ADVENTURES IN
PARADISE/ABC/1959-62
*(Weaver Levy/costar) Oliver Kee,
Chinese-American seaman who plyed the waters
of the South Seas with Captain Adam Troy, a
schooner skipper. Sondi Sodsai (Miss Thailand
of 1960) and Lani Kai appeared as Sondi and
Kelly, two attractive young Tahitian women
featured during the 1960-62 season.
THE ADVENTURES OF FU
MANCHU/SYN/1955-56
*(Glen Gordon) Dr. Fu Manchu, an evil,
oriental scientific genius operating out of
Macao whose nefarious goals included the
destruction of western democracy. Hot on his
heels was the determined Scotland Yard
inspector Sir Dennis Nayland-Smith. The series
was based on the character created by novelist
Sax Rohmer in the early 1900's.
ALLY MCBEAL/FOX/1997-2002
**(Lucy Liu)
Ling ("soft L, soft G") Woo, a
Chinese-American no-holds-barred female lawyer
with long raven tresses who worked at the law
firm of Fish & Associates in the city of
Boston. Ling's icy cold character makes you
hear the "Dum-Dee-Dum-Dee-Dum-Dum" music that
accompanied the witch in the movie "The Wizard
of Oz" (1939). Ling was very quirky and sued
God, the Environment; and a woman for having
real breasts. She liked to suck fingers and
give "hair" during sex (dragging her long hair
over her partner's body to stimulate them).
Lucy Lu grew up in Queens, New York and spoke
Chinese until she went to school.
BACHELOR
FATHER/CBS/NBC/ABC/1957-62
**(Sammee Tong) Peter Tong, outspoken
Chinese houseboy who cared for the household
of Hollywood attorney, Bentley Gregg. Peter's
relatives included Victor Sen Yung (of BONANZA
fame) as cousin, Charlie Fong (earlier called
Charlie Ling); and Beal Wong as Grandpa Ling
"a 70-year-old juvenile delinquent" who
limited English vocabulary included the words
"Hello, Joe" and "Nice."
BONANZA/NBC/1959-73
**(Victor Sen Yung) Hop Sing, a
hot-tempered Chinese cook who worked for the
Cartwright family on the Ponderosa ranch near
Virginia City, Nevada in the late 1800's. Hop
Sing was fond of reminding his employers "You
listen Hop Sing. Hop Sing 'A' number one cook.
Will cook whatever you like." Victor Sen Yung
also appeared as Asian cousin Charlie during
the 1961-62 season of BACHELOR
FATHER/NBC/CBS/ABC /1959-62
BURKE'S LAW/ABC/1963-66
**(Leon Lontoc) Henry, oriental manservant
and chauffeur for Los Angeles millionaire
police detective, Captain Amos Burke. Henry
often drove his employer to the scene of a
crime in a Rolls Royce.
CHASE/NBC/1973-74
**(Brian Fong) Officer Fred Sing,
Chinese-American policeman and expert
motorcycle rider working for a special unit of
the Los Angeles Police Department.
CLAUDE'S CRIB/USA/1997
**(James Wong) Des, a happy go-lucky
Asian-American living in an apartment owned by
a free-wheeling African-American guy who rents
out rooms to make ends meet. James Wong is a
native of Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from
Carnegie-Mellon University with an engineering
degree, pursued acting and comedy and is
proficient in the martial arts (Kenpo Karate,
Judo, Aikido, Chinese Wu Shu and Japanese
Sword) as well in the musical arts.
CRAZY LIKE A FOX/CBS/1984-86
**(Lydia Lei & Patricia Ayame Thomson)
Allison Ling, Chinese-American secretary of
Harrison K. Fox, a San Francisco-based
attorney whose father Harry Fox frequently
burst in on Allison and interrupted her while
working on legal matters
DIANA/NBC/1973-74
**(Liam Dunn) Smitty, an Oriental-American
bellboy who worked at the Manhattan apartment
building of Ms. Diana Smythe, an English
divorcee new to New York City.
