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ADVENTURES IN PARADISE/ABC/1959-62
*(Weaver Levy/costar) Oliver Kee, Chinese-American seaman who plyed the waters
of the South Seas with Captain Adam Troy, a schooner skipper. Sondi Sodsai (Miss
Thailand of 1960) and Lani Kai appeared as Sondi and Kelly, two attractive young
Tahitian women featured during the 1960-62 season.
THE ADVENTURES OF FU MANCHU/SYN/1955-56
*(Glen Gordon) Dr. Fu Manchu, an evil, oriental scientific genius operating out
of Macao whose nefarious goals included the destruction of western democracy.
Hot on his heels was the determined Scotland Yard inspector Sir Dennis Nayland-Smith.
The series was based on the character created by novelist Sax Rohmer in the
early 1900's.
ALLY MCBEAL/FOX/1997-2002
*(Lucy Liu) Ling Woo, an icy, cold Chinese-American female lawyer with long
raven tresses who worked at the law firm of Fish & Associates in the city of
Boston. Early in the series when Ling entered a scene the
"Dum-Dee-Dum-Dee-Dum-Dum" music that accompanied the Wicked Witch of the West in
the movie The Wizard of Oz (1939) filled the air. Ling was no-hold-barred and
very quirky. She sued God, the Environment; and a woman for having real breasts.
She also liked to suck fingers and give "hair" during sex (dragging her long
hair over her partner's body to stimulate them). Actress Lucy Lu grew up in
Queens, New York and spoke Chinese until she went to school.
THE AMAZING CHAN AND THE CHAN CLAN/CBS/1972-74
*(Cartoon Character) Charlie Chan (Voice of Keye Luke), an oriental detective
who solved criminal cases with the aid of his rather large clan of relatives.
This animated Hanna-Barbera production was based on the famous detective stories
of Earl Derr Bigger's inspired by the real Honolulu police detective, Chang
Apana. Keye Luke actually played Charlie Chan's number two son in the 1940 film
adaptations. Other voices and characters included Robert Ito as Henry Chan;
Stanley Wong and Lennie Weinrib as Stanley Chan; Virginia Ann Lee and Cherylene
Lee as Suzie Chan; Brian Tochi as Alan Chan; Leslie Kumamota and Jodie Foster as
Anne Chan; Michael Takamoto and John Gunn as Tom Chan; Jay Jay Jue and Gene
Andrusco as Flip Chan; Debbie Jue and Beverly Kushida as Nancy Chan; Leslie
Kawai and Cherylene Lee as Mimi Chan; and Robin Toma and Michael Morgan as
Scooter Chan. See also THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN.
BACHELOR FATHER/CBS/NBC/ABC/1957-62
**(Sammee Tong) Peter Tong, outspoken Chinese houseboy who cared for the
household of Hollywood attorney, Bentley Gregg. Peter's relatives included
Victor Sen Yung (of BONANZA fame) as cousin, Charlie Fong (earlier called
Charlie Ling); and Beal Wong as Grandpa Ling "a 70-year-old juvenile delinquent"
who limited English vocabulary included the words "Hello, Joe" and "Nice."
BIG BROTHER JAKE/FAM/1990-94
**(Rachelle Guzy) Caroline, a little abandoned oriental girl living at an
interracial foster home in Brooklyn, New York.
BLACK SASH/WB/2003
*(Russell Wong) Tom Chang, a San Francisco narcotics cop who travels undercover
to China only to be falsely accused by his corrupt partner for smuggling heroin.
Consequently, Tommy served five years in jail in Hong Kong. Upon his release
Tommy returns to San Francisco to put his life back together and to reunite with
his wife, Beth (Ona Grauer) and pre-teen daughter Claire (Valerie Tian). The
problem is that Beth is now re-married to a Caucasian guy who believes that
Tommy is bad news and doesn't want him visiting Claire. Meanwhile, Tommy needs
to work, so he takes takes room and board at a wharf-side Chinese martial arts
school (Ba Gua Zhang style) run by his former teacher Master Li (Mako). Now, in
between training martial arts to a group of multicultural teenagers with their
own set of problems, Tommy hires himself out as bounty hunter to make ends meet
and to collect the funds needed to wage a legal battle that will one day undue a
court issued restraining order and give him visitation rights to his daughter
(and maybe a second chance with his wife). On the job, Tommy and Master Li
espouse such philosophical sentiments as "We must move the way life moves...be
flexible," or "Everything unfolds as it should. Patience is always rewarded."
