Refreshing memories

She has a good time talking and playing with a child who dines in the restaurant. However, when the child comes to the restaurant again the next day and says hello to her, she feels in the dark.

"I saw how well they danced together the day before," Huang says, becoming emotional. "But I could tell from her eyes that she didn't remember the child at all."

Unlike other reality shows, no scripts are prepared for the program. And for director Wang Tong, this makes Forget Me Not Cafe one of the most difficult shows she has ever worked on. Her team has to edit down hours of footage to create a "natural flow" of events.

"We are only recorders and observers," she explains. "It's like making a documentary. The program should truly reflect these people's struggle to live good lives and fight against disease, and not to put on a 'show'."

Huang reveals that he once gave one of the five guests the title of "excellent employee".

"I didn't expect my encouragement to offend the other four participants," the actor says. "They grew quite angry and, for a moment, I didn't quite know how to handle the situation."

According to Li Yang, a producer with Tencent, the show aims to show more moments like these to help young people better understand the behavior of patients and relate to their lives.

"We've made so many reality shows, but we have to confess that seniors are a largely neglected sector in previous programs," she says.

"After all, every one of us will become old one day.

"For young people, they probably have elderly relatives in their families who have Alzheimer's," the producer continues. "But do they really know the disease well? Through this show, people can also learn how to face up to it positively."

Many entertainment idols from the younger generation have joined Huang's team on the show, including Song Zu'er and Zhang Yuankun, both 21 years old.