Sidekicks (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sidekicks |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Action / Adventure / martial arts |
| Written by | Jeremy Lew Steve Stoliar |
| Directed by | James Fargo |
| Starring | Ernie Reyes Jr. Gil Gerard Nancy Stafford Keye Luke |
| Theme music composer | Rare View |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Production | |
| Editor(s) | Bille Brame |
| Running time | 30 min |
| Production company(s) | Motown Productions Walt Disney Television |
| Distributor | Buena Vista Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | The Disney Channel ABC |
| Original release | September 26, 1986 – June 13, 1987 |
Sidekicks is an exciting TV show about martial arts. It's a spin-off from a 1986 Walt Disney TV special called The Last Electric Knight. The show stars Ernie Reyes Jr. as Ernie Lee, who is the Last Electric Knight. It also features Gil Gerard as Sergeant Jake Rizzo. Sidekicks first aired on ABC in 1986. It was shown on Friday nights. Later, it moved to Saturday nights.
Contents
What's the Show About?
The story begins when Sergeant Jake Rizzo (Gil Gerard) is chosen by a wise man named Sabasan. Sabasan asks Jake to look after his grandson, Ernie Lee (Ernie Reyes, Jr.). Ernie is the last person from an old family of special martial arts fighters. He is a highly skilled karate expert.
Throughout the series, Ernie often finds himself in tricky situations. Sometimes, bullies at school or on the streets of Los Angeles cause trouble. Other times, his adoptive dad, Sergeant Rizzo, needs his help. This happens when criminals try to escape or harm him. Ernie uses his super-fast moves and special skills to get out of danger. He also gets clever advice from his grandfather, Sabasan, who appears to him in his thoughts. Ernie always manages to win against his opponents.
Meet the Characters
- Ernie Lee - played by Ernie Reyes Jr. - He is the main character and the Last Electric Knight. Ernie is a young boy who is amazing at martial arts.
- Sergeant Jake Rizzo - played by Gil Gerard - He is Ernie's adoptive father. Jake works as a police officer.
- Sabasan - played by Keye Luke - Ernie's wise grandfather. Even though he has passed away, Sabasan appears to Ernie in short memories. When Ernie faces a problem, he often thinks deeply. He remembers advice Sabasan gave him before. This helps Ernie figure out what to do.
- Patricia Blake - played by Nancy Stafford - She is a friend and love interest for Sergeant Rizzo.
- Capt. Blanks - played by Vinny Argiro - He is the boss of Sergeant Rizzo and Det. Mooney.
- Det. R.T. Mooney - played by Frank Bonner - He is Sergeant Rizzo's partner at work.
Episodes and Adventures
The Sidekicks series started with a special TV movie. Then, it had a full season of exciting episodes.
The TV Movie
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Last Electric Knight" | James Fargo | Dan Gordon | February 16, 1986 | |
|
This special movie introduced Ernie Lee, a young martial arts master, and how he came to live with Sergeant Jake Rizzo.
|
||||
Season 1 Highlights
The first season had 22 episodes. Here are a few examples of the adventures Ernie and Jake had:
- Are These Your Kicks? (First episode, aired September 26, 1986)
- Open House (Aired October 3, 1986)
- My Dad the Crook (Aired October 24, 1986)
- Down and Out in Van Nuys (Aired October 31, 1986)
- The Cousin Who Fell to Earth (Aired January 3, 1987)
- The Boy Who Saw Too Much (Aired January 10, 1987)
- Read Between the Lines (Last episode, aired June 13, 1987)
Other Names for the Show
Sidekicks was known by different names in other countries:
- Le Chevalier Lumière (French title, meaning "The Light Knight")
- ילד הקראטה (Yeled Ha-Karate) (Israeli title, meaning "The Karate Kid")
- El Karateca eléctrico (Latin American title, meaning "The Electric Karate Fighter")
- El Pequeño Karateca (Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, and Venezuelan title, meaning "The Little Karate Kid")
- O Pequeno Mestre (Brazilian title, meaning "The Little Master")
- 태권소년 어니 (Korean title, meaning "Taekwondo Boy Ernie")
- 功夫小子 (Gongfu Xiaozi) (Chinese title, meaning "Kung Fu Kid")
- Az utolsó(elektromos)lovag (Hungarian title, meaning "The Last (Electric) Knight")
- Partnerzy (Polish title, meaning "Partners")
- Partnerid (Estonian title, meaning "Partners")
