Classic Shanghai TV series return to silver screen

Over the passing decades, Shanghai produced several classic TV series which have inspired several generations of the metropolis’ viewing population.

“The Shanghai Family” and “The Mad Monk” are arguably two of the most influential dramas of their time and the reason why the Shanghai Media Group’s Drama Channel gathered former crew behind the acclaimed dramas to talk about their expectation of the TV industry in the future.

The 1991 epic TV series “The Shanghai Family” was a big success for its vivid portrayal of the city’s residents and its distinctive culture. 

Actress Wu Mian recalled that each actor experienced strict audition screen tests for their roles at the time. Before the shooting began, Wu also spent a lot of time in the library to learn more about the history and changes of the city.

The series’ manuscript is kept in the National Museum of Modem Chinese Literature. 

Huang Yun, 87, screenwriter of the series, is not a native of Shanghai. Huang used to be a journalist. In her eyes, a good series should be a reflection on the world and society, and appeal to ordinary people.

“I lived with local citizens in the downtown area of the city for one year to write the script,” Huang said. “I made friends with them, talked with them and went shopping with them. They were lovely, warm-hearted and full of the wisdom of life.” 

Zhang Ge introduced the 1985 popular series “The Mad Monk,” a story about the legendary Buddhist monk Ji Gong, also known as “Chan Master Daoji,” a Chan Buddhist monk who lived in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279).

The 77-year-old Zhang said the series was among the very few homegrown programs of that time to include elements of fantasy and mythology.

“We had inadequate technical methods for the stunts in the series,” he said. “It made the shooting very challenging. In a scene when the monk pretended to be dead with his magic, You Benchang, who played the leading role, had to be thrown onto the floor many times.” 

In the old artists’ eyes, technology and production of domestic TV dramas have made tremendous progress. Both actors and directors should be aware of their responsibilities to create high-quality TV productions.

On Monday, Shanghai Television Artists Association and Drama Channel will host a retrospective exhibition of classic Shanghai-produced TV dramas. “The Shanghai Family” and “The Mad Monk” will be among the first batch of series put back onto the silver screen in a new high-definition format. 

From October 1 to 6, the two dramas will be aired from 1:10pm-7pm on the Drama Channel.

Ti Gong