The Real Reason 'Kung Fu' was Cancelled

[@donsmeltzer4083]

Master Po WASN’T Caine’s father. He was his teacher.

[@pitbull_top5766]

he was both actually lol

[@classicslover]

@@pitbull_top5766 No Grasshopper, he was not. Master Po was not his father. His father was white. A man named Thomas Henry Caine. You will note, Caine is not a Chinese name. Caine mother was Chinese. One of the issues in the first episode was that the Shaolin Temple never admitted any one who was not full blooded Chinese before, and it was obvious Caine was half-white.

[@AtmxDawg24]

People obviously haven’t watched the show; including the clown that narrated this video.🤣😂

[@classicslover]

@@AtmxDawg24 Yeah...either that, or it's been so long since they watched it, they forgot. But that WAS a specific point driven home, that Caine was half white. I assume, it was to appease the audience of that time, when it first came out. AND Bruce Lee was RIGHT THERE! What a missed opportunity.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

@@AtmxDawg24 I don't think the narrator has watched anything.

[@MrBlack-ze6hw]

As a 14 year old in 1972 It was by far, my favorite TV show. I would wait all week in anticipation for the next episode. The pilot, as I recall, debuted February 1972 and had very high ratings. Watching it 48 years later brings back wonderful memories of my teenage years.

[@thommysides4616]

I was 12 in 72 and loved the show too. My other friend and I use to play Kung Fu outside in the yard, with our neighbors dad....lol. We really had him matched....ha ha.

[@bbser]

I was also 14 in (August) '72 and was an instant fan. You might remember having to wait more than a week in the first episodes of the first season since it only aired once a month (rotating with Alias Smith & Jones' time slot). Very well worth the wait as the first season was astonishing!!!!

[@therealbronxbull8541]

So was I (Jan '58) and growing up in a South Bronx housing project I learned Gung Fu pretty quick.

[@JohnnyBGood11]

TV was simple back then only 13 channels

[@env0x]

i first saw the show as a 19 year old in 2009 and it is also my favorite TV show for life!

[@2007Tarkus]

When I was a kid I couldnt wait for Kung Fu to play on the tv I was awe struck, bloody amazing for the time

[@FactsVerse]

What was your favorite memory of the show, 2007Tarkus?

[@2007Tarkus]

@@FactsVerse It was a moment when in a cave with other oriental either they were mine workers or railroad workers he was lithing a torch an his sleeves fell down to show his shaolin markings and everyone in the cave bowed

[@handlin7333]

@@2007Tarkus I watched it as a kid...I was only 8 years old in 1972! But I remember it well.. loved it! I started learning kung fu because of it! I'm a black belt!

[@ryancourt8065]

One of us...

[@jackhammer7824]

@@FactsVerse His walk in the raddlesnake pit and the expression on the white tyrants faces. Who is this guy He's insane. Those snakes were pretty huge. If not milked by snakehandler one Strike he would be in trouble. Be one with nature is the lesson.

[@radamespera]

Hi. Enjoyed watching your mini-doc on my series. As the person who originated the role of "Grasshopper" (the Young Caine) in the majority of the flashback Shaolin temple scenes, I would like to both praise and substantiate a key claim your video contains and take the liberty of correcting an error. Besides the one which others already jumped on in abundance, Master Po was Kwai Chang Caine's teacher and never referred to him otherwise. I am grateful for your effort to put to rest the Bruce Lee "urban myth" which posits him as the originator of the concept of the show. You're correct that he did not and that Ed Spielman is the creator, having written the pilot movie years earlier. The most important correction I can offer is about how and why the show was canceled. You've repeated the "official story" which Warner Bros needed to put out in order to save the value of the property, which was oddly held from syndication (re-runs) for a whopping six years, unprecedented for any hit series, which typically find their way to another channel immediately. Not "Kung Fu". Certainly David's "injuries" didn't cause that. No, the rating suddenly dropped and the network (ABC) had to pull the plug because of a highly publicized screw up by Mr. Carradine. A veteran of many trips, he dropped acid one night at his hippie pad in Laurel Canyon and went on a mini-rampage, at one point breaking into a neighbor's house, cutting himself on the glass-paned door he busted through and leaving his blood all over a piano he was inspired to play there. The police found him curled up in a fetal position at his indoor/outdoor "tree house" and hauled him into the Hollywood Precinct. This immediately made national news and those folks throughout the Midwest with Nielsen Ratings boxes attached to their TV started changing the channel once they heard the story. The show was challenging enough as it was and this tipped the scale. So yes, as you reported, David did pull the plug on the show, in the only way he knew how, since the TV and studio execs weren't about to stop production on their biggest hit at the time. It took six long years for the story to die down enough that the 3-1/2 season series could be sold to syndication. But that also allowed a whole younger generation to discover it for themselves, too. So it kind of worked out in a somewhat fortuitous manner, culturally speaking. Well, that's the real story, from the horse's mouth. Thanks for letting me tell it.

[@SovereignStatesman]

Oh my god, you were GREAT! I had to say that. Are you saying David cancelled the show on purpose? I thought maybe the show just jumped the shark, since it shouldn't take three years to find one person in California.

[@houseofbluebliss]

"Silent Snow Secret Snow" was a treasure!!

[@jalan8171]

Thank you for correcting the errors R.P. The show was made so much more authentic with your participation in it.

[@bodyshoplaboratories501]

Thank you for adding some first hand insight. Too many videos lack input of actual sources.

[@Mamahabu]

One of my absolute Favorite TV Shows! Thank You for making it so REAL! I found a studio that taught Kung Fu, and took lessons until 1975, when I enlisted in the Air Force. Thanks for the Info on the series.

[@jessemelendez6305]

Kung Fu the original series was such a good show. I couldn't get enough of it. I was a big fan of master Po, and the Abbott

[@jeffreywright2294]

Great show

[@hitty9]

The writing was genius

[@SNAKEPIT359]

Jesse Melendez Luke who played master Po also did the voice over for the character Han in enter the dragon.

[@jessemelendez6305]

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who appreciated the show. I don't believe that anyone can recreate the magic that show had.

[@Hambone571]

SNAKEPIT359 Keye Luke was also Number one son in the old Chalke Chan movies.

[@veganath]

I remember as a kid watching Kung Fu and being spellbound not only by the action but the life lessons woven into the stories. One scene that has stuck with me was during a time as a kid I felt alone, Grasshopper the child was in tears & lamented to Master Poh how lonely he felt being new to the monastery. Master Poh said to *_"Grasshopper tell me what do you hear?"_* Grasshopper remained silent for some seconds listening & replied *_"I hear birds, crickets, the wind in the trees"_* Master Poh replied *_"How is it you feel so lonely..."_* Still today that scene is profoundly comforting, something ALL kids should be able to access especially during all this isolation from other humans in recent times. Kung Fu had a way of profoundly nurturing peoples mental health especially for the kids who viewed it. RIP David!!

[@creativestudio101]

Hey, guess what, I'm here looking at the comments, cause I just happened to see that very same episode you are talking about. It was actually the very first episode, Episode 1, Season 1. That show was one of the best shows ever, a thinking Man's or child's type of program, amazing.

[@veganath]

@@creativestudio101 thanks for the reference, I had forgotten which episode it came from, time to stop listening to birds & crickets & watch an episode of Kung Fu.... Thanks buddy.

[@creativestudio101]

@@veganath Right on! Talk about memory lane.. he he cheers!

[@Trick-Framed]

Real life training in the martial arts will also nurture mental health. As well as physical, emotional and spiritual health. If you think the show was that good at it, your own martial arts journey will be exponentially better than it.

