Small screen, big ideas

Where Are We Going, Dad? featuring Taiwan pop star Jimmy Lin and his 4-year-old son Kimi wins unexpected success. Photo provided to China Daily

Film poster for 'Where are we going, Dad' released

'Voice of China' musical comedy

Chinese television production is crying out for more original content, but industry forces discourage innovation. Han Bingbin finds out what's on the box.

A noticeable achievement of China's TV industry in recent years is the production of several reality programs that have left their mark on entertainment history. The Voice of China, I Am A Singer and Where Are We Going, Dad? have enjoyed huge ratings, commercial profits and made a significant social impact. But the fact that none of these shows are original creations is a sticking point that irks industry insiders. Among dozens of imported program formats, Voice is originally a Dutch show, and Singer and Dad both are South Korean. A series of policies have been issued by authorities to encourage diversity and originality on TV. One of the latest policies allows only one new show based on a foreign format to be aired on each satellite channel every year. TV stations constantly declare their determination for original content, only to find their so-called fresh ideas criticized for being derivatives of foreign programs.

Are Chinese not able to think creatively?

Having worked with China's leading broadcasters, such as Hunan and Jiangsu TV since 2007, Imaginement China specializes in training Chinese TV producers in program creativity. Their lecturers include veteran producers from the United Kingdom, which boasts the world's most innovative television industry.

Chinese TV producers are incredibly clever, quick to learn and full of ideas, says Kim Gordon, founder of Imaginement China. Gordon previously worked as a producer at the BBC and as a senior lecturer with the University of Westminster.

But conservative senior management is less willing to risk new ideas. Gordon says management is usually attracted to ideas from overseas, which have already been tried and tested in other markets, and have a better chance of success.

In an extremely competitive market where more than 40 satellite broadcasters compete for the same audiences and advertisers, a misstep may lead to an immediate drop in ratings and income.

For TV station managers, income always comes first because it's directly related to their own career prospects, says Peng Kan with Legend Media, which introduces foreign formats and offers consulting services on TV development strategies.