I have read the other reviews and frankly they scare me. I understand how you can like something because it is nostalgic, or even, in the extreme case, like something bad because it defines a moment in your life (google "stockholm syndrome") but this parade of glowing reviews for this forgettable show sorta scares me. Here is the skinny: 1. The 60s was a crazy time. Things that made sense then would not make sense now. 2. The over-arching theme was re-invention. This is common throughout history. The flip-side of reinvention was the doctrine of Exceptionalism. Essentially, because we are here now, because we are the majority now, because we reinvented this now, it (ergo) must be great. Even if it was not. 3. The phenomenon in #2 is often referred to as "camp." Camp explains the stylized violence and goofy music and cardboard villains in shows like this one, and also Batman. 4. Those that actually watched these shows (eg - Batman) did not do so because they were actually exceptional, but rather because they were all that was available at the time. There was actually a term for this in the 60s, it was called "LOP" or "least objectionable program." One might theorize for example that if you had offered a viewer in the 60s an actual choice between the Hornet/Batman campy stuff and, say, ARROW, from this decade, they would choose the latter and eschew the former. BUT THERE WAS NO CHOICE. That is the key. 5. Those that attempted to watch this show -- the verb chosen suggests an effort and the fact it was cancelled suggests the effort mainly failed -- did so almost entirely because of Bruce Lee, who seemed to, among other things, levitate at will, and be able to knock out an overhead ceiling light with a single kick, much to the astonishment of the camera crew trying to film it. And many of his scenes had to refilmed several times to catch the action. (Lee would ultimately try out for Kung Fu and be passed over for a non-Asian actor with no martial arts training, and be bitter about this for years.)

Considering the cultural milieu in which this show was produced and the budgetary and technological limitations involved, this is probably the 2nd greatest not-for-laughs super-hero TV program ever produced, second only to George Reeves' Superman program.(It is superior to Reeves in terms of production values.) Although mostly formulaic, the stories were tightly plotted and disciplined, delivering good super-hero type action with a little drama, and with every episode having at least some kind of hook or gimmick to add to the fun.There are occasional quips or smart remarks, but the show was played completely straight and the Hornet and Kato were never made to look silly or ridiculous. In fact, Our Heroes actually looked cooler than most traditional superheroes in their masks and business clothes, since tights do not translate well onto the screen.Every episode had at least 1 fight scene, many having 2 or more fights, and many of the fight scenes were truly excellent when compared with other shows of this period. Often the fights involve multiple foes and transpire in warehouses, with the Hornet's hat miraculously staying on throughout the fight...these things played out like the wonderful fight scenes in old Republic movie serials, where the stunt-men kept their hats on by means of spirit gum.Speaking of the fights, every episode features Bruce Lee doing some great martial arts moves, and usually you can hear him yelling as he delivers the blow, to great effect, I might add.Generally, the cast was competent to excellent, with Van Williams being an acceptable Britt Ried but a most excellent and badass Green Hornet...he definitely seems to get into his role of intimidating criminals, which is great fun to watch.Bruce Lee's acting skills were probably not fully developed at this time, nonetheless, his Kato is good enough and he had a good screen presence.Those who like their heroes to display a lot of angst and conflicted emotions, who like extended shots of characters staring off into nothingness with vague expressions upon their faces, perhaps with cloying music rising in the background, such as can be seen on more modern television shows, will not like the GH. Emotions are underplayed on this show. It is a matter of some debate as to why a show this well-produced was a ratings failure and only lasted 1 season. I blame it on 3 things: 1. This show was broadcast opposite 'The Wild, Wild, West' which had premiered 2 years earlier and was a fantastically HUGE hit with young males, the exact demographic GH's producers sought. Opposite WWW, GH never had a chance for good ratings.2. For some reason, this show has a cheap-looking opening credits sequence, with a kind of slide show presentation and the corny voice of Batman announcer (and GH executive producer Bill Dozier) narrating the whole thing. I think viewers might have seen the credits and thought they were in for another Batman...and Batman was already losing viewers when GH premiered in 1967.3. At 1/2 hour per show, there was not enough time to develop villains into really baroque pulp-fiction type characters, such as on Wild, Wild West, nor was there time to develop the Hornet's relationship with his buddy Kato or his sexy secretary Miss Case, nor was there time to have more complex plots. Improvement along any of these lines would have made the show more successful.But taken as it is, as a half hour of straightforward, honest, non-camp superhero fun, satisfying our need for tough yet fair heroes, the Green Hornet stands alone as a gleaming artifact, sufficient in itself, tantalizing for what it could have been.

