Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is an action/crime drama series and sequel to the original 1972–75 television series Kung Fu. While the original Kung Fu series is set in the American old west, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is set in the modern era. It stars David Carradine and Chris Potter as a father and son trained in kung fu – Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective.[1][2] The series aired in syndication for four seasons from January 27, 1993, to January 1, 1997, and was broadcast in over 70 countries. Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario.[3]
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by Ed Spielman
Jerry Thorpe
Herman Miller
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | |
|---|---|
| |
| Created by | Ed Spielman |
| Based on | Kung Fu by Ed Spielman Jerry Thorpe Herman Miller |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Richard Anderson |
| Composer | Jeff Danna |
| Countries of origin |
|
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Michael Sloan |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 44–46 minutes |
| Production company | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Prime Time Entertainment Network |
| Release | January 27, 1993 – January 1, 1997 |
The show was canceled when its producer, Prime Time Entertainment Network (also known as PTEN), ceased operations and no other producer opted to continue the series.
Synopsis
Like his grandfather and namesake from the original series, Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) is a Shaolin priest. In 1978, Caine was the head of a temple in Northern California, where his son Peter (Chris Potter) also lived and studied, until the temple was destroyed in a fire caused by a renegade priest who believed the priests should serve as mercenaries. Because of the intervention of one of the surviving priests (who was attempting to protect them from the renegade priest, who had escaped), each believed that the other had perished in the fire and went on their separate paths; Caine wandered and traveled, much as his grandfather had, while Peter became a foster child and eventually grew up to become a police officer. The series begins 15 years after the destruction of the temple when Caine reunites with Peter after entering the Chinatown district of the city where Peter works, and now father and son work at rebuilding their relationship, with Caine becoming inadvertently involved with some of the cases on which Peter is assigned.
Cast and characters
Main
- David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, Matthew Caine
- Chris Potter as Det. Peter Caine
Recurring
- Robert Lansing as Capt. Paul Blaisdell ("also Starring",[4] seasons 1–2, 25 episodes).
- William Dunlop as Chief of Detectives Frank Strenlich (seasons 1–4, 54 episodes).[4][5]
- Kim Chan as Lo Si "The Ancient" / Ping Hai (seasons 1–4, 54 episodes), an older Shaolin priest who is the proprietor of a Chinatown apothecary shop who becomes Caine's friend and mentor.[4]
- Rob Moses as Master Khan (seasons 1-4, 15 episodes, 4 uncredited).
- Nathaniel Moreau as Young Peter Caine (seasons 1–3, 54 episodes, in flashbacks).[4]
- Robert Bednarski as Younger Peter Caine (seasons 4, 12 episodes, in flashbacks).
- Belinda Metz as Det. Jody Powell (seasons 2–4, 33 episodes). Metz had previously played Det. Kira Blakemore in season one, "Shadow Assassin"[6] prior to her new role.
- Scott Wentworth as Det. Kermit Griffin (seasons 2–4, 25 episodes)
- Kate Trotter as Capt. Karen Simms (seasons 3–4, 25 episodes)
- Sandey Grinn as Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Kincaid (seasons 3–4, 5 episodes)
- Marla Schaffel as Tyler Smith (3 episodes), Peter's former fiance and on-and-off girlfriend.[4]
Production
In 1992, the series was sold to television stations as a first-run syndicated series, alongside Time Trax. The series was originally sold as Kung Fu: The Next Generation.[7]
The show was filmed in Canada, on location in the historic Toronto Chinatown.[4]
Episodes
Home media
On May 27, 2014, Warner Bros. released the complete first season on DVD in Region 1 in the USA only not Canada, via their Warner Archive Collection.[8] Season 2 was released on August 18, 2015.[9]
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 22 | May 27, 2014 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | August 18, 2015 |
| The Complete Third Season | 22 | N/A |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 22 | N/A |
The first season was released in Germany on DVD in 2009.
International broadcasters
Sri Lanka – Sirasa TV
Philippines – RPN Channel 9
Canada – First-run syndication, ATV/CTV/ASN/NTV/CHCH
USA – PTEN, first-run syndication
Kenya – KTN
Hungary – HBO, RTL Klub
Indonesia – RCTI
Poland – Polsat, TVN, TVN 7
Czech Republic – ČT1
Bulgaria – BNT
France – France 2, W9
Germany – PRO 7, Kabel 1
Mexico – Televisa
Brazil – SBT
