Idol dramas expected to flourish

Domestic idol dramas, now still in its infancy, are expected to flourish and develop on both television and Internet platforms, industry insiders said at yesterday\'s Magnolia Forum, a brainstorming session of the ongoing 16th Shanghai Television Festival.

Famous TV experts and producers from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait exchanged their views and experience on the creation and market cooperation of the genre.

 

Yao Jia, director of marketing from Golden Eagle Broadcasting System said that domestic idol dramas have been marginalized for some time due to aging viewers\'preferences for family dramas, costume dramas and wartime spy series.

 

"However, with the booming of Internet video-sharing Websites, whose users are mainly young people, there\'s a huge potential market and business opportunity for this genre,"Yao added.

 

Yesterday Tudou.com, one of China\'s largest video sharing Websites also announced it would shoot a 12-episode Internet idol drama starring Taiwanese heart-throb Joseph Cheng.

 

Compared with former idol dramas, viewers are encouraged to share their thoughts on the Web-based forum while watching.

 

According to the forum, an international cast is another new trend for this genre.

 

Veteran mainland TV drama film director Gao Xixi plans to collaborate with South Korean actress Jang Nara on "The Mischievous Queen," a comedy romance series set in ancient China. The series\' international cast will be a boost to its overseas distribution.

 

Some people consider idol dramas simple and illusory screen productions. But Angie Chai, Taiwanese TV producer of "Meteor Garden" and "Mars" noted that the genre should always be rooted in real life no matter how beautiful and romantic an ambience it tries to present.

 

"However, a basic rule for anyone who hopes to make a touching idol drama is that he or she should believe in dreams and love," Chai said.