The New Adventures of Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan investigates crime in a 1950s syndicated series.
The New Adventures of Charlie Chan is a crime drama television series that aired in syndication in the United States from September 1957 to 1958. It consists of 39 half-hour monochrome episodes following the investigations of the fictional detective Charlie Chan, a character created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1925. The series is notable for continuing the convention of having the Asian character Chan played by a Western actor, while his son(s) were portrayed by actual Asian performers.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama
- Director
- Leslie Arliss / Charles Bennett / Don Chaffey / Charles F. Haas / Alvin Rakoff
- Starring
- J. Carrol Naish / James Hong
- Composer
- Emil Newman
- Country
- United States / United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 39
- Executive Producer
- Leon Fromkess
- Producer
- Rudolph C. Flothow / Sidney Marshall
- Camera
- Single-camera
- Runtime
- 25 mins.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was initially produced by Television Programs of America (TPA) in the United States for its first five episodes, after which production moved to the United Kingdom under ITC Entertainment. J. Carrol Naish portrayed Charlie Chan, while James Hong played Barry Chan, the 'Number One Son'. Hong later stated that Naish had him fired from the show after Naish took against him for missing a line in rehearsal, with Hong attributing the conflict to Naish's 'deep prejudice'.
Reader's Guide
The New Adventures of Charlie Chan represents a late-era television adaptation of the popular fictional detective, produced during a period when the character's portrayal was already controversial for its use of yellowface. The series is significant for its production history, shifting from the United States to the United Kingdom, and for the casting of James Hong, who later became a prominent Asian-American actor. The series also featured notable guest stars such as Honor Blackman, Brian Nissen, and Patrick Troughton. A six-issue comic adaptation was published by DC Comics from June 1958 to April 1959, written by John Broome and drawn by Sid Greene.
Did You Know?
- The first five episodes were made by Television Programs of America (TPA) in the United States before production switched to the United Kingdom under ITC Entertainment.
- James Hong, who played Number One Son Barry Chan, said J. Carrol Naish had him fired after Naish took against him for missing a line in rehearsal.
- Guest stars included Honor Blackman, Southern Television chief announcer Brian Nissen, and Patrick Troughton.
- DC Comics published a six-issue comic adaptation from June 1958 to April 1959.
More in British drama television series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced