Season 1
Flash Gordon is a American science fiction television series based on the comic strip of the same name and its adaptations, follows the adventures of Steven "Flash" Gordon, who lives with his mother in Maryland and whose scientist father was apparently lost in a mysterious accident when Flash was 13 years old.
The series originally aired in the USA on Sci Fi from 10 August, 2007 to 8 February, 2008. There are 22 hour-long episodes in the series, which was officially cancelled by Sci Fi on 3 April, 2008.
Flash Gordon premiered in South Africa on DStv's M-Net Action channel on Thursday 18 September 2008, at 20h00.
Repeats
Fridays: 23h00
Sundays: 22h00
Wednesdays: 11h00
Synopsis
Flash Gordon was created in 1934 as a King Features Syndicate comic strip by legendary cartoonist Alex Raymond, and has been in vogue on and off ever since in comics, TV, and movies.
This series updates the comic-strip franchise with a contemporary setting.
Eric Johnson plays athletic Gordon, who is joined by former girlfriend Dale Arden, his father's former colleague Dr. Hans Zarkov and Mongo native, Baylin.
The group are Earth's last defence against Ming — the tyrant of another world who wants to make Earth his next conquest.
Ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, they find themselves in unexpected situations, and forced to make decisions on behalf of the people of their home planet, who remain blissfully unaware of the threat.
Flash's father was lost years ago in a science lab accident, and presumed dead. He was taken through a rift that deposited him on another world, Mongo ruled by the oppressive, Ming.
When Flash is transported to Mongo, he recognizes an opportunity to save his father. His innate good nature forces him to delay his own personal goals and take on a pivotal role in freeing Mongo from Ming's dictatorship and thereby protecting his own world.
In the process, he finds allies in natives, Baylin (Karen Cliche) and Ming's daughter Aura (Anna Van Hooft) who is horrified by her father's increasing cruelty.
Mongo is a water-starved planet of seemingly primitive cultures divided into various tribes who, nevertheless, have access to some advanced technologies most visible in the capital city from which Ming rules.
Ming preserves his political power by rationing the only water on the planet safe for consumption and as a result has the power to decide who lives and dies.
The reason for the stark contrast between culture and technologies is a result of a past holocaust that rendered Mongo near uninhabitable and has since contaminated the planets' water supply. Those who drank the contaminated water suffered severe deformities and were rendered outcasts.
Flash finds himself increasingly taking on the role of champion and spending more time on Mongo, not only protecting his own planet but the people of Mongo who have suffered under Ming's tyranny.