The premiere of FlashForward may not have been as mythology-laden as some where expecting, but it did raise some burning questions. We thought it would be a good idea to compile 7 of our most pressing questions from 1.01 No More Good Days, so that we can track them throughout the rest of the season to see when they get answered.

1. Why didn’t Dimitri see his future?

Does his lack of a flash forward mean that he won’t be alive come April 29th? If so, is there a way to change the future to guarantee personal survival?

How can this be achieved, and at what price for others?

2. Why..or rather, HOW did Dimitri and Mark get split up during the GBO?

They were in the car together before the GBO, and yet they wake up a fair distance away from one another after the GBO.

What caused them to seperate and why didn’t either of them question it?

Is Dimitri in on some kind of conspiracy – was he expecting the GBO?

3. What’s with the kids?

Was it just me, or did the the kids come across as being very mystical? The Benford’s girl gave us our episode title when she warned that there’d be ‘no more good days’ – a childlike interpretation of a bleak future? Whilst Lloyd Simcoe’s kid knew Olivia’s name even though they had never met – an indication that he saw her in his flash forward.

So again, what’s with the kids?

4. Is the GBO man-made or some thing above us all?

What can we read into the flash forward? Was it triggered, rooted in our DNA or could it have been a mistake..a one-off event? Did the flash forward come about to help us, or to serve as a warning?

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcu9ZKxRqyw

5. Why didn’t everyone blackout?

7 Billion people on the earth and yet not everyone lost consciousness during the global blackout, as revealed right at the end of the episode. Who is the man the Internet is calling “suspect zero”? Why did he not blackout? Did he know the GBO was coming? Are there others like him?

Whose flashes of the future are the most important? With 7 billion people on the planet, are some of these people just pawns for a higher order?

6. Who are the sides at play?

We know that Mosaic are the investigative team trying to piece together the flash forwards, but we also have hints at individuals or organizations with vested interests in the GBO. What are their objectives, and are they for working for the greater good or the greater evil?

7. What’s up with the Kangaroo?

The camera held on Skippy for far too long for it to have been a random occurrence. I’m expecting the Kangaroo to be an overarching part of the mythology, but what does it mean?

If you have any possible theories or ideas relating to these questions, or others that we have not covered above, feel free to let us know in the comments.

Welcome to the FFB review of the FlashForward season 1 premiere – No More Good Days.

Below the jump we get right to the heart of the matter by looking at the good and the bad from the season opener.

The Good

• The season opener did a good job at introducing us to the characters – we got some good insight into their weaknesses, flaws, ambitions and strengths all in the space on 40-odd minutes. With such a big ensemble I feel it was important that FlashForward gave us access to interesting characters that we could become invested in – so far it looks promising.
• It’s funny – FlashForward actually used a flashback, of sorts, to inform us of where the characters were prior to the immediate aftermath of the Global Blackout. Showing us this small glimpse prior to the event was an unexpected but welcome device. I liked that the episode didn’t take forever to get to the meat of the story but took the time to show us where the character’s were before their life-changing flashes.
• Mark receiving the friendship bracelet from his kid. A nice moment in itself, but I particularly liked that the first piece of Mark’s flash forward fell into place by the end of the episode. He was powerless to stop it and in that moment he realised that by fighting the future, you might well be playing into its hands.

The Bad

• The reaction to the GBO wasn’t always as believable as it could have been. 5 hours after the event people were at home going about their business. I would have expected much more panic and..something!
• The slow-motion running through the city. That really took me out of the episode – it was unnecessary and raised the ‘cheese-factor’ up a notch.
• Teething problems. The episode wasn’t as slick as it could have been. Some of the dialogue and sequences were laboured. It felt like a ‘pilot’, which it obviously is. This isn’t a criticism, as such, more a observation of where the show struggled. I’m more than prepared to give FlashForward at least 6-10 episodes to address some of these early issues.

Overall Impressions

A solid start. I am actually quite relieved at how much I enjoyed the episode because it feels like I’ve been following this show forever. So I needed it to vindicate my decision to start this blog.

