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I really had a lot of hope for the new SciFi Channel series "Flash Gordon," that premieres Friday at 9 p.m. ET. I mean, they had a great comic book premise to build on, some great-looking actors, including Eric Johnson and Gina Holden, and a neat remake of the show's logo.

But when fans tune in to see the first episode of the new series this week, they may instead be reaching for their DVD copy of the 1980 movie.

It's not that "Flash Gordon" is terrible. I mean, nothing can be worse than "Painkiller Jane" -- or as they call it in my house "Painful Jane" -- but the new "Flash Gordon" seems to be more comparable to the many B-movies SciFi Channel produces than some of the network's better series, like "Farscape" and "Battlestar Galactica."

I really can't put my finger on what might have caused SciFi to stumble so badly in a remake from a network and production company known for good remakes like BSG and NBC's upcoming "Bionic Woman." I want to say that the producers just tried too hard, and in the process missed their mark. Instead, however, it may be that the producers didn't try hard enough, and instead of bringing viewers a smart remake, they simply delivered "Cleopatra 2525."

Last June, SciFi Channel gave myself and other online journalists a tour of the "Flash Gordon" sets south of Vancouver, B.C., near the American border. I had some high expectations since the day before we were given a look of the massive and intricate sets of shows like "Eureka," "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate: Atlantis." But when the bus finally arrived at the former horse stables that serves as the home of Mongo and other locales for "Flash Gordon," I know I for one was sorely disappointed. While it seemed that the crew was working hard getting the look down, there was really nothing to write home about in the look. It was kind of bland, it lacked character ... it just was missing everything that we saw in the sets of the other shows.

I can tell that the actors are real excited about the show, and it meant a lot that they all showed up for the panel with reporters when we got a smattering of actors from the other shows (with the lone exception of "Eureka.") And Johnson definitely looks like he would be Flash Gordon, a marathon runner who somehow gets sucked into an alternate universe led by the evil Emperor Ming, played by the stale John Ralston. But either Johnson doesn't understand who Flash Gordon is, or his casting was more about looks. Ming, of course, is always in control, especially on Mongo. And this time, he's controlling the water -- the lifeblood of any civilization.

Gordon, travels to Mongo because he believes his dead father may not be so dead after all, and in fact trapped in the alternate universe. He meets up with Dr. Hans Zarkov, a highlight of the first episode played by Jody Racicot in a fascinating new take on the original comic book character that worked with Gordon's father in creating the doorways to the alternate universe.

They say that good science-fiction is science-fiction that is borrowed from others. Unfortunately for "Flash Gordon," they borrow a little too much. Karen Cliche plays Baylin, a bounty hunter from Mongo who has no idea what life is like on this side of the wormhole, so her discovering it becomes a comical part of the show. Too bad it's already been done about a thousand times including Lt. Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Claudia Black's character of Vala in "Stargate SG-1."

Dale Arden just doesn't work as a television reporter (what kind of journalist works the way Arden is in this series? Doing stories on her ex-boyfriend? Covering a small marathon where only a dozen people showed up?). Holden as an actress is not convincing as a television journalist, and she is not really given the best lines.

It's hard to judge a series by its pilot episode, but "Flash Gordon" already has an uphill battle because fans are going to judge it by its name. Blowing away the fans in the pilot, a la "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or even "Battlestar Galactica," is almost essential in this case. But in the end, I don't think even the name is going to save this series. It might be good for mindless fun, but that's about it. It's life may not last past "The Dresden Files."

"Flash Gordon" stars Eric Johnson, Gina Holden, Jody Racicot and John Ralston. It is being produced by Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. The pilot episode was written by Peter Hume and directed by Nick Rosenthal.

"Flash Gordon" premieres Friday at 9 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

Michael Hinman is the site coordinator of Airlock Alpha, writing out of Tampa, Fla. He can be reached at mhinman@airlockalpha.com.

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