[@theIssue-tt]

​@@veganathFACTS! For me it was when he gave the kids regular tasks to strengthen him for the bigger tasks but the kid complained. He didnt understand. This taught me to strenghten myself and be responsible with the small stuff....because i know my strong daily skillset will ready me for greater stuff

[@eyesopen5547]

There were so many good things about the show that people missed. The moral lessons, the etiquette lessons, the cultural and spiritual aspects. The martial arts part of the show was the hook, but the real show was much more, bring on the new, i cant wait.

[@paulworgan6599]

The philosophy was so much more

[@VaxxedStories]

@@paulworgan6599 What I got was that his strength came from his humility. A great life lesson!

[@KNOCKOUTCLUBFC]

youre so right bro

[@zach4thlife]

I hope the get the effect sorted

[@MarcBiskamp]

The new shows all sucked

[@peterreddin6474]

David Carridine played the gentle and peaceful monk so well. He was awesome at portraying Caine. This is what makes Kung Fu the series outstanding. What other actor could of done this so well. Today there are so many actors who can fight and be tough on screen, with spectacular fight scenes, but still they cannot play a kind and gentle being . . I have trained in Kung Fu for 15 years now and the true meaning of Kung Fu is to find inner peace in oneself, to be humble, this is what Carridine portrayed so brilliantly.

[@robertlove1740]

I believe that Jet Li embodied humility in his films and would be an excellent choice for a reboot today.

[@Jkirk3279]

“the bullet. Passed through my body, into hers”. “Remember, Kwai Chang. You are only a monk”.

[@preteristlab-endtimes5683]

Peter Reddin beautifully said man. Thank you. I get the feeling DC was really a timeless-monk inside, and the show was a way for him to express his own true timeless-self through 'the master's' timeless teachings - just a serenely beautiful portrayal of a Wise man. It will live forever. RIP David.

[@gpat64]

He was born for the role. Total perfection.

[@philosophicallyspeaking6463]

Kung Fu wasn't cancelled, it was one of the first ever TV shows to survive and elect to finish, having achieved what it set out to do.

[@felixvega5890]

As a teen, Kung Fu played a powerful influence towards my becoming interested in martial arts. David Carradine’s role of being a soft spoken and gentle man inspired me to fully grasp the true power of the yin yang philosophy!

[@felixvega5890]

Enzo 1965 Spell it? Google it!

[@felixvega5890]

Y2kSd4 Carradine may have been a flawed man, although that doesn’t mean he didn’t nail the role he played on the Kung fu series.

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

Behold the way of nature and no force of man can harm you.

[@felixvega5890]

Shinja Okinawa Arigato my friend!

[@mikewilkins9769]

I HAD A FEW MASTERS GROWING UP AS WELL AND DAVID WoZ ONE OF THEM AND YES I TOOK THE PEBBLE AND A FEW MILLION DOLLARS WHILE I WoZ AT IT DUE TO HIS TEACHINGS !

[@Ephesians-xt4xc]

This was a truly great series with good actors, stories, and beautiful life lessons in humility, patience and love. One of a kind show, very well done.

[@AudioFanMan]

8 years old when the series started, discovered it at about 10. It rocked my world. The entire story captivated me.. moved to a tough neighborhood, started Karate but honestly fell in love with the cultures and traditions of all of it. Moved back to my childhood home, rejoined karate. I literally breated ate and drank marital atrts. My student call me Sensi infront if there students, in there dojo. I may not have ascended to heights some may imagine, but rose far above for myself. This series, Bruce, and my sensi created the man i am today. 40 years later, i owe every bit of my tenacity and drive to a vision given to me by great people who could speak the language of passion.

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for sharing, Glenn!

[@pehunter1]

Glenn Hooper, you and I may be around the same age since I recall watching Kung Fu in 73 when I was between 9 and 10 years old. And, I must admit, Bruce Lee and my love of martial arts has been a great influence on my life and my career (when I was an ESL teacher in a Chinese school) and in my life. Thank you for sharing. It brought back memories.

[@Doc_Holiday]

🙄

[@Scorch1028]

David Carradine said he was “relieved” when Kung Fu ended after its third season. The problem was that Carradine was in 99 percent of the scenes in every episode. It was exhausting for him. Kung Fu, as great as it was, had no “sub-plot” which meant that Carradine had very few breaks during the filming of each episode.

[@ms.annthrope415]

Yeah for what he got paid and that it made him famous, he ought to roll with it. People work 9 hours a day in some shitty job for years without complaint. I can't much sympathy for Carradine to complain about his little job.

[@DUDA-bk1fv]

@@ms.annthrope415exactly 🤣🤣🤣

[@skybluemarshall]

​@ms.annthrope415 He never asked for sympathy. He didn't want to get locked into a long series in the first place, which is why he turned down the original offer of a 5 year contract. He stated that the injuries he was sustaining from making the show, made it impossible for him to continue. Although it's true that he receive many injuries over the course of his career, he was still an actor, not a stuntman and continually doing rough stuff on a weekly basis isn't something that most actors want to do. It's not like Kung Fu was his first TV series or film role. He had previously appeared on 19 TV shows, one of which gave him a starring role (Shane) which lasted 17 episodes. He also had more than 10 movies under his belt. In the end, he racked up about 230 acting credits in his career, so he was correct in thinking that he really didn't need to keep making the show if he didn't feel like it.

[@jorgerodriguez3392]

Wasn't Bruce Lee supposed to played that character

[@wardragonprime]

The way I heard it low ratings WAS one of the reasons the show was cancelled but there were other problems ranging from personal issues to the kung fu craze of the seventies running out of steam.

[@tomobrien6983]

Po was not his father

[@paxwallacejazz]

Bruce Lee was in the mix but Hollywood was of course too racist.

[@Sketchcook81]

Kung Fu was great, but they should have left it alone after Caradine died. That new reboot sounds like trash, it has almost nothing to do with the original.

[@vincentmccauley4099]

Thats what they said about charmed and mysteriously Its been greenlit for another season

[@nerfnerfification]

Normally I'd think that BUT Hawaii 5 O and Magnum PI reworks are not bad!! so interested to see if it is?

[@chictownguy]

sounds woke as F... they need to let great things go INSTEAD of trying to modernize it. There will only be the original series and movies after that.. it isn't kung fu. .. GO WOKE go broke.

[@stopcensoringme6296]

@@chictownguy Woke culture is so far from being awake it requires a bottle of vodka and a horse tranquillizer to be a part of it.

[@KennethKetchum]

who cares. I vomited every time Carradine started fighting because I was already a Tae Kwon Do student with far superior kicks when the original came out. I would literally close my eyes and imagine Bruce in those fight scenes. I know the new reboot will have far superior fight scenes. David was horrible as a monk physically displaying martial arts skills but great when words came out of his mouth.

[@allenbeaulieu7077]

Kung Fu was the best. I watched it religiously. David Carradine was perfect for the lead. As it was mentioned, he took the role to heart and actually lived the role. That is dedication. Of everything that has played on television in my 65 years of life, this show touched my soul. I thank all who participated in the series. It was and is the best.

[@johnwheet7037]

I always thought the best part was when the master was teaching the young student....always insightful and beautiful in the teachings

[@weslewis8748]

Almost 50 years after first watching the show as a kid....it is still on my list of things I want to do before I die.....learn Kung Fu! Such was it's impact on me and, no doubt, many, many others. It was a great show. Good values. Perhaps the west's first introduction to a positive glimpse at the amazing Asian culture.

[@frankthetank1369]

Bruce Lee was suppose to do it.

[@crebatey4453]

Its never to late brother

[@tomlopes1977]

Remember, grasshopper? In a Fight? Best defense? Not be there!

[@janwilliams1270]

Kung fu is a superior style to others such as karate, or even worse tae kwon do. I urge you to give it at least 6 months. You won't be anywhere near a black belt, but you will be 5 times the fighter you are now.

