The Real Reason 'Kung Fu' was Cancelled
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- Remember that scene in Pulp Fiction when Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta are sitting at the diner and Jackson explains his life dream? He Said that he wants to just walk the earth like Caine's character in Kung Fu - to walk from place to place, meeting different people and getting into all kinds of adventures.
Kung Fu undeniably had an impact on Quentin Tarantino who even incorporated various themes from the hit 1970s show into his martial-arts inspired feature film, Kill Bill.
For example, Bill himself was played by David Carradine who was the star of Kung Fu. He even sported the same look, flute and all, as his iconic transient wanderer Kwai Chang Caine. Pai Mei, Kill Bill's master also conjured up the memory of Caine's trainer, Master Po. The similarities abound.
Kung Fu had far-reaching influence. When it premiered in 1972, it was one of the very first martial arts-themed shows to find success in American popular culture. It didn't hurt that the series was basically a western set in the old wild west in the mid 19th century.
Kung Fu was a triumphant piece of television history. The series brought the martial arts into our living rooms while telling the story of Kwai Chang Caine - a young Shaolin monk who travels to the American Old West, equipped with his spiritual sensibilities and values and his knowledge of the martial arts. Throughout his journey, he is on the pursuit of his brother Danny Caine.
In the Pilot episode, Caine's mentor, Master Po, is brutally murdered. Caine avenges this death by killing his mentor’s assassin who happens to be the nephew of the Emperor. Following this unfolding of events, Caine is forced to flee to America to avoid certain death.
The show broke ground. It inspired many spin-offs including Kung Fu: The Next Generation and The Legend Continues. In 2021 a reboot series is set to premiere on the CW. So be on the lookout for that.
This video will show you 10 little known facts about the series that became a cultural phenomenon. IT turns out, that the show enjoyed good ratings for its entire run. So find out why the show was ultimately canceled.
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Master Po WASN’T Caine’s father. He was his teacher.
he was both actually lol
@@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.
People obviously haven’t watched the show; including the clown that narrated this video.🤣😂
@@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.
@@AtmxDawg24 I don't think the narrator has watched anything.
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!!
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.
@@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.
@@veganath Right on! Talk about memory lane.. he he cheers!
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.
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
What was your favorite memory of the show, 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
@@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!
One of us...
@@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.
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.
Thanks for sharing, Glenn!
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.
🙄
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.
The philosophy was so much more
@@paulworgan6599 What I got was that his strength came from his humility. A great life lesson!
youre so right bro
I hope the get the effect sorted
The new shows all sucked
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.
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.
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!!!!
So was I (Jan '58) and growing up in a South Bronx housing project I learned Gung Fu pretty quick.
TV was simple back then only 13 channels
i first saw the show as a 19 year old in 2009 and it is also my favorite TV show for life!
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.
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.
@@ms.annthrope415exactly 🤣🤣🤣
@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.
Wasn't Bruce Lee supposed to played that character
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.
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.
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.
I believe that Jet Li embodied humility in his films and would be an excellent choice for a reboot today.
“the bullet. Passed through my body, into hers”.
“Remember, Kwai Chang. You are only a monk”.
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.
He was born for the role. Total perfection.
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!
Enzo 1965
Spell it? Google it!
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.
Behold the way of nature and no force of man can harm you.
Shinja Okinawa
Arigato my friend!
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 !
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!
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
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
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.
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
Great show
The writing was genius
Jesse Melendez
Luke who played master Po also did the voice over for the character Han in enter the dragon.
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.
SNAKEPIT359 Keye Luke was also Number one son in the old Chalke Chan movies.
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.
Nothing will beat the original series! It was my favorite series growing up
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?
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.
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.
"Silent Snow Secret Snow" was a treasure!!
Thank you for correcting the errors R.P. The show was made so much more authentic with your participation in it.
Thank you for adding some first hand insight. Too many videos lack input of actual sources.
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.
Hollywood will never learn. Leave certain shows along. Kung Fu is a classic and should be left alone.
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.
TRUST ME I READ THE SCRIPT TO ET 2 AND THAT WoZ REALLY BAD !
YR PROBABLY RIGHT WITH THIS BUT THE NEW HAWAII 5-0 IS PRETTY OK.
Hollywood jumped the shark in 1999. There has not been anything new and groundbreaking. It is all sequels, remakes, and reboots.
Agreed.
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!
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?
He was his grandfather
I always thought the best part was when the master was teaching the young student....always insightful and beautiful in the teachings
Caine and Spock had similar qualities and strengths. Theyre amongst my favorite characters.
