''Sidekicks'' is a

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

television series, a spin-off of the Walt Disney 1986 special, ''The Last Electric Knight''. The series starred

Ernie Reyes Jr. Ernie Reyes Jr. (born January 15, 1972) is an American actor and martial artist, known for his acting work in films such as ''The Last Dragon'', ''Red Sonja'' (1985), as Donatello's stuntman in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', '' Teenage Mutan ...

as Ernie Lee, the Last Electric Knight, and

Gil Gerard Gil Gerard (born January 23, 1943) is an American actor, whose roles include Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–81 television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. Early life Gerard was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkan ...

as Sergeant Jake Rizzo. ''Sidekicks'' aired as part of ABC's Friday night primetime lineup during the 1986-1987 season at 9 pm. After '' Life with Lucy'' was cancelled, ''Sidekicks'' moved to Saturdays at 8 pm.

Synopsis

Sergeant Jake Rizzo (

) is chosen by Sabasan as tutor of his grandson Ernie Lee ( Ernie Reyes, Jr.), the last heir of an ancient clan of special martial artists and a highly trained

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

fighter. Through the series, Ernie often tends to get into dangerous situations where bullies at school or in the streets of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

threaten him or his friends, or in dangerous situations where his adoptive father ends up needing his help after criminals which he has captured try to escape or try to harm him. With help of his quick moves, unique powerful skills and the clever advice of his deceased grandfather, Ernie manages every time to overcome all of the dangerous situations he gets into and manages to overwhelm his opponents.

Characters

* Ernie Lee - played by

- The Last Electric Knight, the main character of the series. Ernie is a young boy who specializes in

. * Sergeant Jake Rizzo - played by

- Ernie's adoptive father, works as a police officer * Sabasan - played by

Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Cant ...

- Ernie's deceased grandfather, who appears through the series in short flashbacks. As Ernie is faced with new dilemmas in each episode, he often meditates in order to reach the appropriate solution. In a similar fashion to Luke's role as Master Po in ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

'', Ernie recalls advice previously given to him by Sabasan which helps him in the present. * Patricia Blake - played by

Nancy Stafford Nancy Elizabeth Stafford (born June 5, 1954) is an American actress, speaker and author, known for her roles on television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Michelle Thomas, law partner, on five seasons of '' Matlock''. She later hosted a ...

- Sergeant Rizzo's love interest * Capt. Blanks - Rizzo and Mooney's commanding officer, played by

Vinny Argiro Vinny or Vinnie is a masculine given name, usually a shortened version of Vincent, Vincenzo, or Vicente, which may refer to: Vincents * Vinnie Anderson (born 1979), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Vinny Appice (born 1957), American rock dr ...

* Det. R.T. Mooney - Sgt. Rizzo's partner, played by

Frank Bonner Frank Bonner (born Frank Woodrow Boers Jr.; February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021) was an American actor and television director widely known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati''. Personal li ...

Episode list

TV movie

Season 1

Alternative titles

* ''Le Chevalier Lumière'' (French title) * ילד הקראטה (Yeled Ha-Karate) (Israeli title, translated: ''The Karate Kid'') * ''El Karateca eléctrico'' (Latin American title) * ''El Pequeño Karateca'' (Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian and Venezuelan title) * ''O Pequeno Mestre'' (Brazilian title) * ''태권소년 어니'' (Korean title) * 功夫小子 (Gongfu Xiaozi) (Chinese title) * ''Az utolsó(elektromos)lovag'' (Hungarian title) * ''Partnerzy'' (Polish title, translated: ''Partners'') * ''Partnerid'' (Estonian title, translated: ''Partners'')

Series ownership

DePasse Entertainment as successor to Motown Productions and Disney-ABC Domestic Television as a successor to Walt Disney Television currently own series rights.

References

External links

*
Sidekicks intro video (Youtube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidekicks (Tv Series) 1986 American television series debuts 1987 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Disney Channel original programming English-language television shows Fictional duos Martial arts television series Television series by Disney Television shows set in Los Angeles