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

I would like to advise that you give Uechi Ryu a serious consideration. The founder travelled to China and studied the Arts there then returned to Okinawa to teach there.. Okinawa has the largest presence of Americans in the Far East. It will be very easy for you to find employment on a Military base while Training in the Art. Student of Master Kanei Uechi 1970's

[@nunyabizness199]

I think they may have trouble convincing people a woman would be training in a Shaolin monastery 🤣

[@mistamarvelous8203]

Hollywood will never learn. Leave certain shows along. Kung Fu is a classic and should be left alone.

[@KennethKetchum]

wrong, it is time to do this series justice by casting a real Chinese martial arts movie start like Donnie Yen or Jacky Chan cause they are both so old, even in their middle ages, they could make Carradine's Caine look like a paraplegic. The series was great but the fight scenes were horrible.

[@mikewilkins9769]

TRUST ME I READ THE SCRIPT TO ET 2 AND THAT WoZ REALLY BAD !

[@meesalikeu]

YR PROBABLY RIGHT WITH THIS BUT THE NEW HAWAII 5-0 IS PRETTY OK.

[@billkeithchannel]

Hollywood jumped the shark in 1999. There has not been anything new and groundbreaking. It is all sequels, remakes, and reboots.

[@gernnnblanstennn7862]

Agreed.

[@oby-1607]

The bully always got his justice due and David walked off into the sunset afterwards. Nuff said.

[@jodyguilbeaux8225]

MAD magazine had a short spoof of kung fu. the master monk says to......... grasshopper try to snatch the pebble from my hand. after about 3 trys, caine punches the grandmaster monk in the face. and the next drawing shows the pebbles flying up in the air and caine catches them.

[@tedallison6112]

True---but,I was sad to read David Carradine dies from sexual asphyxiation-& was a rampant drug user. Spoils the role model 4 me.......

[@pehunter1]

Oby-1, unfortunately, David Carridine didn't walk off into the sunset. He continued doing movies and was killed in Asia while working on another movie.

[@patrickpeden2827]

I'm so sad that David Carradine is the one who stop the show. Kung-fu was my teacher in life. I learned so much about living from the show. When I was young, I watched it for the fighting part. As I got older, I watched it for the spiritual part. I cried when I stopped watching it. Every once in a while, I watch parts of it on my phone. What a wonderful show. David was the perfect actor for it.

[@vitobratta2]

Caine and Spock had similar qualities and strengths. Theyre amongst my favorite characters.

[@chopsueykungfu]

Both characters were vegan. Are you?

[@rachels9598]

They are two of my favorites too!!!?

[@milo14564]

This was my favourite tv show growing up. One of my favourite possessions is the box set of all 3 seasons of the original show. Now they need to come out with the tv movies and series Kung Fu the Legend Continues, on dvd or bluray. Though they weren't as good as the original. One of the great things about the original series, that didn't continue in the sequels, was that each episode had a buddhist lesson. Always presented by proverbs from the masters then replayed in the episode. A fun introduction to philosophy and other belief systems. I always wonder what the show would have been like if Bruce Lee had been allowed to play the role of Caine. I own the Book of Caine. A great read, but a bit biased.

[@silvamorphisphaeble7863]

Bruce Lee was also a philosophy major in college. He studied both Eastern and Western Philosophy for 3 years. He was a very deeply philosophical person. It most likely would have been on an even higher level. ✨

[@milo14564]

@@silvamorphisphaeble7863 I imagine it would have been like his movie The Silent Flute aka Circle of Iron.

[@silvamorphisphaeble7863]

milo14564 Thanks 4 the comment. I’ll have to check that stuff out.

[@normanlee6609]

actually all the proverbs are from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tze of the Taoist philosophy. I always found it amusing that Buddhist monks were teaching Taoist thought.

[@milo14564]

@@normanlee6609 Believe it or not, I was thinking Tao, but the Shaolin were Zen, so I wrote Buddhism. Oops.

[@harleygirl4life6]

Kung Fu will never be replaced by a new reboot. For those of us lucky enough to be weekly viewers of the original show( I was in grammar school & watched it with my Dad all the time). Nothing can take it’s place or be better than Kane the original

[@redf7209]

It seems we are expected to believe that a woman spending a handful of years in a 'male monastery' ( do they have mixed sex or convent monasteries ) will come back with the strength and skills that Caine learnt in half a lifetime? Clearly being a woman is a gimmick to make it different from before but like superwoman series it will be hard to suspend belief and i think it will tank. Women warriors are essentially women pretending to be men

[@itsanicedaygooutside]

I was a kid of 5 when I was attacked by a rooster when visiting a relative's farm. Thank God for the Kung Fu Show, because I knew what to do. This huge rooster came straight at me with its claws ready to shred my face. I yelled HI YA and kicked the rooster in the chest. He came after me again and I yelled again and hit with another kick. We must have gone 5 or 6 rounds until he backed down. Grasshopper's lessons saved me from some nasty scars~~

[@georgeevangel3233]

Good give that rooster hell

[@thorstambaugh1520]

Never mess with anything that has a pecker on its face

[@jodyguilbeaux8225]

chick fu= the way of the rooster.

[@navyflyer7465]

If that rooster new the tiger stance you would have been in trouble lol.

[@jimmysapien9961]

Chicken soup 👍🏻

[@gkprivate433]

I was a young teen at the time and loved the show. Yes most action scenes were terrible, but there was a cerebral nature to the show I loved. It was different. I loved it. Decades later, now I understand buddhism, I studied Tae Kwon Do for over 20 years on and off. I have been to Asia 15 times and will be spending maybe 1/2 of each year there as I coast into semi retirement.

[@markturpin1891]

As a kid I totally LOVED Kung Fu the original series...Quai Chang Caine was so awesome because all of his riches were inside of him. He made me consider the idea that I truly could survive my lousy childhood with peace and calm... all the punching and kicking didn't hurt any either!

[@richcar7936]

Oh one other thing. Master Po wasn’t Caine’s father! Beloved seifu, teacher is more like it. Just saying. Facts.

[@w84q12]

Qui Chang's Father was an American, which is why he fled to America.

[@LaserRanger15]

Caradine was actually perfect for the role. I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job. It wasn't just the martial arts...it was the actual acting. Sorry Bruce Lee could not have pulled off the gentle monk.

[@leejohnson6009]

Incorrect u dont know. What. Bruce lee could stop makeFiction damn thoughts. Icannot. Standsome1 always maken negative comments on some1 U donot know what are there Do's& Dont always assume sitdown look at your dont and do how about. That

[@FactsVerse]

thanks michael

[@brogoram]

If they took bruce's original idea, it wasnt like this plot. The only similarity is he came to the west to find his brother. No such thing as monks.

[@TimeStrider]

@lee johnson ?

[@curtisthomas2670]

Bruce Lee shopped the idea for the show to Warner, as "Warrior" about a half Asian wandering the US frontier in Western era, but they turned it down then brought back the very same concept as "Kung Fu". Ironically, Lee was even denied the role in "Kung Fu" due to being considered too 'Asian looking' (he was mixed Chinese and white) and the role given to a CAUCASIAN Carradine😀. Further irony, Bruce's son Brandon showing up in the sequel. A series based partly on Lee's original concept eventually made it onto tv, the series "Warrior" on Cinemax.

[@joemacinnis1972]

Nothing will beat the original series! It was my favorite series growing up

[@FactsVerse]

Well said, we strongly concur! Thank you for watching our content and for sharing your thoughts. What other types of video would you like to see?

[@LKaramazov]

A female Caine. We’ve had a female iron man, a female, black panther, a female Thor, now a female Caine. It’s just so predictable and so unbelievably stupid!

