Do you watch TVB? I do! They were not always this way, but since the late 90’s TVB dramas are silly, repetitive, and predictable, yet I cannot stop watching. The shows brings me closer to the land I left so many years ago, a land that I have not seen or experienced since 1993.
After watching all of these TVB dramas, I have figured ten necessary elements for a successful TVB drama:
1. The Career: Whether modern or old style, the show must revolve around some sort of career, the most popular being lawyers, doctors, policemen. Other careers can include insurance sales, architecture, firefighting, and shopowner. Everyone must be shown working at their work at some point. If the person has no career or not at work, they must be rich and live in a mansion.
2. The Ringtone: For modern shows, everyone on the show must have the same 7-note Sony Ericsson default ringtone for their cellphones. Ringtones that plays the theme song of the show is also acceptable.
3. The family strive: One plot line must always be some sort of problem with someones family causing strive and angst and misunderstanding for one of the main characters. Popular family problems includes dads that gamble too much, spoiled brats, evil aunt, evil uncles are also acceptable.
4. The love line: One of the main plots in the show must be about someone’s romantic relationship. The romantic relationships must develope from two people who hate each otherr, but through some convinent incident falls in love with each other. People can also be together from onset of the show. No matter how they get together, some sort of problem must arise to create angst and strive and misunderstanding in the relationship. No matter how good the relationship is, there has to be love obstacles at some point in the show.
5. The Passover: The most powerful love obstacle. The guy realizes he loves the girl and the girl is thinking about the guy. However, the guy because he is so involved in thinking and running toward the girls office fail to realize the girl just walked by him; the girl all the same glanced at a fluffy flying cloud while the guy walked by her. Thus, love opportunities are missed. Oh the pain and sadness and angst!
6. The Piggyback: Someone must give someone else a piggyback ride at some point in the show to foster good relations.
7. The unexperienced actors: Miss Hong Kong winners and wannabe singers make the best cast.
8. The flashbacks: Plot holes can be explained by sepia colored flashbacks where everyone looks the same except with slightly blacker and longer hair
9. The flashforwards: Because the show must be wrapped up in half an episode, the characters can flashforward one to five to ten years in order to make sure everyone is having a happy ending and the bad guys got what they deserved
10. The opening: The opening montage must include all the important plotlines and surprises including but not limited to who kisses, who gets together, who gets married, who gets dumped, who kills who, who has a funeral etc. etc. The more spoilers included the better.
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There you have it! All the keys to a successful TVB drama. Striking writers in need of a job, submit your scripts to TVB now!!!