DING HOWE AND THE FLYING TIGERS/SYN/1950
**(Richard Loo) Hu Fang, the evil leader
of the Hill bandits who teamed with a group of
renegade pilots (The Flame Dragons). Hu Fang's
plans to conquer a region called Kunsang in
China were thwarted by American pilots known
as the Flying Tigers. Other cast included Ding
Howe ("Good Friend" in Chinese) a U.S. pilot
born in China who returned from America to
fight Hu Fang and his minions; Rob Lee as Wing
Lee, a Chinese mechanic working for the Flying
Tigers; Victor Sen Yung, as General Ching, a
Chinese leader who battled Hu Fang; and
Spencer Chan as Lum Chow, the proprietor of
the Gentle Dragon bar.
ER/NBC/1994+
**(Ming-Na Wen) Debbie “Deb” Chen, [a.k.a.
Gin May Chen] emergency medical intern at
Chicago County General Hospital. Her character
quit her job but .later in the series returned
during the 1999-2000 fall season as a
third-year resident. Ming-Na Wen [later
shortened to Ming-Na] was born in Macau,
China. Her family immigrated to New York City
when she was four. and then moved to
Pittsburgh when she was nine. Her family still
lives in Pittsburgh where they operate a
successful Chinese restaurant. Ming-Na was
included on People magazines list of
the “50 Most Beautiful People.”
FALCON CREST/CBS/1981-90
**(Chao-Li Chi) Chao Li Chi, an elderly
Chinese-American butler who cared for the
needs of the wealthy Angela Channing in a
mansion located in the fictional Tuscany
Valley near San Francisco. Chao Li was on hand
to help with the delivery of Maggie Gioberti's
baby boy during the 2/20/87 episode of this
prime-time soap opera.
FOREVER KNIGHT/CBS/SYN/1992-96
**(Natsuko Ohama) Captain Amanda Cohen,
Asian-American police officer who supervised
homicide detectives on the nightshift of a
Seattle police department. Her character later
died in a plane crash.
FRIENDS/NBC/1994-2004
**(Lauren Tom) Julie, the Chinese-American
girlfriend of Ross Geller, a fellow
paleontologist. The Julie character was
introduced in episode No. 24 "The One Where
Rachel Finds Out" as Ross returns from a
seminar in China with a new girlfriend (Julie)
and is written out of the program in episode
No. 34 "The One With Russ" after Ross decides
to continue his romantic liaison with his
friend Rachel Green.
FUTURAMA/FOX/1999+
**(Voice of Lauren Tom) Amy Wong, an Asian
university engineering student interning with
Professor Hubert Farnsworth’s Planet Express
Research & Development Division. She has good
fashion sense, likes to party, but is quite
superficial. When speaking, she mouths a
fictional pseudo-Asian language that blends
elements of Japanese, Chinese and gibberish.
(phrases like “ai ya” and “Dame yaru n datta
ne!”). Her parents, Leo and Inez Wong are
ranchers on Mars. They donated a large sum of
money to the University of Mars consequently,
the library is dubbed the Wong Library and the
sorority is named Kappa Kappa Wong.
FUTURE COP/ABC/1977
**(Irene Tsu) Dr. Tingley, oriental
robotics expert in charge of following the
progress of Officer Haven, a robot programmed
to be the perfect cop.
THE GALLERY OF MME. LIU-TSONG/DUM/1951-52
*(Anna May Wong) Madame Liu Tsong, a
beautiful Chinese proprietress of a number of
art galleries who got involved in all sorts of
international intrigue on her many business
endeavors. Anna May Wong's real name was Wong
Liu-Tsong.
GRACE UNDER
FIRE/ABC/1993-98
**(Lauren Tom) Dot, a Chinese-American
hairdresser friend of the series main
character Grace Kelly (a divorced, recovering
alcoholic with 2.4 children) introduced during
the 1997-1998 season.
