Saturday, January 26, 2008

Ada's Marriage to Max Zhang 1/12/08



Reading about Ada's wedding, it seems to be very beautiful and touching. Ada looks beautiful in her wedding gown in pictures snapped by the media. I especially love the above picture. I think the gown was shown off beautifully by Ada in that shot. And from her smile, it seems like she feels very, very sweet and happy becoming Miss. Zhang. I wonder if Ada would share her wedding pictures of the ceremony later on.

A lot of past and current TVB artistes were invited, and there were pics snapped of them as well. The bridesmaid included Monica Chan, Athena Chu, and Catherine Hung, three beautiful gals. And it's really nice to see Kenix, Flora, and Jessica showing up! After all, Ada and them are after all part of the 5 original Fa Dans. Wish Ada and Max great happiness as husband and wife!



Read more about the wedding here:
Asianfanatics: Ada Choi Marries Zhang Jin In Simple Ceremony
Asianfanatics: Ada Choi's wedding gifts from friends
Asianfanatics: Guests Opened White Umbrellas
Asianfanatics: Ada Choi and Max Zhang’s Wedding

More Pictures of guests and bridesmaids here:
Page 1
Page 2

Friday, January 25, 2008

Hardships During Filming....

Asianfanatics: Shirley Yeung Frozen, Cries For Help 1/8/2008

From what I can recollect, Shirley has had some history with having to deal with health problems while filming such as falling off the horse while filming Blade Heart, injury during an anniversary practice with Bosco, and now this could be considered another issue.

Before the last year, I always thought Shirley was weak since she always had these health issues. If she had a strong will and a strong body, then she could've accomplished the filming without problems because other actors/actresses don't have the same problems. But now, I think differently now not because I am her fan now, but because I believe that you have to be in the harsh situation to experience the pain. Last year, I had some back problems, and it hurts so much to even get up and walk, so I could imagine how bad it must've been for Shirley who fell off a horse years before!

The tone of the article seems to put Shirley in a bad light, but I think it was really cold for her. The girl is also quite skinny and has a history of health problems. If she could have done the filming efficiently, she most likely would. It is not great to get those bad pictures snapped and probably judged unprofessional.

But what I am thinking is the frozen ice necessary? Did they really have to have a steamed water scene? This is not the first time that I read news about actresses facing hardship while filming. I can't find the article at AF, but I remember reading another news about Linda Chung having to film for Jewel's Splendor, and she was quite cold filming a swimming pool scene, but she had to 'brave it' and continue filming also. And also Gillian Chung from Twins was hung on a wire for a while for Lets Steal Together and asked to come down but supposely the directors did not hear her? There was also another time she was hung on a wire too, but I can't find that other article. There are probably more news about hardships during filming, but these few are the ones that come up in my mind now. And then I heard past TVB actors complained about how filming series for TVB takes longer hours and is very tiring. And we see how some current popular actors and actresses filmed strenuously in one or two months to complete filming or take series after series.

So the next time we come across one of these news in the future, we shouldn't be too fast too judge the actor or actress as unprofessional, perhaps the conditions are indeed very unbearable for them.

Have you heard or read about any other hardships for other actors/actresses during filming? Please share.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

孽吻 Ambition Themevideos...

Two Ambition themesongs were on Youtube. Which one was the original themesong or is one of them a sub-theme? I don't remember. For those who have not seen Ambition, this serie stars Gallen Lo, Amy Kwok, Michael Tao, and Noel Leung. Gallen plays an ambitious, greedy guy who liked three sisters for their upbring/money.





Which themesong did you like better for the themevideo? I think the first one fits the series more since the second one sung by Sammi sounds more like a romantic song, and Gallen's character didn't seem to really love the girls in the serie.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Sammul’s old gossip about an ex-friend back-talking about him


Picture found from bosco-wong.com

This gossip is a year ago, but I suddenly remembered it after seeing Sammul in Survivor's Law 2 and thought it would be interesting to write about. When I first saw this news, my opinion was that Sammul was petty and immature for stirring up trouble with this report. Whether it be true or not, he should’ve kept it to himself and be mature enough to realize that saying it is someone from among the Six Olympics guys causes troubles for not only the so called perpetrator, but also for the innocent four others.

Looking back now, it is a year since then (two years since the comment was supposedly said as seen on Wikipedia) and Sammul has filmed/is filming many series for TVB and costarred with many members from among the Six Olympics group with series including The Price of Greed, The Academy I, Survivors Law II, On the First Beat, and The Four Constable/ The Four recently. Reports at the time were heavily concentrating on Ron or Kenneth being the culprit, but yet he has filmed with both Ron and Kenneth for respective sequels which showed recently. And he filmed with Bosco in The Price of Greed in 2006. Now, he is currently filming/almost done with The Four Constable, and it has Raymond, Ron, and Kenneth. Now, if the ‘backstabber’ is among these costars, would he really be willing to work with him again?

The chances of it being Kenneth and Lai Lok Yi are slim since they hardly had series before Sammul’s comment was said. However, out of everyone, he hasn’t worked with Lai Lok Yi again I believe. Personally, I have never thought it was Ron because I think out of the four (Ray, Ron, Bosco, and Sammul), he seems to be the most humble. As for Raymond, he gives me the image that he wants to be able to succeed on his own performance/talent. Kenneth Ma also seems very serious and doesn’t seem to talk a lot. As for Bosco, at first when I wrote this post I thought the signs sort of point to him since Sammul hasn’t filmed anything with him for a while and didn’t show up at The Price of Greed function earlier this month. However, I found out that they filmed The Price of Greed in 2006, which was after the comment was made in 2005. As for Lai Lok Yi, I didn’t think it was him either. But then lately, there is a comment I came across from a Sammul article quoting him saying “I can't complain, I must keep working. Maybe next time it is Lai Lok Yi being the main lead and I have to support him. Do I quit? If I can't take it easy, I won’t be able to do anything.” Why did he mention Lai Lok Yi? Is it because he thinks Lai Lok Yi isn’t as good as an actor as he is or is it because Lai Lok Yi was the back-talker he was talking about.

Reading the comments at AF a year ago, a lot of people thought it was between Ron and Bosco the most. What does everyone think now? So is the comment Sammul made false, or it was real but was exaggerated by the media to aim at the Six Olympic guys, or is true that one of the Six Olympic guys really did talk bad about Sammul behind his back?

//Posts about the Sammul's back stabber friend:
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=338579&st=240
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?&showtopic=338941&mode=show&st=0
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/-talk338578.html

//Article About Sammul Chan with the quote about Lai Lok Yi:
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=491767&st=0

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

TVB series dvds

So I've decided to make some TVB series dvd purchases, and I was looking around for sites that sell them. I actually wanted to purchase newer series like The Price of Greed, Heart of Greed, and The Brink of Law but I can't seem to find them ones that is playable in the US so I'm forced to go once again to the somewhat pricey, but trustworthy YesAsia.com site.

