Flash Gordon: The Complete Series (1979)

Flash Hits

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Flash Gordon: The Complete Series on DVD

This TV series from Filmation, which briefly ran in 1979 and 1980 under the title, "The New Animated Adventures of Flash Gordon," looks ultra-cheesy at first glance. But a second look shows a ragged, fearless quality that many later, mid-1980s cartoons tended to lack. The series has a more homemade feel, boasts a few amazing pre-computer special effects shots, and has a certain patience that later cartoons slowly rejected in favor of short-attention-span speed. It even features a few grown-up themes (many of the well-built female villains lust after Flash). The first season is presented in serial format, just like the "Flash Gordon" of the 1930s; one single storyline (Flash and several adversaries team up to beat Ming the Merciless) plays out over 16 half-hour episodes. In season two, the producers ordered shorter storylines, and it was the beginning of the end.

DVD Details: As they have done with other Filmation titles ("He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," etc.), BCI Eclipse has done a remarkable job packaging this series. The set comes with four discs, a detailed, printed episode guide and two "trading cards," drawn by contemporary comics artists. There are three fun audio commentary tracks, a making-of featurette, storyboards, character profiles and trivia. There's a preview of BCI Eclipse's upcoming "Defenders of the Earth" DVD set, and DVD-Rom extras include printable scripts and the complete series bible. The press release mentions an Easter egg or two, but I'm told there aren't any.

Starring: (voices) Robert Ridgely, Diane Pershing, Allan Melvin, Melendy Britt, Bob Holt, Alan Oppenheimer
Written by: Ted A. Pedersen, Samuel A. Peeples
Directed by: Hal Sutherland, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 600 minutes (approx.)
Date: July 30, 2006