"Kung Fu" (1972) TV series 1972-1975

Directors:

Alex Beaton
Barry Crane

Writers:

Theodore Apstein (writer)
Bernard Bossick (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

14 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

The adventures of a Shaolin Monk as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.

Plot Keywords:

Kung Fu | Shaolin | Monk | Slow Motion Scene | Kung Fu Classic

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

David Carradine	...	Kwai Chang Caine (59 episodes, 1972-1975)
Radames Pera	...	Young Caine / ... (44 episodes, 1972-1975)
Keye Luke	...	Master Po / ... (44 episodes, 1972-1975)
Philip Ahn	...	Master Kan (37 episodes, 1972-1975)

Also Known As:

The Warrior (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (60 episodes) | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

The only reason this show went off the air was because star David Carradine quit the series. He had sustained so many injuries, he felt he could not go on. The show got high ratings all three seasons it aired.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the title sequence the view of young Caine is looped in the pebble scene, as the smoke behind him reverses twice.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stargate SG-1: Maternal Instinct (#3.20)" (2000)

Something Different

This will always be one of the more original series to come out of the 1970's. Imagine a Western where the main character is half Chinese and half Caucasian and doesn't use a gun. Now think of how this series wound up as one of the great cult classics of its era. Even though this series originally was the idea of Bruce Lee and would have featured him as the star, David Carradine still pulls off the job and comes off as very believable as Caine. You also can see that he tries not to play to stereotype, but he does make this show very mystical, which can be seen as a positive and as a negative. Also wonderful were Keye Luke as master Po, Phllip Ahn as master Kahn and, of course, Radames Pera as the young Caine. This show will always be a cult classic of its era.