Nonetheless, here are some English sites I found that sells TVB dvds. I am not affiliated with any of these vendors, and I personally have only ordered from Yesasia.com from the list. If you do end up purchasing with them, make sure you read the policies and faqs, and also check the region & language of the dvds. And shop smart, always browse around for the best prices/offers before settling. I just want to share what I have found so other TVB fans who wants to make DVD purchases have other options.

1. YesAsia.com
2. Five Star Laser Co
3. Cinemashops.com
4. DVDAsian.com
5. Soasianstyle.com
6. Play-Asia.com
7. Sensasian.com
8. Malmusic.com
9. Gooshow.com
10.Coolwin-video.com
(recommended by chris)
11.Ihkmusic.com


And from what I read from an SPCNET forum, Tai Seng and TVB are two distributors of the dvds. Supposely the TVB covers for the dvds look better than the Taiseng ones. To get the TVB ones from Yesasia, one has to type "global" instead of the "us" in the website address.More info at this site: SPCNET: TVB DVDS

If you have made purchases at these sites and could give a review of them, please leave a comment. Or if you know of other sites, please comment also. Thanks.

Monday, January 14, 2008

WOIL II Subtheme & Lyrics

感激遇到你 Lyrics
Grateful to Have Met You (War of In-Laws 2 sub) - Myolie Wu & Bosco Wong

M: Myolie
B: Bosco
T: Together
( ): English Translation by honeybee* at Tvbsquare

M: 這是愛,承諾用心戀愛
(This is love; promising to love you with all my heart)

注定要和你同步飛身愛海
(Destined to walk simultaneously with you, rushing into the sea of love)

B: 誰人是最愛
(Who is the one I love most)

全程投入去愛,有你每日也精彩
(Loving you wholeheartedly; Having you, each day is so wonderful)

T: 永遠與你一起,日後都只愛你
(Being with you forever; will only love you hereafter)

T: 永遠的心動每日也令我回味
(Being moved by you forever, will cause me to recollect the pleasant feeling each day)

T: 珍惜就像調味
(Cherishing is like seasoning)

T: 能維繫便銘記,愛你能教我幸福一世紀
(Able to maintain, so it will engrave on my memory; Loving you has taught me to be happy for a century)

T: Oh, baby, I love you, I love you everyday

T: 永遠的心動每日也令我回味
(Being moved by you forever, will cause me to recollect the pleasant feeling each day)

T: 珍惜就像調味
(Cherishing is like seasoning)

T: 能維繫便銘記,愛你能教我幸福一世紀
(Able to maintain, so it will engrave on my memory; Loving you has taught me to be happy for a century)

T: 感激遇到你
(Grateful to have met you)

*Translation credits tohoneybee at TVBSquare, reposted by myolie_admiror at AF

//Short clip of their live performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q9hlqwploM

//Ripped Themesong (with some talking) by joyce20176 @ AF:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/onnrih

***********************************
I just immediately love this song when I first heard it. It's so romantic and makes me wonder if I'll ever meet that special someone that I would feel the same way, and who would feel the same way about me too, like in the song. Although I am not a huge, huge fan of Bosco and Myolie, I can't help but think that this song is really what they feel about each other in reality...especially with the part "Cherishing is like seasoning"....and seasoning reminds me about how Bosco really likes to cook and how Myolie likes to eat too...

Twins' Charlene & Gillian Mandarin Solos on Youtube

I came across these their new solos, and I really thought these songs were very meaningful and touching….

Charlene Choi - 妹妹/Little Sister MV w/Lyrics


This song is dedicated to her mom. I believe she might’ve wrote the lyrics for the song.

Gillian Chung - 你看得見嗎/Can You See? MV w/Lyrics


This song is dedicated to her grandfather who passed away. I believe this song and lyrics are not written by her though.

********************************************
When I first listen to the songs, I immediately like Gillian's solo better, but after listening to Charlene's solo several times, I grew to like it also. Gillian's solo sounds more appealing and is very touching, and I got kind of teary after listening to it. As for Charlene's solo, I love the chorus, that part sounds really strong and emotional. Which one do you like more?

Sunday, January 13, 2008

TVB- the 4th decade: 1997-2007

In TVB Weekly Issue 543, the latest decade of TVB series is showcased. The fourth decade brought a lot of series that I can easily recognize. While the earlier years of the decade were focused on professional career series, the latter years of the decade aired more comedic, less dramatic series. With a lot of series that set professional careers as the theme, plots that raise discussions in society, attempting ‘never-been-done before’ series, and filming in variety of new locations, this decade can be said to be the most innovative and ambitious....

In 1997, 大鬧廣昌隆 (Time Before Time) was shown, and the comments below mentioned that its highest ratings were at 45 points. The themesong is sang by the late Anita Mui, and it is a song that not only sounds beautiful but also sets a sort of tragic and sullen tone that seems to tell a story. And Time Before Time is a serie that tells a compelling story from a ghost’s point of view. It is one of those themesongs you want to listen to before every episode begins because it is THAT good and you feel that it just ‘completes’ the series, and without it, something is missing. I remember there were just a few times that I became disappointed when the theme video doesn’t air before the episodes show on cable. Anyway, I was quite addicted to this serie, and I love watching the whole cast. It has got a right mixture of comedy, suspense, and also romance but best of the serie is sort of like a people’s version of a novel. If I remember correctly, there were several episodes which were a continuation of Siu Foo Yong’s story about her romance and eventual tragedy with Luk Wun Kwong. This type of continuation is attractive because it really drives people to keep watching as it seems like the audience is finding out at the same time as the other characters who are listening to Siu Foo Yong’s story too. It really works the best when you get one episode per day, of which I did, so it got quite addicting for me. I am not usually a big fan of Kathy Chow Hoi Mei, but in this serie, I liked her performance and her character Siu Foo Yung very much. Gordon Lam was extremely charming as Luk Wan Kwong, and he was also funny as the present day ah Kwong in the serie. I also like Gordon and Florence’s relationship as a couple. 鑑證實錄 (Untraceable Evidence) can not be a miss for Bowie-Flora fans, but I myself have only catched a few episodes. It is most probably the predecessor to recent time’s Forensics Heroes. Other than that, there was also 美味天王 (A Recipe For The Heart). I don’t remember much about it other than it was kind of funny in a quirky way…at least with Jessica’s parts.

