TVB Headlining in 2014 with Anthony Wong, Tong Leung Ka Fai, and Sammo Hung

​

TVB’s Assistant General Manager Peter Au (區偉林) recently provided an in-depth look at the company’s 2014 program lineup. After suffering viewer complaints and poor ratings during the first half of the year, TVB vows to make changes to its production policies and will actively avoid using the same artists across multiple, concurrent series. To attract more viewers, the company has recruited mega stars Anthony Wong (黃秋生), Sammo Hung (洪金寶), and Tony Leung Ka Fai (梁家輝) to participate in dramas and variety programs. TVB also has plans to revive several classic series, and will work to diversify its catalog for the new year.

While many artists kept silent over their long work days and the frequent, last-minute changes to incomplete scripts, Sheren Tang (鄧萃雯) brought these issues into public spotlight when she spoke candidly about her experiences while filming Beauty at War <金枝慾孽貳>. In response to public criticism, TVB has promised new policies to alleviate the situation. Speaking about the changes, Mr. Au agrees that filming without a completed script would only affect the artists’ rest time and production progress. He stated that he has given production and creative teams one year to make improvements. Starting from next year, all scripts must be at least 80 percent complete before filming can begin.

To show how the plan will be implemented, Mr. Au presented two documents: a production timeline and a master filming schedule. The production timeline outlines the writing process, from brainstorming sessions to the date when each draft will be due. The master filming schedule will list artists’ filming commitments so that they will not be assigned to appear in multiple series airing at the same time. Mr. Au added that this new system will promote a smoother filming process and will give artists more time to rest and to focus on their characters.

As for this year’s lackluster drama selection, TVB will commit itself to produce programs that viewers will actually enjoy. “Producers tend to create programs according to their own tastes. Sometimes what they like isn’t what the audience wants to see… because of this, next year we will eliminate series that pick the viewers’ brains, such as Beauty at War and Bullet Brain <神探哥倫布>, and will focus instead on comedies and martial arts series.”

He further revealed that Anthony Wong will film a series titled Kung Fu <功夫>, while Tony Leung Ka Fai will film <只爭朝夕>, which roughly translates to Seize the Moment. Sammo Hung will also make an appearance in a cooking show. “… [Sammo] was in charge of cooking during the Seven Little Fortunes (七小福) era. Jackie Chan (成龍) loves his curry chicken. Sammo will make an exception this time to show off his cooking skills on the TV screen. Anthony will also film Anthony’s Canteen <秋生飯堂>. He insists on using traditional methods to cook, so it will provide a fresh angle for our food and drinks programs.”

Aside from these exciting collaborations, TVB will also remake two classic dramas, 1981′s Double Fantasies <無雙譜> and The Misadventure of Zoo <流氓皇帝>.

As if these are not enough, the company has asked former Director of Broadcast Franklin Wong (黃華麒) to helm the revival of the ever popular Below the Lion Rock <獅子山下> TV series. Below the Lion Rock was a series of short stories produced by RTHK starting from the 1970s, depicting the daily lives and problems of Hong Kong citizens. The revival will focus on Hong Kong’s current social problems. “Mr. Franklin Wong was one of the first generation directors of Below the Lion Rock. Earlier we had plans to remake the series on its 40th anniversary. After discussions, we decided to film based on current social issues plaguing our citizens, such as socio-economic problems, housing issues, and raising successful children. Our goal is not just to reflect citizens’ complaints, but to use dramatic representation to further investigate our society’s current situation.” Since the show reflects real life, the new series will star lesser-known actors and even fresh faces. The new iteration of Below the Lion Rock is scheduled to air in mid-2014 during Sunday’s prime-time slot.

Speaking about the company’s drastic plans, Mr. Au describes TVB as a luxury bus, saying that when a bus has operated smoothly for over 40 years, people tend to ignore the need for maintenance and repairs. When someone finally flips open the hood, he will discover many damages that will one day lead to certain doom. “I always tell my colleagues that a person or a company’s most successful moment is also when they are most likely to fail. This is because they can no longer see their own weaknesses, and forget to remind themselves [to fix the problems].”

When asked if TVB is more relaxed since rival HKTV has not yet been granted a free-to-air license, Mr. Au said, “To be honest, TVB’s only rival is itself… we must seriously reflect whenever we fail to deliver a good program. It does not matter who our competitor is as long as we continue to provide a solid product.”



Creds: Oriental Daily

 

I've never watched those before, but i'll guarantee you that there will be complaints that they fucked it up or is not up to par -lol.

 

Leung Ka Fai is one of the best actors in HK