Cast of “Triumph in the Skies 2” Celebrates High Ratings

Triumph in the Skies 2 <衝上雲霄II> became TVB’s summer hit, achieving rave reviews and high viewership. It is the first TVB series in 2013 to win the top spot for both its debut and weekly ratings. The series earned an average of 31 points during its debut week. The first episode recorded 38 points across all broadcast platforms. The series also achieved the number one rating spot on TVB’s online streaming service MyTV since the company began collecting viewership data in 2009.

The cast gathered on July 23 to celebrate the series’ success. Chilam Cheung (張智霖), Ron Ng (吳卓羲), Michelle Yim (米雪), Kibby Lau (劉俐), Rebecca Zhu (朱晨麗), Eliza Sam (岑麗香), and Patrick Dunn (鄧梓峰) were in a great mood at the event. Francis Ng (吳鎮宇), Myolie Wu (胡杏兒), and Fala Chen (陳法拉) were unable to attend due to their schedules, but each recorded a message to support the popular series. In his message, Francis thanked viewers for the show’s success. “I cannot attend because of work. We are already celebrating after just one week! Thank you very much for your support.”

At the event, Chilam Cheung spoke about some of the show’s recent controversies, and talked about his family’s reaction to his role as playboy pilot Jayden. In the show, Jayden is often surrounded by beautiful women. He also has an intense love scene with Holly, played by Fala Chen. Regarding the anticipated scene, Chilam said, “That scene was moved indoors due to cold weather. Even though we wore many layers, the scene is actually very bold and daring. We are definitely challenging TV broadcast limits.” Chilam also shared that his wife Anita Yuen (袁詠儀) praised his performance, and that son Morton Cheung (張慕童) is surprised that his father suddenly knows how to fly an airplane.

Although it is successful, the series also received viewers’ criticism. Some netizens find the characters’ names, when pronounced in Mandarin, very inauspicious, and became afraid of flying. Others complained about the decision to have veteran singer George Lam (林子祥) perform the series’ theme song, saying George’s singing style does not match the tone of the series. Regarding these controversies, Chilam said, “Filing complaints is what makes Hong Kong viewers unique…. This proves that the series is a success as many are watching and discussing it. George Lam is a God-level singer. I am very honored that he is singing the theme song. There were rumors earlier that I was supposed to sing the theme. I just see it as a silly joke.”

With his rising popularity, Chilam is rumored to leave his current management company, Project House, for a more lucrative seven-digit contract with Stephen Shiu Jr.’s (蕭定一) company China 3D. Addressing the reports, Chilam explained that his contract with Project House will continue until September, and admitted that many companies have reached out to recruit him. “I am not thinking about the price. Right now, I am only thinking about how to plan a summer vacation with my son.”

Fala Chen, who left TVB in May after seven years, was absent from the celebratory event as she is currently studying in New York. Fala appears to want to makeover her image, and is stretching her limits as she transitions into the film industry. Recently, reports revealed that Fala’s upcoming horror films, Tales From the Dark 2 <奇幻夜>, have been classified as category III under Hong Kong’s film rating system. In the films, Fala will have daring bed scenes with co-star Gordon Lam (林家棟). The two will be intensely passionate on the sofa, and Gordon will even appear completely in the nude.

When asked to comment about his film’s category III rating, Gordon said he is not very concerned and that he believes the rating is due to the film’s gore and violence. He shared that he is not embarrassed about his nude scenes, and praised Fala’s acting skills, saying, “Fala is very professional. Her acting was very natural.”

Source: Oriental Daily

This article is written by Katrine for JayneStars.com.