I don’t quite think it had to edge of the Fringe season 1 premiere, and it was certainly no-where near the L O S T pilot, but FlashForward gave me reason to feel confident for its long-term development. I’m looking forward to the show settling down into a rhythm and exploring the mythology behind the GBO. I am also keen to see Dominic Monaghan’s character – for some inexplicable reason I see him being a bit of a Derren Brown type, but you get the impression that ‘Simon’ will be someone worth keeping an eye on. I’m still wondering why they depicted him like this in the promotional photos!

Best Moment: The cliff-hanger revealing that at least one person didn’t blackout.

Best Performer: Sonya Walger

Episode Rating: 7.5/10

Check back on Monday as we look through our burning questions from No More Good Days!

FlashForward got off to a great start with over 12.4 million viewers tuning in to watch No More Good Days.

ABC’s series debut of FlashForward won the 8 o’clock hour in viewers and young adults, beating out CBS’ time-period veteran Survivor: Samoa by 11% in Adults 18-49.  FlashForward gained viewers and young adult audience throughout its telecast.

Despite its early time period, FlashForward was the #2 TV show of the night in AD18-49, topping both CSI and The Mentalist, and behind only Grey’s Anatomy.

In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, FlashForward registered as the biggest drama premiere on any network in the 8 o’clock hour since January 2008 – since Fox’s debut of Sarah Conner Chronicles on 1/13/08, which had the enormous advantage of airing after an ultra-high-rated NFL playoff game on that night (Cowboys-NY Giants).

The season premiere of FlashForward gave us an intriguing platform for the future of the series. Below, I share my initial thoughts of the season opener with the 5 Things I Learned from “No More Good Days”.

1. FlashForward will have overarching clues, lots of them. The season premiere not only gave us a glimpse into the futures of our characters, but also into the mechanics of the series going forward. Clues will be scattered in most, if not all, of the episodes, allowing eagle-eyed viewers the chance to dig deeper into the mythology of the show.

Some of the clues, nods and eastereggs I caught were: “blue hand”, mosaic (the investigation piecing together the global flash forwards), Red Panda Resources, “137 Sekunden” (also the title for episode 3 of season 1), April 29th (the day of the global flash forwards), 3 star tattoo and reference to a D. Gibbons. More on these later.

2. The premiere was very drama-orientated – even the flash forwards seemed rooted in the ‘real-world’ with a greater degree of realism than I had anticipated. But the flash forward ‘swoosh’ and visual effect, underlined the science-fiction element that the show will play with.

3. Some of the characters are afraid that their futures will happen, while others are afraid theirs wont. For me, this begs the question of how far people will go to make sure that their version future comes true and what impact this will have on the rest of the world. This could create a degree of conflict amid the ‘global togetherness’ that was on the surface of “No More Good Days”.

4. Not everyone blacked-out. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the premiere came in those closing seconds when we discover that at least one person (probably more) didn’t black out. From the CCTV footage he appeared to be expecting the blackout. This was a nice hook into conspiracy/mystery underbelly of FlashForward, and I for one hope they run with this.

5. A shadowy organization is behind it all. Sure, the origin of the ‘GBO’ may be spiritual, scientific or nature-based, but the clues dropped in the premiere indicate that a group are responsible in some way – perhaps with a view to “make a better tomorrow”. Just putting that out there.

So the season premiere of FlashForward has come and gone. But what did you think of 1.01 “No More Good Days”. Feel free to cast your vote in our episode poll:

Synopsis:

EVERYONE ON EARTH BLACKS OUT FOR TWO MINUTES AND SEVENTEEN SECONDS AND SEES A GLIMPSE OF THEIR FUTURE, BUT THEY MUST DECIDE IF THEY WILL ACCEPT THEIR DESTINY OR DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO CHANGE IT, ON THE PREMIERE OF ABC’S “FLASHFORWARD”.

What would you do if you were given a glimpse of the future? Would you accept what you saw and live life to its fullest, or would you do everything in your power to change your destiny? When the world’s population is given a glimpse of their future, it forces everyone to come to grips with whether their destinies can be fulfilled or avoided, on the premiere of “FlashForward,”.

So here it is, after months of following the hype and the mayhem surrounding ABC’s FlashForward, we are finally here – 1.01 “No More Good Days”.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dGdunQqWzk

I have to say, I’m excited mainly for 3 reasons:

1. It’s on ABC – they know a thing or two about SF/Drama/Genre television and they sure as heck know how to promote their series’.