THE GREEN
HORNET/ABC/1966-67
*(Bruce Lee/costar) Kato, a mild-mannered
oriental houseboy by day and a karate-chopping
crime fighting avenger by night. The
manservant of publisher Britt Reid (alias the
Green Hornet) Kato teamed with his employer to
battle the criminal underworld in a souped-up
car called the "Black Beauty" (driven by
Kato). On the original “Green Hornet” radio
series, Kato was a Filipino houseboy of
Japanese ancestry. This fact was revealed two
years before the Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor (according to John Dunning‘s
Encyclopedia of Old Radio Programs).
Consequently (according to some sources)
Kato’s Japanese heritage was allegedly
downplayed. during the war. Tokutaro Hayashi
(later “renamed Raymond Toyo by director James
Jewell for professional reasons”). voiced the
Kato character on the radio. TRIVIA NOTE:
Bruce Lee died in 1973 at the age of 33 but
not before becoming a cult figure in such
movies as Enter the Dragon (1973).
Tragically, some twenty years later Bruce
Lee's son, Brandon Lee (himself an action film
hero) died on the set of the movie The Crow
(1993) when live ammo from a prop handgun
discharged, killing him instantly. In April of
1993 Brandon Lee was buried next to his father
in Seattle, Washington. That same year the
film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
debuted starring Jason Scott Lee in a
convincing biographical drama about the life
of Bruce Lee. Eerily, the storyline included a
family curse wherein death stalked members of
the Lee family. See also “Longstreet”
HARRY O/ABC/1974-76
**(Keye Luke) Dr. Fong, a Chinese-American
amateur criminologist who occasionally
assisted Santa Monica based private detective,
Harry Orwell.
HAVE GUN WILL
TRAVEL/CBS/1957-63
**(Kam Tong) Hey Boy, a cow-towing,
efficient Chinese manservant employed at the
San Francisco Hotel Carlton who fetched
newspaper, cigars and other items for Paladin,
a gentleman gunfighter living at the hotel.
Also featured were Lisa Lu as female hotel
servant, Hey Girl (during the 1960-61 season);
and W. Beal Wong as Hey's Boy's uncle Sing Wo,
owner of Sing Wo's Chinese Laundry (on one
episode).
HAWAII FIVE-O/CBS/1968-1980
**(Kam Fong) Detective Chin Ho Kelly, a
Chinese immigrant who worked for the special
state police investigation unit called Hawaii
Five-O. Chin Ho Kelly was killed by mobsters
on the final episode of the 1977-78 season.
Also featured was Che Fong, the Chinese
forensic scientist who help Five-O with its
investigations. Che Fong was played by three
different actors. Edward Tom in an uncredited
role in episode No. 5 "...And They Painted
Daisies on His Coffin"; Daniel Kamekona on
episode No. 29 "A Bullet for McGarrett"; and
starting on episode No. 38 "Blind Tiger,"
Harry Endo took over the role of Che Fong from
1970-77. Once when McGarett offered his
insight on a case, Che Fong remarked "Very
good, and your not even Chinese."
HEAD OF THE
CLASS/ABC/1986-91
**(Jonathan Ke Quan) Jasper Kwong, an
Asian-American student attending the
Individual Honors Program at a New York City
high school during the 1990-91 season.
HIGHCLIFFE MANOR/NBC/1979
**(Harold Sakata) Cheng, huge oriental
servant in the service of Frances Kiskadden, a
mad scientist working on stolen corpses on an
island off the coast of Massachusetts.
HONG KONG/ABC/1960-61
**(Harold Fong) Fong (also given as Ahting),
a Chinese houseboy employed by American
journalist based in the British Crown Colony
of Hong Kong. Fong was replaced by Ling
(Gerald Jann) soon after the series began.
Ching Mei later joined the cast as Mai Tai
Sing, hostess of the Golden Dragon Cafe.
JIGSAW JOHN/NBC/1976
**(James Hong) Frank Chen, a
Chinese-American police officer working with
Los Angeles detective John St. John, a
meticulous criminal investigator.
