Above: Wallace Huo stars in Yu Zheng’s “Swordsman”. On October 10, a screen capture of a pamphlet that consisted of a list of Hunan TV’s television drama line-up for 2013 circulated in the Weibo online community. The pamphlet revealed a list of dramas that will broadcast on Hunan TV’s Golden Eagle Broadcast Theater (金鹰独播剧场) and the revamped First Week Broadcast Theater (第一周播剧场) television drama programs. Among the list of 2013 line-ups included the highly anticipated Bu Bu Jing Xin 2 <步步惊心>, Female Prime Minister <女相>, Swordsman <笑傲江湖>, The Flowers of War <金陵十三钗> television adaptation, and New Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils <新天龙八部>. Out of the rumored list, the television adaptation of The Flowers of War has received the most attention from Hunan TV fans. Allegedly, the television adaptation will be directed by 1911 <辛亥革命> director Zhang Li (张黎), and the author of the original The Flowers of War novel, Geling Yan (严歌苓), will helm the script. However, representatives of Xiao Song Jia (小宋佳), who will allegedly star in the adaptation, did not seem to be aware of Xiao Song Jia’s involvement, and stated, “We have heard about this adaptation before, but it is not confirmed.” New Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is another adaptation and remake that is highly anticipated by fans. The wuxia drama will star Hong Kong actor, Wallace Chung (鍾漢良) as Beggars Sect chief Qiao Feng, and Korean actor Kim Ki Bum (金起範) as Dali prince Duan Yu. Unlike previous adaptations, New Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils will focus heavily on Murong Fu’s vengeance plot on restoring the Yan State. Popular idol drama producer, Yu Zheng (于正), brought together a team of female leads in the female-oriented palace drama, Female Prime Minister. Producers of the drama call it the Chinese version of the international hit, Jewel in the Palace <大長今>, and the story centers on China’s first and only female prime minister, Lu Zhen of the Northern Qi Dynasty. Zhao Liying (趙麗穎) and Maggie Cheung (張可頤) star in Female Prime Minister. Yu Zheng’s follow-up production, Swordsman, is an adaptation of the wuxia novel, The Smiling, Proud Wandering <笑傲江湖>. The 40-episode drama will star Wallace Huo (霍建華) as Linghu Chong, Yuan Shanshan (袁姗姗) as Ren Yingying, and Joe Chen (陳喬恩) as Dongfang Bubai. Many fans of 2011’s mega-hit time traveling drama, Bu Bu Jing Xin <步步惊心>, are excited to hear that it will be receiving the sequel treatment. The sequel will take place in modern times, and original cast members, Nicky Wu (吳奇隆), Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎), and Cecilia Liu (刘诗诗), are expected to return. The blockbuster production Lanling King <兰陵王> is produced by William Feng (冯绍峰). The drama stars Ariel Lin (林依晨), Daniel Chan (陳曉東), and William Feng himself, was also rumored to be airing on Hunan TV next year, but the drama was not listed on the 2013 line-up pamphlet. Hunan TV representatives neither confirmed nor denied the leaked list of 2013 drama line-ups. However, various reports indicated that Hunan TV already has a confirmed released date for Female Prime Minister and Swordsman. The pamphlet credited the following dramas to appear in 2013’s First Week Broadcast Theater Line-Up, not in any order: 1) Lanling King <兰陵王>, starring William Feng, Ariel Lin, and Daniel Chan 2) Meteor Shower 3 <流星雨3>, currently in pre-production 3) Bu Bu Jing Xing 2 <步步惊心2>, currently in pre-production, and stars Cecilia Liu, Nicky Wu, and Kevin Cheng 4) Best Time <最美的时光>, starring Wallace Chung, Janine Chang, Jia Nailiang, and Han Xiting 2013’s Golden Eagle Broadcast Theater Line-Up, not in any order: 1) Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils 2013 <新天龙八部>, starring Wallace Chung and Kim Ki Bum 2) Female Prime Minister <女相>, starring Zanilia Zhao, Chen Xiao, Qiao Renliang, Even Wu, Leanne Liu, and Maggie Cheung 3) Swordsman <笑傲江湖>, starring Wallace Huo, Yuan Shanshan, Yang Rong, Chen Xiao, and Joe Chen 4) The Flowers of War <金陵十三钗> TV adaptation, starring Xiao Song Jia and Zhang Jiayi 5) Heroes of Sui and Tang <隋唐英雄>, starring an ensemble cast 6) Raising Children is Hard <小儿难养>, starring Xiao Song Jia, Chen Sicheng, Wan Qian, and Wei Chen 7) Ten Years of Love <相爱十年>, starring Deng Chao and Angel Dong 8) Flowers and Mists <花非花霧非霧>, starring Ruby Lin, Joo Jin Mo, Li Sheng, and Zhang Rui 9) Ji Gong: The Prequel <济公前传>, starring Benny Chan, Lam Tze Chung, Ye Zuxin, an Lin Jiangguo 10) I Have a Date with Spring: Love in Spring <我和春天有个约会之爱在春天>, starring Yu Haoming and Yuan Shanshan 11) Let’s Get Married <咱们结婚吧> starring Gao Yuanyuan and Huang Haibo 12) The Story of Liu Hai and Jin Chan <刘海戏金蟾>, starring Benny Chan and Patrick Tam 13) The Queen of SOP 2 <勝女的代價>, starring Joe Chen, Godfrey Gao, Zhang Han, and Zhang Meng 14) Shining Days <璀璨人生>, starring Li Qin, Peter Ho, and Kan Qingzi Creds: hunantv
