Ed Spielman

Ed Spielman (born February 3, 1944) is an American screenwriter, television producer , author , and journalist , best known as the creator of the groundbreaking ABC series Kung Fu (1972–1975), which blended Western and martial arts elements and starred David Carradine as a wandering Shaolin monk. Born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn , New York, to a working-class Jewish family—his parents were Harriet (Shapiro) and Al Spielman—Spielman developed an early fascination with martial arts after discovering kung fu in the early 1960s, prompting him to study Mandarin Chinese at Brooklyn College , where he was one of only five students in the department.

Spielman's career in television began in the early 1970s with the pilot for Kung Fu , but he gained prominence through extensive research—spanning a decade—into Eastern philosophy and martial arts traditions, which informed the pilot script for Kung Fu that he co-wrote with Howard Friedlander. He later wrote episodes for anthology series like The Magical World of Disney in 1988. The series became a cultural phenomenon, topping the Nielsen ratings on May 6, 1973, with 28 million viewers, earning an Emmy Award, and celebrated for its innovative storytelling and themes of racial tolerance and spiritual journey. Beyond Kung Fu , Spielman created other notable Western-themed series, including The Young Riders (1989–1992), which reimagined the Pony Express era, and Dead Man's Gun (1997–1999), an anthology exploring morality through cursed firearms.

In addition to his television work, Spielman authored the 1979 biography The Mighty Atom: The Life and Times of Joseph L. Greenstein; Biography of a Superhuman , published by Viking Press , chronicling the extraordinary feats of the early-20th-century Jewish strongman and vaudeville performer Joseph L. Greenstein, whom Spielman first encountered at a martial arts event in Madison Square Garden . His contributions to popular culture emphasize themes of resilience, cultural fusion, and personal empowerment, influencing subsequent reboots like the 2021 CW series Kung Fu and the upcoming feature film adaptation starring Donnie Yen (announced 2024).

Ed Spielman was born on February 3, 1944, in Bensonhurst, a working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn , New York City .

His parents, Harriet ( Shapiro ) and Al Spielman, raised him in a modest Jewish household typical of the area's immigrant-rooted families. Harriet's parents, Jacob and Jennie Shapiro, had emigrated from poverty on New York's Lower East Side and settled in nearby Coney Island's bungalow colonies, where they built a life amid the bustling summer entertainment scene.

Bensonhurst in the mid-20th century was a densely populated, urban enclave known for its ethnic diversity, with significant Italian and Jewish communities coexisting alongside small businesses and row houses that fostered tight-knit family networks. This environment exposed young Spielman to a vibrant mix of cultures and street-level vitality, shaping his early perceptions of community and resilience.

A pivotal childhood experience came from family outings to Coney Island , where Spielman's relatives, including his grandparents, were captivated by performances of the vaudeville strongman known as the Mighty Atom (Joseph L. Greenstein). These spectacles of physical prowess and showmanship left a lasting impression on the family, sparking Spielman's fascination with dramatic narratives and larger-than-life characters that would later inform his storytelling career.

Ed Spielman attended local public schools in Brooklyn , New York, where he grew up in the Midwood section of Flatbush after his family relocated there in his early childhood. Demonstrating academic precocity, he skipped the eighth grade and enrolled at Brooklyn College at the age of sixteen.