JUDGE DEE AND THE MONASTERY
MURDER/TV-MOVIE/1974
*(Khigh Dhiegh) Judge Dee, a Chinese
judge/detective who lived in 7th century
China. This was the first time a TV movie was
produced with all Asian actors. Cast included
Mako, Soon-Taik Oh, Miiko Taka, Irene Tsu,
James Hong, and Keye Luke. The film was based
on the novel Judge Dee at the Haunted
Monastery by Robert Van Gulick. See also KHAN
KAY O'BRIEN, SURGEON/CBS/LIF/1986-87
**(Keone Young) Dr. Michael Kwan, a
Chinese-American physician working on the
surgical team at a large metropolitan hospital
in Manhattan.
KENTUCKY JONES/NBC/1964-65
*(Ricky Der/costar) Dwight Eisenhower
"Ike" Wong, a nine-year old Chinese orphan
adopted by Southern California
veterinarian/rancher. Local Chinese neighbors
included Cherylene Lee as Annie Ng; Arthur
Wong as Mr. Ng; and Keye Luke as Thomas Wong.
KHAN/CBS/1975
*(Khigh Dhiegh) Khan, a San Francisco
private detective based in Chinatown. Other
cast included Irene Yah-Ling Sun as Khan's
criminologist daughter, Anna, a biophysics
student as San Francisco State; and Evan Kim
as Kim Khan, Khan's son. This series was the
first to feature an all Asian-American cast in
starring roles. (Khigh Dheigh refused billing
as the star of the series). Besides his acting
credits Khigh Dhiegh taught philosophy at UCLA
and was once an owner of Taoist sanctuary in
Tempe, Arizona. His real name was allegedly
Kenneth Dickerson and. although he was
well-known for playing Oriental villains,
Dhiegh was born in Spring Lake, New Jersey and
was of Anglo-Egyptian Sudanese descent. He
died of a heart attack and liver failure
ailments on October 25, 1991 at the age of 81
in Chandler, Arizona. See also HAWAII FIVE-O.
KUNG FU/ABC/1972-75
*(David Carradine) Kwai Chang Caine, a
half-American, half-Chinese orphan adopted by
a Shaolin monastery in the Hunan Province of
China. Raised as a Buddist Monk, Caine later
fled China to American West of the 1880's when
he killed the Royal Nephew of the Chinese
Emperor. The program utilized a number of
flashback scenes to Caine's life at the
monastery where he interacted with a variety
of Chinese monks including: Keye Luke as the
blind Master Po; and Philip Ahn as Master Kan.
Other cast included John Leoning as Master Teh;
Stephen Manley as Caine (age 6); and Radamas
Pera as Caine (as teenager). The series was
followed by a CBS movie KUNG FU: THE MOVIE
(2/1/86) with Caine fighting an evil warlord
played by Mako; and the spin-off TV pilot KUNG
FU: THE NEXT GENERATION/CBS/1987 (aired on
SUMMER PLAYHOUSE) starring David Darlow as
Kwai Chang Caine, a modern-day descendent and
his son Johnny played by Brandon Lee the real
son of Bruce Lee. Later in 1993, a first-run
syndicated series revived the show as KUNG FU:
THE LEGEND CONTINUES/SYN/1993-97 with David
Carradine playing Caine, the grandson of the
original Kwai Chang Caine; Chris Potter as
Caine's son, Peter Caine, a police officer;
Kim Chan as an elderly Shaolin priest (a
Shambala Master) called "The Ancient" who ran
the local apothecary shop in Chinatown;
.Nathaniel Moreau as young Peter in
flashbacks; and Ernest Abuba as Tan, a former
Shaolin monk and enemy of Peter's father.
LONGSTREET/ABC/1971-72
**(Bruce Lee) Li Tsung, an oriental
self-defense instructor who taught martial
arts to Mike Longstreet, a blind insurance
investigator.
