Hunan TV’s 2013 Drama Line-Up Revealed
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
Source: Hunantv.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
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there are so many dramas here that i cant wait to see :))
My mom’s favourite channel! Too bad the signal is weak of late.
i’m really excited about more of the dramas here than for tvb’s lineup. i like that there are a wide range of actors paired up with different actresses to get a fresh couple feeling unlike tvb where it’s the same group of ppl. tvb plays it really safe with their dramas while mainland is really dramatic.
I want to bury Yu Zheng alive, but I shall wait until Swordsman which in the posters is SWORDMAN.
Nooo. Is he the one who did that atrocious mash-up of Gong+Hana Yori Dango? Not to mention the roller-skating and plastic during the Qing dynasty…
Swordman looks tragic, including the misspelled title.
I hope the Lan Ling Wang series is well done. Lan Ling Wang’s story is tragic, but, I hope the series won’t make it a melodrama and not romance focus. But, looking at the cast, it seems the series will be romance focus.
They don’t keep the storyline about Lan Ling Wang in this series. Lan Ling Wang isn’t the focus. Ariel’s role is the focus because both of Lan Ling Wang (William Feng) and the other villain guy (Daniel Chan) love her and fight with each other for her. Romantic one for sure.
If I rmb rite, they even dun keep the famous mask of Lan Ling Wang.
@ Fox, I remember seeing the mask in some stills. I always thought it was a bit rich of FSF to cast himself as basically the handsomest man in Chinese history… he’s good looking, but not THAT good looking.
I don’t mind for the cast because I even feel that Ariel never suits the “mei ren” image more. But if there is the mask, I’ll feel interested. I like Lan Ling Wang because of his mask. I was super curious of the project Lan Ling Wang until I heard about the content =.=. Lan Ling Wang as a love sick one isn’t wat I predicted.
Yeah, I hate it when male leads are degraded into lovesick puppies… and Ariel Lin is hardly worth fighting over imo. I will never understand her popularity.
I think she can act and she is cute, but I can’t never understand why they can see her as mei ren?
@ Fox, I guess the same reason why Ruby Lin is considered a “mei ren”… marketing 😉 At least Ruby Lin has decent features.
Ruby is quite beautiful with ancient look. Ariel suits idol series. Joe Chen is another example of mei ren I dont understand.
Nah, Joe Chen is not very beautiful, but she has nice features and quite pretty, and most important – she can act. Ariel Lin is not beautiful, but she’s cute and also most important – she can act. They can both act in a cute and natural manner, which is suitable for idol dramas.
Finding these actresses that can act from taiwan idol dramas, are like 1 in a million. If not for them, who else? Rainie Yang? Gui Gui? Puke. I don’t really watch Taiwan idol dramas anymore ever since the Ariel and Qiao En stopped filming in taiwan. The acting is so bad. But I guess if you watch those older actresses like Cheryl Yang is not bad either, but she’s not cute.
They are actresses and actors so the most important thing is for them to know how to act, not how they look. I do not think Ruby is beautiful at all and cannot act so never understood the big hype about her. I agree with Nicole about Joe and Ariel. They both may not be the most beautiful actresses around, but the most important thing is they can act.
I think they can act for idol series, too. But I cant buy them as mei ren, especially ancient mei ren. Even Ady An is only cute and not ancient mei ren, the type of girl that I can understand why ancient guys can die for them.
But they don’t usually act as ancient mei ren? Like Qiao En is acting as Dong Fang bu Bai. That’s not a beautiful lady.. maybe a beautiful man. But at least Qiao En will be prettier than Ren Ying Ying.
Furthermore most popular actresses are not very beautiful. We can’t get FBB, Liu Yi Fei or Shui Ling to act in all roles of “mei ren”.
Just curious, but who do you guys consider as an ancient beauty/beauties??
I think we will know one when we see one.
I was so excited for Female Prime Minister and they moved it to 2013?!!!
What the heck? Meteor garden 3? I thought Meteor garden 3 didn’t do as we’ll in ratings…
And is I have a date with spring the one where Selina from SHE got the burns from? If it is pretty cool how Yu Hao Ming is in it still.
Yup, this series.
Zanilia Zhao?????????
Gawd. What’s wrong with Zhao Li Ying.
Zaniliaaaaaa!?
Why do Chinese actors/actresses even take English names? I get why HK stars do because of the British influence but mainlanders/Taiwanese always get referred to by their Chinese name anyways.
Taiwanese also use English names and mainlander Chinese are following suit.
Must be obsession for westernization and lack of pride in their own ethnic names.
Maybe it is because it would be easier for foreigners to address them since many foreigners would not be able to pronounce their Chinese name correctly.
@ HeTieShou – what percentage of time will there be foreigners talking about Chinese celebrities? Besides, it’s not like Chinese names are inherently harder to pronounce than Japanese or Korean names…
@lee,
There is more than you think…. I know many non Chinese that love Chinese celebs. Of course, there are translations into their languages, but they still like to call them by their English if they have one because it is a lot easier to refer to them…
@HeTieShou:
Korean entertainers have a bigger following among foreigners, even if they don’t name themselves Jackie Jang Donggun,
Moses Lee Byunghyun, Barry Won Bin, etc.etc.