger of his incarnation on Earth Prime-Time.

No matter what happens in the “Crisis” crossover by its end, DC and the CW have no control over the main Toobworld.  It will still exist, as will other alternate Toobworlds – not just the Evil Mirror Toobworld, Skitlandia, and the several Comix Toobworlds, but also Disaster Toobworld, Zombie Toobworld (Nosferatoob), and Black Toobworld, among many others.

So that first Flash - as played by John Wesley Shipp - will still exist.

But in the meantime, we’re taking this opportunity to honor the doppelganger of the first Barry Allen to appear in the greater Toobworld Telemosaic.

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Allen.