MAJOR DEL CONWAY OF THE
FLYING TIGERS/SYN/1953
**(Warren Nsien) Joe Suie, an oriental
pilot who belonged to the Flying Tigers, a
group of volunteer American pilots stationed
in China to battle the attacking Japanese
Zeros aircraft. The back of Joe's jacket as
all the Flying Tigers displayed the image of
the Chinese flag. Each of the Flying Tigers
received $500 each for every Aero they downed.
On February 22, 1999, the PBS ninety minute
documentary "Fei-Hu: The Story of the Flying
Tigers" examined the history of AVG flight
group. The Chinese words "Fei-Hu" translates
"Shark's Teeth."
THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE
GILLIS/CBS/1959-63
**(James Yagi/Johnny Lee) Charlie Wong, a
Chinese-American businessman and owner of
"Charlie Wong's Ice Cream Parlor," an after
school hangout of Dobie Gillis and his teenage
friends from Central High School. The shop
sold "31 Celestial Flabors."
MARTIAL LAW/CBS/1998-2000
*(Sammo Hung Kam-Bo) Captain Sammo Law,
the best policeman in China, chases a master
criminal from Shanghai to Los Angeles and ends
up joining the LAPD. Sammo doesn't carry a gun
but his formidable barrel-chest and his
martial arts skills helps to get him out of
troubles. According to the grapevine it took
seven cops to replace Sammo when he left China
(two of which had to retire from exhaustion).
Sammo Hung was born in Hong Kong, the oldest
of four children. With a 220-pound, 5-foot-7
frame, Hung looks "like Dennis Franz and moves
like Bruce Lee." Also featured was Kelly Hu as
Grace Chen (Pei Pei), a streetwise martial
arts trained police detective. See also NASH
BRIDGES
MIDNIGHT CALLER/NBC/1988-91
*(Dennis Dun/costar) Billy Po, radio
producer/engineer of Chinese descent working
at a late night radio talk show broadcast in
San Francisco. Billy Po was an intelligent
Asian with none of the stereotypical trappings
(e.g. funny accent).
MR. GARLUND/CBS/1960-61
*(Philip Ahn/costar) Po Chang, a wealthy
Chinese gentleman who raised Caucasian, Frank
Garlund, now a successful international
business tycoon. Kam Tong played Kam Chang,
his foster brother who owned a pawn shop in
San Francisco's Chinatown. The title of series
later changed to THE GARLUND TOUCH.
MR. MAGOO/SYN/1960-62/NBC/1964-65/CBS/1977-79
**(Cartoon Character) Charlie, an oriental
houseboy who worked for the near-sighted
senior citizen, Mr. Magoo (or as Charlie would
say "Mr. Maglue"). His character was a
stereotype with the long braided pony-tail and
large beaver-toothed smile.
MORTAL COMBAT/SYN/1998-99
(Jeff Meek as Raven) Kung Lao, a humble
exiled Chinese warrior monk who fought to save
the Earth realm from the evil minions of the
dark realm call Outworld. Other cast included
as Shang Tsung, an evil banished underworld
Lord serving the Emperor Shou Khan. Jeff Meek
as Raven, god of thunder, protector of the
Earth realm; Siro and a thief Taja.
THE MYSTERY FILES OF SHELBY
WOO/NIK/1996-98
*(Irene Ng) Shelby Woo, a 16-year old
Asian-American heroine who lives with her
grandfather, Mike Woo, a former cop (Pat
Morita) and works as a desk clerk after school
at the local police station, where she finds
ways to get involved in investigations. During
the 1998-99 season Shelby moves with her
grandpa from Cocoa Beach, Florida to a Boston
suburb on the series' fourth season opener. In
1989, Irene Ng (pronounced Ung) moved from
Malaysia to Allentown, Pa. where her father
managed a Chinese restaurant. Additional
credits included a four month role on the ABC
soap ALL MY CHILDREN and later the motion
pictures "The Joy Luck Club" and "Heaven &
Earth."
