Before the premiere of Inbound Troubles <老表，你好嘢！> on January 14 in Hong Kong, there were rumors circulating that the serial, a comedy drama that touches on the growing cultural division between Hong Kong and mainland China, would receive some scissor treatments from its mainland China broadcasters. It turns out that this was true after all. The Hong Kong media reported that at least 10 minutes of footage from the first four episodes of Inbound Troubles were erased by mainland Chinese censors. Inbound Troubles is currently airing in mainland China through TVB’s overseas channel and Chinese video streaming websites. The first cut occurred in the first episode, when Wong Cho Lam’s (王祖藍) character, Choi Sum, came across some Hong Kong protesters rallying outside a clothing store. The scene was inspired by the actual Dolce & Gabbana photo ban controversy, which occurred in January 2012 in Hong Kong. The staff at D&G staff prevented Hong Kong citizens to take pictures in front of their shop, but allowed mainland Chinese tourists to do so. The protests sparked a rise of anti-mainlander sentiment, and lasted for several days. The second cut was a flash back scene in the second episode. The episode involved three characters attempting to escape mainland China’s borders and seek refuge in Hong Kong. The third cut was a scene that involved Whitney Hui (許亦妮), who portrays wealthy model Monica D., showing off her wealth. The scene was said to be inspired by the Guo Meimei Red Cross Controversy in 2011. Despite the cuts and complaints, Inbound Troubles has been well-received critically, and has achieved an average of 1.92 million viewers in its first week of broadcast. Creds: Next Magazine
