Vanishing Son
| Vanishing Son | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Rob Cohen |
| Directed by | John Nicolella |
| Starring |
Russell Wong Haing S. Ngor (telefilms) Vivian Wu (telefilms) Rebecca Gayheart (telefilms) Marcus Chong (telefilms) Chi Muoi Lo Jason Adams (series) Stephanie Niznik (series) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time |
60 minutes (per episode) |
| Production company(s) |
Stu Segall Productions MCA TV |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndicated |
| Original release | January 16 – May 8, 1995 |
Vanishing Son is a syndicated action television series that was part of Universal Television's Action Pack. Starting as a series of four made-for-television movies in 1994, the series debuted on January 16, 1995. Vanishing Son I, Vanishing Son II, Vanishing Son III, and Vanishing Son IV, were aired on February 28, July 18, July 25, and October 10, 1994, respectively. The series was ground-breaking for the casting of an Asian male in an attractive leading-man role.
Synopsis
Russell Wong starred as Jian-Wa Chang, a musician who escaped from the People's Republic of China after being involved in Tiananmen Square demonstrations of 1989 and escaping the subsequent massacre of students by the government. He and his brother Wago Chang (Chi Muoi Lo) escaped to the USA; he pursued his music while Wago became drawn to a life of organized crime.
Wago and two US Federal Agents are killed; Jian-Wa is held responsible, but a Vietnamese mafioso known as "The General" (Haing S. Ngor) is behind the murders. Jian-Wa becomes a fugitive, using his wisdom, music, and martial arts skills to solve problems along the way, on his quest to bring "The General" to justice. As he helps others while traveling, he is aided by the spirit of his murdered brother Wago.
In the series, Jian-Wa is constantly on the run from ruthless Federal Agent Dan Sandler (Jason Adams), the direct superior of the agents killed in the two-hour films. Agent Judith Phillips (Stephanie Niznik) was a member of Sandler's team who was convinced that Jian-Wa was innocent and she gradually became his ally. This put her at great odds with Sandler.
The series was not renewed after the first thirteen-episode season aired.
Episode titles
| episode# | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dance of the Dust" | January 16, 1995 |
| 2 | "Holy Ghosts" | January 23, 1995 |
| 3 | "Birds of Paradise" | January 30, 1995 |
| 4 | "Single Flame" | February 6, 1995 |
| 5 | "Sweet Sixteen" | February 13, 1995 |
| 6 | "Miracle Under 34th Street" | February 20, 1995 |
| 7 | "Runaway Hearts" | February 27, 1995 |
| 8 | "Lock and Load, Babe" | March 6, 1995 |
| 9 | "Two Guys with Guns" | March 13, 1995 |
| 10 | "Win, Place or Dead" | March 20, 1995 |
| 11 | "Jersey Girl" | April 24, 1995 |
| 12 | "Long Ago and Far Away" | May 1, 1995 |
| 13 | "Land of the Free" | May 8, 1995 |
References
- Nicholson, David (March 1, 1994). "Adventure in the Making: 'Vanishing Son' TV-movie Series Films Locally". Newport News Daily Press. p. C1.
- Lee, Elisa (March 25, 1994). "'Vanishing Son' Brings Asian Americans to TV". AsianWeek.
- Solomon, Harvey (January 21, 1995). "Television 'Kung-Fu' meets 'Fugitive' in 'Vanishing Son' series". Boston Herald. p. 22.
- Darling, Cary (February 8, 1995). "Groundbreaker Russell Wong Changes Image of Asian-Americans in 'Vanishing Son'". Orange County Register.
- "Wong's TV movies led to 'Vasnihing Son'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 26, 1995. p. 5.