2. The cast – Joseph Fiennes, Courtney Vance, Sonya Walger, John Cho, Gabrielle Union, Dominic Monaghan, et al – that’s not bad! What’s even more exciting is the possibility for more stories to be told through new characters and actors who will reveal themselves later on down the line.

3. As I’ve said previously on FFB, the premise is a very good one. We all think about the future at one time or another, we all either wish we could change our paths or hope that we don’t veer from it. And FlashForward will be exploring these themes, and more, on a global level. For everything that LOST has (and it has a lot), it doesn’t quite have the immediate sense of ‘were all in this together’. Yes, season 6 may go on to confirm a much larger tapestry, but from the get go, FlashForward is telling us straight up - “this is a global thing!”.

I expect a lot from this episode, but in truth, I think the later episodes are what we should judge the series by.

Sonya Walger introduces FlashForward:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxVqXXioIa8

Resources:

• 1.01 Press Release
• 1.01 Promo Photos
• If you like forums, check this out.

ABC have made the first 18 minutes of their upcoming series, FlashForward, available for free online after several clips were leaked. An interesting move from ABC – if nothing else, they must believe in these opening 18 minutes. Watch it for free using the video player above, if you want (video player may take a few seconds to load).

Continue below the jump for an “FF” sneak peek promo and an interview with John Cho.

Slightly redundant now, but here’s another sneak peek. I’m posting this for those of you who prefer not to watch the opening 18 minutes of the premiere above, and to point out the thematic similarities with the opening sequence from the “LOST” Pilot – although obviously the setting is very different. As I’ve said before, hopefully FlashForward show can be half as good as the island drama and go on to develop its own identity over the course of the season – by the looks of the first 18 minutes, it definitely has the potential.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD1PW97xQP0

USA Weekend interview with FlashForward‘s John Cho:

There are a bunch of things conspiring against John Cho, keeping him from strumming his guitar just for fun. For one, he has been acting non-stop for several years. “Star Trek” was one of the biggest movie hits of this past summer, and his new ABC show, “FlashForward,” has all sorts of buzz around it.

There’s also his 16-month-old son, his first child with actress Kerri Higuchi. “My wife and I were saying, it’s no wonder the body allows you to have children at such a young age,” Cho, 37, says. “It’s because you need the energy, the strength and the stamina to run after the kid.”

Best known for starring in the “Harold & Kumar” comedies with Kal Penn, Cho admits that J.J. Abrams’ big-screen reboot of “Star Trek” (in which he plays Sulu, a younger version of the role made famous by George Takei) gave him a jump-start both professionally and mentally when it came to acting. And after having been burned a few times by canceled series and pilots that went nowhere, Cho had sworn off television.

“FlashForward” has changed his thinking on all that, though. In the series, which premieres Thursday, an occurrence causes people all over the world to black out for two minutes and 17 seconds, and during that time, most have mysterious visions of their future. (Cho’s character, however, is one of the few who doesn’t see anything.) While the concept is cool, Cho says, “it’s the little things and the relationships that’ll keep bringing people back.”

ABC have released the official episode description for the FlashForward premiere – No More Good Days:

EVERYONE ON EARTH BLACKS OUT FOR TWO MINUTES AND SEVENTEEN SECONDS AND SEES A GLIMPSE OF THEIR FUTURE, BUT THEY MUST DECIDE IF THEY WILL ACCEPT THEIR DESTINY OR DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO CHANGE IT, ON THE PREMIERE OF ABC’S “FLASHFORWARD”.

What would you do if you were given a glimpse of the future? Would you accept what you saw and live life to its fullest, or would you do everything in your power to change your destiny? When the world’s population is given a glimpse of their future, it forces everyone to come to grips with whether their destinies can be fulfilled or avoided, on the premiere of “FlashForward,” THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 24 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (This program will repeat Friday, Sept. 25, from 8:00-9:00 p.m.)

