"The Green Hornet" (1966) TV series 1966-1967

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Creator:

George W. Trendle

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 September 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Plot:

A newspaper publisher and his Asian valet/martial arts expert battle crime as the feared Green Hornet and Kato.

Plot Keywords:

Green Hornet | Kato | Kung Fu | Secret Identity | Mask

Cast

Van Williams	...	Britt Reid / ... (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Bruce Lee	...	Kato (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Wende Wagner	...	Lenore 'Casey' Case (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Lloyd Gough	...	Mike Axford (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Walter Brooke	...	District Attorney Frank P. Scanlon (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Dozier	...	Narrator (26 episodes, 1966-1967)

Also Known As:

"The Kato Show" (Hong Kong: English title) (informal title)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes) | 99 min (movie version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Bruce Lee once said that he was selected for the role of Kato because he was the only Asian actor who could properly pronounce "Britt Reid".

Quotes:

Narrator: Another challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the Black Beauty. On Police records a wanted criminal, Green Hornet is really Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel, his dual identity known only to his secretary and to the district attorney. And now, to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens, rides THE GREEN HORNET."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dogma (1999)

The Green Hornet- it stands the test of time

I have been a Green Hornet fan since the TV series first appeared in 1966. I was very angry when ABC took it off the air after the first season without even having the decency to run reruns. I first had to do with reel-to-reel recordings to help me remember my favorite TV show, so when I finally found a source for the videotapes I was thrilled. These tapes like most pirated tapes made from the TV were not very clear and suffer horribly from the butchering TV stations do to fit in the extra commercials added to recycled TV shows. I am eagerly waiting for the day when Fox finally decides to put out official uncut epsiodes. For all that butchering, the Green Hornet series has held up very well considering that 33 years have passed since that first airing. While a lot of people like to compare the Green Hornet TV series to the Batman series, it is like comparing apples and oranges. The Batman series, although it was typical of the overblown psychedelica of the mid 60's, is considered by this long time Batman reader to be an insult to one of comicdom's most powerful characters, an error that was not rectified until the first Batman movie (Micheal Keaton?- who woulda' thought?). The Green Hornet series does not owe its style to psychedelica but is closer in feeling to the black and white detective stories of the forties and fifties, and especially to the original radio show of the 40's. Also the Green Hornet TV series was designed to be more serious in tone with James Bond in mind than that horrid Batman show. I believe that given the time restrictions of the half hour format the Green Hornet did quite well. After all, there was a lot of stuff to fit in that short time including the story set up, the story itself, and the conclusion- and adding the gadgets and Bruce Lee's Gung Fu. Especially considering that all 30 mins were not alloted to the story but time had to be allowed for commercials. The driving, jazzy theme by Al Hirt fitted the series beautifully. The Black Beauty still is the greatest, and coolest supercar to ever hit the streets. Van Williams, who played the Green Hornet, was the sexiest man on TV then- those eyes!!! And Bruce Lee was great in his first TV series. In other words see the Green Hornet, and enjoy for what it is. Don't expect Camp, or pychedelica, and don't expect to see Bruce Lee as the star of the show. Remember it is called THE GREEN HORNET. BTW re: the comment from the Irish chap- leather mask?, peaked cap? excuse me... the masks used were plastic formed to the shape of the actors' faces, and Kato's hat wasn't peaked, at least not the way I define it.