Kung Fu is an American action‑drama television series that serves as a contemporary reboot of the 1970s Kung Fu series. The program aired on The CW network, premiering on April 7 2021 and concluding after two seasons in 2023.
Premise
The series follows Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), a Chinese‑American police detective in San Francisco who discovers she is the reincarnation of a legendary kung fu master. Guided by Jin (Andrew Koji), a monk who trains her in the ancient martial art, Shen balances modern law‑enforcement duties with the spiritual and physical discipline of kung fu while confronting crime and cultural conflicts within the city’s Chinatown community.
Production
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Created by | Christina M. Kim |
| Executive producers | Christina M. Kim, Jeremy Carver, James B. Hunt, R. Scott Baker, David S. Goyer (season 1) |
| Production companies | Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Production, CBS Television Studios |
| Filming locations | Primarily Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Original network | The CW |
| Original language | English |
| Number of seasons | 2 |
| Number of episodes | 26 |
| Runtime | 42 minutes per episode |
The series was ordered to series by The CW in January 2021, with the first season consisting of 13 episodes. In May 2022, The CW renewed the show for a second season, which also comprised 13 episodes and premiered on June 6 2022. In May 2023, The CW announced the cancellation of the series after its second season.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Olivia Liang | Nicky Shen – a detective who discovers her reincarnated kung fu heritage |
| Andrew Koji | Jin – a monk and martial‑arts mentor to Shen |
| Tzi Ma | Mr. Liu – a senior figure within the Chinatown community |
| Yvonne Mai | Grace Kao – Shen’s partner in the police department |
| Khylin Rogers | Hank Rao – a fellow officer and friend of Shen |
| Marc Gowen | Officer Rex – a recurring supporting character (season 1) |
| Ludi Lin | Megan Zhou – Shen’s younger sister (season 2) |
Reception
Critical response was mixed to positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 holds an approval rating of 71 % based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” Reviewers commonly praised the series for its representation of Asian‑American characters and its blend of martial‑arts action with procedural drama, while some critiqued its adherence to familiar television tropes.
Episodes
- Season 1 (2021): 13 episodes, aired April 7 – June 23 2021.
- Season 2 (2022): 13 episodes, aired June 6 – August 22 2022.
Home media and streaming
Both seasons have been released on digital platforms for purchase and were made available for streaming on The CW’s official website and on select subscription services following their broadcast runs.
See also
- Kung Fu (1972 TV series) – the original series on which the 2021 reboot is based
- Representation of Asian Americans in television
This entry reflects information available from publicly released sources up to 2023 and does not include speculative or unverified details.