's recently popular workplace drama "News Queen" has once again attracted public attention to TVB. As a representative of Hong Kong style culture, TVB celebrates its 56th birthday in 2023. In addition to producing hundreds of films, TV shows, variety shows and special programs every year, it is also constantly trying to explore and innovate in themes, content, team, communication methods, platform strategic cooperation and other aspects. How to base ourselves on the new era, convey the new Hong Kong style, break through the shackles of consumer sentiment, and lead Hong Kong dramas to a broader world through a younger perspective and fresh gameplay are the issues and challenges that have been facing TVB in recent years. Looking at the answers submitted by TVB in 2023, it is indeed full of surprises.
The expression of the "New Hong Kong Style" era represented by "News Queen"
In 2023, TVB will broadcast a total of 17 drama series, 89 variety shows, and 46 special programs. Among them, "News Queen", the most representative female group workplace drama, has gained popularity and reputation. With its fast pace, strong plot, and distinctive characters, it has become a hit all over the Internet. The Douban score has jumped from 7.9 to 8.2, ranking the top for 4 consecutive weeks. It ranks among the most popular Chinese dramas and has been praised by countless viewers as "the correct way to open Hong Kong dramas".
(Picture note: "News Queen" has a good reputation)
Professional drama, as one of the golden signatures of TVB dramas, has been upgraded again in "News Queen". While retaining the core elements of professional dramas such as advocating professionalism, working people's insistence on personal independence, compact narrative, and fast pace, they will also be based on the mainland market and add more international story consumption needs for the new generation of users, which will have a strong "Hong Kong flavor" The story has been expanded to more young user groups in the mainland and even the entire Chinese-speaking region. In addition to the innovation of "News Queen", TVB also attempts to give traditional Chinese culture a new era value, provide new content expression through the integration of young people's perspectives and culture, and provide unique fun that cannot be copied.
For example, "Hong Kong People in Beijing" combines the current social hot spots of Hong Kong people moving north to develop, and uses a relaxed and humorous comedy narrative to present the cultural differences between Beijing and Hong Kong, as well as the unique customs and customs of Beijing. The medical drama "Hello, My Doctor", which focuses on the professional theme of traditional Chinese medicine, shows and inherits the profoundness of traditional Chinese medicine culture from a young perspective. The fantasy love drama "Spiritual Drama", which is based on the story of Cantonese opera, has attracted the attention of the audience with its rich cultural atmosphere of Cantonese opera.
(Picture note: Many TVB dramas in 2023 focus on thinking about traditional culture)
In addition to innovation in content and themes, TVB also boldly recruits new generation artists to cultivate successors for New Hong Kong dramas. Zhou Jialuo, whose popularity has skyrocketed with his role as "Jincheng An" in "Love·Homecoming Happy Express", once again played the male lead after "Your Highness", and his improvement in business ability is visible to the naked eye. This year's drama series "Tsundere" and "Pet Pet" starring him received rave reviews. He Yiting who played Xu Xiaowei in "News Queen", Chen Xiaohua who played Tang Zhiyao, He Guangpei, Gao Junxian, Kwong Jieying, as well as young actors such as Wu Weihao, Liu Yingluo, Yau Jiaxin in other dramas also performed well.
(Picture note: Zhou Jialuo performed brilliantly in "Pet Pet")
"Xingang Drama" goes north and goes both ways with the audience
The success of a drama series is not only focused on the content of the series itself, but also on distribution, publicity, User interaction guidance, artist after-sales and other contributions. After customs clearance this year, TVB has deepened its exchanges with the mainland and made various attempts to embrace the mainland market.
It is worth mentioning that the long-running sitcom "Love·Homecoming Happy Express" has been broadcast for six years. Although it is a drama based on Hong Kong family and social life, its influence is not limited to the Greater Bay Area. Many places in the Triangle, Southwest and North are quite famous and have even become an encyclopedia for young people from the mainland to learn Cantonese and understand Hong Kong culture. This year the drama has exceeded the 2,000-episode mark, and the leading actors also held their first offline fan meeting in the mainland. The popularity of the scene shocked the creators.
During the popular broadcast of "News Queen" this year, the topic was fermented through various forms such as starring jokes, drama linkages, and netizen interactions, prompting the audience to discuss spontaneously.For example, the leading actors Charmaine Sheh, Gao Haining and Chen Minzhi have collaborated in "The Walker". The mental state of the three people in the play: "Ten years ago, they collectively went crazy, and ten years later, their emotions are stable", effectively forming a dream linkage in the series. It not only aroused the audience's memories of watching the drama, but also caused widespread ridicule among netizens.