[@GazGuitarz]

And the same old tired plot. Super talented, graduate Kung Fu student, seeks payback for the murder of their much revered master/teacher/sifu. Never mind that there must have been at least a few hundred or so martial arts movies made with that theme as a major part of the plot. What's the bet Super Kung Fu Girl swears an oath to revenge his murder? ....Oh wait! Possible plot twist.... the Kung Fu master/teacher/sifu may have been a Transexual Shaolin master....so then it would be an oath to revenge the murder of whatever personal pronoun the revered master/teacher/sifu had preferred to identify with. That'll be the highlight of the plot, although other highlights may include Super Kung Fu Girl helping BLM "protestors" against the wicked Triad run Police Force. The rest of the show is just the same old crime fighter scenario again, but this time against the Triads. It will be the same enemy every episode, with Super Kung Fu girl getting closer to the murderer of her revered master (who will be top leader of the Triads) each episode, but always failing to seek final revenge. One of the defining successful elements of the original series was that Kwai Chang Caine's enemies, situations and locations were different in every episode. I predict a huge flop!

[@johndurrett3573]

I like Bill Burr's comments on this type of stuff. Speakng to a female interviewer ...You got brains dont you? Go make up your own damn stuff. Love him.

[@mikewilkins9769]

AND THE MOVIE CATWOMAN DID NOT GO WELL EITHER !

[@Graeme_Lastname]

You missed the big one. Who?

[@jw451]

@@GazGuitarz Come on be honest. You the screenwriter isn't ya? and yes I believe EVERYTHING you mention will come to pass. ESPECIALLY the last sentence

[@eugenehall9567]

They need to stop with the reboot. Only one person can do it and r.i.p. to David

[@dukeingalls474]

I agree 100%. I was a deep follower of D.C. but not of t.v.( until I saw the first episode of Kung Fu). A large part of my memory is of D.C. and all the emotions that he made come to the surface of my soul.

[@conniethesconnie]

I agree. Stop with the reboots, stop trying to redo classics. Use them as inspiration but make something new. After Bruce Lee's death there was a search for "The next Bruce Lee" Jackie Chan became successful because he knew he couldn't imitate Bruce Lee and worked hard to be able to create his own version of martial arts films.

[@mikewilkins9769]

AGREED IT WOULD BE LIKE THOSE DODGY STAR WARS FILMS AND PREQELS TO A TRUE FANBOY !

[@pshardplay1597]

@Dallas Cowboys Be quiet, you dumb hick.

[@Goldengirl48]

@@dukeingalls474 more especially during Kung-Fu, The Legend Continues.

[@charlescampbell6756]

What made the show so interesting for me was the flashbacks explaining the lessons of life taught by all of his Masters while growing up in the Temples! Our Nation’s Children would benefit if taught to follow similar lessons now!

[@dukeofearl8078]

The "Kung Fu" reboot will be just more PC rubbish that I'll never see.

[@mickydee7568]

Reboot??? What?

[@bjb7587]

Donald! Is that you?

[@Lyuijh]

They never learn.

[@mikewilkins9769]

i HAVE USED DAVIDS WISDOM AND TEACHINGS THROUGH MY MANY YEARS HE IS MUCH LIKE SPOCK FROM STAR TREK

[@zapkvr]

Personal computer!

[@thomasvess6253]

All of these reboots with women in the lead role is going to bankrupt hollyweird.

GOOD!

[@tomlopes1977]

No it won’t, ya ding dong! There’s more women drivers today. Women live longer than men. There’s more women on earth, than men. Beat a women. Go ahead. She’ll comfort you and tell you, “go ahead and go to sleep.” Then, she’ll set your ass on fire. Listen, bra! I just went thru a bitter divorce. My son asked me what I’ll do next. I told him, “Next time, I’ll find a women I hate and buy her a house!”

[@me3333]

I have no problem with fresh idea type movies with female leads or a continuations with female leads but forcing gender equality by rebooting or shot for shot remakes with female leads is just stupid. If that's hollywood's plan then watching them tank will be the only interesting thing to see from them and wont hurt my feelings a bit.

[@dbergerac9632]

Woke-ung-fu, It's going to be atrocious.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Good!

[@mcgavin098]

Po wasn't Cain's father. When Po was killed he gave Cain his manpurse and said 'IF I had a son I would give him what's in this pouch' 0:40

[@starriderkittykat9064]

I loved kung fu..it was my favorite show.

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

i used to watch it with my friends we would gather exclusively to watch that..

[@keithalexander8425]

I know that the new show will do well

[@xena4894]

Me too. I was madly in love with him :)

[@nh6central]

We can re-live it through the DVD box sets ;

[@Goldengirl48]

I loved Kung Fu, the Legend Continues. It was more life lessons than fighting.

[@vincentlem2534]

I was in Kung Fu The Legend continues. As an extra I appeared three times and was also hired as a stand in for one episode. I got to see David off camera. He was very business like.

[@steelydan1242]

Bruce Lee fits the role perfectly but was not consider because of Racism. Bruce was a American born in San Francisco. Racism against Chinese is still prevalent after trump’s presidency. Somehow White men fear the rise of Asians especially Chinese.

[@robertlulek1634]

@@steelydan1242 more fabrications from liberals b******* We voted for a black president there is a Muslim senator Puerto Rican senators America as a whole are not racist. Because Donald Trump called the China virus to China virus That does not make him racist It makes him a realist and telling the truth

[@jasonfella265]

I agree! That show, even though it was full of cheese at times, was just a great show. Made me feel good to watch it.

[@steelydan1242]

@@robertlulek1634 Asshole. Covid19 was developed in America and cases of infection was discovered here before Wuhan. This was admitted by your CDC Director during congressional hearing. Just because they didn’t name it then doesn’t exonerate America’s biological warfare against China. The only way for America to slow down China’s economy is to find an excuse to start a war. That’s the reality you Stupid Moron.

[@agalah408]

The famous James Hong appeared in Kung Fu many times in different outfits, but his unique voice always gave him away. It was fitting that he did the voice of Kung Fu Panda's father in the noodle shop. then again in Everything Everywhere. At 94 and after 456 movie credits, James Hong is still working in the industry.

[@davedahl4461]

I’m not interested in a reboot. And won’t watch it.

[@SD-ir1vf]

Yeah you know it’s gonna suck.

[@deadseamonster]

Why? You don't want to see, yet another, 90 lbs chick kicking the shit out of a bunch of guys? lol

[@mikewilkins9769]

I GET MY SHOES RE-HEALED ALL THE TIME ?????????

[@juniorkawai6131]

Yep, me neither. Just like I didn't watch the reboot of Hawaii Five-0.

[@aslkhjbasijt785]

Probably not going to be good. When you substantially change a character's superficial characteristics just to appease some people's desire to make everything about identity, it's usually bad. Like The recent The Magnificent Seven. I love Denzel. Obviously, a great actor. But, the movie was basically about ethnicity rather than the well-written, action-packed adventure it was originally. I love the actresses in the new Ghostbusters. But, it was terrible, because it was just - hey, let's do it with women. Doesn't work. Characters can, in sequels, be another ethnicity or sex. But, it has to be great writing, acting, production and directing - not about identity, and it can't conflict with a main character's core (James Bond doesn't have to be a Scot, but I'd say has to be British). The old tv show The Equalizer, was a great show, with its star being an older white man. And Denzel's movies using that character were great, even though he was a much younger looking black man. Ethnicity, skin color, even sex, doesn't matter much if it's not about identity and its just a great movie. This new Kung Fu, sounds to me it's - hey, let's do it with a woman. But, I've been wrong before.

[@jayweb702]

Being 48 years old and haven't seen the show since my youth, even I remembered that Master Po was not Caine's father... How could this dude botch that up?

[@chickenman7032]

He was his grandfather

[@notsosilentmajority1]

I loved Kung Fu, it was a great show. My brothers and I also loved watching the poorly "dubbed" Chinese Kung Fu movies on the weekends, you know the ones that had just about everyone speaking with an English accent, lol. It's a shame that Hollywood continues with the PC narrative and is making the new series with a female in the lead role. It's not an anti woman statement, it's just that some programs are better when they stick to the original theme and this seems like one of those shows. This endless attempt at being different has made just about everything they put out.....predictable. I never realized the Caradine connection in the show. It's great that they were able to make it a family event and help them all keep working. Even after all these years I would still be interested in this show returning, but in it's original concept, it really was a great show.

