Jonathan Chik (戚其義) and his longtime collaborator, Chow Yuk Ming (周旭明), officially ended their 2-decade relationship with TVB on January 1, 2013. TVB executive, Catherine Tsang (曾勵珍), led a group of TVB artists to host a farewell banquet for the golden duo. Chik joined TVB in 1976 and worked as an assistant for producer Kam Kwok Leung (甘國亮). He left TVB in 1992 to work as a producer for TVB’s rival station, ATV. He returned to TVB in 1994 and has since produced some of TVB’s most well-known and classic television dramas, such as Cold Blood Warm Heart <天地男兒>, Feminine Masculinity <先生貴性>, At the Threshold of an Era <創世紀>, and War and Beauty <金枝慾孽>. Chow Yuk Ming, who joined TVB in 1995, frequently worked as Chik’s scriptwriter. Although the duo’s most recent television drama, When Heaven Burns <天與地>, achieved widespread critical acclaim, their other recent productions, such as Fly with Me <飛女正傳>, 4 in Love, and Master of Play <心戰>, have not been very well-received in Hong Kong. Feeling that they are losing affinity with the Hong Kong audience, Chik and Chow announced that they would like to try their luck in another market. “I really miss TVB and I don’t want to leave,” said Chik. “But there is no such thing as a never-ending feast. Since I still have the energy, why not use this opportunity reach out to the outside world?” Chik and Chow plan to establish their own production studio in the coming months. Although they are currently looking at opportunities in mainland China, the duo did not rule out the possibility to collaborate with TVB again in the future. Among the artists who attended Chik and Chow’s farewell banquet were Ada Choi (蔡少芬), Moses Chan (陳豪), Kenny Wong (黃德斌), Christine Ng (伍詠薇), Raymond Cho (曹永廉), Eddie Kwan (關禮傑), Tracy Ip (葉翠翠), Rachel Kan (簡慕華), and Matt Yeung (揚明). Christine said, “Ah Chik and I met when we were still in ATV. He, Kam Kwok Leung, and Johnnie To (杜琪峯) are the three producers that I admire the most. I am very thankful for the opportunities he has given me, and I am very happy to be able to take part in his last TVB drama, Beauty at War <金枝慾孽 (貳)>.” Beauty at War, the sequel to 2004’s War and Beauty, also stars Sheren Tang (鄧萃雯), Ada Choi, Moses Chan, and Kenny Wong. The drama is slated to air during the fall season of 2013. Creds: ihktv
