Production on the move for series' second season
Production for a new season of the documentary series "China on the Move" is under way. The five-episode series is a joint effort between Shanghai Media Group and Discovery to offer a true, panoramic and multi-dimensional view of China to the world.
The first season of the series was broadcast to wide acclaim in February. It primarily focused on the success of poverty alleviation in China's rural areas, and the fast recovery of the country's economy amid the pandemic.
The new season will cover the country's development, its economic, scientific and ecological achievements and the improvement of people's livelihoods.
The new season of "China on the Move" will cover the country's development, its economic, scientific and ecological achievements and the improvement of people's livelihoods.
British documentary filmmaker Arthur Jones, who has worked and lived in China for more than 20 years, is the new anchor of the series.
According to Vikram Channa, vice president of Discovery Inc, getting viewers interested in topics like social development, economic growth, the environment and sustainability is always challenging. However, working closely together with the company's partners in China facilitates the process.
He said in the past, many international productions had more of a parachute approach. Foreign crews were often air dropped to create shows on China and editing was done abroad, which made sense when targeting an international audience.
"If you truly need to reach Chinese audiences and the world at the same time, the show has to be genuinely made in China with partners like SMG," said Channa. "Discovery brings strength in visual emotive storytelling and crafting universally appealing narratives to communicate China's initiatives.
"We call this approach 'Made in China for the World.' We hope to continue making great stories on China together with great partners like SMG, and take viewers in China and abroad in refreshing new directions."
Chen Yuren, SMG vice president, noted the documentary genre is important for telling Chinese stories to the world. He said SMG will strengthen its cooperation and exchanges with Discovery in terms of content, technology and media convergence.
The series "China on the Move" will be translated into about 20 languages, and is expected to be aired on Discovery's television channels and online platforms in more than 50 countries and regions next summer.
