Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
In April 1977, Frank attended the MIP-TV conference in Cannes. It was here Frank first encountered the Japanese animation "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" from producer Tatsunoko Production run by the Yoshida brothers. Frank committed to release the series in the United States after he saw the success of "Star Wars" in May 1977. "Battle of the Planets" is the title of the American adaptation of this series, created by Frank. He authorized new footage and hired writers to add dialog to fit the look of the animation without reference to original scripts. Of the 105 original "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" episodes, 85 were used in the "Battle of the Planets" adaptation produced by Sandy Frank Entertainment in 1978.