Kung Fu: The New Generation (1987-1991)
From The TV Obsessive, by Hanmii Dahri-Mote, a regular column in TV Guide and other publications
Take a classic TV western, bring back its main character and original actor, bump it up a generation, and add to the mix the son of the man who many believe should have starred in the original, and what do you get?
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Bruce!
The original
Kung Fu TV series (ABC 1972-1975), which I discussed in an article last year, was originally conceived by actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, for whom the lead role was originally intended. It instead starred Caucasian actor David Carradine, who many believe did a great job even if he “Whitewashed” what would have been a groundbreaking lead role for an Asian actor. Perhaps Carradine and casting director Lynn Stalmaster had this controversy in mind when they approached Bruce’s son Brandon Lee for the sequel series. And while Lee was hesitant to take on a martial arts role, hoping to branch out as an actor in his own right and not just as “Bruce’s son”, he appreciated the symmetry and justice of him taking the part.
And with that,
Kung Fu: The Movie was born[1], a made-for-TV film and pilot for a new series. ABC studio executive Michael Eisner had little interest in relaunching a long-cancelled series, however, as TV westerns were long since passe. CBS CEO Ted Turner, on the other hand, eagerly jumped on the series, which appealed to his nostalgic love of Old Americana. CBS would play both the film and, at the insistence of Turner, who overruled his studio heads[2], launched the new series
Kung Fu: The New Generation. Interestingly, the series was originally called
The Next Generation before it was changed to avoid comparison to the new
Star Trek series debuting that same year on PFN.
(Image source “IMDB.com”)
Kung Fu: The Movie saw original series hero Kwai Chang Caine (Carradine) battle an evil opium smuggling ring, only to do battle with a mysterious young man (Lee), who turns out to be his estranged son Lee Jun Caine. They mend their estrangement and fight to free the town from the opium ring. The series then takes over from the end of the film and sees Kwai Chang now the master and mentor and Lee Jun as the “grasshopper”, with Carradine even playing the iconic flute from the original series.
It’s also noteworthy that Carradine gladly passed the torch to Lee, who took the lead role while Carradine played the supporting mentor character and literal father figure. This was not only a pragmatic change (Carradine’s age was limiting his ability to perform some of the martial arts and his professional pride prevented the heavy use of body doubles) but was also a purposeful statement that this was a new series for a new generation that reflected changing societal values with respect to race and representation.
(Image source New York Times)
Kung Fu: The New Generation plays as a mix of nostalgic reminiscence for the original series and a modern update for a new generation of viewers. The mix of western action and martial arts athleticism managed to grab a modest but serviceable (and profitably young) fandom, keeping the series alive through four seasons, though the last two seasons would move to TNT on cable. It also found a large Asian audience, particularly in Hong Kong and the emerging Shanghai market. Cameos from other famous martial artists throughout its run, including Chuck Norris, Bolo Yeung, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Jackie Chan, added to the fun.
Since the series was now set a generation later than the original, the setting was thus now the early 20th century, so themes of change and modernity vs. tradition and industry vs. nature were a natural. Starting in 1990 the series began to increasingly address environmental and conservationist themes and the existing themes of race and culture that were subtly addressed in the first two seasons were now overtly explored. Many suggest that Turner’s recent marriage to Jane Fonda and his resulting political evolution played a part in the change, but others suggest that star Brandon Lee insisted on the changes.
Whatever the case,
KF:TNG is a delightful mix of the old and the new both in the literal sense and the metatextual sense. Brandon Lee takes the role seriously and manages to capture the fun borderline camp of the original while also paying respectful honor to his father’s Hong Kong film legacy. Unlike the largely silent Carradine, Lee makes no attempts to suppress his vocal kiais, bringing a taste of the Hong Kong films to the role. As such, the film and series manage to capture a nostalgia for fans of both the original ‘70s series
and the Hong Kong martial arts films of the era.
KF:TNG has long since achieved a cult status. It lives on in syndication and home video alike. In the 1990s Carradine and Lee would reunite for a made-for-TV follow-up film (and failed series pilot)
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. There is talk of spinning up a “Third Generation” series set in the Depression era with a Film Noir feel, though with the tragic passing of one of the two “Caines” there’s some speculation that this will never happen.
Either way, whether you’re a fan of westerns, martial arts, nostalgia, or all of the above,
Kung Fu: The New Generation is a fun way to spend some quality couch surfing time. It’s fun, family friendly, and willing to address big questions in an approachable and non-preachy way.
[1] Qing Guanmao tip to
@nick_crenshaw82 for alerting me to this!
[2] CBS aired the movie in our timeline but the numbers didn’t justify continuing with the series. Here Turner is a fan and actively worked to promote it.