Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Election Episode 3 Recap

Since 2015, the debates surrounding the Chief Executive elections have intensified, particularly about the use of a nomination committee. However, the Chinese government ultimately decides that the nomination committee must stay. Candidates who want to participate in the election must obtain at least 600 of the 1200 ballots from the committee.

See how the current election process works (Linkand the electoral reforms (Link) that are being used in the series. 

Continuing from the last episode, a reporter arrives at the campaign office to ask Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) about her knowledge of an alleged deal between Wai Man Hin and businessman Cheuk Tin Fan (Felix Lok). The reporter alleges that there had been a highway project which was opposed by many people, but Wai still insisted on continuing with it. Coincidentally, Cheuk purchased all the land near the planned highway route before the project was made public. Yip Ching denies any knowledge of a deal and says that she believes in her husband's character.

As the reporter is leaving, she receives a message from a person named "Sam", who says that Yip Ching knows nothing about her husband's dealings. Later at her office, she receives a package from Sam.

Luk Wai To (Savio Tsang) wants to drop out of the election due to the pressure of being scrutinized by the media. Although Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi) angrily scolds Luk about the implications if he dropped out, he discreetly guides Luk into suggesting that he would be a suitable replacement as Chief Executive candidate.

Another protest is happening at the docks. The workers who had participated in the strikes earlier had been fired by the dock company. Yip Ching watches the news report on TV, but Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong) warns her not to get involved. He says that they cannot afford to lose the nomination ballots held by the dock company and its affiliates.


Song's wife, Lee Tsz Kwan (Mimi Kung), is a lawyer working at a law firm with C.K. So (Shek Sau). She is given the case of defending the wrongfully terminated dock workers. However, at home, Song tells her to reject the case because it might affect a "new job" that he will soon have. She is happy to oblige. Song also reminds her that as a politician's wife, she must act carefully, otherwise it can affect her husband's career.

Yip Ching meets with the management of the dock company. They offer to give her their 9 nomination ballots as long as she stays out of the matter, but she rejects the deal. Cheung is outraged when he finds out about this.


Luk is happily preparing for the press conference to announce his resignation until he receives a call from Mr. Wong. At the press conference, he unexpectedly announces that he will stay in the race.

At the DALP headquarters, Ho Chun Pak (Samuel Kwok) holds a meeting with some party members whom he knew were invited to meet with Yip Ching later that evening. He makes a "friendly" reminder that their nomination ballots should go towards the yet-to-be-determined DALP candidate, otherwise the party will pull their support for them in the next Legislative Council elections.

That night, no one goes to meet with Yip Ching. Cheung tells her that in this political game, she must offer benefits in exchange for votes. Even Wai Man Hin had understood this principle as he had indeed revealed government secrets to Cheuk in exchange for 32 nomination ballots.

Yip Ching receives another call to meet with the reporter from earlier. The reporter shows her Wai's phone records. He had frequently been in contact with a phone number belonging to Cheuk. Yip Ching says that they can check Wai's old cell phone, which she still kept at home. As they are driving to her house, they get into a car accident.

Meanwhile, Luk is extremely upset that Mr. Wong forced him to stay in the race. Song appears to be sympathetic, but in reality, he despises him. He attempts to kill him by leaving the drunken Luk in the car with the engine running. However, Song later changes his mind and returns to retrieve Luk.

Yip Ching and the reporter are in the hospital after the car accident. The reporter messages "Sam" that she has lost the documents that he sent her. Sam is revealed to be Cheung. The rest of the campaign team ask if this ploy will actually change Yip Ching's mind. It is shown that Yip Ching was the one who took the documents, which she burns.


Yip Ching reaches a deal with the dock company to pay only a little compensation to the fired workers. The CEO of the dock company welcomes her decision and gives her the contact information for the nine nominators. Yip Ching watches as the dock workers pack up at the protest site and then walks away silently with Cheung following behind her. "Will you continue to stay by my side?", she asks. "Yes", he replies.

