Cybercrime drama attracts viewers

As the country's first such TV drama reflecting China's crackdown against cybercrime, Prosecution Elite has made a splash online, garnering 2.6 billion views of its associated topics on Sina Weibo and 1 billion clicks of its related videos on Douyin, according to the producers during a recent seminar held in Beijing.

Spanning 40 episodes, the drama showcases the talents of ethnic Uyghur actress Dilraba Dilmurat in the role of a young prosecutor and veteran actor Tong Dawei as an experienced police officer. Together, the two protagonists collaborate to combat a range of cybercrimes, from fraud to gambling and online violence, relentlessly pursuing the criminals who hide behind their computers and ensure they are brought to justice in court.

Majorly adapted from the true cases, the drama — which concluded the first run on Zhejiang Television and Beijing Satellite TV in late June — was selected as one of the most highlighted movie and TV programs by the Supreme People's Procuratorate last year.

Zhang Jianwei, a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Law, said that China, as a populous country, has seen the emergence of new types of internet-based crimes amid its rapid economic and social development. "In this context, the TV drama has played a significant role in documenting the advancements in the nation's rule of law process," he added.