Kung Fu: The Legend Continues

Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is an action/crime drama series and sequel to the original 1972–1975 television series Kung Fu. While the original Kung Fu series was set in the American old west, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues was set in modern times. It starred 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] Reruns of the show have been aired on TNT.

Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Created byEd Spielman
Based onKung Fu
by Ed Spielman
Jerry Thorpe
Herman Miller
Starring
Narrated byRichard Anderson
ComposerJeff Danna
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • United States
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes88 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerMichael Sloan
Producers
  • Gavin Mitchell
  • Susan Murdoch
  • John Hackett
Running time44–46 minutes
Production company
Release
Original networkPrime Time Entertainment Network
Original releaseJanuary 27, 1993 (1993-01-27) –
January 1, 1997 (1997-01-01)

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.

Plot

Like his grandfather and namesake from the original series, Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) is a Shaolin priest who walked out of the past. 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. Each believed the other had perished in the fire and went on their separate ways; Caine wandered and traveled, much as his grandfather had, while Peter became a foster child and eventually 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 he works.

Main cast
  • David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, Matthew Caine
  • Chris Potter as Det. Peter Caine
  • Kim Chan as Lo Si (The Ancient) / Ping Hai
  • Robert Lansing as Capt. Paul Blaisdell (Season 1 and 2)
  • Kate Trotter as Capt. Karen Simms (Season 3 and 4)
  • Scott Wentworth as Det. Kermit Griffin (Season 2–4)
  • Nathaniel Moreau as Young Peter Caine (in flashbacks, Season 1–3)
  • Robert Bednarski as Younger Peter Caine (in flashbacks, Season 4)
  • Belinda Metz as Det. Jody Powell, Det. Kira Blakemore
  • Richard Anderson as Narrator (uncredited)
  • Rob Moses as Master Khan
  • Sandey Grinn as Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Kincaid (Season 3 and 4)
  • William Dunlop as Chief of Detectives Frank Strenlich[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.[5]

Episodes
Main article: List of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122January 27, 1993 (1993-01-27)December 1, 1993 (1993-12-01)
222January 26, 1994 (1994-01-26)November 30, 1994 (1994-11-30)
322January 25, 1995 (1995-01-25)November 29, 1995 (1995-11-29)
422January 31, 1996 (1996-01-31)January 1, 1997 (1997-01-01)

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.[6] Season 2 was released on August 18, 2015.[7]

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

References
  1. Willman, Chris (January 27, 1993). "TV REVIEWS : Carradine Kicks In With New 'Kung Fu'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
  2. King, Susan (January 24, 1993). "Retro : Kung Fu: Alive and Kicking". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
  3. Storm, Jonathan (January 27, 1993). "Still Alive and Kickin'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.
  4. Paul Green (2016). "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues". Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games, 2d Ed. McFarland & Company. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-4766-6257-2.
  5. Lippman, John (March 22, 1992). "Too Costly for Prime Time : Television: Plunging profits are forcing Hollywood to chop paychecks and rein in production costs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  6. Available Sooner (Now!) and Cheaper: 'The Complete 1st Season' DVDs Archived 2014-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Early Info Provides Date and Cost for 'The Complete 2nd Season' Archived 2015-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
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