At a radio interview, Luk is asked about what he thinks of Yip Ching's increasing popularity. He exposes her secret deal with the dock company and says that the Hong Kong people will soon see her true nature.

Election countdown: 110 days

Friday, November 28, 2014

Election of the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive (CE) is the top government official in Hong Kong. The office of the CE and its powers are provided by the Basic Law (the constitutional document of Hong Kong). The CE is responsible for a wide variety of functions, including deciding government policy, introducing bills and appointing other key officials and judges.

Who can be Chief Executive?
Technically anyone can be CE, as long as they meet the following requirements:
  • at least 40 years old
  • permanent resident of Hong Kong with no right to abode (live) in any foreign country 
  • has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of at least 20 years
  • be a person of integrity and dedicated to his or her duties

How is the Chief Executive elected?
The CE is elected through an electoral college. What this means is that ordinary HK citizens do not get to vote for the CE. Instead, they are represented by a group of electors, known as the Election Committee.

The Election Committee is comprised of 1200 members, divided evenly between the four major sectors (commerce, professional, social and political). These four major sectors are further divided into smaller sub-sectors. The number of seats for each sub-sector varies. Most of the sub-sectors have internal elections in which citizens and entities can choose their representatives to be on the Election Committee.

After the members of Election Committee are selected, they will then nominate candidates for CE. Each member is allowed to nominate one person. Any candidate with 150 or more nominations will be allowed to run in the election for CE.

On election day, only members of the Election Committee get to vote for CE. The winning candidate must receive an absolute majority (50% + 1) of the votes to win. If no one receives the required amount of votes, a run-off is held with the candidate that received the lowest number of votes dropped from the ballot.

The final step of the election process is for the Chinese government to officially appoint the Chief Executive-elect to the office.



Stay tuned for the next post on electoral reform!

Monday, November 24, 2014

License Plate in The Borderline

Looks like HKTV is not immune to having some gaffes after all. A netizen pointed out that the license plate for the car that kidnapped the little kid in episode 2 of The Borderline was inconsistent.

License plate when they captured the kid in front of the school: EP6228

License plate when Leila Tong chased the car to take a picture: PM7962


Personally, I wouldn't even notice these little errors, nor do I think they affect the enjoyment of the series. But if people are going to be picky with TVB on these things, then I think HKTV should be held to the same standard as well. 

"The Borderline" Character Interviews

Interview with Liu Kai-chi and Felix Lok:


Interview with Philip Keung and Crystal Leung:


Interview with Luvin Ho, Lui Hei, Wu Kwing Lung:


Interview with Leila Tong and Dominic Lam:


Interview with Joman Chiang, Lawrence Chou, Kathy Yuen:



Saturday, November 22, 2014

The Election Episode 2 Recap

The episode begins with a caption saying that the spending limit for the 2022 Chief Executive election has increased to $20 million. Elections are no longer just about policies and people, but also about financial might.

Members of the DNRA discuss Yip Ching's chances of winning. The majority of them dismiss her chances, but Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi) points out that Wai Man Hin had managed to double his polling numbers within half a year in the last election. It is revealed that Wai used to be a member of the DNRA.

Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) introduces her campaign team to the media. Reporters ask Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong) why he suddenly switched camps. He says that he felt he was going against his conscious helping the good-for-nothing Luk Wai To (Savio Tsang). He truly believes that Yip Ching would be the one that can change society for the better.

Luk is preparing for an interview when he receives a message containing a photo of him in bed with his assistant, whom he had previously claimed to have no relationship with. He is distracted throughout the interview and puts up a terrible performance.

Yip Ching's team conducts a vetting of her past to discover any potentially scandalous material and ask her many sensitive questions. Cheung says that the most powerful weapon in an election is a candidate's scandalous material. Yip Ching remarks that being a politician is worst than being a prostitute, as a prostitute only need to reveal themselves in front of clients, but a politician must expose themselves to everyone.