Both characters were vegan. Are you?
They are two of my favorites too!!!?
I began to watch Kung Fu (1972) after so many years. I'm 71 and now I have an entirely new perspective seeing this again. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Each episode as powerful than the next. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I'm 78, a Chinese linguist from Texas and you and I walk the same path about Kung Fu,
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.
The bully always got his justice due and David walked off into the sunset afterwards. Nuff said.
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.
True---but,I was sad to read David Carradine dies from sexual asphyxiation-& was a rampant drug user.
Spoils the role model 4 me.......
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.
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~~
Good give that rooster hell
Never mess with anything that has a pecker on its face
chick fu= the way of the rooster.
If that rooster new the tiger stance you would have been in trouble lol.
Chicken soup 👍🏻
A classic TV series that will be played 100s of years from now and will still be enjoyed.
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.
Dearest Angela now is the best time to do anything today...yours very truly Alfonso Cantu USMC
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.
Thats what they said about charmed and mysteriously Its been greenlit for another season
Normally I'd think that BUT Hawaii 5 O and Magnum PI reworks are not bad!! so interested to see if it is?
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
Bruce Lee was suppose to do it.
Its never to late brother
Remember, grasshopper? In a Fight? Best defense? Not be there!
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.
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
The lessons and flashbacks make this one of the best shows ever
Thanks for watching!
Po was not his father
You cannot remake perfection.
Yes you can. It is called bootleg.
I loved Kung Fu, the Legend Continues. It was more life lessons than fighting.
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.
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.
@@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
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.
@@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.
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
I was 26 when Kung Fu first started. Even my kids loved watching it. David Carradine was perfect in the role. I have recently started watching season 1 on DVD bringing ack great memories.
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.
"snatch the pebble from my hand"
such a good show
As soon as anyone says that sentence you know where it came from.
SNACH $50 BUCKS FROM MY HAND WILL MOST LIKELY BE IN THE REBOOT ?
yeah i always remember grass hopper
@@derrickcunliffe7334 and there is also ...
"time . for you . to leave."
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.
Loved the show when I was a kid.
I own a copy of the 3 year run and I'll watch it every couple of years.
RIP David Carradine
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.
I loved kung fu..it was my favorite show.
i used to watch it with my friends we would gather exclusively to watch that..
I know that the new show will do well
Me too. I was madly in love with him :)
We can re-live it through the DVD box sets ;
David was an icon. He will always be missed.
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.
I remember watching the show on Sunday afternoon s at home and acting it out in the playground at school on Monday afternoon ,,,,
They need to stop with the reboot. Only one person can do it and r.i.p. to David
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.
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.
AGREED IT WOULD BE LIKE THOSE DODGY STAR WARS FILMS AND PREQELS TO A TRUE FANBOY !
@Dallas Cowboys Be quiet, you dumb hick.
@@dukeingalls474 more especially during Kung-Fu, The Legend Continues.
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.
@Stanley Jedrzejczyk Shaolin priests? They still exist. You can visit their temple.
Yes....the show should have gone on....
I did.
@@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.
I recently checked out the series "Warrior" and found it very amazing to watch. Now I'm waiting for season three of it to return.
good job ..thanks for taking the time
It was nice that they added Buddhist or Confucius philosophy in each episode
It was actually Taoist
The original Kung Fu will NEVER be topped. And Carradine was perfect for the role. A truly great, ground-breaking TV show.
Walt Lutz Carradine was a dancer, Bruce Lee was passed up for the roll that he should have gotten
@@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.
Carradine stole the role from Bruce Lee because there again racist Americana f×ck over Bruce lee
ALWAYS BE A FAN AS HE FOUGHT CHUCK NORRIS , YET HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING ?
@@mikewilkins9769 It was a movie... stupid.
Thanks for this, I must say it was good to hear how and why things went the way they did; as to another reboot... hmmm I'm doubtful but it may have a chance?
I LOVED Kung Fu then ... and am proud to admit it holds up just as well today.
What's your favorite episode from the show?
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.
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!
"David Carradine is as much a martial artist as I am an actor" - Chuck Norris
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.
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
@@genroc2005 Caine trained full time for 15 (?) years, Carridine trained part time for 3 (?) years. No contest.
The series brought a lot of people to the martial arts, it worked out well for carradine and lee
@@elismith3402 VERY true statement.
Master po was keye Luke who was in real life lived in a apartment in hollywood..he had a skin cap on and had more hair then most 18 y.o. had..was very down to earth..he took voice lessons from my grandmother..
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.