MYSTERIES OF
CHINATOWN/ABC/1949-50
*(Marvin Miller) Dr Yat Fu, a
Chinese-American merchant and amateur
criminologist who owned a herb & curio shop in
San Francisco's Chinatown. Marvin Miller was a
Caucasian actor. Also featured was Gloria
Sanders as Ah Toy, Yat's beautiful niece and
shop assistant who occasionally helped him
solve crimes.
NASH BRIDGES/CBS/1996-2001
*(Kelly Hu/costar) Michelle Chan, a
streetwise Chinese-American police detective
(1996-98 season) who assisted white police
detective Nash Bridges and his
Mexican-American partner at the Special
Investigators Unit in San Francisco. Before
she began her career as an actress, Kelly Hu
was the 1985 Miss Teen USA and later
represented her native state of Hawaii in the
Miss USA Pageant. Hu has a brown belt in
karate, having been introduced to martial arts
as a young girl by her brother, a captain in
the U.S. Army. She was born in Honolulu of
Chinese, Hawaiian and English ancestry.
NASTY BOYS/NBC/1990
*(James Pax/costar) Jimmy Kee, an
Asian-American member of a five man team of
Las Vegas narcotic officers known as the Nasty
Boys. James Pax's (his real name was Jimmy Kee)
was a native of Hong Kong, a graduate of the
New York University Business School and a
former movie star in Asia.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF
CHARLIE CHAN/SYN/1957
*(J. Carrol Naish) Charlie Chan, Chinese
detective whose patient, deductive reasoning
always cracked the case. Oriental actor James
Hong starred as Chan's "Number one" son,
Barry. J.Carrol Naish (an Irish actor) was one
of a long line of non-Chinese actors to
portray this oriental sleuth, including Warner
Oland, Sydney Toler, and Roland Winters. The
character of Charlie Chan was created by Earl
Derr Biggers and inspired by the real Honolulu
detective, Chang Apana.
ONE WORLD/NBC/1998-2001
**(Michelle Krusiec) Sui, Asian-American
girl adopted into a multi-racial family
supervised by Caucasian Dave Blake and his
wife, Karen. She is always looking for fun.,
whether it’s competing in soccer tournaments
or just shopping at the mall with her friends.
Michelle Krusiec was born in Fallon, Nevada,
speaks Mandarin Chinese and frequently
traveled to Taiwan to visit family.
PLAYERS/NBC/1997-98
*(Mia Korf/costar) Asian female ex-con
recruited by FBI experimental undercover unit
that employed streetwise felons to bring down
criminals.
RENEGADES/ABC/1983
**(Brian Tochi) Dragon, tough Asian gang
leader (Shanghai Shieks Gang) who teamed with
six other street gang leaders (under the
supervision of a big city cop) to form a group
of crime fighting youths. Peter Kwong played
the role of Dragon in the 1982 Made-for TV
movie that inspired the series.
RELIC HUNTERS/SYN/1999-2002
*(Tia Carrere) Sydney Fox, an unorthodox
History Professor of Asian descent working for
Trinity College on the East Coast. Sydney
moonlights as an explorer, crisscrossing the
globe in pursuit of fabled lost treasures and
rare stolen artifacts. She is skilled in the
martial arts and in high demand by a variety
of employers: secret government agencies,
private collectors, museum curators, etc.
Sydney's father was a civil engineer,
designing and building bridges, roads and
structures the world over. He met his wife, a
beautiful Asian woman, while working in the
Far East, The family stayed in the East for a
few years, but after Sydney’s mother died, she
traveled with her father and thus became
familiar with different cultures and
languages.
SANFORD AND SON/NBC/1972-77
**(Noriyuki Pat Morita) Ah Chew,
Asian-American neighbor of a black Watts junk
dealer, who was introduced during the 1974-74
season. Morita also appeared on the sitcom
HAPPY DAYS/ABC/1974-84 as the Arnold (Matsuo
Takahashi), the owner of a Milwaukee drive-in
restaurant called Arnold's.