Like almost anyone else, I was drawn to watching this series because of Bruce Lee. I will give you a spoiler, I have more respect for Bruce Lee than I did before, for different reasons.I am more than willing to overlook some of the low production issues or campiness that any show had in that era. Star Trek and Doctor Who's producers did not spend much on the sets and by todays standards the special effects left quite a bit to be desired, yet these shows were great because of the cast and the fantastic plot lines of the shows. Yeah, Batman was campy as Hell, yet, Adam West and the rest of the cast seemed to be having a great time and the show had such an enthusiasm that it was difficult not to get swept away with it.I have seen other reviews that have condemned ABC for pulling it. In looking at it I can see why ABC canceled it. The real issue is that Van Williams, the lead, gives performances that are as stiff as a board. He does not put any emotion into his acting. The result is that the stories tend to drag and be kind of flat. There is not energy that there is with other shows.There are two cool things with this show.You can really see the evolution on scene fighting. Bruce Lee goes first with his rapid, Kung fu which here more than maybe even his movies has a grace that is almost close to ballet. Elegent and powerful at the same time. Then Williams will fight and his style is closer of the old cowboy movies barroom brawler. The Hornet fights with a slower style based less on speed than force. It is like Ying and Yang and really cool.The last really cool thing thing is of course Bruce Lee. Unlike, Williams he puts "emotional content" into every scene he is in. One little known fact about Bruce Lee is that he was a former child actor in movies in Hong Kong. But here you really to see that not only was an excellent martial artist he was also very underrated as an actor. He really had acting chops.I came to this conclusion only because the rest of the show was pretty mediocre. Lee could rise above the mediocrity and really shine. That is why I have more respect for him than I used to.Let's face it, if anyone other than Lee had been Kato, this show would have trashed and no one would have heard of it.In summary, Lee was awesome the show left much to be desired.

No, there wasn't any movie made of the Green Hornet, rather, this DVD is a combination of 3 of the television episodes put together. There wasn't any attempt to splice the movie into one long narrative, nor come up with original material like its sibling Batman series (also executive produced by William Dozier).Created by George Trendle, the story of the Green Hornet is similar to many other masked vigilantes created before, like Batman (very similar, with their characters wealthy background and the use of a sidekick), the Shadow, and The Lone Ranger. And who can forget that hypnotic and iconic theme song with its blaring trumpets and similarity to the flight of the bumblebee? Van Williams stars as the Green Hornet, aka Britt Reid, a wealthy man who runs the Sentinel newspaper as well as a television station. Like all rich folks with plenty of money and a deep sense of justice, he investigates crime as his alter ego, the Green Hornet, with his green mask, black hat, and the Hornet's sting, aside from his gun. Naturally, he has a sidekick known as Kato, kung-fu master extraordinaire, played by none other than the best in the business Bruce Lee.Of course the action sequences all belong to Lee, with his exhibition of martial arts. The Hornet himself fights with the usual fist-only punches like a boxer, but with Kato, the action is spiced up. And that is basically the appeal of The Green Hornet.In this DVD, the three stories are forgettable - the first deals with a club whose members develop their own agenda to rid crime, the second has aliens who want to take over and detonate a H-bomb, while the last deals with Chinese Triads. While the stories might seem ordinary, you'd still glued to the screen just to watch Lee in action.And if it's action you want, then it's action you'll get. Instead of sitting through the stories to glimpse the action, this Code 3 DVD has a "fight" menu for you to zoom in on the action sequences only. It's a pity though that there's no preview or description to describe what you're about to see.Also included in this DVD is a set of photo gallery, as well as a documentary of the Green Hornet's transport - the Black Beauty, as built by Dean Jefferies using a Chrysler Imperial.