The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
- This article is about the TV series. For the Gold Key Comics series, see The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan (Gold Key).
| The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan | |
|---|---|
 On-screen title card. | |
| Network | CBS |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
| Original release | September 9—December 30, 1972 |
| Starring | Keye Luke Robert Ito Lennie Weinrib Cherylene Lee Brian Tochi Jodie Foster John Gunn Gene Andrusco Beverly Kushida Michael Morgan Don Messick |
| Producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
| Writer(s) | Dennis Marks |
| Director(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
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.
Production
Development
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.
Episodes
| Title | Original air date |
|---|---|
| 1x01 | September 9, 1972 |
| 1x02 | September 16, 1972 |
| 1x03 | September 30, 1972 |
| 1x04 | September 30, 1972 |
| 1x05 | October 7, 1972 |
| 1x06 | October 14, 1972 |
| 1x07 | October 21, 1972 |
| 1x08 | October 28, 1972 |
| 1x09 | November 4, 1972 |
| 1x10 | November 11, 1972 |
| 1x11 | November 18, 1972 |
| 1x12 | November 25, 1972 |
| 1x13 | December 2, 1972 |
| 1x14 | December 9, 1972 |
| 1x15 | December 16, 1972 |
| 1x16 | December 30, 1972 |
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
| Title | Original air date |
|---|---|
| 1 | July 21, 2002 |
* The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Legacy
In 2002, the family is reimagined as the Mirimotos with the kids known as Shoyu Weenie band in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Shoyu Weenie."
In the 2005 Krypto the Superdog TV series, a kid resembling Mimi is Kevin's classmate.
Merchandise
Home media
On July 29, 2012, the Warner Archive Collection released the series on a two-disc DVD set called The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan: The Complete Series.
Reading material
Between 1973 to 1974, Gold Key Comics released a four-issue comic adaptation also called The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan.
Toys and games
In 1973, Whitman released the board game The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Game.