[@notsosilentmajority1]

@william bush Yeah man..... Was that what it was called? I just remember watching regularly. Those were just great entertainment.

[@gsmith1308]

@william bush Thanks William for bringing back some great memories!

[@waltlutz9897]

The original Kung Fu will NEVER be topped. And Carradine was perfect for the role. A truly great, ground-breaking TV show.

[@u.p.woodtick3296]

Walt Lutz Carradine was a dancer, Bruce Lee was passed up for the roll that he should have gotten

[@waltlutz9897]

@@u.p.woodtick3296 Totally agree with you Lee should have gotten the role BUT you gotta admit Carradine was, if not perfect for the role, then damn close.

[@joshsingletary7230]

Carradine stole the role from Bruce Lee because there again racist Americana f×ck over Bruce lee

[@mikewilkins9769]

ALWAYS BE A FAN AS HE FOUGHT CHUCK NORRIS , YET HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING ?

[@stillnotwoke]

@@mikewilkins9769 It was a movie... stupid.

[@Observer111]

They really need to stay politically correct. They feminized Ghost Busters and it flopped. Captain Marvel was a bust. They're bringing on a female "James Bond". I won't be watching it. Now they want to feminize Kung Fu. No thanks. I'll watch reruns where available.

[@zeebest1004]

Most sequels flop. 98% of all human creation is doody.

[@rwfrench66GenX]

How was Captain Marvel a bust? It had a budget of $175 million and made $1.1 Billion. Population wise the Earth has more women than men so get used to movies being made for and remade with female leads because that’s how the business world works.

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

​@@rwfrench66GenXdon't make it right to destroy iconic characters from the past.....I'm a liberal but the woke movement well wtf... I'm old so go ahead and destroy icons.... IDK

[@rwfrench66GenX]

@@Donathon-qx8kqI’m Generation X, I grew up watching Kung-Fu, I even bought it on iTunes. An older brother taught me that history wasn’t something that was in a book we read about in the present. History is what we do now that people talk about in the future. Things change, it’s the way of nature, adapt or die. I’ve reread some of my favorite books dozens of times and focused on different aspects, main characters, supporting characters, plots, sub plots, descriptions, dialogue, and I’ve compared that to various movies and series I’ve seen and overall the general outline was there but not every production got my favorite parts or what I believed was worth showing. Whether they leave things out, or change the city, or gender or ethnicity, if they’re putting up $175 million of their own money and they make a $400 million net profit they’re going to keep making those shows.

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

@@rwfrench66GenX what's the old saying. . there's no art without money.,...sad but true

[@serfdogg]

“Bruce Lee would go on to establish that his English was up to snuff in the TV show The Green Hornet” - that show ended 5 years before Kung Fu.

[@bodyshoplaboratories501]

Sadly, Green Hornet compared to any detective show of the day, but couldn't find it's audience. A great loss to TV.

[@kamuelalee]

Timeline of this review twere a bit off.

[@colinp2238]

In the Hornet show Lee's English wasn't so inspiring. I heard that thr reason was that Lee was too Chinese to fit the bill of a mixed race man.

[@4CardsMan]

Please. The Green Hornet was right down there with Batman. The only good moments were when Hornet shouted "Nice work Cato!"

[@markwinslow-noaaaffiliate7494]

Green hornet was before Kung Fu was even imagined

[@63shakeandbake]

The new series won't last. My question is, how many reboots with female leads has to fail before Hollywood gets it? If they want female leads in shows, that's fine but try coming up with something new, stop rebooting old shows!

[@Sr89hot]

They will never learn. NBC, CBS, and ABC these days are a bunch of money grubbing hacks. Originality is gone.

[@harryconover289]

They won’t it’s time for a new center perhaps Texas?

[@SonicBodhi1]

Once again, misunderstanding comes from NOT LISTENING properly to the whole thing. It’s NOT a reboot, it takes place after the events, so please get your facts straight before complaining

[@glennmartin6492]

Kung Fu hung its' success on the recent popularity of martial arts films and their exciting fight scenes. These days even soap operas have fight coordinators. A protagonist fighting evil with skills isn't exactly novel and, of course, comes the question why the main character doesn't carry a taser and use it at every opportunity?

[@alienlife7754]

@@glennmartin6492 you must be fun at parties.

[@standandeliver8376]

This is NOT a video about why the show got cancelled.

[@sharkman5735]

Thanks

[@robertking7269]

Stick it out and pay attention

[@robertlee3778]

"snatch the pebble from my hand" such a good show

[@deanallen3139]

As soon as anyone says that sentence you know where it came from.

[@mikewilkins9769]

SNACH $50 BUCKS FROM MY HAND WILL MOST LIKELY BE IN THE REBOOT ?

[@derrickcunliffe7334]

yeah i always remember grass hopper

[@robertlee3778]

@@derrickcunliffe7334 and there is also ... "time . for you . to leave."

[@ToEuropa]

Master Kan was the best (as was Master Po). Philip Ahn, who played Master Kan, told a story about after he retired from acting and worked in his brother's restaurant. Kids would always recognize him from the show, so he took to keeping pebbles in his pocket so when recognized, he could hold one out to the child and say, "snatch the pebble from my hand." Pretty cool guy.

[@SI-ln6tc]

It was nice that they added Buddhist or Confucius philosophy in each episode

[@junjungatbos3548]

It was actually Taoist

[@paulsolon6229]

I liked the tv series. Grasshopper was tough and vulnerable and wise and true But in real life d carradine had some facets of a monster and likely was at war w himself

[@seanjoseph8637]

Po wasn't Caine's father! His father was an American...called Caine. And bollocks to the SJW reboot, when will they learn.

[@cybertrekker4274]

Actually, they're too dumb to learn.

[@fmcny]

Nothing is "sacred" anymore; while they're at it, why not just "flip" Everything - starting w/ maybe Rosie O'Donnell as the new Incredible Hulk while they're at it😝😲😆 🖑 Puleez❗

[@stevengibson2251]

They tried that, but Rosie made the Hulk look too small on screen.

[@rooftopvoter3015]

Nothing is "sacred" anymore; while their at it, why not just "flip" Everything - starting w/ maybe Rosie O'Donnell as the new Incredible Hulk while they're at it😝😲😆 🖑 Puleez❗ (breaks out eye bleach)

[@davidgagnon3781]

But Rosie is playing Master Po.

[@mikewilkins9769]

NO ROSANNNE BAR !

[@sl-po2up]

I grew up watching reruns of Kung fu in the early 80s , didn't know until now that the younger guy was his actual brother. I just recall looking forward to watching the shows. The show considering the times was very fair in portraying Asian actors and their characters . Surprisingly , later block buster movies such as Vietnam War movies , full medal jacket, hamburger hill, of the late 80s and 90s portrayed Asians in a bad light .

[@karlsumner6226]

Yeah, it would have been odd for someone who first traveled to the United States *as an adult* to have arrived here with a thick accent from his country of origin. 😂 Very transparent move, Hollywood. Anyway, I was a kid in the 70's and Kung Fu was my favorite television series bar none. Martial arts, Bruce Lee, Shang Chi comics...nothing was more popular in my neighborhood, which was over 90% Black. Everybody loves this stuff, back then. It warms my heart to see this show remembered.

[@Jkirk3279]

“ Yeah, it would have been odd for someone who first traveled to the United States as an adult to have arrived here with a thick accent from his country of origin. 😂 Very transparent move, Hollywood.” You want to explain that? Raised in China, learns English as an adult, speaks with an accent. What’s unusual about that?

