介绍:
Xiaohua: Before we are go into the topic, let’s first have a listen to this. Ok, so probably all of our listeners, at least Chinese listeners, are familiar with this piece of music. It’s the theme for the 1986 TV drama Journey to the West.
John: It certainly sounds very old.
Xiaohua: It sounds very old, even for the Chinese standards. Recently, actor Zhang Jinlai, or better known by his stage name Liu Xiao Ling Tong, is leading a campaign to earn this TV drama a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most broadcast and highest rated TV show.
86版的《西游记》被重播过3000多次，六小龄童将为其申报吉尼斯世界纪录中世界上重播率和收视率最高的电视剧两个纪录。
What do you think of that?
Liu Yan: Well, I think it’s understandable that he wants to have these two particular World Record, because they sound quite fancy. Because earlier there are other people who said that he was trying to apply for categories like the Monkey King blinking for the most times within 30 seconds. I think that kind of thing is just pure publicity stunt.
John: I think it makes sense. Certainly the most broadcast, I don’t think it’s gonna be all that difficult for them to win that one. I think the highest rated TV show is going to be quite difficult, because in 1986 when it was first released was there a credible rating system in place. And how do you judge ratings over such a long time span? I mean we’re looking at almost 30 years’ time span for when it was released up to now.
Xiaohua: Exactly. Also what do you compare it with? Because in 1986, I don’t suppose people have anything else to watch apart from this, so it’s probably like 99% viewership.
John: But it’s also interesting because there is a China-based, Shanghai Great World Records and this version of Journey to the West already holds the "largest Journey to the West art collection" and "longest production time for a single TV series." However, the last one I’m not so sure if that is something to be proud of.
Liu Yan: Yeah, I have to say I agree with John here. I think the most broadcast TV show; sure it has been rebroadcasted more than 3,000 times, so that’s an easy one. But the highest rated or best rated TV show, that’s highly doubtful. Because even, we just look at that era in the 1980s, we still had other choices like 霍元甲or 射雕英雄传, things like that. Back then they were hugely popular as well, because in Chinese we always use the word 万人空巷.
Xiaohua: Every time something happens it’s 万人空巷.
John: But also I mean this is a world record. What about shows like Friends, which is popular around the world?
Xiaohua: Now that you just mention Friends. I was thinking whether it’s a good comparison to say that this is the Chinese Friends. But then I quickly realized that they were not the same.
John: It’s totally different. I mean for China, the Journey to the West, it’s the longest production time for a single TV series. It took four years, so it actually makes it. So I think for China, it was a landmark, NO.1 in the technology that was used, but also the scope of the story was much, much different from anything that came before it. So certainly, whether it gets any recognition in terms of World Records, for China, it just has such a strong place.
Xiaohua: Yes, you are right. It’s sort of the pride of Chinese culture, the book and also the TV series. But do you think we should actually cheer at the fact that it has been played, rerun for more than 3,000 times?
Liu Yan: Well, I don’t think we should cheer, because it obviously shows that there aren’t other better alternatives out there, so when it comes to the summer vacation or the winter vacation, they always just automatically go to this particular choice.
John: Yeah, I think there is a dearth of recognizable stories in China. I think that as the creative industries open up a little bit more, I think that really what we got to see is that it’s going to change eventually. But I think it’s also difficult because you look at some of the common stories that we see coming out of the US and Hollywood right now, I mean some people in the US would claim that there is no originality there either. I mean how many Spider Man movies are we going to have? How many TV shows were there of Spider Man before that, cartoons and all sorts of things. So in that sense China is not necessarily along in terms of a lack of originality. It’s just that China’s stories are older.
Xiaohua: I guess. But I just want to maybe probably ask Liu Yan’s opinion here better because you have watched that for a lot of times.
Liu Yan: Yean, double digits at least.
Xiaohua: Wow, but my question is do you think that there are no other adaptations or remakes like it ever since?
Liu Yan: No. I think this is the best one.
Xiaohua: Definitive. Not even Stephen Chow’s.
Liu Yan: No.
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