Well, you have to understand that when Kung Fu was on pre-cable, rabbit ears television (ABC Network) 1972-75?, there were only three or four TV channels in most markets. A big market like NYC might have as many as 7 channels. So, if one was on a hit TV show about half of the country saw it. Not like now with 50+ cable channels and the resulting highly fragmented viewing audience.
Carradine's character Caine was wanted for a murdering someone in the Chinese Royal Family. (I think he went apeshoot after a Chinese Prince killed the old blind grasshoppa guy? It was all very Fugitive-esque sans the one armed man.) I believe Caine was supposed to be half white/half Chinese? The typical Kung Fu episode consisted of Carradine wandering into yet another backwater old west town, and being confronted by yet another group of heavily armed, rowdy racist redneck cowboys that he eventually kicked the utter snot out of Kung Fu style.
Plot Synopsis from TV Guide, Sept 1972: Channel 7, 8PM-9PM Kung Fu: Caine wanders into a backwater western town, is confronted by a group of heavily armed, rowdy redneck racist cowboys and proceeds to kick the utter snot out of them Kung Fu style. He also befriends, and lends much needed guidance to, a troubled youngster before wandering off to the next backwater western town and repeating the dance.
I imagine quite a few kids of that era ended up in emergency rooms having injured themselves emulating Carradine's flying kicks and/or hurling sharp objects at one another.
