The whole nomination list has been released so time for me to unravel my mere thoughts on who I think deserves an award, based on their acting abilities for their respective roles.
Scroll down for overall thoughts of the Awards Ceremony and my thoughts of the award recipients.
“Best Actor” nominees:
1. Mak Cheung-ching — Come Home Love
2. Johnson Lee — Officer Geomancer
3. Edwin Siu — Madam Cutie On Duty
4. Ben Wong — Raising the Bar
5. Him Law — Young Charioteers
6. Kevin Cheng — Eye In the Sky
7. Joe Ma — Smooth Talker
8. Damian Lau — Limelight Years
9. Moses Chan — Ghost of Relativity
10. Vincent Wong — Brick Slaves
11. Chin Ka-lok — The Fixer
12. Louis Cheung — Momentary Lapse of Reason
13. Ruco Chan — Captain of Destiny
14. Tony Hung — Captain of Destiny
15. Bosco Wong — Under the Veil
16. Bobby Au-yeung — With or Without You
17. Anthony Wong — Lord of Shanghai
18. Wayne Lai — Lord of Shanghai
19. Kent Tong — Lord of Shanghai
20. Kenneth Ma — Lord of Shanghai
My top five explained (In no particular order):
Kevin Cheng - Eye of the Sky
Thoughts: I enjoyed Kevin's portrayal of Szetou Sir. He was stony yet you could somehow see his through eye expressions and small gestures like clamping hands together when he is in deep thought or confused. I do think it was his breakthrough performance and one of the few roles that I highly enjoyed.
Wayne Lai - Lord of Shanghai
Thoughts: A lot of people felt he was over the top and indeed he was, but Wayne was also subtle who unleashed himself as someone aggressive and scrupulous. Although he was cold-blooded and crazy, his Shan was someone who cared about his family deep inside, even though he would always yell at them. The portrayal of this character by Wayne Lai shows the greatness of his acting.
Louis Cheung - Momentary Lapse of Reason
Thoughts: You can say this is his first bona-fide leading role (as well as Raising the Bar), and Louis did not disappoint. As always, he is expressive in his eyes and he gave this character some dimensions of caring for others. The reason I think his acting top-notch is because he doesn't need to be lot in this series to get people's attention, where his silent moments are in itself powerful. A good performance I say.
Ruco Chan - Captain of Destiny
Thoughts: Ruco was great as the 11th prince. He emoted well and brought his character to life, even though he did look odd for me in a historical setting. He was also mainly in the scenes that was my favourite, such as crying and kneeling towards his dead brother with the emperor looking behind. Ruco deserves heaps of credit for this role.
Anthony Wong - Lord of Shanghai
Thoughts: Truth to be told, I wasn't used to his Shanghainese accent throughout the series but what stood out for me was his subtle expressions. There's nothing really wrong about Anthony Wong's (yes I did that) acting in here. He way he sat down, the way he was staring and the way he was walking was very subtle. He performed well for a series that turned out to be rather mediocre.
“Best Actress” nominees:
1. Priscilla Wong — Madam Cutie On Duty
2. Elaine Yiu — Raising the Bar
3. Grace Chan — Raising the Bar
4. Nancy Sit — My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover
5. Sisley Choi — Young Charioteers
6. Kate Tsui — Smooth Talker
7. Elena Kong — Smooth Talker
8. Liza Wang — Limelight Years
9. Linda Chung — Limelight Years
10. Kristal Tin — Ghost of Relativity
11. Nancy Wu — Ghost of Relativity
12. Selena Li — Brick Slaves
13. Mandy Wong — The Fixer
14. Myolie Wu — Every Step You Take
15. Tavia Yeung — Momentary Lapse of Reason
16. Rosina Lam — Momentary Lapse of Reason
17. Eliza Sam — Under the Veil
18. Joey Meng — With or Without You
19. Louisa So — Lord of Shanghai
20. Alice Chan — Lord of Shanghai
My top five explained (In no particular order):
Grace Chan - Raising the Bar
Thoughts: Yes she bombed it in Captain of Destiny but in Raising the Bar her performance was eye-opening. Grace Chan did a terrific job in bring the character Giselle to life, as someone charming and genuine. I was turned off by her pretentious way of trying to appear 'Australian', but you won't notice it unless you're from Australia. Grace Chan's best performance to date and I applaud TVB for nominating her for this character instead of Wong Dai Mui.
Liza Wang - Limelight Years
Thoughts: Liza did a nice job here. To be honest I didn't get much chance to watch this series but from the glimpses of what I saw she looked well-cast and I didn't find much flaws in her performance. The reason I liked her performance because even if her face is quite frozen you can still the right expressions, such as guilt, worry and regrets.
Kristal Tin - Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: I was highly impressed by Kristal Tin in here. Surprisingly, she can be really funny and look naturally funny. It seemed like she didn't put much effort but she managed to make May an intriguing and convincing lady. In here her May had good comedic timing and she was article in delivering her lines. My favourite performance of hers so say and she definitely deserves an award.
Nancy Wu - Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: Compared to Kristal, Nancy was less funny, but Nancy was awesome in a way. As audience we could sympathise with her Gin as a ghost or electromagnetic wave that not experienced an innocent and avoidable death, but the suffering of not being able to live or be an human again like her surroundings. Nancy excelled in those quiet moments and refreshing to say the least.
Elena Kong - Smooth Talker
Thoughts: Not much attention was given to Elena's role in this series but she was stellar. First it seemed like she was on steroids. I could she was giving everything in for this character just like her role from Bounty Lady. Hard to explain but she was expressive, funny and gave a smoothing performance.
“Favourite Male Character” nominees:
1. Oscar Leung — Officer Geomancer
2. Edwin Siu — Madam Cutie On Duty
3. Ben Wong — Raising the Bar
4. Him Law — Young Charioteers
5. Kevin Cheng — Eye In the Sky
6. Damian Lau — Limelight Years
7. Moses Chan — Ghost of Relativity
8. Vincent Wong — Brick Slaves
9. Benjamin Yuen — The Fixer
10. Louis Cheung — Momentary Lapse of Reason
11. Mat Yeung — Momentary Lapse of Reason
12. Ruco Chan — Captain of Destiny
13. Tony Hung — Captain of Destiny
14. Bosco Wong — Under the Veil
15. Joseph Lee — Under the Veil
16. Bobby Au-yeung — With or Without You
17. Anthony Wong — Lord of Shanghai
18. Wayne Lai — Lord of Shanghai
19. Kent Tong — Lord of Shanghai
20. Kenneth Ma — Lord of Shanghai
Thoughts: Not much to comment for this award category since its more based on popularity than acting itself. Based on what I've read from netizen's comments, the most popular actors this years should be Ruco Chan who got a lot of media buzz, competing with Anthony Wong who got a lot of praise. The rest are mainly just fillers in this category. If it was my favourite, I too would give it to Anthony Wong, Ruco Chan, and also to Kevin Cheng, Vincent Wong, Louis Cheung, Boobby Au-yeung, Wayne Lai and Kenneth Ma. Ruco gave a magnificent performance as the 11th prince, also known as Man-Ho. There were plenty of great dramatic scenes by Ruco and in here the series failed more than he did. He was fillal, genuine and intelligent fellow who just has a bad fate with everyone who doesn't like him, including the emperor and his so-called brothers. There were times that he seemed to be a bit out of place in terms of expressions, but that's probably because his character was poorly developed. Again, a praiseworthy performance by an actor who deserves a pat on the back. Last but not the least, is Anthony Wong. He was criticised for using an Shanghainese accent but I was fine with it as it gave some sense of authenticity to his role, at the expense of some audience feeling uncomfortable or it being out of place. The main reason Anthony is great in this series is not because of his well-adapted accent but because of his subtlety. The way he sits, the way he swifts his paper fan and even the way he blinks helps to give an unique character to his role. It was masterful.
Favorite Female Character” nominees:
1. Priscilla Wong — Madam Cutie On Duty
2. Mandy Wong — Madam Cutie On Duty
3. Stephanie Ho — Raising the Bar
4. Angela Tong — My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover
5. Liza Wang — Limelight Years
6. Linda Chung — Limelight Years
7. Kristal Tin — Ghost of Relativity
8. Nancy Wu — Ghost of Relativity
9. Vivien Yeo— Ghost of Relativity
10. Selena Li — Brick Slaves
11. Tavia Yeung — Momentary Lapse of Reason
12. Rosina Lam — Momentary Lapse of Reason
13. Grace Chan — Captain of Destiny
14. Elaine Yiu — Captain of Destiny
15. Eliza Sam — Under the Veil
16. Joey Meng — With or Without You
17. Jacqueline Wong — With or Without You
18. Louisa So — Lord of Shanghai
19. Alice Chan — Lord of Shanghai
20. Jade Leung — Lord of Shanghai
Thoughts: Same goes for the ladies. Most popular stars this year was of course Kristal Tin and Nancy Wu who both received unexpected popularity for their eye-catching chemistry in Ghost of Relativity, Grace Chan who got the thumbs up from some people for her Giselle and Alice Chan whose role was well-received by the audience this year. My favourites this year is also all those previously mentioned and Vivien Yeo, Tavia Yeung, Rosina Lam, Joey Meng, Louisa So and Jade Leung for their likeable performances.
“Best Supporting Actor” nominees:
1. Owen Cheung — Come Home Love
2. Koo Ming-wah — Lady Sour
3. Raymond Cho — Madam Cutie On Duty
4. Junior Anderson — Madam Cutie On Duty
5. Ram Chiang — Raising the Bar
6. Timothy Cheng — Raising the Bar
7. Jason Chan — Romantic Repertoire
8. Tommy Wong — Smooth Talker
9. William Chak — Limelight Years
10. Jonathan Wong — Limelight Years
11. Eddie Kwan — Ghost of Relativity
12. Ngo Ka-nin — Ghost of Relativity
13. Timothy Hung — The Fixer
14. Lau Kong — Momentary Lapse of Reason
15. Hugo Wong — Momentary Lapse of Reason
16. Li Shing-cheong — Captain of Destiny
17. Joel Chan — Captain of Destiny
18. Joseph Lee — With or Without You
19. Vincent Wong — With or Without You
20. Willie Wai — Lord of Shanghai
My top five explained (In no particular order):
Eddie Kwan - Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: Eddie was very funny in this series as Hugo. His delivery of gags was great and I managed to laugh out all. A sassy performance from Eddie Kwan who I sometimes find boring in his roles. So kuods to him.
Lau Kong - Momentary Lapse of Reason
Thoughts: Lau Kong is a competent veteran and in he was great as usual as someone cunning and rotten deep inside. He seems to be getting type-cast into villain roles who are somehow insecure and crazy, but at least he does them well and convincingly well. I will never be tired of seeing Lau Kong and his roles. Thumbs up for Lau Kong.