The next big issue for Yip Ching's campaign is fundraising. The team figures they need a minimum of $13 million, but they do not have the backing of any political party or wealthy donors. Yip Ching says they can try to find previous supporters of her husband. However, at a meeting with one of them, she is told that the DNRA have made a deal with most businessmen to not give her any funding.

Yip Ching receives a call from Ho Chun Pak (Samuel Kwok), the chairman of the Democratic and Liberal Party (DALP). He urges her to drop out of the race and back his bid to be the DALP's candidate for Chief Executive instead. He promises that if she supported him this time, he would help her win the next election in five years.

The DALP refers to the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, a prominent party on the pro-democracy side. Ho Chun Pak is based on Albert Ho, former chairman of the Democratic Party and the pro-democracy candidate in the 2012 elections.


Luk is fretting over the bed photos and begs Song to help him. Song says he will deal with the matter and goes to meet the person who had sent the photos. However, he is actually meeting with a prostitute, whom he uses to trick Luk into believing that he had obtained the photos from her. Luk promptly shreds the photos. Back at his office, Song shreds a second set of the photos.

The part where Luk offers Song political positions in return for his help is reminiscent of businessman Lew Mong-hung, who was a big supporter of CY Leung during the 2012 elections. However, he later exposed that he had been offered certain political positions by CY Leung.


Meanwhile, Cheung tries to blackmail some businessmen into donating money to Yip Ching's campaign, but they refuse. However, later on, one of the businessmen, Cheuk Tin Fan (Felix Lok), brings $8 million in cash to Cheung, saying that it is to return a favour that Wai Man Hin had done for him before. The only condition is that his name is not to be associated with their campaign in any way whatsoever.

Cheung meets with Song secretly. Song gives him an envelope and tells him he wants the contents of the envelope exposed to the media by tomorrow morning. In exchange, Cheung obtains a list of 500 names to use as fake donors for the $8 million. That night, Cheung is seen putting back together the shredded bed photos of Luk Wai To while listening to a wiretap of Yip Ching's phone conversations.

The next morning, Song is eating breakfast with his wife and subtly shows her a magazine with Luk's bed photos on the cover. Cheung shows Yip Ching their accounts which has $9 million in it. Just then, a reporter comes to their office to ask about allegations that her husband Wai Man Hin once revealed government secrets in exchange for benefits....

Election countdown: 112 days

The Election Episode 1 Recap

The series starts with the 2017 Chief Executive election. Despite the efforts of the Occupy Movement, Hong Kong still only has a restricted form of democratic elections. While the votes are still being counted, the leading candidate, Wai Man Hin (Poon Chan Leung) enters an old apartment building to meet with a secret group of people that had orchestrated his election win. He promises that once he becomes Chief Executive, they will no longer have to be in hiding and can work with him as part of his government. He says that tomorrow will be the beginning of a new era for Hong Kong, marked by fairness and equality. They cheer and celebrate Wai's pending victory.

At the convention centre where the votes are being counted, Wai's wife, Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) is anxious about the whereabouts of her husband. Over the phone, Wai reassures her that he will be back before the counting is over.

The final tally is announced. Wai is declared to be the next Chief Executive, but he is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, firefighters are working frantically in the rain to pull someone out from a flipped car. The bloodied man turns out to be Wai. The caption says that his death is ruled to be an accident and that after much debate, it was decided that the current Chief Executive would remain for another term, until 2022.


Fast forward to four years later. Yip Ching is now leader of a labour union. Dock workers have been on strike for 34 days. Upset at the stalled talks, the workers want to start a violent protest, but Yip Ching reminds them that the reason they have gotten support from the public is because they have insisted on peaceful protests from the start.

Their insistence on remaining peaceful is the same as the ideology of the Occupy Movement. The worker strike alludes to the Hong Kong dock strikes in 2013 (Wikipedia). 

Yip Ching is invited to meet with the management of the dock company. To her surprise, they agree to meet all the demands of the workers, with only one condition – Yip Ching must personally announce that the strike is over. She questions why management has a sudden change of heart and the CEO reveals that they have been offered a deal by someone from the DNRA Party – if they agreed to the workers' demands, the party will block legislation that would have allowed new competition to the industry. Yip Ching guesses who set up this deal.

