Thank you, Uncle! Everything you didn't know about Jackie Chan Adventures

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Jackie Chan Adventures, one of the few celebrity-led animated series to have a long run on network TV.

So why did Jackie Chan Adventures stand tall for five seasons while Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos only had five episodes?

Because Jackie Chan Adventures worked as more than just a Jackie Chan vehicle. It was one of the few cartoons to embrace sweeping season-long arcs, and it had a very charming cast of characters led by Jackie Chan himself.

However, that is a bit misleading, because Jackie didn't actually voice his animated counterpart. Instead, James Sie had the honor of portraying the fictionalized Jackie Chan, who was an archaeologist and martial artist who happened to go on globetrotting adventures alongside his niece, Jade, and his beloved Uncle Chan. Of course, Uncle Chan and Jade were fictional relatives, but we won't hold that against the show!

The real Jackie Chan was involved with the series, and he filmed fun live-action sequences for the episodes in which he would take questions from fans. The creative team behind Jackie Chan Adventures also liberally borrowed aspects of Chan's films and incorporated them into the show. For example, one episode gave animated Jackie an excuse to use the fighting style from Chan's legendary Drunken Master.

One of the key creative figures behind Jackie Chan Adventures was John Rogers, the screenwriter of Catwoman and the first live-action Transformers movie. But don't hold that against him! Rogers co-created the series with Duane Capizzi and Jeff Kline, and their combined efforts transformed Jackie Chan Adventures into an animated classic.

For more details about one Jackie Chan Adventures, check out the latest episode of SYFY WIRE's Everything You Didn't Know!