The CW will add another reworking of a classic series to its schedule with the premiere of Kung Fu on April 7. Following in the footsteps of Beverly Hills, 90201, Charmed, Roswell, Nancy Drew, Dynasty and most recently Walker (Texas Ranger), this reimagined version of the '70s classic (the one that starred David Carradine) switches the focus yet keeps the general premise of the original. But this is not the Kung Fu of yore. Led by Olivia Liang (pictured at top), the series follows the adventures of Nicky Shen, a young Chinese American woman who after dropping out of college, attends a monastery in China. It's there she develops a passion for martial arts skills and immerses herself in the art. After a tragic turn of events at the monastery, one that results in the murder of her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai), Nicky returns to her San Francisco home to find the city fraught with crime. There, she vows to protect her community and to find the ruthless assassin responsible for slaying her mentor – and who has now turned her attention to Nicky.
Olivia Liang of "Kung Fu" on the Importance of Asian American Representation on TV