The DNRA Party refers to the DAB (Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong), which is the biggest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong.

Luk Wai To (Savio Tsang) had just announced his intention to run in the 2022 Chief Executive elections, but is discovered unconscious and undressed inside a car with a woman.

Luk Wai To resembles Henry Tang, who has family ties to the Communist Party and was the early favourite in the 2012 Chief Executive election, only to be brought down by scandals. 

Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong), who had been part of Wai's secret campaign team and is now Luk's campaign manager, wakes up to find many voice messages telling him about Luk's scandal. Cheung rushes out, but Yip Ching is waiting for him. She demands to know why he set up the deal with the dock company. He says that he has planned this for a whole year and tells her to trust him, as he had always helped her with her labour movements over the past few years. Yip Ching reluctantly agrees to do as he says.

Members of the DNRA hold an internal meeting to discuss how they should handle Luk's scandal. They vote to decide whether to continue supporting Luk's candidacy. The vote is tied and the president, Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi), has the deciding vote. He votes no.

Song Man San can be comparable to Jasper Tsang, who is the current president of the Legislative Council and also former chairman of the DAB.


After the meeting, Song receives a call from a Mr. Wong. His face falls as he talks to Mr. Wong in Mandarin. Afterwards, he goes out to tell everyone to forget about the meeting and that the entire DNRA Party is to support Luk's campaign. Cheung comes in to say that he has a plan on how to deal with the scandal, but he is yelled at by Song, who insists that the scandal was his responsibility. Song tells him to either quit or be fired. Cheung angrily quits, but not before calling everyone in the party idiots for blindly supporting the idiot Luk.

The Mandarin speaking Mr. Wong represents the voice of the Chinese government.


Meanwhile, Yip Ching makes the announcement to the workers about the successful negotiations. Cheung calls her and tells her to immediately announce that she intends to run in the 2022 Chief Executive election, but she refuses.

That night, Cheung tries to convince Yip Ching to run for Chief Executive. He says that this is the only chance for her to find out the real truth about her husband's death. He shows her the document that had been used to rule her husband's death as an accident, which was missing an appendix on the last page. The only way for them to access the confidential document would be if she became Chief Executive.

Yip Ching receives a call from a reporter who said she had interviewed Wai Man Hin a few days before his death. They meet up and the reporter gives her a copy of the interview, where Wai talks about his dream of re-establishing Hong Kong as a fair and just society. He says that his dream was inspired by his wife, Yip Ching.

The next day, Yip Ching holds a press conference to announce her intention of running in the 2022 election, in order to continue her husband's legacy and hope for a just society. Watching the broadcast on TV, Song looks on thoughtfully. Cheung is also watching the broadcast in a bedroom with a woman. He praises the woman for making up such a touching interview, otherwise Yip Ching would not have decided to run...

Election countdown: 141 days


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Chief Executive Candidates




Candidate #1: Song Man San (played by Liu Kai-chi)

His heart is filled with only one thing – ambition. To satisfy his hunger for power, he won't hesitate to betray his family, friends and even his soul. In his eyes, it doesn't matter if the tactics are despicable or not, as long as he achieves his goal. A cunning character that is able to manipulate anyone and remain calm under a crisis. Yet he is also petty-minded, intolerant towards others and lacks the affinity that a political leader should have.









Candidate #2: Yip Ching (played by Angelica Lee)

A pity and slender figure, but under the gentle appearance, she has a strong and determined heart. Fairness and justice are not just her own guiding principles, but also an objective for society, which is her mission to fight for. With an indomitable spirit, she does not compromise or flinch despite being under heavy pressure. She is articulate, possesses affinity and charm and is a naturally born leader.





Have your say! Who do you want as Chief Executive?

Cast your vote!


Monday, November 17, 2014

HKTV Schedule



The official schedule for HKTV has been announced (all in Hong Kong time).

