The new series of 2003 never finished. They lost funding and interest after the 20th episode, so the last 31 were never finished. I like the origonal anyways (I own the origonal Japanese boxset ZOMG!)
shareUhm...no. The series went for the full 50 episodes. It just never completed its run in the US because of what you mentioned...
shareSpoilers (this might not be entirly accurate and it's from more than one episode)
As I remember it Astro helps the blue knight defend his base from people after legistlation was pushed to outlaw all robots who have AI (I think they framed astro to help get the bill passed but maybe not). The blue knight leaves earth with his followers to start their own world in space, the leaders of the anti robot group are arrested and so is Dr. Tenma.
The law is revoked and humans and robot start on the road that will lead them to equality. Then it ends with Dr. Tenma in his jail cell realising astro was right all along, humans and robots can co-exist.