Niki Chow’s “Bottled Passion” Wins Ratings Over Ex-Love Rival, Charmaine Sheh’s “When Heaven Burns”
Niki Chow (周麗淇), Raymond Wong (黃浩然), Tracy Ip (葉翠翠), Elaine Yiu (姚子羚), and Jack Wu (胡諾言) promoted their new series, Bottled Passion <我的如意狼君> yesterday. Niki indicated her joy that Bottled Passion received the top ratings last week and was not a second-tier drama. Asked whether Niki felt happy due to her drama topping the ratings over former love rival, Charmaine Sheh’s (佘詩曼) When Heaven Burns <天與地>, Niki noted that she will be in trouble no matter how she answered the question. Niki pleaded with the press to let her go.
Niki indicated that she was currently single and was very “dry.” Asked to comment on recent rumors that she had broken up with her wealthy boyfriend, Niki said, “Please do not sprinkle salt upon my wounds! I am currently very dry and will focus on work!” Stressing that no matter what happens, she will need to continue to live and the world will continue to spin.
Asked whether she had congratulated ex-boyfriend, Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) upon winning the three Best Actor Awards in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore respectively, Niki noted that she had already congratulated his recent Best Actor wins at Toby Leung’s (梁靖琪) wedding last week, “It was a happy occasion. Whoever I saw, I congratulated. Coincidentally, Kevin Cheng passed by, thus I congratulated him.”
Source: On.cc
Jayne: I think Bottled Passion received 26 points in its ratings for the first week of broadcast, while When Heaven Burns got 23 points? Why such low ratings for When Heaven Burns?
WHB has an interesting plot but I don’t find it captivating. It doesn’t make me want to watch while the end of each episode of BP makes me look forward to the next. Tim gor is always a good guarantee.
It should be recognized that the HK audience is comprised mainly of see lai and without a doubt, genres like BP are more preferred in that demographic than WHB.
26 points is still low, not exactly something to boost about. “when heaven burns” is a huge fail considering the star cast.
i only watched the 1st episode of WHB and I don’t get it. And unfortunately it doesn’t make me want to see the other episode to understand the whole story. I’m glad I didn’t continue watching it since the series is a fail.
WHB’s rating is low because it’s not a series you can watch while multitasking. You have to pay attention to it. It’s a character driven series. So, it’s less exciting than a plot driven series like BP.
It’s like Wong Kar Wai movies. Not everyone can enjoy. But, it received good comments from people within the circle. Even Apple Daily praised it.
Do you mean WHB storyline more suitable for people between age 20-40 while BP for people from 40 and above ,are plot in WHB more complex than BP?
I don’t know if this kind of series is age specific or not. But, I heard from the radio show that the series drove away ‘si lai’ but attracted young male viewers that seldom watch TV series. Maybe because of the music and band element in the series.
I won’t say the plot is complex since some viewers complain that nothing ‘exciting’ is happening. But, episode 1 might confuse people because of the flashback technique it uses.
It’s more a character study. It shows how the 4 surviving people react to the incident and how their life changed because of the incident. It slowly reveals why the people did what they did.
Also, there are some scenes that might make you feel nostalgic like reunion scene between the 4 friends that reminds me of my own reunion with by school friends.
TVB series nowadays tend to tell a lot. Everything series want to convey must be spoken out by the characters. But, this series sometime use only images to tell the story.
There are also some social commentary.
‘This City is Dying!’
I agree that WHB is deeper than most TVB drama which is why I love it. Yes, not every episode is exciting but you get to understand the characters more, that is what this show is aiming at.
In addition, I love the casts, I think they all acted thier hearts out for this series, especially Moses, Bowie and Charmaine.
I don’t think Niki is even angry at Kevin anymore since she said she congratulated him during Toby’s wedding. There is nothing between Niki and Charmaine too..the reporters are jsut too much sometimes.. putting ppl into tight moment
I agreed with Moses, BP more suitable fr age 40 above, I found it very boring and predictable. Bcoz of Raymond Wong keep me continue. .I will stop soon.
Im 30 this year and I prefer BP over WHB..
i wouldn’t attribute it to age..but it’s a matter of taste and patience.
im 23 and enjoying whb.
Me too
I meant I prefer BF over WHB
im 22 and love BP over WHB =)
I’m under 40 and I haven’t watched both :P.
Love your comment Fox. You cracked me up! Almost fell off my chair 🙂
BP: Niki is pretty and can cry, Raymond is hot, story is good and not boring, cast are fresh
WHB: Old cast repeated, filmed in a pretty art school way but story is boring, Moses look fake and horrible
I prefer Nikki than overused Mollie Wu, Fala and Linda Chung. I don’t find her acting bad.
