Considering the cultural milieu in which this show was produced and the budgetary and technological limitations involved, this is probably the 2nd greatest not-for-laughs super-hero TV program ever produced, second only to George Reeves' Superman program.(It is superior to Reeves in terms of production values.) Although mostly formulaic, the stories were tightly plotted and disciplined, delivering good super-hero type action with a little drama, and with every episode having at least some kind of hook or gimmick to add to the fun.
There are occasional quips or smart remarks, but the show was played completely straight and the Hornet and Kato were never made to look silly or ridiculous. In fact, Our Heroes actually looked cooler than most traditional superheroes in their masks and business clothes, since tights do not translate well onto the screen.
Every episode had at least 1 fight scene, many having 2 or more fights, and many of the fight scenes were truly excellent when compared with other shows of this period. Often the fights involve multiple foes and transpire in warehouses, with the Hornet's hat miraculously staying on throughout the fight...these things played out like the wonderful fight scenes in old Republic movie serials, where the stunt-men kept their hats on by means of spirit gum.
Speaking of the fights, every episode features Bruce Lee doing some great martial arts moves, and usually you can hear him yelling as he delivers the blow, to great effect, I might add.
Generally, the cast was competent to excellent, with Van Williams being an acceptable Britt Ried but a most excellent and badass Green Hornet...he definitely seems to get into his role of intimidating criminals, which is great fun to watch.
Bruce Lee's acting skills were probably not fully developed at this time, nonetheless, his Kato is good enough and he had a good screen presence.
Those who like their heroes to display a lot of angst and conflicted emotions, who like extended shots of characters staring off into nothingness with vague expressions upon their faces, perhaps with cloying music rising in the background, such as can be seen on more modern television shows, will not like the GH. Emotions are underplayed on this show.
It is a matter of some debate as to why a show this well-produced was a ratings failure and only lasted 1 season. I blame it on 3 things:
1. This show was broadcast opposite 'The Wild, Wild, West' which had premiered 2 years earlier and was a fantastically HUGE hit with young males, the exact demographic GH's producers sought. Opposite WWW, GH never had a chance for good ratings.
2. For some reason, this show has a cheap-looking opening credits sequence, with a kind of slide show presentation and the corny voice of Batman announcer (and GH executive producer Bill Dozier) narrating the whole thing. I think viewers might have seen the credits and thought they were in for another Batman...and Batman was already losing viewers when GH premiered in 1967.
3. At 1/2 hour per show, there was not enough time to develop villains into really baroque pulp-fiction type characters, such as on Wild, Wild West, nor was there time to develop the Hornet's relationship with his buddy Kato or his sexy secretary Miss Case, nor was there time to have more complex plots. Improvement along any of these lines would have made the show more successful.
But taken as it is, as a half hour of straightforward, honest, non-camp superhero fun, satisfying our need for tough yet fair heroes, the Green Hornet stands alone as a gleaming artifact, sufficient in itself, tantalizing for what it could have been.
There are occasional quips or smart remarks, but the show was played completely straight and the Hornet and Kato were never made to look silly or ridiculous. In fact, Our Heroes actually looked cooler than most traditional superheroes in their masks and business clothes, since tights do not translate well onto the screen.
Every episode had at least 1 fight scene, many having 2 or more fights, and many of the fight scenes were truly excellent when compared with other shows of this period. Often the fights involve multiple foes and transpire in warehouses, with the Hornet's hat miraculously staying on throughout the fight...these things played out like the wonderful fight scenes in old Republic movie serials, where the stunt-men kept their hats on by means of spirit gum.
Speaking of the fights, every episode features Bruce Lee doing some great martial arts moves, and usually you can hear him yelling as he delivers the blow, to great effect, I might add.
Generally, the cast was competent to excellent, with Van Williams being an acceptable Britt Ried but a most excellent and badass Green Hornet...he definitely seems to get into his role of intimidating criminals, which is great fun to watch.
Bruce Lee's acting skills were probably not fully developed at this time, nonetheless, his Kato is good enough and he had a good screen presence.
Those who like their heroes to display a lot of angst and conflicted emotions, who like extended shots of characters staring off into nothingness with vague expressions upon their faces, perhaps with cloying music rising in the background, such as can be seen on more modern television shows, will not like the GH. Emotions are underplayed on this show.
It is a matter of some debate as to why a show this well-produced was a ratings failure and only lasted 1 season. I blame it on 3 things:
1. This show was broadcast opposite 'The Wild, Wild, West' which had premiered 2 years earlier and was a fantastically HUGE hit with young males, the exact demographic GH's producers sought. Opposite WWW, GH never had a chance for good ratings.
2. For some reason, this show has a cheap-looking opening credits sequence, with a kind of slide show presentation and the corny voice of Batman announcer (and GH executive producer Bill Dozier) narrating the whole thing. I think viewers might have seen the credits and thought they were in for another Batman...and Batman was already losing viewers when GH premiered in 1967.
3. At 1/2 hour per show, there was not enough time to develop villains into really baroque pulp-fiction type characters, such as on Wild, Wild West, nor was there time to develop the Hornet's relationship with his buddy Kato or his sexy secretary Miss Case, nor was there time to have more complex plots. Improvement along any of these lines would have made the show more successful.
But taken as it is, as a half hour of straightforward, honest, non-camp superhero fun, satisfying our need for tough yet fair heroes, the Green Hornet stands alone as a gleaming artifact, sufficient in itself, tantalizing for what it could have been.