Chen Zhanpeng, the star of "Hong Kong People in Beijing", was invited to Beijing for the first time this year to participate in the "citywalk" topic of mainland media. Related topics were trending on Weibo and triggered heated discussions among local residents. All of the above, including exploring the audience's interest points in publicity and interaction, generating empathy and resonance through understanding, and going both ways with the audience, it can be seen that TVB increasingly hopes and cherishes the opportunity to communicate with mainland users.
(Picture note: "Love·Happy Express Home" held a Mid-Autumn Festival fan meeting in Guangzhou)
In addition to drama series, TVB has also continued to make efforts in the content of variety shows and documentaries. The "Infinite Road" series has always been a representative work for Hong Kong people to witness the development of the Mainland from the perspective of Hong Kong people. This year's "Infinite Road 3: The Expanse" went to Xinjiang and Tibet to explore the local natural scenery and customs. Once the topic came up, it once again aroused enthusiastic attention from the audience in both places. "Infinite Road 2: Priceless Protection", which was broadcast last year, also won the honor of the annual innovative communication work at the 2023 Weibo Vision Conference Glimmer Festival. The entertainment reality show "Infinite Transcendence Class" jointly created by
, Youku and Zhejiang Satellite TV has received a lot of praise from netizens for TVB artists from their professional abilities to their artistic ethics. And "Asian Super Star Cluster" and "Dad Knows the Cheat!" Come on in! 》 and other local self-produced variety shows have continuously broken through the audience limitations of Hong Kong variety shows and are sought after by many viewers.
Through program cooperation, it is the most benign and efficient way of cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the Mainland. After all, the cultures of the two places have the same origin. This is also the meaning of TVB's "New Hong Kong Style".
(Picture note: "Infinite Road 3: The Expanse" once again aroused empathy between audiences in both places)
Working hand in hand with mainland platforms is the only way for "New Hong Kong dramas"
The sense of professionalism and rigor presented by TVB Hong Kong dramas Attitudes and values, and even the mental state conveyed by the characters, are the "undertones" of Hong Kong dramas. But in addition to high-quality content, today’s “TVB Xingang Dramas” also need mature and efficient overall publicity and packaging operations to help them get out of the industry. Therefore, cooperating with high-quality mainland platforms is a wise move and the only way to go.
Take the success of "News Queen" as an example. In order to integrate into the mainland market, Youku has reached unprecedented depth in cooperation from project establishment, casting, production, broadcasting, publicity and other levels. Especially in terms of promotion, Youku has provided unprecedented marketing investment in the Hong Kong drama category, and this is the first time that TVB has provided a dedicated marketing team and marketing budget for the mainland market.
In addition to jointly launching the workplace drama "News Queen" and the hit entertainment reality show "Infinity Class" in 2023, TVB will continue to launch multiple series of customized dramas with Youku. For example, "Black Moonlight", a second collaboration with Zhong Shujia, which tells the story of women in the workplace, is currently being filmed; the classic IP "Forensic Pioneer 6 Survivor's Redemption" invites the return of Bosco Bosco, Yuan Weihao, Cai Jie and other original cast members. . In addition, TVB and Tencent Video's in-depth cooperation in the major dramas "Corporate Strongman" and "Heroes on the Cliff" are also being prepared in an orderly manner.
(Picture note: "News Queen" is a customized series produced by TVB and Youku)
2024 Looking forward to more "News Queen"
TVB has been loved by audiences for many years, which is inseparable from its original intention of always cultivating high-quality content. What is worth looking forward to is that in the TVB 2024 film list announced earlier, "Flying Diary", "Goodbye - Pillow Man", "The God of Youth", "The Strange Case 2", "Extraordinary Prosecution View" and "Deadly Life" were introduced successively. Tips", "Heroes on the Cliff", "Corporate Strongman", "Anti-Black Hero" and "Forensic Vanguard 6 Survivor's Redemption" 10 key dramas, covering suspense, business war, forensics, criminal investigation, period emotional drama, etc. kind of subject matter.
Will there be a "masterpiece" next year that can rival or even surpass "News Queen"? The success of the show can be said to have provided a reference answer for all subsequent episodes. TVB's "Xingang Drama" not only maintains its golden signatures of solid scripts, dedicated artists, and professional production, but also focuses on "empathy and resonance" with contemporary young people. Only with universal ideas, mainstream values and expressions that bring a sense of "coolness" can Hong Kong dramas gain a firm foothold in the vast mainland market and even the Chinese market. While maintaining its own core spirit,
must keep up with every rhythm of the times, focus on the needs of the audience, and proactively embrace the changes of the times. To achieve this, it is actually not difficult for TVB Hong Kong dramas to completely complete the evolution and iteration.
(Picture note: The sequel to the classic Hong Kong drama "Forensic Pioneer 6: Survivor's Redemption" has started)