Li Sing-Cheong - Captain of Destiny
Thoughts: As like Lau Kong, Li Sing-Cheong is an excellent veteran. He was very irritating in Captain of Destiny who was basically the shit-stirrer. He managed to make his role very funny indeed. Thumbs up for Li Sing-Cheong as well!
Joel Chan - Captain of Destiny
Thoughts: I never really had any thoughts about Joel Chan in the past. I've heard that he was in a relationship with Laurinda Ho who is the daughter of billionaire Stanley Ho and that's when I paid attention to him as people were saying he is being a soft rice king - watch Come on Cousin and you'll understand that term. His personal life aside, Joel stole the limelight in this series. As a viewer, you couldn't completely like him or hate him. His Wong Yat Hin was likeable in the sense he would save others but be there for the 11th prince, but you would find him unlikeable for how she supposedly treated Ha Shim or just left Mandy Wong, but at the end you will cheer for him because he is a nice person. Joel Chan was in essence the redeeming factor of this series.
Vincent Wong - With or Without You
Thoughts: What more can I say? Vincent Wong was great. His Siu You was convincing and nicely portrayed. No complaints whatsoever.
“Best Supporting Actress” nominees:
1. Law Lan — Officer Geomancer
2. Rachel Kan — Madam Cutie On Duty
3. Natalie Tong — Raising the Bar
4. Stephanie Ho — Raising the Bar
5. Jeannie Chan — Raising the Bar
6. Elena Kong — Raising the Bar
7. Ali Lee — My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover
8. Samantha Ko — Eye In the Sky
9. Michelle Yim — Limelight Years
10. Vivien Yeo — Ghost of Relativity
11. Celine Ma — Ghost of Relativity
12. Mimi Chu — Ghost of Relativity
13. Tracy Chu — Smooth Talker
14. Cilla Kung — Every Step You Take
15. Elaine Yiu — Captain of Destiny
16. Kelly Fu — Captain of Destiny
17. Susan Tse — Captain of Destiny
18. Katy Kung — Under the Veil
19. Jacqueline Wong — With or Without You
20. Jade Leung — Lord of Shanghai
My top four explained (In no particular order):
Jade Yeung - Lord of Shanghai
Thoughts: She was sublime in this series and you could feel her character as someone reserved, attached to her spouse and willing to turn a blind eye for Shan but is a good person and will pray for his sins. Good performance overall.
Sustan Tse - Captain of Destiny
Thoughts: Wasn't a fan of her operaish acting or old-fashioned way of speaking but she was very good in here. Gave the right expressions. Nothing to complain about really.
Celine Ma - Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: Although she didn't have much to do in this series, her acting abilities were supreme and impressive to say the least. I always feel that Celine as an actress has been under-appreciated.
Mimi Chu - Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: My thoughts of Celina Ma are the same as with Mimi Chu. She is always a compent actress.
Don't know why, but no one in this category had caught my eye. Some did well but not in the level of Best Supporting Actress. I have a feeling that Elaine Yiu will since her win from the TVB Star Malaysia Awards but she had a lot of room for improvement from her performance at Captain of Destiny. If I was to really narrow it down and be strict, I would perhaps choose no one to win.
“Most Improved Male Artiste” nominees:
1. William Chak
2. Tony Hung
3. James Ng
4. Hugo Wong
5. Mat Yeung
6. Benjamin Yuen
My top choice In no particular order):
No one again. Compared to previous year award recipients such as Louis Cheng who improved a lot in terms of acting, this year no one improved tremendously that was award worthy. I have a feeling that Tony Hung would win but that would be based on popularity rather than acting because he had some awful moments from Captain of Destiny, so he has deproved instead of improved. If he wasn't part of Captain of Destiny and his last role was Eye in the Sky then perhaps I would agree with him winning. Don't know how James Ng got there at all. Benjamin Yuen, Hugo Wong, William Chak and Mat Yeung still acting like a log of wood.
“Most Improved Female Artiste: nominees:
1. Grace Chan
2. Tracy Chu
3. Rosina Lam
4. Ali Lee
5. Jacqueline Wong
6. Rebecca Zhu
Rosina Lam. I feel that she matured as an actress and she has picked up with her acting even though she still has some bad habits. My comments of Tony Hung apply the same with Grace Chan, even though she has great potential. The rest still have a long way to go in improving.
“Most Popular Classic Drama” nominees:
Lives of Omission (2011)
Brother’s Keeper (2013)
Triumph In the Skies (2003)
The Greed of Man (1992)
The Justice of Life (1989)
The Final Verdict (1988)
Time Before Time (1997)
War of the Genders (2000)
War of the Genders
Thoughts: I recently re-watched this series and I have come to the conclusion that this is a brilliant series. It was the acting, the plot and the funny gags that deserve credit and this series will do justice to the award. Dayo Wong and Carol Cheng were amazing in this series. My full support for this series.
“Best TV Host” nominees:
Sidewalk Scientist – Ali Lee, Leung Ka-ki, Jacqueline Wong, Mayanne Mak, Sammi Cheung, Roxanne Tong
Sunday Songbird – Liza Wang, Adam Cheng, Jerry Lamb
Are You Healthy? – Lawrence Cheng, Leung Ka-ki, Steven Cheung
Neighbourhood Gourmet 3 – Kitty Yuen, King Kong Lee
Good Cheap Eats 3 – Maria Cordero, Luk Ho-ming
Helen TO-KYO! – Helen To
Four Amigos Bon Voyage – Kenneth Tsang, Patrick Tse, Wu Fung, Joe Junior
Not Far But Away – Tony Hung
DoDo Goes Shopping – Carol Cheng, Priscilla Wong, FAMA, Sammy Sum, Sharon Chan, Fred Cheng, Oscar Leung, Kenneth Ma
Not much to comment.
