The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS' Saturday morning children's programming. It ran in 1972, airing 16 episodes that spanned one season. It was loosely based on the fictional stories of book and film character Charlie Chan, who first appeared in the 1925 novel The House Without a Key, written by Earl Derr Biggers.

Legendary Chinese sleuth Charlie Chan travels with the ten musical-gifted kids of various ages, called the Chan Clan, around the world in the Chan Van. Although Charlie leaves them out of his dangerous investigations, they always manage to solve the case themselves and catch the bad guy.

The entire series has been released on DVD.

Casting
Although the character of Charlie Chan has aroused controversy over the years through its Chinese stereotypes—and featured mostly white actors playing an Asian role—the cartoon's incarnation of him was different in that Keye Luke was the first actor of Chinese descent to voice the character. Luke himself was already a veteran of the Charlie Chan franchise, having played "Number One Son" Lee Chan to Warner Oland's version of the lead character in the 1930s and 1940s.

The series originally had an all-Asian-American voice cast, but the characters (except Henry and Alan) were recast because it was determined that their accents were "too thick" to understand. Some of the new cast members were still Asian, but others were white, such as Jodie Foster as Anne Chan. When the new cast was assembled, the earlier episodes were redubbed.

Music
The score was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who was credited as musical director, with musical supervision from Paul DeKorte.

Cast

 * Keye Luke as Charlie Chan
 * Robert Ito as Henry Chan
 * Lennie Weinrib as Stanley Chan
 * Cherylene Lee as Suzie Chan and Mimi Chan
 * Brian Tochi as Alan Chan
 * Jodie Foster as Anne Chan
 * John Gunn as Tom Chan
 * Gene Andrusco as Flip Chan
 * Beverly Kushida as Nancy Chan
 * Michael Morgan as Scooter Chan
 * Don Messick as Chu Chu

Crossover

 * The names have been changed to protect the innocent.