[@sovereignbrother]

The reboot will be TRASH!! Possibly millennials will watch it but then again they watch anything, so who knows. Those who grew up with it won't ever watch it! I know I won't.

[@josephcostanzo6500]

Woke Fu

[@patrickfreeman8257]

"David Carradine is as much a martial artist as I am an actor" - Chuck Norris

[@dhy5342]

He didn't claim to be. He was trained in dance, which helped him simulate the kung fu moves. And Chuck Norris is no great actor himself, but I guess that was what he was saying.

[@genroc2005]

That is what they said In the beginning he knew NO MARTIAL ARTS But started taking Kung fu and Tai Che And continued to do so even after the show ended But by the time he played with Chuck in Lone Wolf McQuade he was pretty good As good as Norris? No But he was as good as many who were in movies Damn sure a lot better than most extras

[@dhy5342]

@@genroc2005 Caine trained full time for 15 (?) years, Carridine trained part time for 3 (?) years. No contest.

[@elismith3402]

The series brought a lot of people to the martial arts, it worked out well for carradine and lee

[@majoroz4876]

@@elismith3402 VERY true statement.

[@BobGolob]

It is said from a Shaolin priest: looked at, he cannot be seen. Listen to, he cannot be heard. Touched, he cannot be felt. An iconic TV series. Just too short.

[@BobGolob]

@Stanley Jedrzejczyk Shaolin priests? They still exist. You can visit their temple.

[@thommysides4616]

Yes....the show should have gone on....

[@BobGolob]

I did.

[@BaekBalDosa]

@@BobGolob LOL. They're CCP life-actors forcibly trained after the purges of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution when even the old school hardline communists were arrested by the young Maoist Red Guards in 1966.

[@kimwestwood8840]

I think Bruce Lee was turned down for the role for racial reasons..His English was fine

[@FactsVerse]

Do you like Bruce Lee? What other types of videos would you like to see?

[@555orestes]

The producers didn’t think American audiences would watch an Asian in a lead role. Idiots. Every loved Bruce Lee.

[@andyman5446]

Go back and look at old interviews with Bruce Lee before Kung Fu. His English was perfect. It was reported that one of the Hollywood guys said "You can't make a star out of a 5 ft. 6 Chinaman. That's why he didn't get the roll.

[@kimwestwood8840]

@@andyman5446 Yea there was a lot of racial prejudice in that era for TV and movies..Carradine was a lame choice ..

[@randallulrich]

@@kimwestwood8840: Yeah, a lot prejudice, as well as trying to get big box office returns or high ratings on TV by casting well-known or high profile actors. Many questionable casting choices over the years because of this, such as Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"; John Wayne as Genghis Khan in " The Conqueror"; and Charlton Heston as Ramon Vargas in “Touch of Evil”, to name a few.

[@ThinkerThunker]

I LOVED Kung Fu then ... and am proud to admit it holds up just as well today.

[@FactsVerse]

What's your favorite episode from the show?

[@deemariedubois4916]

I thought Carridine was perfect in this role. I can’t imagine a reboot with a woman as the main character. I don’t think it going to work.

[@billkasperdotcom]

I'm sure Captain Marvel will be a girl Shaolin priest.

[@mikewilkins9769]

THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF DIGGING UP DAVID AND ATTACHING WIRES TO HIS CORPSE THAN THIS RUBBISH !

[@rudistade3331]

@@mikewilkins9769 Good one!! Hahaha!

[@deemariedubois4916]

Mike Wilkins I totally agree.

[@EinSofQuester]

If your employer hears you say that, you will be fired.

[@stevedaly3421]

Kung Fu had a great story line and message. However, the fight scenes were often pathetic. Watch one of his episodes, even from season 3, and then watch a Bruce Lee or Jet Li film. Not even close. Still, it's one of my favorite shows from the 70s, thanks to you, Mr. Carradine. May you rest in peace.

[@TOPSyndicate]

Exactly and another factoid the show was ripped off from Bruce Lee they just made it in to a western

[@mikewilkins9769]

I AM A HUGE FAN OF DAVID AS HIS WISDOM THROUGH THE SERIERS , I HAVE USED MANY TIMES, BUT THE WAY HE PASSED AWAY ???? EXPLAIN THAT ONE ???? HIS EX-WIFE SAID IT WoZ THE SHEMALE MAFIA ?????

[@mikewilkins9769]

I LIKED THE RATTLE SNAKE PITT EPISODE , I WONDER TO THIS DAY IF HE ACTUALLY DID THAT SCENCE AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDS I WOULD DO IT GIVEN THE CHALLENGE ?

[@danielcervantes927]

@@TOPSyndicate f*":! Warner Bros

[@TOPSyndicate]

@@danielcervantes927 agreed!

[@mistermindahenziandalasnus3754]

Bruce Lee not being picked for Kung Fu will always be one of the biggest missed opportunities for onscreen martial arts.

[@jimmysapien9961]

Racism

[@NDR-hn3ue]

Yes .

[@robertlulek1634]

@@jimmysapien9961 how is it racism?? Do they have to pick Bruce Lee because he's really Chinese? Why not pick a real true actor who has acting experience that will come off better as a humble man and David carradine certainly pulled off the character better than I'm sure Bruce Lee ever would

[@BrooklynAvenue]

@@jimmysapien9961 The character is also half white. Lee had his shot at the role and he didn't get it because he didn't fit the character and his mastery of English was a concern. There is plenty of real racism to get angry about in the world.

[@josephperkins4080]

@@jimmysapien9961 how is it racism when the character is half Chinese half white

[@LaserRanger15]

Not a fan of reboots. If they want to do that show, which could be OK, just don't connect it to the original series. That's lazy.

[@mikewilkins9769]

REBOOTS USUALLY MEAN OTHER ACTORS RECYLING THE SAME OLD SCRIPTS, THAT IS AN ISSUE AS THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIME.

[@lagunaflyguy]

You cannot remake perfection.

[@josepablolunasanchez1283]

Yes you can. It is called bootleg.

[@angelacarleton9575]

I always admired the way David Carradine was presented in his role as a monk travelling throughout his journey meeting people but also helping those that needed help. I loved that concept. I would have loved to have taken Kung Fu while I was young but other important matters were necessary. However, that was my regret not taking up Kung Fu during my youth at that time. It would have been helpful.

[@alfonsocantu9992]

Dearest Angela now is the best time to do anything today...yours very truly Alfonso Cantu USMC

[@Veteran007]

From the very beginning of the series, David said he was planning on performing the character for 3 years only. The reasons being: he didn't want to get too typecast. Secondly, he noticed that many the classic TV shows of the past were only on for 3 years.

[@davidh7440]

Master Po was not Caine's father. Did you even ever watch the show?

[@tintomara6209]

He's probably way too young to have watched it,to be fair to him.It's about 50 years old now isn't it?

[@stankygeorge]

Thanks for straightening out the facts, I am a big fan of the original Kung Fu and I hated to see it cancelled. The 2021 re-boot will be a flop! Hey Hollywoodthingies, if ya get Woke, ya go Broke! Ain't ya learnt that lesson yet!

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

My friends and I watched it together, Religiously. After graduation from High School I practiced Martial Arts full time. Student of Master Kanei Uechi Futenma City Dojo. Once upon a very long time ago. How long? Not very long!

[@robertdeen8741]

I believe it was Bruce Lee who originally thought of and pitched the idea for Kung Fu. They didn't use him because he "looked too Chinese".

[@friendlyone2706]

He would have been better. It always bothered me Carradine never looked Chinese.