SEAQUEST DSV/NBC/1993-95
**(Dustin Nguyen) Chief William Shan,
naval officer onboard the submarine SeaQuest
that roamed the oceans of the near future.
Shan’s character appeared in episodes 19-22
during the 1993-94 season.
THE SINGLE GUY/NBC/1995-97
*(Ming-Na Wen/costar) Trudy Sloane,
Asian-American woman who worked for a New York
art gallery and was married to Sam Sloane, a
sound recording engineer. Ming-Na Wen was born
in Macau, China and raised in the
Pennsylvanian town of Mount Lebanon, a suburb
of Pittsburgh.
SPACE: ABOVE AND
BEYOND/FOX/1995-96
*(Joel de la Fuente/costar) Lt. Paul Wang,
an Asian soldier part of a squadron of United
States Marine space warriors sent into space
to battle an unknown enemy attacking the
planet Earth in the year 2063 A.D. Joel de la
Fuente is actually Filipino.
STAR TREK: VOYAGER/UPN/1995-2001
**(Garrett Wang) Ensign Harry Kim,
Starfleet communication officer of
Asian-American descent who served aboard
Voyager, a starship marooned on the far side
of the galaxy. Garrett Wang (whose last name
is pronounced “Wong.”) graduated high school
from Harding Academy in Memphis, TN and
studied at UCLA.
STRANGE WORLD/ABC/1999
**(Vivian Wu) Shadowy Asian woman who
doled out doses of a mystery drug that kept
former army scientist (afflicted with a deadly
Gulf War syndrome) alive so he could do her
bidding by investigating and exposing criminal
abuses of science.
TEECH/CBS/1991
**(Maggie Han) Cassie Lee, a sexy
Asian-American assistant headmaster of an
exclusive all-white boarding school for boys.
One night when she entered the boy's dorm
wearing a provocative outfit, she said "I love
the sound of expanding khaki in the evening."
TERRY AND THE
PIRATES/DUM/1952-53
**(Gloria Saunders) Lai Choi San, aka "The
Dragon Lady," an evil Eurasian female who was
often at odds with American aviators who had
come to the orient in search of a lost gold
mine.
TRACY GOES ON/HBO/1996-99
*(Tracy Ullman) Mrs. Noh Nang Ning, Asian
donut shop owner, who relates everything to
the donut; and one of many characters created
by white British comedian and impressionist
Tracy Ullman.
TWIN PEAKS/ABC/1990-91
**(Joan Chen) Jocelyn "Josie" Packard, the
widow of Andrew Packard, an American lumberman
who left his sawmill to his newly married
Chinese wife. Described as "one of the most
beautiful women in the state," Josie was
considered an outsider by most, but found
support and love in the arms of the local
sheriff. Joan Chen was born in Shanghai. Her
part was originally written to be an Italian.
VANISHING SON/SYN/1995-96
*(Russell Wong) Jian Wa Chang, a Chinese
musician (a violinist) and martial arts
experts who is falsely accused of killing two
federal agents. He spends the majority of the
series escaping the clutches of agents from
the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service and the Asian Crime
Task Force while trying to prove his
innocence. The show's opening narration
intoned "Running from oppression, yearning for
freedom, he came to America. But when he is
falsely accused of murder, he must run again
searching for the truth...the hunter and the
hunted." The series was based on the 1994
syndicated made-for-TV movie of the same name.
V.I.P./SYN/1998-2002
**(Dustin Nguyen) Johnny Loh, Asian
stuntman/actor who escaped from the Hong Kong
mob to America. On occasion, he assists the
Los Angeles-based security professionals at
Vallery Irons Protection.
WHAT A COUNTRY!/SYN/1986-87
**(Leila Hee Olsen) Yung Hi, a shy Chinese
immigrant female who attended night school in
Los Angeles with a number of other foreigners
studying for their citizenship. Translated,
her name meant: "Petal of wild flower
blossoming in sun, then wither and die and
gone forever."
