This interview with KFTLC fight coordinator Al Leong was published on September 6th 2013:
"It wasn’t long before Leong was once again sought after by producers, and he landed in Toronto as fight coordinator for seasons three and four of “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues” staring David Carradine and Chris Potter. This was a fight-coordinating job that would allow him to preform fights for and with Carradine and Potter.
During the fourth season, despite feuding with a producer who Leong states knew pretty much ‘next to nothing,” Al wrote two episodes for “Kung Fu” because, as Leong puts it, the writers were more than lost when it came to storylines.
Writing an episode for a TV series takes talent, and not everyone, even seasoned writers, have accomplished the feat. Al Leong became a member of the Writers Guild of America, an honor that many want and few achieve.
Al LeongThe feud with the execs, and Al’s vision of how the show should progress, caused tension. The producers simply wanted to get the episodes completed, in the can and move onto the next episode. This was very upsetting to Al and for good reason. Shooting, with a “low budget, just get it done” mind-set is both dangerous and more dangerous.
A production company that moves at a speed that doesn’t allow you to think and prepare for what lies ahead is a disaster waiting to happen on the set.
Leong felt that preparation and safety were greatly compromised on the set of “Kung Fu” so much so that he wrote a scathing, truth-filled letter to the execs back at Warner Brothers Studios. He outlined the hazards that were faced on a daily basis, the lack of supervision or foresight by the on-set producers and the consequences of what their actions and lack of actions would birth.
When Warner Brothers failed to respond, Al, a man of principle, left the show, unable to associate with people who didn’t care for the expert advice from those they hired. Welcome to show business."
Read the complete interview here: http://www.worldwidedojo.com/entertainment/entertainment-interviews/an-exclusive-interview-with-al-leong/
Chris and Al Leong in KFTLC episode "Warlord"
