BEIJING, Oct. 9 -- Bruce Lee is getting belated recognition in the Chinese mainland as the country's state broadcaster prepares to debut a 50-part prime-time series on the late kung fu star.

    The announcement, along with a preview of the show, came at a press conference in Beijing, Tuesday.

    Lee became a source of national pride to Chinese around the world in the early 1970's. He played roles in which he was called to defend Chinese against oppression. Lee's popularity and influence did not catch on immediately among the people in the Chinese mainland. In those days the country was not so open and the entertainment scene had not yet flourished as it has done in recent years.

    Lee died in 1973 from a swelling of the brain. His films didn't surface in the Chinese mainland until they began arrive on video in the 1980's.

    China Central Television hopes to fill the void. Producer Yu Shengli says "The Legend of Bruce Lee," is an exhaustive biography that cost 50 million yuan, or 7.3 million US dollars.

    Shot in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, the U.S., Italy and Thailand over nine months, the series, premieres Sunday in prime-time. It will air on CCTV's flagship channel daily, with two episodes, airing consecutively every night over a two hour time period.

    Unlike past films about Lee, "The Legend of Bruce Lee" gives an exceptionally detailed account. It traces Lee's life, from his teenage years in Hong Kong to the U.S., where he studied and taught martial arts. The series retells the story of his unsuccessful efforts to launch an acting career in the U.S., his return to Hong Kong where he became an international star and his early death at 32.

    Hong Kong actor Chan Kwok Kwan, who plays Bruce Lee in the series, believes the programmes will reveal a side of Lee many people don't know.

    Chan Kwok Kwan, actor of "The Legend of Bruce Lee", said, "I think that the biggest impact of this television series is, how it will affect the way we think about the man we know as Bruce Lee. We have mostly seen the forceful side of Bruce Lee. He comes out and is really tough, his movies are good to watch, but seeing the movies you don't understand what he went through, what injuries he sustained, what setbacks, how he faced difficulties and overcome them. I think that this TV series is able to use a lot of fine detail to tell his story."

    The 33-year-old actor, is best known for his work in Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer." Chan makes up for his lack of star power with his uncanny resemblance to Lee with his thick eyebrows and slender body.

    The series was authorized by the Lee family. Producer Yu said Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee Keasler, approved the script and receives a credit as executive producer.

    (Source: CCTV.com)