The serie that can be referred to as the ER version in HK was 妙手仁心 (Healing Hands I) which debut in 1998. I did not watch Healing Hands I when it first aired. In fact I watched it much, much later probably around 2005 or so, but I was surprised at how much I enjoy watching it. HH has probably the best chemistry with the main and supporting casts of all the TVB series ever produced. In a way, the social relationships and the chemistry is somewhat like the US series Friends with regards to friendship and dating. The cast was wonderful, and it seems like everybody got along really well and was really friends with each other in reality. I don’t remember the cases really well, but I think the integration with the medical aspects of the show were well-done overall and touching a few times. And I may be wrong, but this may very well be the first serie highlighting an older female-younger male relationship with Stephen Ma and Astrid Chan. 烈火雄心 (Burning Flame) is another classic that I have not watched. One positive thing I heard about this serie was the friendship. I think I never watched this serie because I was not a fan of any of the couple pairings in the serie. As for this year’s 鹿鼎記 (Duke of Mount Deer), it was my first version of the story. I think I enjoyed Jordan Chan and Stephen Ma’s version at the time I first watched, but I liked Dicky Cheung’s version with Patrick Tam more later on in 2000. The comment mentions that Eason’s wife (Hilary Tsui) was one of the wives too. Another serie of the year was 難兄難弟之神探李奇 (Old Time Buddy) with Gallen Lo, Maggie Cheung, Gordan Lam, and Elaine Ng, which was a sequel to the original one with Gallen, Maggie, Jessica, and Francis Ng. I liked the original one a lot more because the main four did a great job. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Gordan and Elaine’s performance in this one, but the original cast and serie was very different and fresh. 天地豪情 (Secret of the Heart) was quite a hit this year since the comments mentioned this serie reached 45 points. The themesongs sang by Gallen were very enjoyable to listen to. I can’t say I really liked any of the characters in the serie, but I remember I quite enjoy the serie overall. Nick Cheung did a really good job as the villain. One of the most memorable and disturbing scenes in the serie was the scene in which Ada's friend went to look for her after Ada was going to expose Nick's illegal doings, and when she looked around, blood was everywhere on the walls.

For the entertaining year of 1999, there was 創世紀 (At the threshold of an era), 金玉滿堂 (Happy Ever After), and 刑事偵緝檔案IV (Detective Investigation IV). I did not watch the whole 105 episodes of ATE. I watched the first half, but only catch a few episodes and the ending for the latter half. I remember I quite like Flora and Gallen though, so it was disappointing they didn’t end up together at the very end. Marianne and Bobby were very compatible and funny in Happy Ever After, and I also enjoy watching Roger and Fiona Leung too. And the food always looks so yummy! As for DIFIV, I think three words are self-explanatory: Louis and Jessica. I truly think they are the BEST couple in the history of TVB series. I adore them together, and when I watch them in there, it seems like they were really a couple. It is no wonder they won Best Male Lead and Best Female Lead for this serie. So even though Jessica has many memorable moments with Gallen, Roger, Bobby, and Wong Hei…..Louis would be extra special because she won Best Female Lead while costarring with him and winning it together hehe. Other than them, there were a bunch of Miss. HKs in this serie from Lee San San to Charmaine, to Anne Heung so it was probably the first serie in which Miss. HKs were getting heavily promoted. And when I go online to read posts about new series at that time then, it seems like a lot of people hated that. There were so many complaints about how Charmaine has a horrible voice, or how the Miss. Hks can’t act. Who knew that by a decade or so, Charmaine has climbed up the ladder to become one of the top, top fa dans at TVB and Anne Heung, although not as heavily promoted nowadays, has her fair share of fans too.

TVB pushed out quite a few series in 2000, but the most successful serie this year was probably 男親女愛 (War of Genders), which as the comments mentioned, still kept the record for the highest local production (in HK) rating with 49 points. I do not know what the hype is about this serie other than I believe Carol Dodo Cheng is an excellent actress, so that must’ve been an attractive factor, and knowing that somehow the comedic Dayo Wong gained a whole lot of popularity after this serie. I don’t think a lot of people knew who he was before this serie. In what could be said as Charmaine’s first popular serie, 十月初五的月光 (Return of the Cuckoo) showed in this year and Chilam and Charmaine became a favorite couple. They even had a few movies later on. Showing her compatibility with other male co-stars, Wong Hei was next in line to pair up with Jessica Hsuan in 雷霆第一關 (A matter of customs). As a couple in the serie, their characters went through a whole lot of problems so it was really sad to see the ending. An honorable mention would be Wong Hei's sub-themesong for this serie which I thought was very touching, and the MV also answered some questions for viewers. This is probably the first serie in which some questions of the ending were answered by an MV. As for an ancient serie, Anne Heung first’s female lead was in 楊貴妃 (The Legend of Lady Yang) opposite Kwong Wah. Although some may disagree about Anne’s beauty, but I think her physical attributes matched Yang Gui Fei well because she has much elegance and beauty. Although her acting wasn't the best, I still think she did an acceptable job portraying an iconic figure in China's history. Another production of the year was Loving you 我愛你 (Loving you) with Nancy Sit, Lawrence Ng, and Sheren Tang.

In 2001, Louis agree to film an ancient production, 尋秦記 (A Step in the Past) pairing up with Jessica once more again. The comments mentioned that “although the script made changes to Huang Yi’s novel, another novelist Jin Yong did enjoy Jessica’s acting, and of course including first time onscreen and being female main character Sonija Kwok.” The reason I quoted is because I don’t know whether the writer meant to say Jin Yong liked Jessica and Sonjia’s acting, or just Jessica only, due to that comma. You be the judge. ASITP was also the first serie in which I saw Raymond Lam, and he made quite an impressive first impression for me. The third continuations of two popular TVB series dawned in this year and both also had a different female lead. Though bearing a new female lead, 陀枪师姐 III( Armed Reaction III) turned out to be a favorite for many this year. Ada and Bobby played an enjoyable couple, and the cast had nice chemistry together. 酒是故鄉醇 (Country Spirit), which used almost the same name as Plain Love I and II had Charmaine Sheh and Gordan Lam as the main lead. Although I have no clue about its ratings, I find that Country Spirit was quite romantic and appealing in its own way. I especially like Sheren’s character in here also, and this is probably the serie in which many would agreed that Charmaine Sheh had potential as an actress and did indeed improved. Running a total of 322 episodes, 皆大歡喜 (Virtues of Harmony) first showed in this year. Being a major hit, it spawned a modern sequel and came to be a predecessor of many ancient series crossing over to modern serie sequels. Now that I think of it, were there any modern series that was able to cross back over to an ancient sequel? Other series of the year included 婚前昏后 (The Awakening Story), in which Maggie Cheung Hoi Yee and Tavia Yeung (who had similar features) were fated to play sisters in the serie, and 美味情緣 (A taste of love) in which Raymond Lam continued his acting in a supporting role with TVB.