“Best Variety Show or Special Programme” nominees:
Sze U Tonight
Sunday Songbird
Street Sorcerers 3
Good Cheap Eats 3
Helen TO-KYO!
The Million Dollar Minute
Four Amigos Bon Voyage
Miss Hong Kong 2015
DoDo Goes Shopping
網絡挑機
48th TVB Anniversary Gala
Not much to comment.
“Best Informative Programme” nominees:
Sidewalk Scientist
Am I Healthy?
Big Big World
World’s Great Parties
Not Far But Away
Not much to comment.
“Best Drama Serial” nominees:
Come Home Love
Lady Sour
Officer Geomancer
Noblesse Oblige
Madam Cutie On Duty
Raising the Bar
My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover
Young Charioteers
Eye In the Sky
Romantic Repertoire
Smooth Talker
Limelight Years
Wudang Rules
Master of Destiny
Ghost of Relativity
Brick Slaves
The Fixer
Every Step You Take
Momentary Lapse of Reason
Captain of Destiny
Under the Veil
With or Without You
Lord of Shanghai
Ghost of Relativity
Thoughts: Even though it has its flaws I think it was a good funny series. A pity that there were no series that I would see as a classic or will be long remembered.
Overall thoughts of the awards ceremony:
I was cringing throughout the whole awards ceremony. Don't mistaken me, I think it has a less serious tone compared to last year, but I think it would appropriate with this tone in the award ceremony because frankly the award categories were very weak this year with me struggling to find a clear winner despite being bombarded with a long list of nominees. I'll elaborate the cringe-worthy moments later.
It was evident that there were some obvious absences in the awards ceremony. Where was Myolie Wu? Bosco Wong? Kent Tong? Louisa So? So many big stars weren't there even though there were so many people on the seats this year. I've heard that it was Bosco's birthday and his father is sick in hospital so it would be the right thing to visit his father and not attend the awards ceremony. But what about the others? Joey Meng? Kate Tsui? Bobby Au-Yeung? Are they all busy?
Kudos to Carol Cheng for picking the game up this year. Undeniably she was a bit off and absent-minded in the award ceremonies of the previous years, where last year she had a sore throat and ruining her hosting experience, and then the year before she incorrectly named 'Most Popular Male TV Character' as 'My Favourite Male TV Character' and other small moments of uncertainty. I do think she is a great host because she delivers her lines with gentleness and sincerity and knows how to move forward the ceremony and etc. That being said, where was Amigo? We had Sammy instead who I think was ok but a tad nervous and amateur. Wong Cho Lam was as usual great as a host who had good humour.
Some memorable moments include Linda Chung mistaking Louis Cheng's role for Best Actor nomination. I don't know what's with her but she seems a bit 'meh' attitude in my opinion. She simply said I don't know when asked who she'll support. Didn't they practice before making the speech? To be honest, she made a fool out of herself, whether it was intentionally or unintentionally.
I was thinking it would be awkward with Kristal Tin and Anthony Wong interacting together since Anthony Wong and Kristal's husband Chapman is not in particularly good terms. They ended up being ok talking to each other even though I would it was an intense moment when Kristal said, "Go continue your speech, what has this got to do with me?".
Oh, and the KFC moment. Great publicity for KFC don't you think? All these celebrities eating food of their brand in front of viewers. Sort of funny when they were distributed gloves.
Most Improved Female Artise award goes to Grace Chan. Would have been awkward for Anthony Wong to present the award to Grace Chan since he gave constructive criticisms of her performance from Captain of Destiny and he mentioned that he thought she would win. But does he think she should be the one winning? Grace Chan for Most Improved Female Artise is to me a not well-deserved award. Grace Chan was expressive in Captain of Destiny but she was constantly screaming and yelling and everything you would expect from a poor actress. Also, the heartbeat part was derived from the 2006 award ceremony where I remember they used it for the Best Actress award. This made it seem less serious and I am fine with it since it is a joke she won and TVB would have made a fool of themselves had they make it serious.
Second. Most Improved Male Artise award goes to Tony Hung. I like the segment where they invited the nominees' rumoured girlfriends or most compatible partner, and funny when they got Celina Ma to come over. Tony's speech was heartfelt and he got his girlfriend I think Natalie Tong to present it to him. I liked the fact that he acknowledged he still has room for improvement and will keep on trying harder.
Another thing I noticed was Carol Cheng being eager to see which series would win Most Popular Classic Drama, as she was leaning towards the slip that announced the winner. And it was The Greed of Man. I could see the disappointment in her and so was I disappointed. I recently re-watched War of the Genders and is taken back from the great chemistry between the cast and intriguing storyline even if it sometimes distastefully explores on social issues. That being said, I haven't watched The Greed of Man before but do know that it is a hit series so I respect the audience's decision.
Wai Hung for Best Supporting Actor? That took me in suprise. Was expecting Joel Chan who clearly impressed everyone in Captain of Destiny. Wai Hung is competent in small roles but he was clearly not supporting actor, which gave a surprise when he was even nominated. Same goes for Elaine Yiu who got Best Supporting Actress, when there was no strong competition this year.
