The Chinese Detective

1981
7.4| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

Chinese British Detective Sergeant John Ho solves cases in the East End of London. Ho fits the pattern of the maverick detective, prepared to use unorthodox methods to solve his cases, which emerged in series like Z Cars and The Sweeney.

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Reviews

Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.
Cleveronix A different way of telling a story
ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre
Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
noda1 I vaguely remember this show from growing up but would love to see it now. Was it a groundbreaking show? How was the main character's heritage handled and how did he interact with other characters around him? Is there any way of seeing the show again? If anybody does know it would be great to hear from you. Was the BBC really so ahead of its time with commissioning this show? After all in supposedly more tolerant and equal times there is a severe lack of Asian faces on the screen either on television or film. While it's great to see Asian American actors getting work surely there must be better than 'Balls of Fury'.
glen_davis I grew up in the area where Chinese Detective was filmed and remember always straining to see David Yip in action, at that time on the Isle of Dogs there were no 'Yuppies' and Canary Wharf was disused Dockland.I remember watching on TV some of my school friends who were lucky enough to be in the background playing football or suchlike as extras.Aside from the nostalgia I remember it being a great show and would love it to be revived on DVD much the same way I would like to see Prospects starring Gary Olsen of 2 Point 4 Children on DVD.This was another show based around docklands during the initial regeneration of the area by the LDDC a few years later.
tsm-1 The Chinese Detective played by David Yip was a masterful study in understatement. I felt David Yips Performance was Superb even though I kept wanting him to (please forgive the stereotype)do some Kung Fu every time he was up against some villains. He was a real rounded British oriental professional and whats more he was a kick ass cop...The only thing and the reason perhaps that it wasn't renewed was that they (the writer/producer/director etc) didn't give (David Yip) an opportunity to have a harder edge otherwise we could have seen him develop into perhaps a more edgier (Kung Fu kickin'...oh I'm sorry there I go again)...Detective. It would be fantastic if they made a follow up or a sequel to the series (though they wouldn't call it the Chinese Detective perhaps something that hints at the central character being oriental and please make sure he gets to do some friggin Kung Fu or Muay thai or even a bit of Marquis of Queensbury!). In the Meantime release the old series on DVD...what are you waiting for do you know how many people Oriental, Caucasian or Afro Caribbean or otherwise that would wanna watch this seminal show...no obviously you don't...well wake up and make some money from your back catalogue...and please stick David Yip in the follow up or sequel series.