Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen in “Kung Fu” (Photo: Justine Yeung/The CW)
Christina M. Kim’s CW network upgrade of classic TV series Kung Fu wasn’t exactly targeted to viewers like me, per se. Nonetheless, it was only recently that I binged all three seasons with my mother on HBO Max and found myself enjoying it more than I expected, and even reveling for a little bit in the hopes of a continuation. Alas, when the news broke on Thursday of the show’s cancellation as part of a cost-cutting measure for shows to be filmed in the UK and Canada – per the network’s new business model, I was disappointed to say the least.
Feel free to comment in reaction to my post about the series on Instagram, but I’ll just go ahead and say that this was one of the finest shows I’ve ever watched – credited for steering the movement for better AAPI representation in entertainment, and frankly speaking, actor Tzi Ma is my new favorite TV dad. The action beefs up just a little more as the episode count progresses, as well as the stakes for each of the characters involved, including and especially with their arcs. Vanessa Kai, Yvonne Chapman and Shannon Dang are all forces to be reckoned with as are Eddie Liu, and Ludi Lin. Furthermore, the on-screen romance between Jon Prasida and JB Tadena had me on a rollercoaster for those two, and actor Ben Levin’s got me rooting for him as well going forward. The journey his character takes verges onto some serious, dark and interesting twists here.
More importantly though, many props go to the show’s star, Olivia Liang for carrying the torch as she did for this show. I don’t write a lot about show cancellations but I can earnestly say that even before today, all three seasons are safe to watch right down to the season three finale which inherently feels more like an upbeat closer than an open-ended cutoff point, although to be honest, at the very least, a TV feature finale to truly bookend Kung Fu would’ve made for a great surprise to reward fans instead of a cancellation. My heart goes out to the cast and creators behind this little gem of a show!
Hit Series KUNG FU Ends At The CW
May 11, 2023
Christina M. Kim’s CW network upgrade of classic TV series Kung Fu wasn’t exactly targeted to viewers like me, per se. Nonetheless, it was only recently that I binged all three seasons with my mother on HBO Max and found myself enjoying it more than I expected, and even reveling for a little bit in the hopes of a continuation. Alas, when the news broke on Thursday of the show’s cancellation as part of a cost-cutting measure for shows to be filmed in the UK and Canada – per the network’s new business model, I was disappointed to say the least.
Feel free to comment in reaction to my post about the series on Instagram, but I’ll just go ahead and say that this was one of the finest shows I’ve ever watched – credited for steering the movement for better AAPI representation in entertainment, and frankly speaking, actor Tzi Ma is my new favorite TV dad. The action beefs up just a little more as the episode count progresses, as well as the stakes for each of the characters involved, including and especially with their arcs. Vanessa Kai, Yvonne Chapman and Shannon Dang are all forces to be reckoned with as are Eddie Liu, and Ludi Lin. Furthermore, the on-screen romance between Jon Prasida and JB Tadena had me on a rollercoaster for those two, and actor Ben Levin’s got me rooting for him as well going forward. The journey his character takes verges onto some serious, dark and interesting twists here.
More importantly though, many props go to the show’s star, Olivia Liang for carrying the torch as she did for this show. I don’t write a lot about show cancellations but I can earnestly say that even before today, all three seasons are safe to watch right down to the season three finale which inherently feels more like an upbeat closer than an open-ended cutoff point, although to be honest, at the very least, a TV feature finale to truly bookend Kung Fu would’ve made for a great surprise to reward fans instead of a cancellation. My heart goes out to the cast and creators behind this little gem of a show!
Long live Kung Fu!
Read more at Deadline.
Lee B. Golden III
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!
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