The Legend of Bruce Lee

The Legend of Bruce Lee
李小龍傳奇
GenreBiographic
Martial arts
Written byQian Linsen
Zhang Jianguang
Directed byLee Moon-ki
StarringDanny Chan
Michelle Lang
Ted E. Duran
Hazen MacIntyre
Wang Luoyong
Natalia Dzyublo
Opening themeBruce Lee's Battle Call (吶喊) performed by Emma Re
Ending themeFist (拳頭) performed by Li Shu and Jin Long
ComposerWang Bing
Country of originChina
Original languages
  • Mandarin
  • English
No. of episodes50
Production
Executive producerShannon Lee
ProducerYu Shengli
Production locationsHong Kong
Foshan
San Francisco
Oakland
Seattle
Los Angeles
Thailand
Rome
CinematographyYuan Xiaoman
EditorZhang Yifan
Camera setup16:9
Running time45 minutes per episode
Production companyChina International Television Corporation
Original release
NetworkCCTV-1
Release12 October 2008 (2008-10-12)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Legend of Bruce Lee (Chinese: 李小龍傳奇) is a 2008 Chinese biographical television series based on the life story of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. The 50-episode series was produced and broadcast by CCTV and began airing on October 12, 2008. It was intended to promote Chinese culture alongside the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.[1]

It stars Hong Kong actor Danny Chan as Bruce Lee and American actress Michelle Lang as Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell. The production period spanned nine months, with filming taking place in China, Hong Kong, Macau, the United States, Italy, and Thailand, and with a budget of 50 million yuan (US$7.3 million).

Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, is credited as executive producer of the series.[2] Other martial artists such as Mark Dacascos, Ray Park, Gary Daniels, Ernest Miller, and Michael Jai White are also featured in the series, playing the roles of martial artists prominent throughout Bruce Lee's life and career.

The Legend of Bruce Lee has seen increasing viewership since its debut in 2008. The first 14 episodes broke China's former record held by Chuang Guan Dong. According to the CSM survey held on 26 October 2008, the first 30 episodes of the series received viewership ratings above 10.35%. The finale episode attained a viewership rating of 14.87%, breaking CCTV's all-time high record set in 2003.

The Legend of Bruce Lee has been watched by over 400 million viewers in China, making it the most-watched Chinese television drama series of all time, as of 2017.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Report: Hong Kong director plans Bruce Lee biopic". International Herald Tribune. 2007-08-22. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  2. ^ "Bruce Lee has his life story retold on television". Xinhua. 2008-10-09. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  3. ^ Magazine, Hollywood Stage (23 November 2017). "Ted Duran, a star in The Legend of Bruce Lee TV series is becoming known for his adaptability in Films & TV around the world". Hollywood Stage Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  4. ^ "Largest Bruce Lee Museum opens in S. China". China.org.cn. China Internet Information Center. November 11, 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2022.