Now the disaster ends when the more serious awards are presented. Kristal Tin for Most Favourite Female TV Character was truly deserving for a great actress who excelled in a great role. Ruco deserved his Favourite Male TV Character even though he was visibly upset and disappointed knowing that his chance for Best Actor was pretty much gone. Anthony Wong for Best Actor was well-deserved since Anthony Wong is a fantastic actor and while I have doubts if Nancy Wu truly deserves the award, she at least did good in that role as a Gin. Oh, while Anthony Wong is a great actor, he's definitely not an eloquent speaker, who was speaking rubbish and being a bottleneck during the segment for Most Improved Female Artiste.
The cringe-worthy aspects of the award ceremony was not the hosting, the banters nor the presenters, but the award recipients. TVB ceremony no longer holds credibility like previous years and the fact that there is no strong competition is becoming evident. I wasn't surprised that they tried to make it a hall of fame ceremony with previous winners to present the award and having a classic drama series. Still couldn't hide the fact that TVB had a unremarkable year in terms of television broadcasting.
As for the fashion, I don't care.
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Friday, 27 November 2015
My Hall of Fame of TVB's Best Drama Productions [To be constantly updated]
I have probably watched TVB for 19 years by now, and within all these years there were many classics and favourites. This post is dedicated to highlight my favourite TVB series of all time (to be updated and elaborated each time I watch an outstanding drama that I decide to add it to this list).
War of the Genders (2000)
Reasons: I have only started to re-watch this series and it is no doubt a classic. Carol Cheng potentially gave a perfect performance of Francis Mo who is bossy, demanding and you can think of her as shallow yet has a heart and cares for those close to her. Dayo Wong was a star in this series with great comedic timing. This series is also fabulous due to its role to act as a social commentary on the issues back then, such as AIDS, sexism, gender equality, concern for animals and many more. It explores those issues, sometimes rather distastefully and politically incorrect, but nevertheless makes me laugh. To me this is a golden production of comedy.
Rosy Business (2009)
Reasons: This series was stellar because it had golden lines such as 'How many ten years do we have in our lives? Let's live life to the fullest!" which of course was by Chai Gau. Sheren Tang gave an expressive performance where she deserved her Best Actress Award.
Journey to the West
TO BE UPDATED and CONTINUED
War of the Genders (2000)
Reasons: I have only started to re-watch this series and it is no doubt a classic. Carol Cheng potentially gave a perfect performance of Francis Mo who is bossy, demanding and you can think of her as shallow yet has a heart and cares for those close to her. Dayo Wong was a star in this series with great comedic timing. This series is also fabulous due to its role to act as a social commentary on the issues back then, such as AIDS, sexism, gender equality, concern for animals and many more. It explores those issues, sometimes rather distastefully and politically incorrect, but nevertheless makes me laugh. To me this is a golden production of comedy.
Rosy Business (2009)
Reasons: This series was stellar because it had golden lines such as 'How many ten years do we have in our lives? Let's live life to the fullest!" which of course was by Chai Gau. Sheren Tang gave an expressive performance where she deserved her Best Actress Award.
Journey to the West
TO BE UPDATED and CONTINUED
TVB 2016 Sales Presentation Thoughts
Had a look at TVB's 2016 Sales Presentation, which of course is the preview of upcoming series projected to be broadcast next year, and my overall thoughts is that year will not be a TVB's shining year, at least not with the bunch of series being shown. I will accumulate my thoughts on each incoming tvb drama.
Anticipation Level: High
Anticipation Level: Medium
Anticipation Level: High
Anticipation Level: Low
Anticipation Level: Low
Anticipation Level: Medium
Anticipation Level: Medium
Anticipation Level: Medium.
| Triad Boss Under the Line of Fire 火線下的江湖大佬 | Leung Choi-yuen (producer); Ng Lap-kwong (writer); Kent Cheng,Kingdom Yuen, Tommy Wong, Alice Chan, Eliza Sam, Joel Chan, Li Shing-cheong, Amy Fan |
| Comedy |
Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: Probably will give this a miss. I long for Kent Cheng and Kingdom Yuen's comeback but the story seems a bit silly to say the least. Who knows it might be very funny.
| House of Spirits 一屋老友記 | Dave Fong (producer); Bobby Au-Yeung, Nancy Wu, Law Lan, Wu Fung, Lau Kong, Joyce Tang, Jonathan Cheung, Bob Cheung, Koni Lui |
| Comedy, Supernatural |
Anticipation Level: Very High
Thoughts: One of my most anticipated series for next year is House of Spirits. The preview at first was very engaging - the three veteran actors anticipating their young ones to come back visit for a Halloween Party and they get scared by their appearance with Bobby, Nancy and etc. But the end came with a revelation that the veteran actors were in fact already dead and were ghosts. The rhyming during the trailer was very catchy and memorable and it is refreshing to see Bobby and Nancy to work together (don't seem to remember the last time they collaborated). That being said, the cast, story and theme seems highly appeals to me.
| The Last Healer In Forbidden City 末代御醫 | Nelson Cheung (producer); Wong Kwok-fai (writer); Roger Kwok, Tavia Yeung, Ngo Ka-nin, JJ Jia, Jazz Lam, Law Lan,Jonathan Cheung, Rebecca Zhu |
| Historical period medical drama |
Thoughts: Am keen to watch this series purely for Roger Kwok, Tavia Yeung and my fascination for the mystery of Guangxu's death. The preview itself seemed promising but looks like Tavia has a poor character and typecasted as someone who has pre-judgement and is aggressive and annoying. Don't know how this series will last 25 episodes long but I do think it will be a decent series.
