The Shocking Truth Behind the Unexpected Cancellation of Bruce Lee's Green Hornet Show

Summary

The Green Hornet gave Bruce Lee a platform to showcase his martial arts skills, allowing him to stand out in a time with limited Asian representation in the media.

The Green Hornet didn't manage to garner high ratings and was cancelled after just one season, despite its resemblances to Batman and incorporation of martial arts. However, the show's popularity in Hong Kong played a significant role in propelling Bruce Lee's career in martial arts films, even though it didn't immediately result in substantial Hollywood opportunities for him.

Despite still being present in the collective memory today, Bruce Lee's The Green Hornet was actually a short-lived series. The 1966 ABC show, starring Van Williams as Britt Reid or the Green Hornet, is mainly remembered as the platform that introduced Bruce Lee to American audiences, preceding his rise to fame in kung fu films. Prior to his iconic battles with Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon or his infiltration of a secret martial arts tournament in Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee fought crime alongside the Green Hornet as Kato, the superhero's masked partner.

A significant aspect of The Green Hornet's legacy, and what made it distinct for its time, was its decision to give prominence to Bruce Lee. Asian representation was uncommon during this era, giving The Green Hornet an edge over other shows. Moreover, it possessed something that was rare in American movies and shows: martial arts. While the fight scenes in The Green Hornet may not match up to the caliber of action that Lee later developed for Enter the Dragon and his other films, they still provided TV viewers with a rare glimpse of this type of action.

Why ABC Cancelled The Green Hornet After Season 1

Despite Bruce Lee's contributions to making The Green Hornet stand out from other TV shows, it failed to achieve the level of success that ABC had anticipated. Originally conceived as a response to Batman, The Green Hornet aimed to offer similar entertainment as the popular Batman and Robin series. ABC even organized a two-part crossover with Batman to capitalize on its popularity. However, despite incorporating martial arts and sharing similarities with Batman, the show's ratings remained disappointing. ABC reportedly had concerns about its future early on and contemplated canceling it during midseason. The network decided to wait and see if the ratings would improve, leading to The Green Hornet's crossover with Batman. Unfortunately, the crossover did not result in a significant increase in ratings. Consequently, in April, shortly after the first season concluded, ABC announced that it would not renew the series.

The Green Hornet Made Bruce Lee A Success (But Not In Hollywood)

The lack of popularity of The Green Hornet hindered Lee from landing significant roles in Hollywood movies. Instead, it only led to guest appearances on TV shows and smaller opportunities. However, the show's reruns in Hong Kong later brought Lee considerable attention and made him famous. This popularity caught the interest of kung fu movie studio Golden Harvest, who took a risk on Lee and ultimately paved the way for his international superstardom in martial arts films.