,
I don’t like Niki. I like WHB. And I’m 20. Guess old people can’t appreciate this show.
I think there could be a combination of things that contribute to the low ratings for When Heaven Burns. First of all, the cast is not anything refreshing since there have been many series that have had Charmaine/Moses/Bowie/Kenny/Maggie/Queenie in it. The concept of eating a person may turn people away and the story is a little slow and most of the time, nothing happens at the end of the episode to make people want to turn into the next episode.
Though there are some people who praise it, I can also see why people would stop watching the series. I haven’t finished watching the series so I might like the whole thing when I’m finished, but as of now it’s a little dreary (especially for Xmas time!) and not for my taste. Also, I am NOT a see lai.
Yeah, WHB is kinda slow and somber but I actually like how the flashbacks are intermixed w/ the present. I’m glad that stuff is finally happening in the last episode.
What’s up w/ ray Wong’s hair in the pic above?
He’s very handsome and I know he has his plans in the series but I kept thinking of him as a “duck” in the shoes scene w/ Elaine. Like have u no pride?
But that’s how a guy can “lum” a girl..the girl (elaine) never have any guy to wipe her feet and all of a sudden this so called rich businessman RW wipes her feet (so Elaine feels kinda surprised and though RW has feelings for her)
haha, i was thinking the same thing. but don’t girls falls for these things, LOL
Girls will fall for anything ONLY IF THE GUY is HANDSOME!
and sorry la, if the guy is fat, clumsy and dirtpoor…
hahaha,
likewise the siren song only works coming from plastic enhanced dolls 🙂
Girls will fall for anything ONLY IF THE GUY is HANDSOME!
Generalization! Girls also fall for talented guys.
It’s always better to watch Raymond Wong than Moses 😉
I am watching Bottled Passion which I am enjoying very much. Somehow WHB is too stylistic for me, on the verge of pretentious. I suppose I like something straightforward like Bottled Passion. That being said, Nikki Chow is a terrible actress.
Disagreed. Niki is doing fine and she can cry well too. If put another of the overused TVB new 5 fadans I’ll grow tired of the series fast. Now every episode has good pace and keep people watching.
Don’t think so. I can’t feel her sorrow. Very bad crier, but worse actress.
I’d rather an overused fadan who can act and is right for the role.
I prefer Nikki over Myollie Wu, Tavia and Linda.
Truth speaks louder than words lah!
Look at Jaynestars poll and u will know how wrong u r!
Niki is enjoying top rating right now for her role and skills.
Please don’t be so blatantly subjectively and biased.
And you are not overly subjective and bias in your great love of BP and Nikki?
I was excited about WHB when it first came out but after 3-4 episodes, it starts to get really boring. It’s not something that you would look forward to everyday. On the other hand, I think BP will do great. The plot is really interesting so far and all the actors/actresses are good. I normally don’t like Nikki’s acting very much but she’s doing great. At least her crying doesn’t make me cringe. And Raymond, god, that man is HOT!
I really like BP as well. There’s something about it that makes me want to keep on watching.
Ditto to Raymond is hot part. LOL!
i think Raymond Wong is hotter than Ron in person.
Love BP. Great story, great casting, great plot! Good job Tim gor!
Raymond Wong is very hot. Love when he talk with his eyes. Niki is not the best actress. But she fix the roll. She crying is much better then tavia. At least I’m not tired of niki’s crying.
I’m looking forward to the next ep of BP.
Elaine Yiu is quite pretty too in BP..She did good job in acting there.
But her hair, like helmet.
haha, I think her hair looks like a “cow s***” in cantonese. With the curls on top of it.
haha so agree about Raymond being hot! These day while other people my age go crazy for Raymond Lam im crushing on Raymond Wong and Ruco =P
Talking about Tavia, she should have been in Nikki’s role. But her nose will distract me, but before the nose-gate, she would have been perfect for this role.
Do you think linda will suit this role besides TY?
Linda will look like a little girl next to pale looking raymond. I think Tavia will do well but you know, the Tavia now is not the Tavia I remember.
Funn,
I think Linda can also act tough in this series since she acted ok and tough in ROW
Can, can she can no problem but the old Tavia would have been ideal. She looks good in these kind of settings. Linda also, since the new Tavia is distracting.
i agree. did you see the sales presentation? her nose was like too distracting espesh for “the prominent family” i was like waaaaaaah :0/ i think the “new” Tavia suits evil role cos well… i dont wanna sound mean but she looks/reminds me of a witch when she has heavy eye make up… I miss the old Tavia.. i liked the fact she didnt come from a beauty pageant… sigh…
lala,
I lol’ed at your comment about Ty’s nose resembles a witch 🙂
Tavia can’t replace Niki. Niki gives fresher feeling than the 5 new fadans and BP won’t be as good if it’s not Niki and only one of the 5.