On the season premiere episode, “No More Good Days,” it’s just another normal day in Los Angeles. FBI agent Mark Benford and his partner, Demetri Noh, are in the middle of a car chase monitored by their boss, Stanford Wedeck, and colleague Janis Hawk; Mark’s wife, Dr. Olivia Benford, is in the middle of surgery; Dr. Bryce Varley is weighing a potentially life-ending decision; Mark’s friend, Aaron Stark, is working high above the ground on power lines; and Nicole Kirby — baby-sitter to Mark and Olivia’s daughter, Charlie — is in the throes of passion with her boyfriend when suddenly, and without warning, every person on Earth blacks out for two minutes and seventeen seconds and sees a series of events from their own future, taking place on April 29, 2010 at 10:00 p.m., Pacific Time. For some the future will be joyous and hopeful; for others, shockingly unexpected; and for a few, it simply doesn’t seem to exist.

Everyone in the world will eventually begin chronicling what they saw in their flashforwards on a worldwide website — the Mosaic Collective — that will further draw people together. And some of the flashforwards just might help Mark and his colleagues piece together the cause of the blackout.

Knowing their fate will alter each person’s life in one way or another, and poses the questions: Can destiny be changed? And by changing just one destiny, what effect would that have on those of others?

“FlashForward” stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford, John Cho as Demetri Noh, Jack Davenport as Lloyd Simcoe, Zachary Knighton as Bryce Varley, Peyton List as Nicole Kirby, Dominic Monaghan as Simon, Br’an F. O’Byrne as Aaron Stark, Courtney B. Vance as Stanford Wedeck, Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford and Christine Woods as Janis Hawk.

Guest starring are Genevieve Cortese as Tracy, Lennon Wynn as Charlie Benford, Bryce Robinson as Dylan Simcoe, Daniel Zacapa as Hector, Blair Redford as Joel, Lee Thompson Young as Agent Gough, Barry Shabaka Henley as Agent Vreede, Alex Kingston as Fiona Banks, Rachel Roberts as Alda Hertzog, Kelly Galindo as distressed woman, Jim Lau as Asian man, Cooper Huckabee as trucker, Chyna Layne as nervous woman, Drake Kemper as teenaged boy, James Carraway as older man, Brandon Bell as paramedic #1, Pete Koch as paramedic #2, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as nurse, Loren Lester as neurologist, Kent Shocknek as medical correspondent, Ken Rudulph as pundit #1, Bill Lagattuta as pundit #2, Ted Garcia as pundit #3, Ammar Daraiseh as Arabic man #1 and Raj Maan as Arabic man #2.

“No More Good Days” was written by David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga and directed by David S. Goyer.

“FlashForward” executive producers are David S. Goyer, Brannon Braga, Marc Guggenheim and Jessika Borsiczky. The series is from ABC Studios.

[ABC]

Want to be one of the first to see ABC’s upcoming series, FlashForward? Read on below the jump to find out how:

Heard the buzz about the new action-packed drama “FlashForward” and want to be one of the first to check it out? Or maybe you’re into comedy and want to get some chuckles from the new Kelsey Grammer series, “Hank,” or Patricia Heaton’s upcoming show, “The Middle”?
Well, ABC is making it possible at the exclusive D23 EXPO event in the Anaheim Convention Center, September 10 at 3:00 p.m., when it presents “The ABCs of Disney.” Hosted by “Dancing with the Stars”‘ Tom Bergeron and featuring Steve McPherson, president of the ABC Entertainment Group, “The ABCs of Disney” will give fans a sneak peek at the fall season.
In addition to Heaton and Grammer, the roster of stars set to appear includes Ed O’Neill and Joseph Fiennes, the star of “FlashForward”, as well as “DWTS” two-time champ Cheryl Burke, who will perform. Following the presentation, fans will have a chance to take photos with the stars and get a few autographs.
Also on display Sept. 10-13 is ABC’s “Lost.” In celebration of the Emmy® Award-winning series “Lost” entering its final season, when all will be answered, guests will be able to step into the world of “Lost” and see props, set pieces, costumes and collectors’ artifacts from key moments in the series. They will also be able to sign up for Lost University, a special Blu-ray™ and online experience, and receive a limited edition collectors’ pin, available only at D23 Expo.
Note: The availability of talent is contingent on production schedules. The D23 EXPO, runs Sept. 10-13 where the entire world of Disney comes together at the Anaheim Convention Center.

[etonline]

ABC have released 7 new FlashForward promotional photos.

Click to enlarge:

[Show as slideshow]

Copyright: ABC

You can find previous FlashForward promo pictures here.