Ancient Series were a great hit in 2002, so I must start with 戇夫成龍 (Square Pegs).The comments below said that this serie has let Roger reached a high level in life, and wherever he goes, he would be asked about his “lo poh jai”. I can’t say this serie was classic, but Roger Kwok did an exceptional and also hilarious job playing ah Wong. It can even be said that he saved this serie, well he and Jessica since she was his “Lo poh jai.” Oh I quite enjoyed watching Leila and Raymond Cho Wing Nim’s relationship in here. I thought Leila’s character was very endearing as the wife who always stood by her man’s side. Although 無頭東宮 (Love is beautiful) was her last TVB serie before she left to become a businesswoman, lot of people praised Marianne Chan for her acting in here. And for an average production, it also did quite well with ratings. Anne Heung also play a beautiful woman with an evil heart (although her character really had a good heart at the beginning and got switched into Marianne’s body).The beautiful woman with an evil heart type of characters have always been around in past TVB, but with a Miss. HK playing one, it is refreshing since Miss. HK winners usually have to keep a good image. Not only did Anne Heung played a villain, but Sonjia Kwok also played her first villain role in 洛神 (Where the Legend begins). I enjoyed watching this serie although I can't say it is one of my favorites. I think Ada's Yan Fook was simply too nice, while Sonjia's character was mega annoying. A modern serie with hit ratings was 絕世好爸 (Family Man) which probably play a part in Flora’s win for Best Female Lead Actress in the anniversary awards that year. The sibling interactions with the father (Chun Pui)was entertaining to watch. Though it didn’t achieve a hit rating, 流金歲月 (Golden Faith) was Gallen’s last huge production at TVB before he left to film in mainland series. Not only was Gallen-Jessica’s relationship touching in this serie, but Tavia and Raymond also won quite a few fans with their pairing in here although Raymond played a semi-villain.

Relatively a modern series year, 2003 was a year filled with memorable modern series and the beginning of what I would deemed the first TVB idol appearance in the 2000s with the appearance of S4 from 衝上雲宵 (Triumph in the Skies). Sophisticated and classy, not only was it a favorite and romantic serie for many viewers, but it was also TVB’s first attempt with filming in various different locations like Italy and Japan. It renewed HK people’s (and other viewers) interest in the airplane industry, and brought up viewers' interest in younger actors at TVB due to S4. Many people say Raymond was technically the first young actor to start the way for others, and I do agree somewhat, but I think it was also partly due to S4 too since the popularity of Triumph in the Skies got people to turn their heads to notice the younger generation of actors and actresses at TVB. Probably inspired by ASITP, 九五至尊 (King of Yesterday and Tomorrow) became a major hit with people this year, and led Kwong Wah and Maggie Cheung to be strong contenders for the Best Male lead and Best Female lead awards at the anniversary awards. Although it was quite comedic at times, the serie had a nice plot that was well written in general. The acting was also superb, and Kwong Wah did a great job portraying an emperor traveling into modern times. Although Kwong Wah lost out to Roger that year, Maggie Cheung finally got the Best Female Lead award this year. However, her award speech and attitude about the whole thing caused a lot of unhappy rumors and news, and from this year onwards, there happens to be a lot of rumors running rampant during anniversary awards time regarding the Best Female leads. I only watched a couple of episodes of the modern version of 皆大歡喜 (Virtues of Harmony II), which was shown this year, and like its original, it managed to be a fan favorite. A favorite ancient serie of this year was 西關大少 (Point of No Return) which marked the return of Gigi Chiu (from The Bund). The comments said that it has reached 40 points, and while I thought the first half was very good, I felt the second half was too focused on the romance that it got kind of dragging at times. Nonetheless, I still love the themesong, and I thought the acting was overall great. Chilam got into the top 5 lead for best male actor this year, but I think he was adamant in saying Damian Lau really deserved to be nominated there instead. I think it’s quite true, since Damian Lau is one of those actors who always seem to do a great job but never seems to get the awards for it. Other serie of the year included 美麗在望 (Not Just a Pretty Face) which starred the young Joey Yung, who was known for being Cantopop’s princess at the time and a ratings-downer for movies. Although I am not sure about the ratings for this serie, I did like it because it was funny at times. I especially like Johnson Lee, who played the Dog in the serie too.

In terms of recognition and luck, 2004 must’ve been TVB’s golden year. There was the critically acclaimed 金枝慾孽 (War & Beauty) which I read from Wikipedia led many psychologist and sociologist (from HK I suppose) to talk about issues like how it can be a stressful and challenging environment at work when people would use ways to get ahead while pushing others down. The comment mentioned that this serie was able to be put on A1 headlines (in newspapers). So I think War & Beauty was one of the series of this decade that was able to contribute to a discussion of various issues in society. With ratings, 棟篤神探 (To Catch the Uncatchable) managed to score higher ratings than WAB. Since the original ending was sort of dark comedy, the audience also demanded a different ending. When I watched it the first time, I thought the original ending was better since it makes it more memorable. However, when I watched it a second time, I realized that Dayo and Ada’s character has been through a lot, and they really did deserve the happiness so I liked the second ending more. A fun fact was that Ada was initially in a promo for WAB, but I believe she rejected the role to take TCTU. In a way, it was a smart decision since TCTU scored great ratings, but yet when it comes time to the anniversary, it did not get much recognition at all. Even up to now, people would probably recognize WAB moreso than TCTU. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable serie overall. Filming in HK and Africa, 天涯俠醫 (The Last Breakthrough) was a refreshing serie that focused on the act of volunteering and having a good heart to help sick African locals. It was quite informative and moving to watch, and Raymond and Leila’s cute pairing also became a favorite for many viewers also. Other creative attempts of the year were 隔世追兇 (To Get Unstuck In Time) and 爭分奪秒 (Split Second). To Get Unstuck in time was sort of science-fictionish, and I quite like this genre. However, if watched closely, a lot of flaws would be noticed. If not, it is actually quite an enjoyable serie that keeps you watching. The father-son chemistry with Benz and Roger Kwok was very touching to watch. With Michael Tao being back to film for TVB again, of course he would first paired up with costars that he had immense chemistry with. With Michael Tao, Kenix Kwok, and Bobby Au as the main leads for 青出於藍 (Shine on You), it became quite popular with viewers.

Personally I would deemed 2005 an average year because the series highlighted has some good series, but I wouldn’t say the series were classic. 我的野蠻奶奶 (War of In Laws I) and 阿旺新傳 (Life Made Simple) were two of the more popular serie. War of In Laws brought Bosco’s popularity up and turned away his negative rumors in the past. Not only that, but Liza Wang adored him and Myolie. The serie was funny, and Myolie and Bosco were very cute, instantly becoming a popular couple with rumors of being a real couple to this day. As for Life Made Simple, Bosco also had the opportunity to play supporting in here as sort of a really semi-villain. People love ah Wong and his ‘Lo Poh Jai’, but who knew that there are also fans of Bosco & Jessica too? Despite being in other series, this is also the first serie that Bosco & Leila played a couple and had more scenes together (unlike Aqua Heroes). The comments mentioned that Angela Tong’s Lee Siu Ho started off the “ugly girl trend.” 秀才遇著兵 (The Gentle Crackdown) were also shown this year. Surprisingly, I did enjoy this small production and Niki was actually alright as Sup Yee Mui though I once referred to her as Sup Sam Mui though haha. However, I enjoyed watching Moses Chan and Michelle Yim more. Moses was hilarious in this serie, and Michelle was so sweet as the mother. HK audience also seemed to enjoy watching 甜孫爺爺 (My Family) which had Cheung King Fai portraying the grandfather in the serie. Although I have not watched it, there seems to be some cute scenes with Shirley and Alex Fong and Shirley and Hawick Lau. Another serie of the year was 佛山贊師父 (Real Kung Fu), which had a lot of Kung Fu artists in the cast. I don’t quite remember it, but I think it was Charmaine Li’s first big role in a serie.