| Fashion War 潮流教主 | Dave Fong (producer); Wong Wai-keung (writer); Moses Chan, Sisley Choi, Him Law, Leanne Li, Ali Lee, Vivien Yeo,Hanjin Tan, Joel Chan |
| Comedy, Drama |
Thoughts: Don't know how I feel about this series. Couldn't care less about fashion but I don't mind some cat-fighting. What appeals to me is the rather large flow of female cast such as Leanne Li, Venice, Jacequline and Vivien Yeo all in one drama, yet I am unsure how Sisley Choi is going to perform. Just by looking at the preview itself, Him Law seems to be nicely cast and promising and Moses looked a bit out of place. What if Dayo Wong replaced Moses Chan in this series?
| You Who Came from the Kitty Star 來自喵喵星的妳 | Kristal Tin, Nancy Wu, Moses Chan, Vivien Yeo |
| Comedy, Sci-fi |
Thoughts: I truly enjoyed Ghosts of Relativity and for sure I think this spin-off series won't fail to disappoint either. That being said, the preview hardly showed anything and used clips from Ghosts of Relativity and then making Kristal Tin have a cat face. What a way to ruin an opportunity to promote what the story will be about. One reason is maybe they planned nothing about the story yet. I am giving this series a go because of the great compatible co-leaders of Nancy and Kristal.
| Legal Strongman 律政強人 | Marco Law (producer); Alex Fong Chung-sun, Liu Kai-chi, Raymond Cho,Mandy Wong, Ali Lee, Kelly Cheung |
| Legal drama |
Thoughts: The previews tries to promote this series as something potentially extraordinary and that it will be phenomenal. When I watched the preview it did look like a HKTV production and in my opinion was nicely filmed with a movie feel. That being said, I am not a fan of Macro Law's productions and none of the cast appeal to me. The theme about 'justice' and how it can either be corrupted/ persevered sounds repetitive from previous series and does not interest me. Will probably give this a miss.
| Peculiar Taste 味想天開 | Chong Wai-kin (producer); Wong Bing-yee (writer); Tony Hung,Sisley Choi, Hugo Wong, Rebecca Zhu, Stephanie Ho, Maria Cordero |
| Historical period comedy |
Thoughts: Everything about this series from the preview was peculiar, just like the title. The cast looked off and out of place, the story about food doesn't seem to interest me. Sorry but Tony Hung is a competent actor but he has a long way to go before being a lead. Will probably give this series a miss.
| K9 Cop 警犬巴打 | Wong Wai-sing (producer); Chan Kam-ling (writer); Bosco Wong, Linda Chung, Raymond Wong Ho-yin, Tracy Chu,Oscar Leung, Angel Chiang |
| Comedy, Drama |
Thoughts: It looks ok. Bosco Wong, Raymond Wong, Linda Chung all look convincing from what I can see. It seems to be a light-hearted series that is worth a look. Will see how it goes.
| Presumed Accidents 純熟意外 | Andy Tan (producer); Lam Lai-mei (writer); Lawrence Ng,Sisley Choi, Selena Li, Lai Lok-yi, Chow Chung, Joyce Tang |
| Detective, Thriller |
Thoughts: Story at first looks exciting and promising. Are accidents always coincidence or is there a way for us to control these accidents from happening? It is the cast that doesn't appeal to me, but if the characters are nicely written and the actors such as Sisley will make a breakthrough performance, then why give this series a go?
Other series not featured on the Sales Presentation:
| 使徒行者2 | Michael Miu, Charmaine Sheh, Benz Hui, Elena Kong, Sharon Chan |
| Crime, Thriller |
Thoughts: Line Walker itself was a decent series but had so many plot-holes.
TO BE CONTINUED>
Friday, 20 November 2015
A look at 2015 TVB's Anniversary Awards confirmed nomination list so far...
From TVB's 48th anniversary gala show, they released a list of the nominations for the Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role.
9. Moses Chan — Ghost of Relativity - Managed to watch the whole series and I think Moses should have been nominated for his other roles this year instead, because he wasn't the focus at the series nor did the script allow him to give any breakthrough performance. In essence, he didn't have much to do.
11. Chin Ka-lok — The Fixer - Watched parts of this series and as usual for Chin Ka-Lok acting isn't something second-nature to him.
12. Louis Cheung — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Watched some parts of this series and Louis Cheng scored well with his role as someone kind-hearted and caring for others. Deserved this nomination.
14. Tony Hung — Captain of Destiny - On the other hand, Tony was a rookie compared to Ruco. His performance was unremarkable for such a remarkable character on paper. I think he should deserve a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Eye in the Sky instead.
15. Bosco Wong — Under the Veil - Hardly watched the series so no comment.
16. Bobby Au-yeung — With or Without You - Bobby is always a competent actor. Best Actor for this role though? Maybe not.
17. Anthony Wong — Lord of Shanghai - Anthony excelled as Kiu in Lord of Shanghai. He gave a subtle performance. Highly deserved this nomination.
18. Wayne Lai — Lord of Shanghai - His performance there was a bit OTT in my opinion but I think Wayne did well for most parts. Deserved this nomination.
