
Kung Fu
Seen it?1972 | 3 seasons | 50 min | Action & Adventure, Drama, Western, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Why it’s a Saturday Special
It won 4 Emmys, it was critically acclaimed and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for sci-fi fans and action fans. If you loved Warrior, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- 3 seasons: a few weeks of evenings, episodes of about 50 minutes, about 52 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-14. Probably too much for younger kids.
- Made in 1972: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
The adventures of a Shaolin Monk as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
Critically acclaimed
- AudiencesSolid
7.7 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 4 Emmys: Primetime Emmy Award: Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic), Primetime Emmy Award: Best Director – Drama Series, Primetime Emmy Award: Best Cinematography – One Hour Drama, Primetime Emmy Award: David Carradine, Mejor Actor Extranjero. Won 1 WGA Award: Television: Episodic Drama: Best Cinematography – One Hour Drama. Also nominated for 9 more Emmys and 2 Golden Globes.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 3 seasons and reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 213K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Saturday Special. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 1 is the high point.
- Season 11972 · 15 episodes · 7.6 out of 10Sunday
- Season 21973 · 23 episodes · 4.5 out of 10Monday
- Season 31974 · 24 episodesNot rated yet
Trailer
More like this
WarriorSaturday SpecialAnother martial arts drama, and a Saturday Special.
MarshalsSunday Safe BetAnother Wild West drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Kung FuSunday Safe BetAnother martial arts action series, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Into the BadlandsWeeknight WatchAnother martial arts action series, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Marvel's Iron FistMonday Morning MaybeAnother martial arts action series. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
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Cast & crew
Created by Herman Miller, Ed Spielman, Jerry Thorpe
- David CarradineKwai Chang Caine
- Keye LukeMaster Po
- Philip AhnMaster Kan
- Radames PeraYoung Caine