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. ✨
@@silvamorphisphaeble7863 I imagine it would have been like his movie The Silent Flute aka Circle of Iron.
milo14564 Thanks 4 the comment. I’ll have to check that stuff out.
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.
@@normanlee6609 Believe it or not, I was thinking Tao, but the Shaolin were Zen, so I wrote Buddhism. Oops.
“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.
Sadly, Green Hornet compared to any detective show of the day, but couldn't find it's audience. A great loss to TV.
Timeline of this review twere a bit off.
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.
Please. The Green Hornet was right down there with Batman. The only good moments were when Hornet shouted "Nice work Cato!"
Green hornet was before Kung Fu was even imagined
Great job researching all this!!
Pai Mei was not based on Master Po. Pai Mei (translation: "White Eyebrow") was an actual person, one of the five founding masters of the White Lotus school and style. He, like the other five, was a colorful individual, and kind of a legend in his own right. He was known to have a short temper and an abrasive personality, but rarely wrote a check with his mouth that he couldn't cash with his fists. As a result of the stories which grew up around his legend, he became a staple character/character type in martial arts movies. THAT is what the _Kill Bill_ character pays homage to.
Pai Mei is also a myth. People believed he was real but it turns out he was just folklore.
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.
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
thanks michael
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.
@lee johnson
?
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.
I was a child when Kung Fu was on in the 1970's. I was a big fan of the show....I would find it difficult to believe any show could compare to it's caliber.
I used to like the music at beginning, and the flutes. The program had a strange kind of suspense about it too. The start of the show was magical...the rice paper....the stick fighting...all the drills...and the red hot cauldron.
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.
We agree! Original is almost always the best. What would you like to see in the reboot?
"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
Do you drink beer?
@@kirbyculp3449 Yes
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.
me3333 We all have our own gifts. Be proud of yours.
You always can take up martial arts. It might also stop your food cravings. Take something light like tai chi or aikido.
No re..makes or additional series will ever be as brilliant as the Original..
R.I.P..David
What's your favorite episode of the original series, Jacqueline?
@@FactsVerse Hee hee I love them all..but the gold star on top of the tree goes to The Flintstones.. I grew up with them..added something very magical to childhood.
@@FactsVerse My favourite Kung Fu..sorry..
I am not sure..think I would have to watch them all again..Yay.
Thanks for the video.
Oh one other thing. Master Po wasn’t Caine’s father! Beloved seifu, teacher is more like it. Just saying. Facts.
Qui Chang's Father was an American, which is why he fled to America.
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.
@william bush
Yeah man..... Was that what it was called? I just remember watching regularly. Those were just great entertainment.
@william bush Thanks William for bringing back some great memories!
Watched every episode last year when it was free on Prime..... Love it now, loved it then.
I won't watch a reboot of this series,, it was perfect the way it was,, Hollywood will never learn...R.i.P. Caine
I’m not interested in a reboot. And won’t watch it.
Yeah you know it’s gonna suck.
Why? You don't want to see, yet another, 90 lbs chick kicking the shit out of a bunch of guys? lol
I GET MY SHOES RE-HEALED ALL THE TIME ?????????
Yep, me neither. Just like I didn't watch the reboot of Hawaii Five-0.
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.
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.
Loved Kung Fu,watched ever show as a young teen, so sad it ended and Caridine not only died by the way he died. God Bless Him and the show,thank you - Ken
What was your favorite episode of the show, Roxanna?
Had a profound effect on a teenager growing up in Lancashire in the 70's. Wonderful stuff!
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!
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!
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.
AND THE MOVIE CATWOMAN DID NOT GO WELL EITHER !
You missed the big one. Who?
@@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
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.
“ 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?
This was a very interesting video but I wanted to add a possible correction.
A CZcams 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.
Thanks for sharing this, Edydon!
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
I watched this series as a boy. I took notes of the "teachings". Altho' the notebook is long gone, I recall a phrase that has had a lasting effect, "the seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past".
Earlier than this I recall my grandmother once writing, "Your future lies before you, like a path of fresh fallen snow. Be careful how you walk on it, for every step will show".
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.
Exactly and another factoid the show was ripped off from Bruce Lee they just made it in to a western
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 ?????
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 ?
@@TOPSyndicate f*":! Warner Bros
@@danielcervantes927 agreed!
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.
great story GRA
Ah yes young grasshopper
Facts Verse You really have on idea.😉
I would like to say one thing here; Virgil Kane is my name and I rode on the Danville train, till so much cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
My favorite line in the entire series was the unnamed monk saying to those impatient boys, "please, go home." Don't know why I like that so much. Now I am 65 yo and still play a bamboo flute. You could look up "Erik the Flutemaker". Erik is the expert!
