TV: In this show, serious drama gets the chop

Kelly Hu, who advises TERI FITSELL not to expect too much about the meaning of life from the new series.

"Yes, we are grateful to Jackie Chan," acknowledges Kelly Hu, co-star of the television detective series Martial Law, which is now high-kicking some serious butt in the ratings wars Stateside.

"The success of his film Rush Hour certainly cannot have done our ratings any harm."

Made around the same time as Rush Hour, Martial Law (TV3 tonight) bears some remarkable similarities to the film, although the producers insist the resemblance is purely coincidental.

Rush Hour had Chan as a Chinese detective working with the LAPD, partnered by fast-talking black comic Chris Tucker.

Martial Law has Sammo Hung as a Chinese detective working with the LAPD, partnered by fast-talking black comic Arsenio Hall.

Kelly Hu plays Sammo Law's protege, Chinese detective Chen Pei Pei (aka Grace Chen). It was her disappearance while working undercover in LA in the first episode that took Sammo to the States.

Hu was in Las Vegas at the weekend, courtesy of the series' producers, to celebrate Martial Law's having just been voted favourite new show at the TV Guide awards.

"It's the subscribers who vote so that means it's the people who actually watch television who decide," she says.

"So now I'm sitting here, on a high floor in this Vegas hotel, looking out the window at dancing water fountains. Unbelievable."

Unbelievable indeed. When Martial Law came out last year, many critics dismissed it as chop-socky trash ... which it is.

But, as Hu suggests, it was never meant to be taken too seriously.

"The emphasis in Martial Law is very much on fun. We do not take it seriously at all, nor do we expect audiences to.

"Yes, there's drama, but mostly it's light comedy ... even most of the fight scenes are comedic.

"My favourite part is the out-takes section, which shows how much fun we have making it."

Hu is referring to the bloopers shown at the end of each episode, another nod to Jackie Chan, whose movie trademark is to reveal all the stunts that went wrong over the closing credits.

The fight scenes are heavily reminiscent of the Chan style, incorporating precision choreography and myriad unlikely props (fridges, brooms, car doors) to create dance-like routines.

"Basically, what happens is the show's team of choreographers are given the location," says Hu. "They turn up, look at what's available, and work out a fight routine. Then we come along, they demonstrate the moves and we film it. It's a fast process."

And one that occasionally goes wrong.

"Every once in a while I miss and bop someone on the head. But these are big burly stuntmen. They just shake it off.

"As for being harmed myself, my scariest moment came when a bad guy had to wield a real axe at my head. They couldn't use a rubber one because it had to just miss my head then smash through a wall. It was kind of hairy. I had visions of them ringing my mum and saying, 'We've got some bad news about Kelly's face.'"

Born in Honolulu, of Chinese, Hawaiian and English ancestry, Hu represented Hawaii in the Miss Teen USA pageant before moving into acting

Her previous television credits include appearances in Melrose Place and Murder One, as well as movie roles in The Doors, No Way Back and the laughably titled Surf Ninjas.

She was introduced to martial arts at a young age almost by accident.

"After my parents were divorced my father would take my older brother and I out at weekends. And he really didn't know how to entertain a little girl, so he would just take us to see Bruce Lee films."

She started karate lessons, as well as taking up ballet.

"I always knew I wanted to do something that would put me at the centre of attention.

"Originally I wanted to be a ballet dancer. It was my mum who dissuaded me. She said a ballet dancer's career was too short, and there was no money in it.

"Being Chinese, you know, she said I had to make money so she steered me towards acting."

Who: Kelly Hu

What: Martial Law

Where: TV3

When: 8.30 tonight