19. Kent Tong — Lord of Shanghai - Kent Tong was good. I guess deserved this nomination.
20. Kenneth Ma — Lord of Shanghai - Didn't quite expect this cameo performance to get a nomination for Best Actor but I think Kenneth serves the young version quite well, in particular the dubbing enhanced his performance. Deserved this nomination.
2. Elaine Yiu — Raising the Bar - What a joke, Elaine for Best Actress for this role?
3. Grace Chan — Raising the Bar - I was afraid she would be nominated for Captain by Destiny but nice step by TVB for to nominate her in Raising the Bar instead. I think Grace did very well in this role as Giselle who gave a sense of integrity even though she became annoying and was blinded by her own prejudice. Deserved this nomination.
4. Nancy Sit — My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover - Didn't watch her performance.
5. Sisley Choi — Young Charioteers - Didn't watch her performance.
6. Kate Tsui — Smooth Talker - Kate did well. Deserved this nomination.
7. Elena Kong — Smooth Talker - Elena did well too. Deserved this nomination.
8. Liza Wang — Limelight Years - Liza did well three. Deserved this nomination.
9. Linda Chung — Limelight Years - Linda was too shaky in my opinion.
10. Kristal Tin — Ghost of Relativity - Yes! Kristal for the win. She was spectacular as May and I never knew she could be that funny at times. Highly deserved this nomination.
11. Nancy Wu — Ghost of Relativity - Yes for Nancy as well. I pitied her character. Deserved this nomination.
13. Mandy Wong — The Fixer - Same goes for Mandy.
14. Myolie Wu — Every Step You Take - Something about Myolie, maybe the walk she speaks unstably or her same expressions or set number of emotions she can give, that never makes my convinced of her characters. Sorry a no for this one.
15. Tavia Yeung — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Tavia was fine. Deserved this nomination.
16. Rosina Lam — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Should be for supporting instead.
17. Eliza Sam — Under the Veil - Should be for supporting instead.
18. Joey Meng — With or Without You - She did well. Deserved the nomination.
19. Louisa So — Lord of Shanghai - Deserved it. 20. Alice Chan — Lord of Shanghai - Deserved it!
“Best Actor” nominees:1. Mak Cheung-ching — Come Home Love - I watched Evergreen Mak's performance in Come Home Love and he was serviceable, nothing outstanding but decent enough for me to watch.
2. Johnson Lee — Officer Geomancer - Didn't watch his performance.
3. Edwin Siu — Madam Cutie On Duty - Didn't watch his performance.
4. Ben Wong — Raising the Bar - Watched Ben's performance and he was convincing as a lawyer but again nothing spectacular.
5. Him Law — Young Charioteers - Watched an first episode of this series and he was good from what I saw but don't know about the nomination.
6. Kevin Cheng — Eye In the Sky - Ok finally someone I think deserves this nomination with Kevin's rather impressive performance as Szetou Sir. He flattered a bit towards the end but for the most part I think he improved heaps.
7. Joe Ma — Smooth Talker - Watched parts of this series and Joe was ok.
8. Damian Lau — Limelight Years - Watched less than an episode and Damian was ok.
9. Moses Chan — Ghost of Relativity - Managed to watch the whole series and I think Moses should have been nominated for his other roles this year instead, because he wasn't the focus at the series nor did the script allow him to give any breakthrough performance. In essence, he didn't have much to do.
10. Vincent Wong — Brick Slaves - Watched parts of the series and from what I saw Vincent Wong is indeed a very good actor and a very versatile one. Deserved this nomination I say.
11. Chin Ka-lok — The Fixer - Watched parts of this series and as usual for Chin Ka-Lok acting isn't something second-nature to him.
12. Louis Cheung — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Watched some parts of this series and Louis Cheng scored well with his role as someone kind-hearted and caring for others. Deserved this nomination.
13. Ruco Chan — Captain of Destiny - What more can I say? Ruco gave a masterful performance as the 11th prince in Captain of Destiny. There were many great moments in the series by him and he definitely deserved this nomination.
14. Tony Hung — Captain of Destiny - On the other hand, Tony was a rookie compared to Ruco. His performance was unremarkable for such a remarkable character on paper. I think he should deserve a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Eye in the Sky instead.
15. Bosco Wong — Under the Veil - Hardly watched the series so no comment.
16. Bobby Au-yeung — With or Without You - Bobby is always a competent actor. Best Actor for this role though? Maybe not.
17. Anthony Wong — Lord of Shanghai - Anthony excelled as Kiu in Lord of Shanghai. He gave a subtle performance. Highly deserved this nomination.
18. Wayne Lai — Lord of Shanghai - His performance there was a bit OTT in my opinion but I think Wayne did well for most parts. Deserved this nomination.
19. Kent Tong — Lord of Shanghai - Kent Tong was good. I guess deserved this nomination.
20. Kenneth Ma — Lord of Shanghai - Didn't quite expect this cameo performance to get a nomination for Best Actor but I think Kenneth serves the young version quite well, in particular the dubbing enhanced his performance. Deserved this nomination.
My Top Picks: Kevin Cheng, Vincent Wong, Louis Cheng, Ruco Chan, Anthony Wong, Wayne Lai, Kent Tong and Kenneth Ma.
Who Should Win: Anthony Wong.
“Best Actress” nominees:1. Priscilla Wong — Madam Cutie On Duty - Didn't watch her performance.