For some reason, the series highlight from 2006 and 2007 were on the same page. In 2006, there was 女人唔易做 (Le Femme Desperado). The comments below said that there were two endings and that it had the second highest rating for the year. Michael and Sheren had really great chemistry together, so it was not surprising that they had two endings. As to which ending I liked, I did prefer the ending which Michael knew it was his daughter, but the way he reacted didn’t seem like it totally registered that Haley was his real daughter. As for Raymond Lam and Melissa, their relationship was a hot topic since it was about an older female, younger male, which was another issue for discussion about society. Another serie shown was 鐵血保鏢 (Safe Guards), of which I read from many online fans that it was a really good production but I have not seen it. It seems like ever since this serie, Stephen’s series have been doing well with ratings. Is he just lucky or does he pick his series carefully? The comments below also said that the ending episode reached 40 points. For 2007, two big productions were mentioned. 溏心風暴 (Heart of Greed) swept the floors at the anniversary awards. I’ve always thought that Raymond has always been popular for people overseas, but somehow I don’t think he was that popular with the HK audience until this serie (Ron & Sammul had TITS, The Academy; Bosco- WOIL). Raymond got a whole lot more recognition (even more than Le Femme Desperado) and luck after this serie since his first album sold pretty well after. The other big production mentioned was 歲月風雲 (The Drive of Life), which was 60 episodes with a very good cast. I think the characters were developed quite nicely and the acting was great. It was too bad that the HK audience didn’t like it. Other than one measley award for best promo clip at the anniversary awards, this serie did not get much recognition. Hopefully, as it is shown in other areas, it would be recognized.

And that concludes the series highlights and my personal opinions for series throughout four decades. Although the series highlight mentioned only a few series for each year, it still took a while to go through them. Imagine how thick the magazine would be or how many issues it would take if they would list every serie they have ever produced! It is no wonder there are so many devoted fans to TVB even though some of their newer series just may not pass expectations. Some of their past series were simply too addicting and well-casted. Hopefully in the next decade, they would bring more series that would live up to its glory in the past.

//Other Links of Interest from Youtube:

Time Before Time Themevideo

Plain Love II Themevideo(1999)

Country Spirit Themevideo

Wong Hei's subtheme MV for A Matter of Customs, answering questions for the ending

If you are a big fan of this decade and would like to see the scans, email me at jadedreams@gmail.com or leave your email in the comments section.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

TVB- the 3rd decade: 1987-1996

What has TVB given us in the third decade? TVB Weekly Issue 542 brings back a lot of nostalgic feelings as I reminisce about the past series it featured, not only of the series itself but also the simple and pleasant times of enjoying time with the family. I watched a lot of these series while I was a kid, so it brings back a lot of fond memories of just being a kid and not having to deal with problems and life. The years of being a kid is truly when entertainment is and can always be first on the list. The quality of many of the dramas in this decade is brought on by superb acting and great lessons about life and people which provided entertainment that is not only addicting but inspirational and thought provoking…..

In 1987, I noticed 生命之旅 (The Price of Growing Up) with Alex Man and Kathy Chow Hoi Mei. Alex Man and Francis Ng’s characters were orphans, but Francis Ng’s character got adopted by a rich man. Later on, it turns out that Alex Man is the real son of the rich man, so Francis Ng is afraid that he’ll take everything every from him. Not only that, but they were also rivals with love. Francis likes Kathy Chow Hoi Mei, but she likes Alex Man, who likes Carol Dodo Cheng at first, who I think discovered she had cancer or something so she married Kenneth Tsang instead. Personally I think Alex Man and Carol Dodo Cheng had more chemistry as a couple than Alex Man and Kathy Chow Hoi Mei but nonetheless they were a nice couple as well. Francis as a villain wasn’t too evil to the core I think, but he did a good job nonetheless. Stephen Chow is also in this one, but his role is quite serious and not funny at all. His character even had to limp for some time in the serie. To celebrate TVB’s 20th anniversary, 大運河 (The Grand Canal) was specially created. The comments below said that Tony and Lau Ching Wan’s acting made it seem like Kau Yim Hak and Lee Sai Man were still alive. I have not watched this grand production…come to think of it the only Tony Leung series I have watched was Police Cadet and The Rough Road even though he was known from other series more. 季節 The Seasons is a 389 episodes family series that is somewhat similar to Kindred Spirits of the 90’s. This is another serie I have watched as a young kid, and I briefly remember Ma Da, who was acted by Tang Bik Wan and the third auntie who was often hilarious (she was in The Charmed Beneath as Yoyo’s mom). I think I like watching Dai Dee and his wife ah yuk the most. Gallen Lo also has a part in this serie. Interesting tidbit I just noticed from the comment, the family’s name for the main family in this serie is Tong, which is the same family name for the family in Heart of Greed.

I don’t recognize a lot of series in 1988. The only serie I know was 誓不低頭 (The Final Verdict) but didn’t watch the whole thing. I remember there was a part in which Kenneth Tsang went mad and started killing all his relatives with a butcher knife. He almost killed his own son too, who was played by the young Gregory Lee (currently Shirley Yeung’s boyfriend) as a kid. Now I myself watched this as kid, so it scared the heck out of me, what with the freaky psycho music and all. I still get freaked out when I watched that scene later several years ago. This scene is in my opinion, one of TVB’s disturbing scenes made. It’s funny that HK audience these days complain about how some series have inappropriate or violent scenes. Boy, the HK housewives would probably have a field day if TVB made a scene like that nowadays. The thing is, was he really psychotic or did he really have an intent to kill them later? Whatever it is, it shocked the heck out of me to see him killed his relatives. After all, Chinese people tend to be closer with family and relatives.