One of our favorites too, you've got fine taste! What other types of video would you like to see?
HOPE THE SHOW COMES BACK! LOVED IT.
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.
I was 12 then and yes....we also did the same thing in our town.
thanks, i grew up watching kung fu but i never knew how the show ended.
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 .
All of these reboots with women in the lead role is going to bankrupt hollyweird.
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!”
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.
Woke-ung-fu, It's going to be atrocious.
Good!
Woke to broke Kung Fu. Sure why not.
Kung Fu 🤩one of my childhood memories that I loved. As a child I was allowed to watch 1 hr of t.v. a day. I did not pick cartoons , I wanted to watch Kung-Fu.
It was mesmerizing to watch Grasshopper fulfill such a majestic role. I loved his Spot-on honesty & wisdom.
I love Bruce Lee, but I do love David playing the role.
it was not only influential for Tarantino, but also very much for me as well ... when I was 10 y old it showed me a whole new system of values and the potential greatness of man
me too. A big part of my childhood, and my developing imagination.
It was good to see goodness on the screen.
Watched original Kung Fu series as often I could. I was attending FSU at that time. I loved it! As far as you know, is a reboot still in the work for next year? I will be looking for it.
That Quentin Tarantino he is the best. I love the way he has continuity with in his movies. I miss the connections between Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill and its relationship to the series Kung Fu. Good job facts verse.
Thank you Facts Verse Mom
I read that Carradine stopped Kung Fu because it was so stressful for him. He had to be in nearly every scene, except for the flashbacks, throughout the entire series. It must have been really tough, holding the entire series all on its own.
Actually, he had a bad acid trip (he was a frequent user), broke into a neighbour's house, cut his arms on the glass he broke, and bled all over the piano that he decided to play. The Hollywood police found him curled up in the fetal position, booked him, and it made the papers. As a result, the network pulled the plug on the show and kept it out of syndication (reruns) for six years, hoping that was long enough for the negative publicity to die down.
David (Caine) was my hero growing up. He got me a part in my first movie and later I was in Revenge of the Nerds with his brother Robert. I saw Robert a year and a half ago. Boy we got old.
Bruce Lee not being picked for Kung Fu will always be one of the biggest missed opportunities for onscreen martial arts.
Racism
Yes .
@@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
@@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.
@@jimmysapien9961 how is it racism when the character is half Chinese half white
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.
REBOOTS USUALLY MEAN OTHER ACTORS RECYLING THE SAME OLD SCRIPTS, THAT IS AN ISSUE AS THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIME.
Bruce Lee got the ball rolling with his idea for a show called, ‘The Warrior,’ which eventually turned into the series, ‘Kung Fu.’ He had an idea, tried to actualize it, but the higher ups didn’t feel confident with an Asian lead and modified his idea into what they felt would work better for them. They can defend and say it was their idea because they altered certain concepts, but it was Bruce Lee’s initial idea that birthed this series into existence.
Honestly, do you think this show would’ve even been made had Bruce Lee not existed? Martial arts on tv became a hit in the west because of Bruce Lee, and the people who took his idea and ran with it on their own shouldn’t feel the need to defend themselves by claiming it was all their idea. Bruce Lee himself even said he understood their lack of confidence due to his race, and he moved on to conquer cinema in a bigger way.
All this being said, I still enjoyed watching Kung Fu, and appreciate how it gave the west a heavy helping of Eastern Philosophy (which I found helpful in my personal journey of self discovery during my younger days). I also found enjoyment in the sequel series, ‘Kung Fu: The Legend Continues,’ for the same reason. I even look forward to its newest CW 2021 series for finally bringing an Asian lead into the fold. However, I’m not going to ignore Bruce Lee’s initial influence on the creation of this franchise.
It is good to know people in industry who understood what happened and respect the legacy of Bruce Lee are stepping in with the creation of ‘The Warrior’ and trying to deliver his original idea in a modern way. I still would’ve loved to see what Bruce Lee would’ve came up with had he been able to do his thing, but perhaps things worked out for the better. As I said, Bruce Lee moved on and established himself in a bigger, and better way.
William Smith was awesome on Laredo!
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.
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.
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.
I'm sure Captain Marvel will be a girl Shaolin priest.
THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF DIGGING UP DAVID AND ATTACHING WIRES TO HIS CORPSE THAN THIS RUBBISH !
@@mikewilkins9769 Good one!! Hahaha!
Mike Wilkins I totally agree.
If your employer hears you say that, you will be fired.