On-Demand:
Two hours of drama – one episode each of The Borderline and The Election – will be made available each day starting at 6:00 am. In addition, there will be a 30 minute episode of the variety show The Challenge, as well as several foreign purchased dramas.

Live Broadcast (November 19):
8:00 pm – Opening Ceremony
8:30 pm – The Borderline
9:30 pm – The Election
10:30 pm – The Challenge
11:00 pm – Shopping Hero

Update: Instead of two hours of drama daily, the schedule has been changed as follows:
The Borderline will have one episode released each day (Monday-Friday).
The Election will have one episode released on Saturdays. 
The Challenge will have one episode released on Sundays. 

Update: Variety show "Gone With the Wind" will also have one episode released on Sundays.




Saturday, November 15, 2014

"The Borderline" Deleted Scenes

This is the deleted footage from The Borderline that was shown to people who participated in HKTV's stress test earlier.




Thursday, November 13, 2014

"The Borderline" Promo Clips

Promo #1


Promo #2


Astro Promo



HKTV Launch

Which series do you want to see first? Vote here (Link).

The Borderline (警界線)
Cast: Liu Kai-chi, Dominic Lam, Leila Tong



A clear conscience and discipline are important boundaries for police officers. But if these boundaries are crossed and detectives work together with criminals, the ability to crack cases becomes infinitely larger. A marginalized undercover; a hot-tempered detective who was once framed and lived as a fugitive; a thief who steals from other criminals and was once wrongfully convicted; a female officer who has never fired a gun and uses her intelligence to deconstruct the minds of criminals; a top fugitive with a loyal character and in love with a policewoman; a female inspector who is the encyclopedia of the Forensic Firearms Examination Bureau. They participate in a battle of wits and force. Not only do they produce love, hate and sparks, they also break through boundaries, working together to undo cases of injustice and find the real perpetrator. Through blood, tears, life and death, these cops and bandits highlight the glory of humanity and leave behind an extraordinary story.

Interest level: 4.5/5. The first episode ended with a cliff-hanger. 


The Menu (導火新聞線)
Cast: Noel Leung, Catherine Chau, Kate Yeung



Monitoring society has always been a responsibility of the media, but violence, porn and blood have become the norm for modern media. The story follows three female reporters with different ideals, working for a free newspaper. They have daily conflicts over news reporting. The profit-motivated chief editor is willing to abandon ethical responsibility and make exaggerated reports. The assignment editor and a reporter are passionate about helping disadvantaged groups voice out social injustices. Facing a commercial reality, a newspaper that is disrespected by its peers chooses each day whether to reveal or hide the truth for different purposes. How can reporters highlight justice and use their pen to defend their ideals?

Interest level: 4.5/5. Would love to see the ugly side of the media business.


The Election (選戰)
Cast: Angelica Lee, Liu Kai-chi, Samuel Kwok



Every level of society has their struggles and battles. Human nature, power and benefits are tangled together. Angelica Lee enters the Chief Executive election with her husband's ideology of fairness and peace. Unfortunately, she gets caught in the complicated reality in which she has to deal with internal competition, as well as external attacks from her rival Liu Kai-chi. Experiencing major challenges, she cannot differentiate between friend and enemy. The love-hate relationships and the struggle between humanity and self-interest are a reflection of social reality. Through this political game, the ugly and glorious side of human nature is pushed to the extremes.

Interest level: 5/5. This will surely be popular considering the current political situation in Hong Kong. 


Paranormal Mind (開腦儆探)
Cast: Felix Wong, Sam Lee, Lo Hoi Pang



Felix Wong is initially a police inspector. The trauma of his son’s mysterious death triggers his ability to read other people’s consciousness, but also causes him to have multiple personalities. His wife and friends think that he has a mental disorder, but Felix firmly believes his son was killed in the subconscious dimension. Felix begins to develop his potential of reading other people’s consciousness. Working as a private investigator, he helps the police solve supernatural cases, while still hoping to find his son’s killer.

