Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Gung Ho: Scott Bakula and Gedde Watanabe

Gung Ho aired from December 1986 until June 1987 on ABC.

East and West comically clashed in a Hadleyville, Pennsylvania, auto plant in this short-lived comedy.Assan Motors Of Japan had reopened the closed plant, and the workers were thankful for that, but problems were inevitable. Kaz ( Gedde Watanabe), was the newly installed plant manager, trying to balance his country's traditions , the unfamiliar cutoms of the USA, and the demands of his management back in Japan; Saito ( Sab Shimono), was his conservative Japanese assistant, who didn't want to adapt at all. Kaz's wife Umeki( Patti Yasutake), though properly subservent to her husband, sometimes flirted with the freedom accorded American women, while Saito's Yukiko( Emily K. Kuroda), was much more conservative. Hunt ( Scott Bakula), was the free-wheeling go-between with the plant's American workers, who gave the new managers an introduction to America they would never forget.

Based on the 1986 movie of the same name, in which Gedde Watanabe, Sab Shimono, and Clint Howard had all appeared. Gung Ho is perhaps notable for having the largest number of Asian actors as regulars of any American tv series. The producers also retained a Japanese-American consulting firm to help ensure that the characterizations were not offensive to Asians or Asian-Americans.

for a website dedicated to Scott Bakula go to http://www.scottbakulafan.com/

For more on Gedde Watanabe go to http://www.asianweek.com/2001_06_22/ae1_geddewatanabe.html