From "The World" in 2022 to "The Three-Body Problem" and "Hurry" in 2023, the TV series released during the Spring Festival in the past two years have frequently become hits.
" Blossoms " will be released at the beginning of 2024, which can be said to have raised everyone's expectations for the next TV series. Especially during the Spring Festival holiday, when people stay at home and watch dramas, it has become a good time for video platforms and TV stations. Incomplete statistics show that more than 10 dramas were aired before and after the Spring Festival, with themes covering comedy, suspense, family love, and sweet pets, including the low-cost "Master and Me" and "The Case of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty" which the platform has high hopes for. "" "south and north" " fireworks and other people's " during the blizzard.
However, it seems that the dramas that have been aired have not created the craze of watching dramas across the country like "In the World" and "The Furious".
The Spring Festival stalls with frequent hits are rich in themes
The concept of "Spring Festival stalls" in China's film and television market originally came from the movie schedule driven by Feng Xiaogang's movie "Party A and Party B". Since the turn of the millennium, domestic dramas have developed greatly, and hit drama kings have appeared frequently. , driving the schedule operation of the drama market to pay more attention to the "Spring Festival schedule".
has been particularly obvious in the past two or three years. The "Human World" in 2022 allowed the industry to see the charm of serious literature; "Hurry" in 2023 set off a nationwide craze for watching dramas. Gao Qiqiang's fate and story made the audience sigh and regret; the hard science fiction theme "The Three-Body Problem" seven Years of sharpening a sword has given the audience more expectations for domestic science fiction dramas.
This year’s Spring Festival is still a battleground for military strategists. The first to join the war was the sweet pet drama "In the Blizzard Time" aired on Tencent on February 2. The drama was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mo Bao Fei Bao, starring Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai. As early as when the starring roles were officially announced, many book fans and audiences expressed their expectations for the partnership between Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai. Two young people in their 20s must have good looks and good acting skills among all the young actors. At the forefront. Before the show started, the most popular search terms on Weibo were also aimed at the two people’s high-school personalities, and there was #武雷赵 Jinmai No. 1 in Chinese Dramas vs. Beijing Film Academy No. 1.
After the episode aired, the data looks good. Data from Maoyan Professional Edition on the 13th showed that the real-time popularity of the entire network ranked first. However, there are also many voices of doubt. Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai indeed look pleasant to watch, but when they act as a couple together, there is no sense of cliché. When the two of them are together, they don’t look like they are in love, but like good students who work hard to study together.
also said that the story and logic of the series are still too simple. The whole world is about love, and the protagonist seems to have nothing else to do except love. After the heroine's brother found out that the hero was pursuing his sister, he immediately came to his aid and told how outstanding the hero was, asking them to get married quickly and help him return to the court. Such a male perspective and the setting of love assistance for all members are too simple and routine.
Next to join the battlefield is the comedy short drama "The Annual Joy Party: The Young Master and Me" (referred to as "The Young Master and Me") starring Zhang Zhehua and Zhan Xin, the popular actors of the "Annual Comedy Competition". During the "Comedy Competition", the two performed multiple sketches as a butler and a young master and received favorable reviews. The butler's name is "Long Aotian", he wears a suit and leather shoes, and he has an extraordinary temperament no matter how he talks or walks; the young master's name is "Liu Bo'er", he wears an ordinary gown, carries luggage, speaks and acts obediently... there are contrasts, contradictions and surprises.
"The Young Master and Me" is a 12-episode short drama, each episode is more than 10 or 20 minutes long. The 12 stories combine nonsensical, action, retro, romance, fairy tale and other elements. The relationship between the two is no longer a butler. and the young master, who may be brothers, friends, masters and apprentices, old enemies, partners, etc., in a relaxed and sophisticated comedy form, they present their thoughts on various relationships such as life, family, friendship, master-disciple, family and country, etc.
's popular short drama, coupled with its light and humorous style, I thought "The Master and Me" would become a dark horse, but it did not achieve the expected results after it was broadcast.Although each story has some ideas and designs, it also has satire on reality. For example, in the first episode of "The God of Dumplings", lines such as "cutting leeks" and "one article of mine can discredit a restaurant" make people understand I smiled in my heart, but overall, the baggage and jokes were not enough. All the baggage was like scratching an itch.
The bigger problem is that the drama always tries to sublimate the theme, educate or sensationalize in the second half. For the audience, such short dramas are "electronic mustard". They originally wanted to watch the drama to relax, but in the end they still have to be educated. , which is a bit embarrassing. According to iQiyi's website popularity yesterday (13th), the popularity of this drama has been ranked 17th, even lower than the finale of "Ning'an Like a Dream" and "The Third Brigade".
