We live in the golden age of television, where complex longterm plotting meets stunning visuals and iconic performances. Some days it feels like you can’t move for genre-defined iconic must-watch dramas. But you know what the golden age of TV generally can’t do well? People punching each other in the face and doing awesome martial arts kicks.
Sure, Daredevil had its moments, particularly in season 1, but the second season was a real letdown. Then Iron Fist managed to make a supernaturally powered martial arts dragon dude spectacularly boring. But Cinemax are hoping to produce the first genuinely great martial arts TV show. It’s called Warrior and it originates from the notebooks of Bruce freakin’ Lee. You just don’t get a better martial arts pedigree than that. Apparently, the idea for the series was discovered in Lee’s handwritten notes long after his death, with his daughter Shannon Lee serving as executive producer.
The show itself is set in 19th century San Francisco and chronicles the violent ‘Tong Wars.’ Our hero is named Ah Sam, described as a “martial arts prodigy” who becomes a fixer for the most powerful crime syndicate in Chinatown. Cinemax promises not just “explosive martial arts action,” but also a “powerful and complex immigration drama.” On top of all that, the show is being produced by Justin Lin, who seems to be the current go-to man for creating punchy, attention-grabbing TV pilots.
As a fan of martial arts movies, Warrior sounds pretty fantastic and you can bet that we’ll be keeping a close eye on it as it begins filming in Cape Town, South Africa this fall.