Interest level: 4.5/5. Reminds me of TVB's D.I.E. but still has interesting premise.


To Be or Not to Be (來生不做香港人)
Cast: Maggie Cheung, Prudence Liew, Poon Chan Leung, Savio Tsang



The reunion of two sisters and the quarrels between them are used to examine the changing relationship between China and Hong Kong in the past 30 years. The blood relationship cannot be denied. As China becomes more powerful, how do Hong Kong people position themselves? Would you still want to be a Hong Konger in the next life? Can the current social conflicts be solved with money? With the emerging integration of China and Hong Kong, what core values can Hong Kong people still defend?

Interest level: 3.5/5. It's got a mix of politics in it. 


Second Life (第二人生)
Cast: Wilfred Lau, Terence Yin, Bondy Chiu



People who reach middle-age will often complain about the pressures and setbacks of life. They will only regret about missed opportunities, but a dreamless life is akin to a salty fish; what use can it have? At a low point in his life, the main character gets a chance to change history, but even after history is rewritten, his life does not turn out better. He finally understands that rather than being upset over the past, he should live well in the present.

Interest level: 2.5/5. Not keen on seeing Wilfred. 


Hidden Faces (三面形醫)
Cast: Frankie Lam, John Chiang, Wilson Tsui



Humans naturally like beauty. Many people will use makeup, beauty products or even plastic surgery. But there are few who can look into a mirror, peel open their outer shell and expose their most naked, hidden side. That is why doctors can heal one’s body, but rarely their hearts. At the root of many illnesses tends to be “human nature”. In the series, a plastic surgeon joins a large medical corporation, spurring discussion of many hot topics that will evaluate modern values and allow people to reflect on their self-worth and the definition of “beauty”. At the same time, the series voices the views of different people in society.

Interest level: 3.5/5. I'm not sure I want to see a real plastic surgery being performed on-screen.


Love In Time (還來得及再愛你)
Cast: Danson Tang, Michelle Wai, Terence Yin, Sherming Yiu



The 224 year old male character has held onto a lost love for 200 years. Growing up as a young man in a village, he has experienced drastic change. The whole village, including his beloved, were killed by demons. Only he survived after being rescued by a vampire. Now he lives, but his heart is frozen; heartbroken, but cannot cry out. This is until he meets a lively and positive girl whose passionate love unconsciously melts his heart. The man is immortal, but the girl may have perhaps 80 years. Is this relationship a cruel joke played by fate or a match made in heaven?

Interest level: 1/5. Sounds a lot like Twilight.


Once Upon A Song (童話戀曲201314)
Cast: William So, Bernice Liu, Kelvin Kwan



As a child, everyone dreamed of being the prince or princess in a fairy tale, but when we grow up, we only become HK men and women. The qualities of a girlfriend include her outer appearance, while a boyfriend must have a house, car and career. Thinking deeper, does everyone still have a dream in their hearts? The first musical in the history of Hong Kong television, with young faces, beautiful voices and youthful dancing to present a touching love story. The story revolves around young CEO Kelvin Kwan in a love triangle with Kate Yeung and Evelyn Choi. It is accompanied by singer William So’s voice and other actors. A single series that combines singing, dancing and acting is worthy of anticipation.

Interest level: 1/5. Not a fan of musicals.


Karma (驚異世紀)
Cast: Dominic Lam, Noel Leung, Leila Tong



Fear comes from the heart. The eight separate stories will be about a hospital, a mansion, a university professor, a psychologist and hypnotist, a mysterious senior, a serial killer, an old camera lens and a luxurious hotel. Each of these stories will be connected by an overarching story. Filmed with movie-style cameras to produce shocking images that will challenge the audience’s courage. More importantly, behind this horrific world, there is a cautionary message to reflect on.

Interest level: 0/5. Too scared to watch horror films.