義不容情 (Looking Back in Anger) was a huge hit in 1989. The comments mentioned that other than Danny Chan’s themesong and Dave Wong’s sub theme song becoming classic songs, it set off the trend of folding lucky stars. I once read from somewhere online that this serie was had ratings through the roof at the time and that people would rush home to watch it. I don’t know how accurate this is, but it is definitely a classic TVB serie. Many probably liked it because of the conflict between the characters, but I liked the serie because I liked watching the ‘chun ching’ (in my best interpretation as of now…familial closeness) and the loyalty, trust, and love between friends and lovers. I loved watching Carina and Felix together, and despite all the struggles, Felix went from rags to riches. Of course, Deric Wan was vicious as Ding You Hong. The thing is, there are probably many people like him in this world. They make mistakes, and rather than take responsibility, they dig a deeper hole to bury themselves into. Other than this serie, the 他來自江湖 (Justice of Life) with Alex Man and Stephen Chow was also another favorite of mine. One scene in the series that I always found quite sad and tragic was the death of Alex Man’s fiancé (played by Pauline Yeung who was a guest star) in the serie. Alex Man plays a triad member working for her dad. They were preparing to get married, and on the day they went to try on wedding attire or take wedding pictures, somehow she got killed taking a bullet for Alex I believe. Perhaps it was the first time I saw this idea of the bride dying while in her wedding dress but it was really sad from the way it was told. Stephen Chow and Cutie Mui played a really silly couple in here. I still remember their scene in which they were held hostage, and Stephen was like “if nobody wants you, I’ll take you.” hehe I noticed that whenever the male characters say that phrase, he usually has to get with the female character he said it too. I wonder if it works in real life….I should trick a guy I like to say that to me haha XD. Stephen Chow’s other serie for this year was 盖世豪侠 (The Final Combat) with Francis Ng playing the villain. Stephen and Jacqueline Law were very cute together. Another interesting tidbit is that these two once dated! I also recognize Leon Lai and Nnadia Chan’s 天涯歌女(The Song Bird) in the same year. My memory is failing me. I remember a scene or two of them on the rooftop, but the rest I forgot. Though as I look at pictures of young Leon, I think Ron sort of looks like him in some angles. Perhaps that is why everybody keeps on saying Ron is good looking haha.

Moving on to 1990, I see Derek Wan and Maggie Siu’s picture for 我本善良 (Blood of Good and Evil). I have heard many good praises for this serie, but I myself have not watched it. The comment mentioned that Deric’s character pushed Maggie’s character off a train. Did his character do that in this serie too? It was a classic scene in Looking Back in Anger, but is it also in this serie as well? I wonder if the writer messed up. 人在邊緣 (The Challenge of Life) was a favorite serie of mine from this year. I especially like how it the beginning started with the main characters as little kids, and not a brief scene either. It was two or three episodes with many scenes of the young kids growing up and all. Those kids were pretty good actors themselves too. I quite enjoyed watching Jacqueline and Leon’s relationship. It’s quite romantic since he whisked her away and saved her when they first meet. They’re cousins, but I don’t have a massive phobia against that relationship, probably due to me watching lots of TVB series since young and seeing cousins sometimes getting hitched. Frankie was quite manipulative in this serie. Another favorite of mine from this year is 孖仔孖心肝 (It Runs in the Family) with Stephen Chow and Sean Lau Ching Wan. This serie was hilarious, probably even more so than The Justice of Life. There are many jokes and comments said in this series that were very witty and funny between Stephen and Sean.

Two more series I watched growing up was 大家族 (Big Family) and 今生無悔 (The Breaking Point) from 1991. Big Family was another rags to riches story for Alex Man’s character and is probably the best representative for classic family dramas. One theme within the serie that I thought was interesting was that the rich family had genetic heart conditions and health conditions. Then we see the dad (Kenneth Tsang) going against his son (played by Alex Man). There is a lot of internal and physical struggles with the characters in this serie so there are quite a lot of scenes that makes you feel for the characters. I noticed Alex Man plays a rich guy in almost every serie he is in or associated with rich people at least. But when he does dress up to be a rich businessman, his looks are quite convincing. In reality, the last I read is that he is quite a successful businessman. As for The Breaking Point, I don’t quite remember the whole story, but I remember Deric played another villain. But I believe in this one, his character was an average guy before he went to jail and then when he came out, he worked to get the things he lost. One of his most evil scenes was that he tortured his god-father (Kwan Hoi San) by locking him up in the trunk and later physically abusing him. Another scene I remember was when his wife tried to kill him by baking him a cake, and later commit suicide. It was one of those kind of slow scenes in which you’re thinking…does he know? What’s going to happen? Leon Lai is also in this one, and I remember I quite like his relationship with Maggie Siu rather than Kathy Chow Hoi Mei. Yeah, I am not a big fan of Kathy’s until later years. Another serie from this year is 月兒彎彎照九州 (Beside the seaside, Beside the seaside). I only remember Ekin and Nnadia on the rooftop for many scenes, but don’t remember anything else.

I was surprised to learn that 大時代 (Greed of Man) was a 1992 serie. I have always thought it was shown in the late 1980s or so. I guess it is because the colors of this serie was not as colorful as other series then. The most memorable scenes have got to be all the people being forced down the buildings or jumping on their own, especially when Sean Lau’s family fell from the building right in front of him. Talk about traumatizing. Now, that I watched some of the clips again, the wiring is very, very noticeable. I was also rooting for Amy Kwok and Sean Lau, but it is too bad he chose Vivien Chow in the serie. Aaron Kwok’s series 風之刀 (Revolution of the last hero) was one ancient serie of this year. Frankie Lam and Ada Choi play villains in here. I remember I quite like Fennie and Aaron together, they were funny together. Noel Leung and Ada Choi were simply gorgeous in this serie. They look wonderful in ancient attire. 壹號皇庭 (Files of Justice I) was also shown in this year. Michael Tao and Bobby Au Yeung became ‘housewives killers’ (adored by housewives) after this serie. My memories fails me when it comes to FOJ I-III, the only one I can remember the most is FOJV and possibly FOJIV. This is the only serie in TVB history that has reached part V. The other ones that came close were DIFIV and ARIV. If I could make a guess, I would think this is the serie that began the "professional career" genre for series.

1993 showcased two series I know of 原振俠 (The Legendary Ranger) and 金牙大狀 (Man of Wisdom). For The Legendary Ranger, it is unique since it is sci-fi and TVB rarely touches that genre, and it is also well-known since it has a very popular and beautiful cast. However, I read many reviews that said the plot was really bad, but I do not know since I have not watched it. As for Man of Wisdom, I don’t remember it much, but I did remember that I enjoy watching it.

In 1994, 恨锁金瓶 (Gentle Reflections) is one of the serie highlights. Being one of my favorite series, I am glad to see that it was mentioned. I thought it was a good serie overall, and I adore Kenix’s portrayal of Ping Yee. There is also 笑看風雲 (Instinct) which stars Ekin and Nnadia playing a couple again, while Roger Kwok plays the villain. I love the themesong. The lyrics are meaningful, and the song is pretty soothing. 射鵰英雄傳 (Legend of Condor Heroes), Chilam and Athena’s version of Kwok Jing and Wong Yung was shown in this year’s Legend of Condor Heroes. This is the only version I watched, and I quite like how Kwok Jing is devoted to Wong Yung. I guess one of the reasons The Legend of Condor Heroes and Return of the Condor Heroes is because the devotion of love between the main characters were so strong and unbreakable. Despite conflicts after conflicts, they do their best to get back to each other.

Possibly the second greatest police series made after the Police Cadet in the 80s, 刑事偵緝檔案 I and II (Detective Investigations Series I and II) came to life in 1995. The comments below mentioned that these two series were made within a year and that Dai Yung and Jessie’s relationship was a conversation topic for audience over tea break. DIF I-III were good, but I think I like DIF II the most because I think the relationships and chemistry was strong. I even liked Amy and Michael’s pairing also. Other than that, who knew that 真情 (Kindred Spirits) which debut this year would have a total of 1, 128 episodes five years later? 神鵰俠侶 (Return of the Condor Heroes) with Louis Koo and Carmen Lee was also shown during this year. Many thought Carmen Lee was the perfect actress for Siu Long Nui. I don’t know whether she truly is or not since I have not read the novels, but I think Carmen Lee and Louis Koo was quite a good couple.