Costume suspense vs. era emotions, two leading dramas compete
In the Spring Festival season, Youku's costume suspense drama "The Case of Di Gong of the Tang Dynasty" can be said to have taken the lead. Before it was aired, the number of reservations exceeded 7.6 million, making it the site's all-time reservation record. The highest volume works. "The Case of Di Gong of the Tang Dynasty" stars Yiwei Yiwei, Wang Likun, Zhong Chuxi, Zhang Jiayi and others. In the form of a unit drama, it presents the story of Di Renjie (played by Yiwei Yi) who detects strange cases and finally solves the imminent crisis in Chang'an.
"The Case of Di Gong of the Tang Dynasty" is adapted from the novel of the same name by the Dutch diplomat and sinologist Gloucester. In the 1950s, the English version of "The Case of Judge Di of the Tang Dynasty" caused a sensation in Europe and the United States as soon as it was published. It was later translated into more than ten languages. Many Westerners got to know China through "Judge Di", and Di Renjie was also praised by the West. As "China's Sherlock Holmes". It is for this reason that the drama version of "The Case of the Tang Dynasty" has also attracted the attention of overseas audiences and platforms. The broadcast rights of the series were purchased by Netflix and will be available in more than 190 countries around the world through Netflix and Youku International Edition. and region.
"The Case of Di Gong of the Tang Dynasty" is considered to be the most important project of Youku at the beginning of the year. It even has S++ treatment. Youku also wants to make a "turnaround" through the broadcast of this drama. Before the broadcast, in addition to the large screens of shopping malls, subway stations, bus stops, etc. in many domestic cities, relevant posters and broadcast information were already displayed. There were also relevant promotional posters in Tokyo, Japan, Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, etc. .
There seems to be no big problem with the production and service of the series. Judging from the reputation after the broadcast, many voices questioned Di Renjie played by Yiwei Yi, believing that the performance was too "pretentious". The design of Nengwu Nengwen also made some viewers question it. Whether Zhou Yiwei can surpass Liang Guanhua's version still needs subsequent plots to impress the audience.
"South to North" is also launched on February 7, and it seems to have some intention of competing with "The Case of Emperor Di of the Tang Dynasty". Different from Dee Renjie, a super IP that is well-known at home and abroad, "South to North" is a warm and realistic story with a strong creative lineup, written by Gao Mantang and Li Zhou, directed by Zheng Xiaolong and Liu Zhangmu, and led by Bai Jingting, Ding Yongdai, and Jin Chen Starring.
The story mainly tells the story of a new train policeman Wang Xin (played by Bai Jingting) and an old railway policeman Ma Kui (played by Ding Yongdai) who did not know each other due to misunderstandings. They accidentally became masters and apprentices and worked together to fight against gangbusters, kidnappers, drugs, line patrols, and theft. He always puts the safety of passengers first and selflessly protects the safety of trains. On the trains traveling from south to north, passengers with different marks of different periods walk up and down, and scenes of stories about the warmth and warmth of human relationships are staged.
However, this drama that had high hopes failed to sustain the popularity. Many voices commented that the whole story is composed of short stories, but each story is like a cross talk sketch. Apart from meaningless water-filled lines, there is basically no dramatic conflict, no suspense or hook, and it seems too long-winded and boring. light.
Female Family Join the Fight
The last one to join the Spring Festival competition was "Fireworks" which aired yesterday (13th). The show's producer, Fang Xixi Pictures, has been established for five years and has already produced hit dramas such as "The Sea in My Dreams" and "Good Things Come in Twos."The story of "Fireworks Family" revolves around three generations of the Meng family. It mainly tells the story of the patriarch Qiao Haiyun, the three Meng family sisters Meng Mingwei, Meng Wanqing, and Meng Yi'an with different personalities, as well as the three sisters' respective daughters who are experiencing various problems such as family marriage and love. A heart-warming story of supporting each other and growing up after being confused.
Judging from the cast, this drama is still worth looking forward to: there are Xu Fan and Liang Jing who have not acted in TV dramas for many years, as well as powerful actors such as Song Chunli, Li Chengru, and Liu Jun, as well as popular actors such as Ma Sichun and Li Xiaoran. . In addition, it is worth mentioning that the producer of the show, Yang Xiaopei, is particularly good at thinking from a female perspective and presenting delicate emotions.
Taken together, the 2024 Spring Festival drama series does not lack the "flavor of the new year" and the themes are rich enough. However, what the market and audiences are looking forward to seeing are works that can truly win the favor of audiences of different age groups. Flowers come to each eye, and the Spring Festival holiday is about to pass halfway. Let us wait and see whether any drama can replicate the ratings success of "Horse" and "Flowers".
Red Star News reporter Qiu Junfeng editor Wang Liqiang