What about Myolie playing Niki role? She never done those roles before except for the happy go lucky character type in GJ, RB,and War in laws.
Myolie? No. Not her. Worst casting if her.
I think only TY has that “cotage feel” to play Niki’s role..
and I don’t think Niki brings any “refreshing feel” in BP although I like how the BP story goes so far..Niki has been a while in tvb and she played some role in tvb on and off..maybe to me, she is just another common artist and I agree with some ppl here that Niki’s acting is still pretty stiff..she really need to polish her acting skill.
@Funn Lim
haha i know it sounds harsh but thats honestly what pops in my mind when describing Tavia’s look nowadays – which is sad
hmmm how about Mandy Wong playing Niki’s role?? I know Mandy can play a strong char haven’t seen her vulnerable side yet to
whoops meant @veejay =P
Dont worry about being harsh on TY since I’m not her fan :P…
maybe mandy wong can act Niki’s role..
Linda playing Nikki’s role and perhaps replacing Ruco with Raymond Wong would be fine.
Either way Raymond is great in BP
Im only chasing “Bottled Passion” too and not “When Heaven Burns” i watched both series at the same time and usually i can tolerate “okay” dramas but i find “When Heaven Burns” kinda boring while “Bottled Passion” im always wanting to know what happens next.
And i dunno i find “When Heaven Burns” Kinda “fake” the “cool” vibe they try to give off is kinda cringful to me and not to mention Moses tatts i was like are they serious? they try too hard to be hardcore i just dont but it (ive only watched a few eps and have stopped)
And i think its a pity that “Bottled Passion” is a fillar show for the holidays (people are not likely to be at home) if aired another time during the year i think it would have good ratings also one thing i like about “Bottled Passion” no overpromoted cast!!!!! Its fresh and im not a fan of Elaine or Katy Kung but im still watching but then again they get played in the series haha)
But yeah +1 Bottled Passion =)
I’m actually looking forward to Katy and Elaine’s acting in this series ^^ I’ve always been a fan of Elaine. Her eyes are so expressive. As for Katy, she’s still fresh, but after watching Be Home For Dinner, I can say that Katy has great potential. I was surprised that she was able to snatch an important role so soon. I hope this series’ rating will go up later.
BP has a fresh cast! Niki is a fresh face and her acting is good so far. Raymond Wong is hot as always!
I liked Bottled Passion, it is intersting.
BP has better storyline than WHB. I think WHB although filmed well but story is boring and put me to sleep
I dont like WHB neither. Any other good series to recommend?
I agree with Funn Lim, Nikki Chow is terrible actress.
Raymond Wong very hot n stylist in this movie.
I guess I may be shallow but I prefer BP and that is saying quite a bit as I don’t like any of the cast in BP.
WHB tries too hard – it is quite pretentious..and I can’t stand the way Charmaine and Moses especially try to give off the cool vibe – kinda laughable and annoying at the same time.
I can’t watch one whole episode of WHB regardless if I am multitasking or not – the flashback technique is not done well and I think the actors portraying their young versions especially the girl for Charmaine’s character cannot act and is extremely annoying.
BP is great and one of the few series from TVB this year that i like.
Didn’t noticed Raymond Wong’s real acting talent before this one and the supporting cast is also very nice.
TVB should promote RW more he and Ruco are the best TVB got…
I agree with some of the comments above that WHB feels pretentious and the flashbacks aren’t well done. As much as I want to see Bowie act, the whole union thing is just boring. I am at episode 4 and I am losing my patience….
I do agree that the union part and the politic part is kinda boring. It’s a pretty dry subject.
Finally had the chance to watch Bottled Passion… I like it a lot – very refreshing casts and interesting story. Raymond Wong is great here and very well-suited for the role. Niki is terrible though (I don’t remember her acting being this bad or was it always this bad??) but fortunately, her bad acting is not affecting the drama significantly. I think BP is one of the better dramas of 2011 – such a shame it is being aired so late in the year and missed the TVB Anniversary awards. WHB is a bit of a disappointment. It’s tiresome having to wait for something to happen and nothing (exciting) seems to happen.
By the way, the setting of Bottled Passion seem so similar to Rosy Business 2!
Maybe is the Tim gor style 🙂
Or maybe low budget.. =)
ie. buildings and rooms very similar to RB2
Also agree the best dramas of 2011. At least one of the most memorable drama of the year!!!
Because it’s from the same era and the same town…that’s why it’s similar to rb2.