[@jtc1947]

@ ROBERT Deen...As best I remember, The character of Caine was a child fathered by an AMERICAN SHIP CAPTAIN

[@SLOBeachboy]

@@friendlyone2706 - Its been about 45 years since I watched the show but if I remember correctly the Caine character was only supposed to be half Chinese, and David Caradine certainly looked as if he could plausibly be half Chinese. By the way, this was one of the more unrealistic aspects of the show in my opinion. Teaching Kung-Fu to westerners was strictly prohibited back then. This was even still true as late as Bruce Lee’s time. In fact when Bruce was first learning Wing Chun under Yip Man some of the students who did not like him tried to get him kicked out when they discovered that he was ¼ German. And even though Yip Man really liked Bruce they eventually got their way due to some leverage that they had on the old man - namely his opium addiction and their control of the purse strings. In any case, despite being a huge Bruce Lee fan back then I still think that David was the best choice for this particular role. There is just no way that Bruce could pull off being that stoic and at peace - particularly in the fight scenes.

[@jeffw1267]

Lee also spoke like he had a mouthful of marbles. It wouldn't have worked for an American TV show.

[@normanlee6609]

@@jtc1947 .....quite right, Caine's father was a American ship captain. But in the show Caine was NEVER mistaken for a white man, everyone called him "Chinaman" on sight, even though he doesn't look Asian at all

[@johnvaldez8830]

I remember as a kid watching Kung Fu, Six Million Dollar Man and other great shows. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

[@theloneranger8725]

No, they don't. That's because in 1972 shows were made to either inform you (documentaries) or entertain you. Now they are made to push some type of agenda; they could care less whether you get entertained. @John Moore I don't think he is really comparing the content of the two shows. He is pointing out that the two shows were aired in the same time period of the 70s.

Kung Fu. The show was STOLEN from Bruce Lee. He pitched what became the show and TV "suits" stole it. Yeah I know the vid mentions this, but I bears repeating.

[@clementjohnson2666]

Hi Crixus. I agree with you . I remember reading many years ago about how the concept of the t.v. series was put forth by Bruce Lee himself . But Warner Bros. Figured that the showing of an Asian in the LEAD Role of a weekly t.v. series wouldn't go over too well with the dominant society . I do remember reading that from years past . But also , if this guy Ed Speillman was truly the brains behind the concept of the T.V. show Kung Fu and he could in fact "prove" this , then why didn't he file a lawsuit against Bruce Lee or his estate ? It seems to me he would have had a " very" good chance of winning his case in court . That is , if Mr. Speillman was telling the truth .

[@dvillebenny1445]

Kung Fu aired after the Green Hornet was canceled.

[@roxyshow123]

Darn, you put it there before I could. Bruce Lee got a raw deal.

[@roxyshow123]

@@dvillebenny1445 Bruce Lee came up with the concept. It was his baby.

[@johnhungerford6073]

I was 8 and I could not imaging why they did not use Bruce Lee, pathetic.

[@purplealice]

Will the woman have to pick up and carry a red-hot iron brazier between her forearms?

[@stevevelobahn1814]

What will the "upper chest" symbols be?

[@StellaWaldvogel]

Bruce Lee didn't "go on" to prove himself in the Green Hornet. The Green Hornet ran in 1966-67, long before Kung Fu.

[@jchapman8248]

I enjoyed the Green Hornet vs Batman crossover series. I believe it was two episodes airing on the Batman Show. The Green Hornet and Cato stomped Batman and Robin. Some of my school friends got upset about that. Good memories.

[@michaeldavid4857]

David was an icon. He will always be missed.

[@toneman335]

The reboot will be a flop.

[@mikewilkins9769]

TRUST ME EVERYONE ON THIS FORUM IS SAYING THE SAME THING, WONDER WHY ?

[@overratedprogrammer]

The lessons and flashbacks make this one of the best shows ever

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for watching!

[@MadawaskaObservatory]

You got it wrong here. The show wasn't about martial arts at its core. That was hook to bring in viewers. It was about Buddhism and Taoism. The key characters was a Buddhist Monk. It showcased what was at the central focus of eastern thinking and behaviour from Buddhist and Taoist teachings, including the Tao Te Ching.

[@Oppeldeldoc1]

About TWO MINUTES OR LESS of any given episode was martial arts, because just as you say, it was about many other things. I'm not unsympathetic to Bruce Lee fans when it comes to the show, but no one else, Chinese or otherwise, could've done better than David Carradine did with the role.

[@me3333]

"Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand" After watching Kung Fu when I was a kid, I thought I was going to become a kung fu master, but I just turned out to be a middle aged fat guy who's only skill is making potato chips disappear

[@kirbyculp3449]

Do you drink beer?

[@me3333]

@@kirbyculp3449 Yes

[@cellsdoni5968]

Somewhere i feel like you could have still got into a shaolin school if a teacher would have asked you to snatch the potato chip from his hand.

[@deemariedubois4916]

me3333 We all have our own gifts. Be proud of yours.

[@SI-ln6tc]

You always can take up martial arts. It might also stop your food cravings. Take something light like tai chi or aikido.

[@gra6649]

I loves this show, it actually changed my life. Because of it I took up the martial arts, got a black belt, and became a Buddhist. By the way, you stated that master Po was Caine’s father. As in many of your videos you got something wrong. Masters Po was his teacher Master, not his father. That’s why his name was Caine, and not Po.

[@FactsVerse]

great story GRA

[@davyderr9067]

Ah yes young grasshopper

[@gra6649]

Facts Verse You really have on idea.😉

[@littlestonliest1186]

Not all the facts are correct and an excessive over abundance of advertisements.

[@shanewhitefeather6298]

They lost me after the second advertisement. Sad, this could have been a decent view

[@ddanson5831]

I use adblock plus it works i don't see the ads.

[@edwardbloecher4563]

Also contrary to narrative Bruce was on the Green Hornet long before Kung Fu first aired. I refer to the comment about Bruce's English. It was too choppy but he proved them wrong when he was on Green Hornet. Um cart before horse there

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Again, the Green hornet was 1966 and Kato was pretty silent. He probably had only a handful of lines per episode, His damn English in Enter the Dragon was fine.

[@edwardbloecher4563]

@@Bigbadwhitecracker yeah he didn't really say much as Kato. I think the one that sticks in my mind was the Batman Hornet crossover episode in which he sounds like Bruce from Enter the Dragon.

[@cellsdoni5968]

They were full of the something that follows the horse. . .

[@curtisthomas2670]

Bruce Lee shopped the idea for the show to Warner, as "Warrior" about a half Asian wandering the US frontier in Western era, but they turned it down then brought back the very same concept as "Kung Fu". Ironically, Lee was even denied the role in "Kung Fu" due to being considered too 'Asian looking' (he was mixed Chinese and white) and the role given to a CAUCASIAN Carradine😀. Further irony, Bruce's son Brandon showing up in the sequel. A series based partly on Lee's original concept eventually made it onto tv, the series "Warrior" on Cinemax.

[@cellsdoni5968]

@@curtisthomas2670 Bruce's mother was part German. He almost was denied lessons from his Wing Chun teacher b/c of it. The irony he would be denied on both fronts, from a fellow Chinese as well as a fellow American. Dog eat dog assed world he lived and we still do. 🤬

[@ponekingpetch3595]

David addressed this on the Kung Fu DVD set extras. He was going through bad personal issues such as his breakup with Barbara Hershey and Season Hubley and wanted out of the series. He began filming Death Race 2000 two weeks after he walked as he wanted to stay busy - his words - and he told the producers he was leaving the series and gave them ample notification.

[@davestang5454]

You are right. It really wasn't about "injuries" that ended the series. Carradine even admitted later in life that he probably should have done more seasons of the show and it ended prematurely. That's why he kept playing that character or something similar for decades after the original series ended.

[@ClassicStreetIron]

Green Hornet came out in 1966 so there was no question about Lee's ability to speak English. This was his concept and it was stolen from him because Hollywood didn't want an Asian in the role.

[@1966johnnywayne]

So, Beijing make a lot of movies for Chinese audiences starring Western actors in the lead role??? You f'ckn puss!es see racysssm in everything.