Doom + 5 (末日+5)
Cast: Sunny Chan, Philip Keung, Poon Chan Leung, Mimi Kung, Alan Luk, Gregory Wong



On January 23, 2015, the eight million citizens of Hong Kong are still revelling in whether the stock market will set new high records, still working to make their love come to fruition and still labouring over their jobs. Only five citizens, who do not know each other or are otherwise related, learn about a secret hidden by the government. That night, at 11:45 pm, the end of the world will come and no one will be spared. As life enters its countdown, with only 15 hours left, will they turn hopeless or become even more crazy?

Interest level: 2/5. Don't like the "cherish life because you never know what will happen" stories.


Night Shift (夜班)
Cast: Frankie Lam, Dominic Lam, Kathy Tong



A series entirely filmed at night. The story follows several emergency unit officers as they encounter different people and events on the night shift. They are met with unimaginable dangers and challenges. The countless temptations during the night weaken their resolve, leaving their self-defence mechanisms vulnerable to attack. The night is mysterious and beautiful, yet dangerous. Without self-discipline and control, one can easily step into forbidden territory with dire consequences.

Interest level: 3.5/5. Police dramas are always exciting. 


Class 4B (四年B班)
Cast: Sam Chan, Joman Chiang, Samuel Kwok, Crystal Leung



Silly little things in the eyes of adults can be important things to children. This series uses a child’s perspective to view how large the world can be and how children use their simple, yet determined minds to accomplish those little things. It will make adults realize that they should not impose their own way of thinking on children and instead allow their dreams to flourish. The story depicts a class of fourth-grade students at a subsidized school. Although they have just advanced to a higher grade, they have yet to truly develop independent thinking. It is easy for many funny and embarrassing moments to occur, but people will also be touched by their innocence.

Interest level: 1.5/5. "Simple" dramas are a bore.


Sexpedia (大眾情性)
Cast: Jason Chan, Joman Chiang, Alan Luk, Maggie Wong



Sex is a complicated subject. It includes communication between people, small pleasures between couples, love within a family and some of life’s philosophies. Thus, do not underestimate how important and influential sex can be. Real-life cases were used as a blueprint to create three distinct characters with unusual experiences. One is a virgin male who has been oppressed throughout his whole life and believes he only has one chance to make love. Another is a girl with a sexual disability who thinks she is unworthy of love. The third is a divorced man who prides himself on his experiences, yet does not know how to please women. Together, they make up a romantic comedy that will examine the topic of sex and love.

Interest level: 3/5. Definitely refreshing since TVB would never touch this topic.


Beyond the Rainbow (歲月樓情)
Cast: Ha Yu, Paw Hee Ching, Felix Wong, Leila Tong



A story spanning 30 years, with public housing as a backdrop. It shows how the “little guy” relies on a persistent, never giving up spirit to withstand challenges and establish a stable home. For millions of families living under the same sky, as long as their starting point is a happy and healthy home, they can all lead a fulfilling life. As time passes by, each person will leave their mark and time will bear witness to the stories of many different people.

Interest level: 3/5. From the trailer, there seems to be a mysterious aspect as well. 


The Wicked League (惡毒老人同盟)
Cast: John Chiang, Samuel Kwok, Yuen Wah, Jason Pai



As the saying goes, "a senior in the family is like a treasure". But many seniors face discrimination in their lives. The five main characters are all seniors who have been discriminated by their family, friends and colleagues. By chance, they meet each other and decide to get revenge on the people who have treated them poorly, creating the "Vicious Senior Alliance". This black comedy brings out the problems and difficulties faced by seniors in today's society, with a hope that the audience can understand and treat seniors better.

Interest level: 2/5. Nothing too exciting here.


Incredible Mama (我阿媽係黑玫瑰)
Cast: Kara Hui, John Chiang, Sam Chan



The legendary heroine "Black Rose" gives up on practising chivalry and becomes a housewife for her family, taking care of her husband and children. But her children do not know that their mother was once a heroine; they see her as timid woman who doesn't care about justice. When they finally find out about her past, that is when they truly begin to understand their mother.

Interest level: 3/5. Seems like a decent comedy. 


Originally posted at Casual TVB