It’s called synergy i.e. using the same resources to reduce costs. TVB is good at these kind of stuff and example is klfs dying over and over, hehe
bottled passion definitely started off a lot better than when heaven burns, but whb is definitely getting more interesting in the latest episodes. definitely started watching bp because of raymond. honestly never really liked niki, so i was surprised niki’s acting is pretty decent.
I’m watching both BP and WHB…and I like BP, regarding WHB I starting to watch and just up to 2 episodes and I will continue to watch and see which parts that make this series interesting, heard some people said WHB boring and others said interesting…hope I will like WHB, anyway love the casts
I don’t agree with the comments that BP appeals to people 40 and above. I’m in my 20’s and I really enjoy BP so far.
…and I really enjoy Raymond Wong :-p…loved him ever since Sweetness of the Salt. TVB, please give him more opportunities and better roles.
I am so in love with him in Sweetness of the Salt too,,,,
He’s better and cuter than Steven Ma in SOTS
Well, I’m 16, and I’m loving BP more than WHB. I’m not a ‘si lai’ right?
Oh, and maybe I’m too young to fully appreciate WHB.
BP ftw! Ray Wong is too hot in here. See, I’m only 16.
I see many praising RW for his hotness in BP, maybe RW will be the next Ruco soon?
Younger version of Ruco. I know RW is older than Ruco but seriously, he looks younger.
Hmm, I’ll say RW is hot if he looks less pale.
There are already many tan guys. Pale skin makes RW look cleaner.
Nikki pls go back home sleep…dun even think ur acting will be better that Charmanie!!!
Niki’s acting is better then Charmaine’s.
Charmaine is FAR BETTER than Niki please. my goodness!
i’m 18 years old and i prefer BP over WHB LOL! and yes, i did try watching WHB but it didn’t make me feel conpel to watch the next episode, but BP always have me hanging to watch the episode. & imo, Niki’s acting is less annoying than Charmaine…glad to see her back 🙂 well everyone, enjoy watching whichever series you like best~
I love BP and can’t wait for next episode. I have stopped watching WHB altogether now as its boring and I’ve got better things to do..Always love a love story.
I haven’t seen either series yet.. but Nikki and Raymond look so cute together! ;D
i thought they’re gonna date in realy life, cos they have such good chemistry in the series, but then i found out that he’s a happily married man.
I think Nikki has improved lots. She definately brings in a fresh new vibe in BP.
This drama is really dull. As soon as I had watched the first episode, I didn’t bother carrying on.
feel sorry for you cos this series is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you sure u understand the language or did u get the right glasses, lol
Oh BP is definitely worth watching.
I don’t really like pre-modern but BP is entertaining. The pace is pretty comfortable and each episode has a climax that makes u dying to find out.NIki is fresh face and not overhyped in her acting. I think she has her unique style and charisma.She will certainly shine given more exposure. I like her.
Sure, Niki is suited for this role and I really like Tsui Sum.
*If CS is Tsui Sum(TS), she will request for prettier image, “acts” with her deliberated moves and smiles, moans like chicken.
*If TY is TS, she will have to shorten her nose and trim her eyelashes…and her crying will be like waterfall.
And no Kate, Linda or Fala…NO NO NO
Only NIKI!
I m into episode 12 and already obsessed with the story. Nobody can replace Niki in her role. She is convincing and does not have ‘to act’ for the sake of acting. some of the fadans really “ACT” with contorted facial expression and hyena-like wailing.
OMG I totally agree with you!! I understand why people likes to condemn Niki so much. Her acting is not that bad. I only started to watch this series because of her!
Agreed ladies! I’m crazy obsessed with the show!
I just watch episode 1. Honestly, I don’t have the urge to watch episode 2. This series just reminds me of other Lee Tim Shing series I watch like Rosy Business, A Fistful of Stances and Safe Guard. It’s same old same old. Very formulaic. Even got one emotional family scene in episode. But, I will continue to watch it since Eric Li is playing a good guy here and it’s not very often Eric Li gets good guy roles. So, I’ll continue watching for Eric Li. I hope the series will show something different later.
Nikki is ok. I think she acted competently in episode 1. She is suitable for this role.
Niki was horrible but Raymond was better. Watch another episode. If you can watch thru WHB you can certainly get thru this. It takes about 2 more episodes to settle down and it is very addictive after that. However I still wish
SPOILERS!!!
Sugar candy girl to be someone else. THat would have been more dramatic but very cruel to poor Tung Boon Sin. Eric Li in every scene is eating.
likeing “Bottled Passion more then
“When Heaven Burns” only watch the few min of When heaven burns boring
Well, Nikki improved a lot is what I think. Well, we shouldn’t judge them lots . The creative director does that job. Raymond is definetly the right person for that. Kenneth would maybe suite in better. Um. Steven NO! But Raymond definetly suits the drama style and the script. AWESOME!