[@alhara4843]

It’s undeniable that Bruce Lee got discriminated out of the role even though he was the best candidate and most likely would have not pussy out because of injuries.

[@MikeS-um1nm]

It's undeniable that Bruce Lee is the greatest Martial Arts Icon on Earth and probably was the greatest Martial Arts Master, but I, personally, am glad he didn't portray Caine, just for that reason. I think David Carradine (spelling?) "LOOKED" the part "just good enough", but PLAYED the part really well. Maybe if I NEVER saw him as Caine, Bruce Lee would seem perfect, but he was just TOO good! Now that it's over and done, it just seems that Carradine played the part with such humility, patience, grace, kindness, wisdom and skill, I just cant picture Bruce Lee. I could see him just walking into ANY rough and tumble Western Saloon, and kicking EVERYBODY'S ass !!

[@shrapnel77]

I like Bruce, but his acting was wooden. Carradine was a great actor and above Bruce's level when it came to that talent. Plus, Kung Fu was more acting than action scenes. Sure, there was the fight at the end of the episode, but they were short clips, with many cuts. The show was driven by his relationship with strangers, people. Lee would have had a tough time pulling that off. I would have liked to have seen him in the role just for comparison, though. Asians were also not accepted in the mainstream tv.

[@MrAhuapai]

One can only imagine our great this series would of been if they had cast a real Asian martial arts master Bruce Lee. Unfortunately having a Asian play an Asian was a step too far for Hollywood in the early seventies. It did force Lee to go back Hong Kong and start his film career.

[@KennethKetchum]

I remember cause I watched the original run and hated that Bruce was not the star. Racist hollyweird.

[@jamesmcgrew7531]

You are absolutely correct.

[@johndelper1404]

H Royal, As I understand it Bruce Lee felt that westerners looked down on Asian culture, by showcasing Kung Fu he hoped to gain some much deserved respect, Although he missed out, the show Kung Fu gave him what he wanted, the great wisdom of Chinese philosophers, patience, virtue, respect, honesty plus martial arts, David Carradine played the part well and for many Americans like myself, it was a 1st peek into an unknown culture, Bruce Lee got his wish.

[@ronaldcoleman9455]

Bruce Lee could never be the. Caine character. Lee is a I will beat you up if yoy mess with me character. David is the hard to get mad character. That was the way the monks taught Caine. Walk away from the fight. Bruce Lee is FIGHT!!!! Still with Bruce Lee it would have been better in the fighting. The show put David on the map.

[@edydon]

This was a very interesting video but I wanted to add a possible correction. A KZbin discussion concerning why the series was cancelled included comments made by Radames Pera, the actor who played young Caine. He stated that during a critical period when ratings were being tallied, David Carradine, went on a drug-fueled binge and broke into someone's home. The resulting publicity appalled both the households whose preferences were used as a basis for determining ratings as well as the network distributers.

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for sharing this, Edydon!

[@waitandhope]

Well all I know is there's a clip of him saying the series wasn't cancelled per say he just left it, which he regretted because he didn't understand at the time how many people it actually was helping in the Asian community jobwise

[@alexanders562]

It should have absolutely been Bruce Lee as Cain.

[@sidv192]

So the series could be as forgettable as The Green Hornet.

[@alexanders562]

@@sidv192 As a matter of fact, because it would have much better representation of martial arts, and would have been even more memorable.

[@DavidRTribble]

Nothing can replace the original series (1972). Limited action (mostly in the last four minutes), flashbacks that tie the theme of each episode's plot from present to the past, superb acting by lead and supporting roles alike, and a humble personage taking on injustice in the Old West all combine to create a show that cannot be duplicated.

[@FactsVerse]

We agree! Original is almost always the best. What would you like to see in the reboot?

[@joeblow9210]

One of the first albums I ever got was the Kung Fu speaking/soundtrack album based on the show in its first season in 1972. I loved that album, had it for decades. That show was hugely popular.

[@Mr_PNW]

72’ wow was it that long ago? I was 13 at the time and none of my friends and I would ever miss an episode. The following day we would head outside and immediately, yet as ungracefully as an newborn foal, begin to swing and kick at each other, using the new moves we learned. Big impact...oh yeah.

[@thommysides4616]

I was 12 then and yes....we also did the same thing in our town.

[@thechannel5471]

Should have Bruce Lee, David did great job but don’t think he could match the talents of Bruce.

[@curtisthomas2670]

Bruce Lee shopped the idea for the show to Warner, as "Warrior" about a half Asian wandering the US frontier in Western era, but they turned it down then brought back the very same concept as "Kung Fu". Ironically, Lee was even denied the role in "Kung Fu" due to being considered too 'Asian looking' (he was mixed Chinese and white) and the role given to a CAUCASIAN Carradine😀. Further irony, Bruce's son Brandon showing up in the sequel. A series based partly on Lee's original concept eventually made it onto tv, the series "Warrior" on Cinemax.

[@dhaucoin]

Ignoring the plagiarism angle a second, I don't think Lee would have been a good Caine. He's amazing, don't get me wrong. But Lee's sheer force of personality and energy would have overpowered the rest of the show. Carradine's dancer training and quieter presence was perfect for Caine's Shaolin beliefs.

[@tonydouglas4474]

@@curtisthomas2670 Bruce Lee was not mixed, his son was mixed due to his White American mother Linda Lee

[@curtisthomas2670]

@@tonydouglas4474 his mother was mixed, Caucasian and Chinese, that would make him mixed also

[@francoisona]

Sorry Bruce couldnt have carried the serene charisma of Carradine.

[@billturner8823]

William Smith was awesome on Laredo!

[@bobstafford2068]

I really don't think the new Kung Fu in 2021 is not going to be very successful. But what do I know, I'm just an old "Boomer".

[@jodiemcaninch676]

Meeee tooo David carradine would hate this

[@petermullen7037]

This show was the birth of real mass market martial arts and the first thing I ever saw about Buddhism.

[@hydrolito]

Green Hornet had an assistant Kato that used Karate in 1936. Charlton comics had comic book called Judo Master in 1965 although used both Judo and Karate. He had trainee called Tiger. Tiger trained woman called Night Shade that appeared in Captain Atom comics. Catwoman used Catrate (pronounced (cat rot-E) on 1966 Batman TV show. Green Hornet show came out shortly there after with Bruce Lee as Kato (even though Kato was Japanese and Bruce Lee from Hong Kong.) Wonder Woman comics changed Wonder Woman where she no longer had powers and was learned martial arts from a blind instructor in 1968 which they called The New Wonder Woman.

[@noam65]

Let's start with the entire plot of the story was boom searching for his half brother, whom he found in the final season. That pretty much ends his major motivation. He wasn't an adventurer. That was a byproduct of the series plot. About 20 years later, the descendents of Caine were picked up, one of whom was played by David Carradine, where his son was a police officer. Caine was noted as the younger's great grandfather. Carradine, who passed away a good while back, cannot directly participate in any reboot. This original series was actually developed by Bruce Lee, whom the studios rejected. They mistakenly thought that an actual Asian actor was not to be used. It was a result of the bigotry that still exists in Hollywood, though to a somewhat lesser degree. So that part was rewritten to make it half white. Let's hope any reboot can pick up the original design, with a strong Asian actor. It's time.

[@edwardmiller792]

Just like Star Trek, The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine ... the new series will have its pros and cons. And no, .... it will not be the same as the old series. Nothing beats that. Maybe ... the legend continues comes a close second, but... NO CIGAR!! The new series can NEVER replace or beat the original.

[@mikewilkins9769]

DS9 WoZ SO AWFUL IT SHOULD BE ERASED FROM HISTORY, BUT STNG STARTED OUT VERY WOODEN, BUT THE CHARACTERS GOT TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER OVER THE SEASONS JUST LIKE THE SIMPSONS STARTED OUT VERY AWKWARD ?