Beijing News Recently, the workplace drama "News Queen" starring Charmaine Sheh, Ma Guoming and others became popular, once again arousing public attention to TVB. As a representative of Hong Kong style culture, TVB celebrates its 56th birthday in 2023. How to base ourselves on the new era, convey the new Hong Kong style, 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. In the recently announced TVB 2024 film list, there are 10 dramas including "The Strange Case 2", "The Cliff of Heroes", "Corporate Strongman", "Anti-Black Hero", "Forensic Pioneer 6 Survivor's Redemption", etc. Is there any show among them that can recreate the glory of "News Queen"?
"News Queen" starring Charmaine Sheh is a popular drama at the end of the year.
Represented by "News Queen", Hong Kong dramas try new expressions
In 2023, TVB will broadcast a total of 17 dramas, 89 variety shows and 46 special programs. Among them, the most representative female group workplace drama "News Queen" has soared in popularity and reputation, and has been praised by countless viewers as "the correct way to open a Hong Kong drama."
Professional dramas have always been one of TVB’s signature dramas. “News Queen” retains the core elements of professional dramas such as advocating professionalism, working people’s independence of personality, compact narrative, and fast pace. It is also based on the mainland market and joins the new generation. Users’ story consumption needs will expand stories with a strong “Hong Kong flavor” to more young mainland user groups. 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" uses comedy to present the cultural differences between Beijing and Hong Kong, as well as the customs and customs unique to Beijing; the medical drama "Hello, My Doctor" focuses on the professional theme of traditional Chinese medicine, showing and inheriting traditional Chinese medicine culture is broad and profound; the fantasy love drama "Spiritual Drama" has been talked about by the audience with its rich cultural atmosphere of Cantonese opera.
TVB’s many drama series in 2023 focus on thinking about traditional culture. After
resumed 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, netizen interactions, etc., and prompted the audience to discuss spontaneously. For example, the leading actors Charmaine Sheh, Gao Haining and Chen Minzhi have collaborated on "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." This effectively formed the dream linkage of the series, which not only evoked the audience Chasing the drama and recalling the killing 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" (city walk) feature 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.
In addition to drama series, TVB also continues to make efforts in 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.
"Infinite Road 3: The Endless Frontier" host Chen Beier traveled to Xinjiang and Tibet by car.
Cooperation with mainland platforms is the only way for "new Hong Kong dramas"
The sense of professionalism, rigor and values presented by TVB Hong Kong dramas, 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 popular entertainment reality show "Infinite Beyond" in 2023,
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.
2024 Looking forward to more "News Queen"
In the newly announced TVB 2024 film list, "Flying Diary", "Goodbye: The Pillow Man", "The Godly Boy", "The Strange Case 2" and "The Extraordinary Prosecution View" are presented "Death Alert", "The Cliff of Heroes", "Corporate Strongman", "Anti-Black Hero" and "Forensic Vanguard 6 Survivor's Redemption" are 10 key dramas, covering suspense, business war, forensics, criminal investigation, and emotions of the times. Drama and other themes. Will
have 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. While stabilizing its own core spirit, it 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.
Beijing News Editor Tong Na
Proofreader Liu Yue