2. Elaine Yiu — Raising the Bar - What a joke, Elaine for Best Actress for this role?
3. Grace Chan — Raising the Bar - I was afraid she would be nominated for Captain by Destiny but nice step by TVB for to nominate her in Raising the Bar instead. I think Grace did very well in this role as Giselle who gave a sense of integrity even though she became annoying and was blinded by her own prejudice. Deserved this nomination.
4. Nancy Sit — My “Spiritual” Ex-Lover - Didn't watch her performance.
5. Sisley Choi — Young Charioteers - Didn't watch her performance.
6. Kate Tsui — Smooth Talker - Kate did well. Deserved this nomination.
7. Elena Kong — Smooth Talker - Elena did well too. Deserved this nomination.
8. Liza Wang — Limelight Years - Liza did well three. Deserved this nomination.
9. Linda Chung — Limelight Years - Linda was too shaky in my opinion.
10. Kristal Tin — Ghost of Relativity - Yes! Kristal for the win. She was spectacular as May and I never knew she could be that funny at times. Highly deserved this nomination.
11. Nancy Wu — Ghost of Relativity - Yes for Nancy as well. I pitied her character. Deserved this nomination.
12. Selena Li — Brick Slaves - Sorry she still has lots of room for improvement.
13. Mandy Wong — The Fixer - Same goes for Mandy.
14. Myolie Wu — Every Step You Take - Something about Myolie, maybe the walk she speaks unstably or her same expressions or set number of emotions she can give, that never makes my convinced of her characters. Sorry a no for this one.
15. Tavia Yeung — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Tavia was fine. Deserved this nomination.
16. Rosina Lam — Momentary Lapse of Reason - Should be for supporting instead.
17. Eliza Sam — Under the Veil - Should be for supporting instead.
18. Joey Meng — With or Without You - She did well. Deserved the nomination.
19. Louisa So — Lord of Shanghai - Deserved it. 20. Alice Chan — Lord of Shanghai - Deserved it!
My Top Picks: Grace Chan, Kate Tsui, Elena Kong, Liza Wang, Kristal Tin, Nancy Wu, Tavia Yeung, Louisa So and Alice Chan.
Who Should Win: Kristal Tin
Thursday, 15 October 2015
TVB's Captain of Destiny - Thoughts so far
I am currently up to episode 22 at watch TVB's Captain of Destiny and I am truly impressed. I have quite a long list on some scenes that should become a classic. How should I start?
Firstly, if you have read my review for Ghosts of Relativity you would of known I was dreading to see the horrible CGI from Captain of Destiny, but this time the CGI was very decent. Yes if this was in Hollywood it would still probably have been laughed at but for TVB's standard it is excellent. You could tell that a lot of effort was made to make it look realistic and I admire the fact that they made a lot of scenes that used CGI, unlike Three Kingdoms RPG that tried to avoid it most of the time.
Another wow factor of this series is Ruco Chan. He never fails as an actor but I think it is this role as the 11th prince that will be his defining role. In this series he was quite temperamental, stubborn and overeager but he is at the same time nice-hearted, filial and quite caring.
The highlight of this series thus far was in episode 18, where Ruco destroyed Tony's pirate gang. It was action-packed to say the least.
Hurts to say, but Grace Chan was unremarkable. Most of the time she went over the top whether it was body movements, expressions or tone, it was as if she pressed the button too hard than she should have. I do point the finger at the producer for not going 'cut! stop acting OTT' and etc but really it was her responsibility to execute this role.
One major thing to note, the plot is very messy. Some episodes will focus on the pirates' side, one about palace drama or the 11th Prince's time in the naval base camp. The producers juggled the different aspects at the time that made it quite inconsistent. However, I won't be complaining. This is because for each aspect such as the pirates side was enjoyable to watch, so as the palace drama side and etc. Seems like they want this to be a fusion series and I am not too bothered by it even though I can understand by others will be.
Grace Chan, some messy plot and inconsistency may drag this series down but it cannot deny some great moments that I was truly impressed with.
Firstly, if you have read my review for Ghosts of Relativity you would of known I was dreading to see the horrible CGI from Captain of Destiny, but this time the CGI was very decent. Yes if this was in Hollywood it would still probably have been laughed at but for TVB's standard it is excellent. You could tell that a lot of effort was made to make it look realistic and I admire the fact that they made a lot of scenes that used CGI, unlike Three Kingdoms RPG that tried to avoid it most of the time.
Another wow factor of this series is Ruco Chan. He never fails as an actor but I think it is this role as the 11th prince that will be his defining role. In this series he was quite temperamental, stubborn and overeager but he is at the same time nice-hearted, filial and quite caring.
The highlight of this series thus far was in episode 18, where Ruco destroyed Tony's pirate gang. It was action-packed to say the least.
Hurts to say, but Grace Chan was unremarkable. Most of the time she went over the top whether it was body movements, expressions or tone, it was as if she pressed the button too hard than she should have. I do point the finger at the producer for not going 'cut! stop acting OTT' and etc but really it was her responsibility to execute this role.
One major thing to note, the plot is very messy. Some episodes will focus on the pirates' side, one about palace drama or the 11th Prince's time in the naval base camp. The producers juggled the different aspects at the time that made it quite inconsistent. However, I won't be complaining. This is because for each aspect such as the pirates side was enjoyable to watch, so as the palace drama side and etc. Seems like they want this to be a fusion series and I am not too bothered by it even though I can understand by others will be.
Grace Chan, some messy plot and inconsistency may drag this series down but it cannot deny some great moments that I was truly impressed with.
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