10 Films You Didn’t Realise Became TV Shows
5. The Karate Kid
As previously mentioned, the idea of an animated series based on a popular movie may seem like a good idea, though it doesn’t always pay off. The concept of a Karate Kid series made sense, more so than one based on Friday. The first two films were hugely popular, and the demographic was ideal.
The Karate Kid was released to worldwide success in 1984, quickly spawning three less than than amazing sequels and a reboot. The animated series was created with the intention of tying it to the release of the third film in 1989. The premise of the show was pretty basic, once again featuring Daniel and Mr. Miyagi who travel the world in search of a Japanese relic, though there was always someone in their way to block their path. Neither Ralph Macchio nor Pat Morita returned to voice their characters, though Morita did return to introduce the show.
By the late 80s, the need for another Karate Kid film was waning, and the series met the same fate as the third film, which failed to bring in the same numbers as the original two. Though producers DIC Entertainment had originally intended it to run for a lengthy 65-episodes, it was soon cut down to 13 due to poor ratings.