>It had the funny looking spaceships that had sparks coming out the back and the Emperor with the really high collar? By today's standards it would be a joke, but when I was a kid, it was very cool.
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>Also made me think of Charlie Chan. Anyone remember that? Number One son and all that... I loved those movies.

Flash Gordon. The evil emperor was Ming the Terrible. As I recall though, it was a movie serial, and not a TV show. Maybe there was a TV show that followed the movies, but I don't recall it. Flash Gordon was played by Buster Crabbe.