For 1996, the decade ends with three huge productions I know of and watched. Dicky Cheung’s first version of the ancient series, 西遊記 (Journey to the West) came to life this year. I’m not a big fan of the serie, but Dicky Cheung and Wayne Lai was great as the Monkey King and the Pig respectively. Modern family drama, 天地男兒 (Cold Blood Warm Heart) showcased a lot of young siu sangs and fa dans of the time. Of course, Gallen Lo plays the villain so successfully that I just want to throw something at the screen whenever he appeared in this serie. Good thing I don’t live in HK at the time, but since I probably watched this two years after it aired, I guess it would be a huge difference lol. I also enjoyed Chilam and Jessica's relationship in the serie. It was really cute, and I was quite angry when Jessica cheated on Chilam! The third production of the year is the 新上海灘 (Once Upon A Time In Shanghai). This version had a very, very popular cast with Sunny Chan, Nnadia Chan, Gordon Lam, and especially the veterans like Adam Cheng, Carol Dodo Cheng, and even Eric Tsang. It cannot be denied that the cast was definitely more popular than the cast of JTTW or CBWH of the same year put together, but alas, I think the latter two series were more popular and revered by TVB fans.

Many of the series from this decade had a certain focus on good and evil aspects of human beings….the villains versus the protagonists. And in doing so, the protagonist and villains work to triumph over each other, which keeps the audience watching. Looking at these older series, I have a sudden urge to go back and watch them again. I know I would enjoy watching them again, but would I understand it better than I was a kid? Would I think differently of the characters then before? I guess I would know when I have the opportunity to re-watch some of these series again in the future.

If you are a big fan of this decade and would like to see the scans, email me at jadedreams@gmail.com or leave your email in the comments section.

** I don’t really know if anyone is actually reading these posts about the decades, but just in case someone is, since this one took me a while, it is probably going to be a longer time before the next decade gets posted.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

TVB- the 2nd decade: 1977-1986

In Issue 541, TVB Weekly showcased series from the second decade. I begin to recognize some well-known series and had even watched a few of them later on due to re-airing. I noticed that the series highlighted from 1977-1982 had more popular (and really long) modern family dramas while 1983-1986 had more popular ancient series. Along with legendary themesongs, the TVB series from this decade can be consider the most glorious in terms of fame...

Since I am not as familiar with this decade as I wish I could’ve been, I’ll only comment on the series I have seen and the more well-known ones I've heard of. In 1977, 家變 (A House is not a Home) with Liza Wang was shown. The caption below it mentioned that HK newspapers at the time actually published a missing headline cover ad for one of the characters at the time. Talk about promotions for series…that really can’t be beat! A House is not a Home must be really popular with HK people at the time. With 110 episodes and it still kept its popularity, that’s really saying something. Reading online posts, I’ve seen tons of complaints about 2007's The Drive of Life dragging with only 60 episodes! I actually watched a bit of this one since my grandma loved this serie. She quite like watching Tang Bik Wan and Nam Hung, the first and second wife of the series. I remember Liza Wang’s Lok Lam was a kick-ass career woman in this serie, very independent and strong type. She probably set a great example for women of her time and also future actresses that take on career women roles.

In 1978, 強人(The Giants) with the young Lee Si Kei was shown. This was a serie I watched when I was a little kid so obviously I don’t remember much. I only remember a bit of Lee Si Kei character’s romance with the main guy, and that Lau Dan’s character was really mean to his wife. Lee Si Kei’s character Yurk Nam was also quite independent and career minded. Other than that serie that year, I see 小李飛刀 (The Romantic Swordsman). I, myself have never watched the serie but the themesong to this serie by Roman Tam is instantly recognizable.

Adam Cheng and Gigi Chiu’s 楚留香 (Chor Lau Heung) is probably the most notable mention of the serie highlights in 1979. Chow Yun Fat’s 網中人 (The Good, the Bad, the Ugly) may have been another popular serie. The caption under this serie mentioned that ah chon or Liu Wai Hung (the guy who presented the Most favorite female character award to Susanna Kwan at last year’s anniversary) actually ate 36 hamburgers at one time in a scene. Now that is quite impressive. It is no wonder he always mention this whenever I see him being interviewed and such. Another serie of the year was 天虹 (Over the Rainbow), which is another serie my grandma was into. I remember Liza Wang’s character falling in love with the bad guy play by Patrick Tse (Nicholas Tse’s dad), and he was involved with making counterfeit money. The caption below this serie mentions that this serie was 85 episodes long, and it used the fashion industry of its time for the theme, making this serie represent the trends of the time.

In the next three years, I only recognize one serie per year. Another well known Liza Wang serie, 京華春夢 (Yesterday’s Glitter) was shown in 1980. The caption below this serie mentions that this serie was originally meant to be 20 episodes, but because the audience’s reaction was so great that it was extended to 25. I guess the HK audience had always had a history of control on TVB series lol. Anyway, I did watch this serie, but again, I do not remember that much. The parts I remember the most were the family arguments. I also thought it was quite liberal with regards to the pregnancy before marriage plot with Liza and Damian Lau. Oh and the last scene with Damian Lau got me quite teary eyed. In 1981, I see 千王群英會 (The Shell Game), which dealt with gambling, starred Patrick Tse, Liza Wang, Simon Yam, and Chow Yun Fat. The first Jin Yong series highlighted thus far is in 1982 with 天龍八部 (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils) with Felix Wong, Leung Ka Yan, and Idy Chan.

In 1983, two acclaimed Jin Yong adaptations were shown: 射鵰英雄傳 (The Legend of the Condor Heroes) with the young Felix Wong and Barbara Yung and 神鵰俠侶 (Return of the Condor Heroes) starring the young Andy Lau and Idy Chan. I would like to mention 老洞 (The Old Miao Myth) with the young Andy Lau and Ray Lui. Even though I have not seen this serie, I saw an ad for its vcd, and I thought it was very interesting since TVB doesn’t touch scary themes very much. The clips they showed also made the series kind of freaky, and whenever I saw it, I often wonder whether it was good.

As for 1984, I see a Leslie Cheung serie, 儂本多情 (Once Upon An Ordinary Girl) and an Anita Mui serie, 香江花月夜 (Summer Kisses, Winter Tears). I have not watch both of them, but considering they were one of the very few TVB series these two legends filmed, it must be very memorable for many fans. Other than these two rare gems, there was also Chow Yun Fat’s version of Jin Yong’s 笑傲江湖 (The Proud Smiling Wanderer) shown.