TRIVIA NOTE: In the original pilot, Russell Wong's character was named Tom
Ballard. See also - "Vanishing Son"
BLACK TIE AFFAIR/NBC/1993
**(Maggie Han) Cookie, beautiful Asian assistant of part-time San
Francisco-based private eye who ran a used record store on the side.
BONANZA/NBC/1959-73
**(Victor Sen Yung) Hop Sing, a hot-tempered Chinese cook who worked for the
Cartwright family on the Ponderosa ranch near Virginia City, Nevada in the late
1800's. Hop Sing was fond of reminding his employers "You listen Hop Sing. Hop
Sing 'A' number one cook. Will cook whatever you like." Victor Sen Yung also
appeared as Asian cousin Charlie during the 1961-62 season of BACHELOR
FATHER/NBC/CBS/ABC/1959-62. Gareth Yuen played the role of Hop Sing on the
prequel series PONDEROSA/PAX/2-0001-2002 that told the story of the Cartwright
family in the early days of 1849 as widower Ben Cartwright first established his
Ponderosa ranch.
BOOK OF DANIEL/NBC/2006
**(Ivan Shaw) Adam Webster, a 16-year-old adopted Chinese son who dates the
daughter of one of Daniel's parishioners (who harbors anti-Asian prejudices).
BURKE'S LAW/ABC/1963-66
**(Leon Lontoc) Henry, oriental manservant and chauffeur for Los Angeles
millionaire police detective, Captain Amos Burke. Henry often drove his employer
to the scene of a crime in a Rolls Royce.
CASSIE & COMPANY/NBC/1982
**(A Martinez) Benny Silva, part-time Hispanic gym manager and leg man for
beautiful divorced ex-cop turned private eye.
CHASE/NBC/1973-74
**(Brian Fong) Officer Fred Sing, Chinese-American policeman and expert
motorcycle rider working for a special unit of the Los Angeles Police
Department.
CLAUDE'S CRIB/USA/1997
**(James Wong) Des, a happy go-lucky Asian-American living in an apartment owned
by a free-wheeling African-American guy who rents out rooms to make ends meet.
James Wong is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from Carnegie-Mellon
University with an engineering degree, pursued acting and comedy and is
proficient in the martial arts (Kenpo Karate, Judo, Aikido, Chinese Wu Shu and
Japanese Sword) as well in the musical arts.
CITY/CBS/1990
**(Rodney Ueno) Chuck, Asian mail room clerk working in the mayor's office of an
unnamed metropolis.
CRAZY LIKE A FOX/CBS/1984-86
**(Lydia Lei & Patricia Ayame Thomson) Allison Ling, Chinese-American secretary
of Harrison K. Fox, a San Francisco-based attorney whose father Harry Fox
frequently burst in on Allison and interrupted her while working on legal
matters.
DIANA/NBC/1973-74
**(Liam Dunn) Smitty, an Oriental-American bellboy who worked at the Manhattan
apartment building of Ms. Diana Smythe, an English divorcee new to New York
City.
DIFF'RENT STROKES/NBC/ABC/1978-86
**(Rosalind Chao) Miss Chung, a Chinese-American elementary school teacher of
black student, Arnold Jackson during the 1982-83 season.
DING HOWE AND THE FLYING TIGERS/SYN/1950
**(Richard Loo) Hu Fang, the evil leader of the Hill bandits who teamed with a
group of renegade pilots (The Flame Dragons). Hu Fang's plans to conquer a
region called Kunsang in China were thwarted by American pilots known as the
Flying Tigers. Other cast included Ding Howe ("Good Friend" in Chinese) a U.S.
pilot born in China who returned from America to fight Hu Fang and his minions;
Rob Lee as Wing Lee, a Chinese mechanic working for the Flying Tigers; Victor
Sen Yung, as General Ching, a Chinese leader who battled Hu Fang; and Spencer
Chan as Lum Chow, the proprietor of the Gentle Dragon bar.
A - D
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L - O
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Z
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Customer: |
How do you get your shirts so
clean, Mr. Lee? |
| Mr. Lee: |
Ancient Chinese Secret |
| Mrs. Lee |
My husband, some hot shot. Here's his ancient Chinese secret. Calgon. Calgon's
two water softeners soften wash waters so detergents clean better, In hardest
water, Calgon helps detergents get laundry up to 30% cleaner. [yelling] We need
more Calgon! |
| Customer: |
[to Mr. Lee] Ancient Chinese Secret, Huh! |
| Announcer: |
Calgon helps detergents get laundry up to 30% cleaner. |
| |
-- 1972 Calgon TV Commercial |
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