Filmations 1979 Flash Gordon Animated Series. This well-crafted cartoon series from 1970s animation powerhouse Filmation was a reworking of the original Flash Gordon serial. Art design reflected the earlier era with a combination of Art Deco, Gothic Revival, Victorian an other styles.The New Adventures of Flash Gordon was an animated television series. In 1979 through the efforts of Filmation, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon appeared, partly as a reaction to the mammoth success of Star Wars in 1977. The series was a homage to the original Flash Gordon comic strip and featured most of the original characters, including Flash's girlfriend Dale Arden, and the scientist Hans Zarkov. Flash and company had traveled to Mongo, where they were forced into battle by its ruler, Ming the Merciless, his daughter Princess Aura, and his army of Metal Men. To help their cause the heroes lead the formation of an alliance beginning with King Thun, leader of the Lion People; Prince Barin, leader of Arboria; and King Vultan, ruler of the Hawkmen. The original project was produced as a made-for-television feature film. When NBC saw the finished work, it was decided to turn the work into an episodal Saturday morning series. The change in format resulted in the the story being significantly expanded with a sub-plot of Ming secretly giving military technology to Hitler being dropped. When a second season of episodes was ordered two years after the original, NBC insisted that the episodal format be dropped and that the stories be written for a more juvenile level. This resulted in the addition of the pet dragon Gremlin, an artist in nose-blown smoke. This second season of episodes was not well received and the program was canceled after completion of the second season run. The entire series has recently been released on DVD.