The Yangs’ Saga (楊家將) and Police Cadet Sequel (新紮師兄續集) were two of Tony Leung Chiu Wai’s known TVB series in 1985. The Yangs’ Saga seems like a star studded cast with the Five Tigers, Alex Man, Carol Dodo Cheng, Liza Wang, Gigi Chiu, Chow Yun Fat, Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Carina Lau, Simon Yam, Francis Ng, etc. In the future, I’ll definitely try to catch this serie sometime. I have only watched Police Cadet Sequel from the mentions, and I remember watching Tony and Margie Tsang’s relationship blossom in this serie. Tony Leung’s character didn’t feel the same way for Margie’s character at first, so it was cute watching them date throughout the serie. Simon Yam was also a good addition as the manipulative villain, Hon Bon.

The last year of this second decade of series is 1986. There is Felix’s 薛丁山征西 (General Father, General Son), which is later adapted in Jessica Hsuan’s Lady Fan in 2004. Alex Man’s 流氓大亨 (The Feud of Two Brothers) along with Carol Dodo Cheng, Kathy Chow Hoi Mei, Lawrence Ng, and Carina Lau, was also part of this year's contribution. Alex Man is the protagonist who was led on to believe the family he lived for like 20 years was his real family even though he was adopted and was actually the son of a rich man. Lawrence Ng plays the villain in here, who was interested in Kathy Chow Hoi Mei’s character and later got her pregnant and left her. The most memorable scene was the ending with Carol being in a coma as Alex Man cries by her bedside. Could this be the serie that set the precedent for future coma-induced plots and brother feuds? And I see 倚天屠龍記 (New Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre) with Tony Leung and Kitty Lai. Kitty Lai plays Chiu Man and Sheren Teng plays Chow Chi Yurk.

And that concludes the series that I know mentioned in the article from the second decade of TVB series. I was surprised to learn that this article left out two popular series during this decade, 上海灘 The Bund which was shown in 1980 and 鹿鼎記 Duke of Mount Deer in 1985. Those two series were definitely the cream of the crop, so it’s a little surprising that it was left off, but I guess maybe it was so well known that people knew when it came out?

If you are a big fan of this decade and would like to see the scans, email me at jadedreams@gmail.com or leave your email in the comments section.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out the various Youtube trailors/themevideos/songs of the TVB series mentioned from above (I did not upload any of these):

’77 家變 (A House is Not a Home) VCD Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93hZiSlAjZo

’78 強人 (The Giants) Themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JEa3AtpuEM

’78 小李飛刀 (The Romantic Swordsman) Themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apgA0kpMSVw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDpVGaG_epQ

’79 楚留香 (Chor Lau Heung) Themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PurHKJ7py-s

’79 網中人 (The Good, the Bad, the Ugly) VCD Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvzJMcTrNJs

’79 天虹 (Over the Rainbow) Themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSNUkC7eYCY

’80 京華春夢 (Yesterday’s Glitter)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34-Nq7Z12BI

’81 千王群英會 (The Shell Game)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PxoEoyOwJE

’82 天龍八部 (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4nTPesQWk

’83 射鵰英雄傳 (The Legend of the Condor Heroes) & making of themesong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U9E3COZRBs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqBGU-X8toA

’83 神鵰俠侶 (Return of the Condor Heroes) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgUkvyUoXDk

’84 儂本多情 (Once Upon An Ordinary Girl) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJt3s42ipm4

’84 笑傲江湖 (The Proud Smiling Wanderer) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjgd71yTBvY&feature=related

’85 楊家將 (The Yangs’ Saga) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAK-aQhCzs8

’85 新紮師兄續集 (Police Cadet Sequel) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsQOLsN3WJw

’86 薛丁山征西 (General Father, General Son) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqrdehH0RU

’86 流氓大亨 (The Feud of Two Brothers) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtB4_UtEbp8

’86 倚天屠龍記 (New Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre) themevideo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwwbjr7Ptpw

Thursday, January 03, 2008

TVB- the 1st decade: 1967-1976

Looking at TVB Weekly Issue 540’s special article on the first decade of TVB’s history with a few series highlights for each year, I realized that I have not seen any of these shows at all. Heck, I wasn’t even born then. Nonetheless, these are TVB first ‘pioneer’ series and shows produced, which makes these series truly classics...

An avid TVB fan would realize that the TVB anniversary is on November 19th of every year. However, not many would know the whole date TVB was established, which is November 19th, 1967. From that date onwards, TVB aired many of its first shows including the stage show Enjoy Yourself Tonight with one of TVB’s famous faces today, Lydia Shum. Since I have not watch any of these series, I am very unfamiliar with the names of these series, but I’ll just mention whatever I find interesting.

From 1967-1972, most of the series highlighted were black and white. In 1973, the series highlighted had more color, but it was still a little blurry. In 1974, the series mentioned were mostly ancient but the pictures were a bit lighter and clearer. This is also the year in which Lee Si Kei’s series, 啼笑姻緣 (she was the wax figure for this character in 2007’s anniversary gala wax museum comedy skit) and TVB’s first version of 西遊記 (otherwise known as Journey to the West for today viewers) was shown. In 1975, TVB’s first version of 洛神 (otherwise known as Where the Legend Begins for today viewers) was shown. In 1976, TVB’s version of 黃飛鴻 (otherwise known as Wong Fei Hung for today’s viewers) was shown. In the same year, and the only serie I believed to be the most widely known in this decade for today’s viewers is 陸小鳳 (known as Luk Siu Fung) starring Damian Lau. Other famous faces I see in this decade include the young Liza Wang, young Adam Cheng, the young Sek Sau, and Ng Wai Kwok (from Drive of Life).

Even though I have not watched these original series myself, this decade seem to have quite a few influences on future adaptations. I was surprised to learn that there were several popular series that were later remade from this decade. I mean, who knew, I always thought Dicky Cheung’s version of Journey to the West was the first one TVB ever made. There are many other series made during this decade that was either part of the highlights and I did not mention or not part of the highlights at all. Are there any particular series during this decade you, your grandparents, or your family have watched and enjoyed? Do share.

If you are a big fan of this decade and would like to see the scans, email me at jadedreams@gmail.com or leave your email in the comments section.

First Post of the New Year....

Happy New Year to everyone! Looking back, I have made several attempts to start and continue several blogs/site before this blog. The problem with me is that I get excited about things very quickly, and I would start them, but I would have trouble continuing to update.

Once again, I started this blog in 2006 with an interest to blog, but I was again too lazy to sit my butt down to continue. It changed last year. Every year when it comes to the anniversary time, I would get excited and it’s no different for 2007. And that is one of the reason I continued this blog…to share my thoughts about the anniversary last year, TVB, and Asian Entertainment. The other reason is because I wanted to start some sort of fan site on Bosco & Shirley because it seems they have very few support from online fans. After seeing the visitor hits and reading the comments of visitors and their opinions, it really motivated me to continue writing. Much thanks to the people who continue to visit and those who leave comments.

In my next several posts, I would write some of my thoughts on a special article spanning four issues of TVB Weekly which highlighted classic TVB series and moments over 40 years. In the meantime, check out the poll on the left side.