TV series (China) for Magnolia Awards | To Revisit the Memory of the Old Times and Pay Tribute to the "Light Chasers."

The era-inspired and spy-war TV series, which are informed by national sentiments and big pictures through stories set in families and triviality, have long been enjoying wide popularity among the audience. They, well-known to every household as classic works, have also been committed to innovating and improving content, style and shooting techniques, thus rising to be a backbone force both reputable and favored in the Chinese TV series market in recent years.

Among the entries for this year's Magnolia Awards of Shanghai TV Festival (STVF), the era-inspired and spy-war TV series take further their "noticeable" performance -- THE JUSTICE vividly portrays a group of young people who seek after brightness to disperse the dark with lofty ideals; HENG SHAN HOSPITAL witnesses the transformation from a nobody to a revolutionary soldier; CITY OF STREAMER restores from a panoramic view all walks of life in the rise and fall of an established family in the Republic of China; THE REBEL composes a moving chapter in which patriotic youths rekindled the future of the nation with their lives romantically; THE PIONEER recreates the thrilling life-and-death struggle between communists and the dark forces during the reign of the white terror; YI DAI HONG SHANG faithfully highlights the noble characters of Chinese businessmen who cherish great designs for the country in their bosoms... These works, developed in a living language, allow the audience today to feel the spiritual pulse of men of kindheartedness and justice in different times and the unfading national power, and awaken again the national emotion deep in everyone.

THE JUSTICE

The work revolves around the high-spirited struggle history of a little man to map a group of aspiring young people entertaining national cause in mind. The story took place in Shanghai during the Republic of China. Cheng Yizhi, who rose from modest origins, united national industrialists with the help of underground CPC members and thwarted the conspiracy of the "Black Gold Empire" time and again. The "light" of the "light chasers" may be faint, however, it illuminates the way forward for the struggling national industry. The work, being idealistic and romantic with the enthusiasm of youth and the tinges of the real world, reveals the great ambition of young people of the era who devoted themselves to social progress with great courage, and is known as a "Guidebook for Youth of the Republic of China".

HENG SHAN HOSPITAL

The work tells the story of the young Ma Tianming, who grew finally from an underclassman in Shanghai into one who keeps the national cause at heart in perilous battles of wits and courage. The protagonist not only grows but also transforms, inspired by the great national cause. As a spy-war drama aimed at young audiences, while conveying the greatness of the beliefs of CPC members, it also employs bold and innovative filming techniques. The main scene in the work, "Heng Shan Hospital", seems to be peaceful, but in fact, the dark tide is turbulent. The morally ambiguous characters also create a strong sense of drama, making the overall structure of the work like a "room escape" game, for the audience to follow the plot in an immersive way.

CITY OF STREAMER

The work brings together elements such as troubled times, revenge, business warfare, and love. It tells the story of a noble lady Feng Shizhen in the 1930s who sneaked into the Rong’s family, a wealthy family in Shanghai, to avenge her family, but unexpectedly fell in love with the son of the foe. Adapted from a popular online literature work, CITY OF STREAMER tries to open up a new path for the creation of idol dramas of the era while restoring the original as much as possible. Under the background of a specific era, a love story that conforms to the aesthetics of the modern public is deduced. With fully developed characters and shooting techniques that combine vitality and reality, the work caters especially to the young audience's drama-viewing expectations thanks to its impeccable plot and fast-paced setting.

THE REBEL

The work tells the story of Lin Nansheng, Zhu Yizhen and other patriotic young people who, under the guidance of the Communist Party of China, strengthened their ideals, embarked on the correct path to save the country, and grew and transformed with beliefs. The characters in THE REBEL are diverse and vivid. The protagonist Lin Nansheng can be seen as a microcosm of the passionate and enthusiastic young people in the the years of war, and also show to the audience the prime of revolutionary pioneers. The work, characterized by a strong sense of history, compact plot and thrilling scenes, spends a lot of effort in psychological description and emotional rendering. The cold and restrained shots are often used to express the inner forbearance and anxiety of the characters, which gives rise to a strong dramatic tension.

THE PIONEER

THE PIONEER is set in Shanghai in the early 1930s, and reproduces the adventurous story of underground CPC members represented by Ma Tianmu, Chen Lie, Wu Chongxin, etc., who fought against various hostile forces under the white terror. Breaking through the routine of traditional spy-war dramas, it casts a lens on the protagonists’ inner struggles, allowing the audience to witness the building up of faith and the contest between humanity and wisdom through their inner worlds. Through the struggle story of the Communists in Shanghai, it has given a vivid account of how the CPC won the favor of the people and the sovereignty of the country, and profoundly revealed the historical inevitability of "only the CPC can save China", which has caused wide resonance among the audience.

YI DAI HONG SHANG

As the first domestic TV series focusing on the theme of merchants in Hunan, YI DAI HONG SHANG unfolds the legendary history of China wood oil in Hongjiang, Hunan, through a barrel of the oil from the Qing Dynasty, giving a glimpse into the growth of businessmen in Hongjiang (Hong Shang) and the destiny of the country. At every turning point in history, Liu and Yang's century-old oil companies have always fought together against profiteers, corrupt officials, warlords, Japanese spies, bandits and other forces to save the country, showing the national sentiments and dedication to the national cause of a generation of China wood oil businessmen. The broadcast of the work allowed the audience to get close to the history of Hong Shang, and feel the unique and rich charm of Hunan and Hong Shang’s spirit of "To do business with righteousness and to benefit the country", which has broadened the vision of ​​era-inspired TV series.

In the past year, there have been many era-inspired and spy-war masterpieces. They have innovated with powerful strokes out of the box, showing the audience the portrait of a group of revolutionaries and fighters who sacrificed their lives to protect their families and the country under different backgrounds. And by virtue of their indomitable and vigorous spiritual power, these works have guided and inspired young audiences to establish their beliefs and pursue their dreams, which manifests the conscious responsibility of TV workers to focus on the theme of the times and adhere to the right path and innovate dauntlessly.

Just stay tuned to see which works will win the Magnolia Awards at this year's Shanghai TV Festival!