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Grassroots TV show dares to take on new year monopoly
Source: Xinhua |
January 25, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
EVERY year, millions of Chinese welcome the lunar New Year in front of their television sets, seeing the same old stars and hearing the same old tunes in the China Central Television's (CCTV) New Year variety show. But this year, it might just be a little different.
Common people with a gift for the performing arts might be able to share their talent with the audience of a grassroots "shanzhai," or copycat version, of CCTV's show, which could help Chinese start the lunar year 2009 with a bit of fresh air by bringing new faces to the screen.
One of those faces will be Han Zhurong, 29, a migrant worker in Beijing and amateur singer who had always dreamed of making it to the entertainment world.
A rural dropout from junior high school, he can't read a musical note. Yet, over past decades, he's composed some 20 songs. When Han came across a newspaper article about a man who planned to stage a grassroots version of the CCTV show, he decided to give it a try.
At the audition, he met a man who patted his shoulder and said, laughingly: "Not bad, young man." He turned out to be Lao Meng, the brains behind the grassroots show, and a couple of days later, Han had a deal.
Over the past decade, audiences have heavily criticized the CCTV show, which has become less appealing and more conservative since its debut in 1983. Its strong commercial flavor and rigid format cause much eye-rolling among the Chinese public.
Competitors like Hunan Satellite TV, based in central China, have tried to stage their own New Year shows but failed because of the monopoly the state-backed CCTV has on the slot.
The prospect of something that represented a challenge to CCTV, however small or amateurish it might be, was welcome news to many viewers, especially Netizens. Numerous postings backed the idea and expressed the wish for a show that would be "true to life."
Shi Mengqi, Lao Meng (old Meng) to his friends, was also a migrant worker. He came to Beijing seven years ago from Sichuan Province in southwestern China and tried his hand at many jobs before settling on his current business: wedding photography and event planning.
He had been thinking of organizing a New Year's Eve show for years, but it was only this year that he decided to make it a reality. "It's just time," he explained. "The year 2008, though eventful, wasn't a big one for entertainment celebrities. And people need an opportunity to freely express their sentiments," added Shi.
Lao Meng had his minivan painted with a red slogan that read: "In defiance of CCTV's New Year's Eve Show, and a Happy New Year to people across the country." As he drove the vehicle through the streets and alleys of the capital, it caught the media's attention. The response was very positive. His organizing team grew to more than 30 people, many of them prepared to work without pay and more than 700 audition items were submitted from around the country.
"So much good work," Lao Meng said. It was tough to choose only 35. Lao Meng first labeled his show "shanzhai," whose meaning has expanded to cover all types of unauthorized products and methods used by amateurs.
Lao Meng eventually down played the phrase, emphasizing the grassroot's involvement in his show.
In mid-December, he announced an agreement with south China's Guizhou Satellite TV station to air the show but a week later, it backed away.
"We're continuing the effort to get it on TV," Lao Meng said. A latest report by Jinghua Times said the Macau-based MASTV was to telecast live the "shanzhai" show scheduled to start at 8pm tonight. If Lao Meng succeeds, the Goliath-like CCTV might have to start facing its own David.
Common people with a gift for the performing arts might be able to share their talent with the audience of a grassroots "shanzhai," or copycat version, of CCTV's show, which could help Chinese start the lunar year 2009 with a bit of fresh air by bringing new faces to the screen.
One of those faces will be Han Zhurong, 29, a migrant worker in Beijing and amateur singer who had always dreamed of making it to the entertainment world.
A rural dropout from junior high school, he can't read a musical note. Yet, over past decades, he's composed some 20 songs. When Han came across a newspaper article about a man who planned to stage a grassroots version of the CCTV show, he decided to give it a try.
At the audition, he met a man who patted his shoulder and said, laughingly: "Not bad, young man." He turned out to be Lao Meng, the brains behind the grassroots show, and a couple of days later, Han had a deal.
Over the past decade, audiences have heavily criticized the CCTV show, which has become less appealing and more conservative since its debut in 1983. Its strong commercial flavor and rigid format cause much eye-rolling among the Chinese public.
Competitors like Hunan Satellite TV, based in central China, have tried to stage their own New Year shows but failed because of the monopoly the state-backed CCTV has on the slot.
The prospect of something that represented a challenge to CCTV, however small or amateurish it might be, was welcome news to many viewers, especially Netizens. Numerous postings backed the idea and expressed the wish for a show that would be "true to life."
Shi Mengqi, Lao Meng (old Meng) to his friends, was also a migrant worker. He came to Beijing seven years ago from Sichuan Province in southwestern China and tried his hand at many jobs before settling on his current business: wedding photography and event planning.
He had been thinking of organizing a New Year's Eve show for years, but it was only this year that he decided to make it a reality. "It's just time," he explained. "The year 2008, though eventful, wasn't a big one for entertainment celebrities. And people need an opportunity to freely express their sentiments," added Shi.
Lao Meng had his minivan painted with a red slogan that read: "In defiance of CCTV's New Year's Eve Show, and a Happy New Year to people across the country." As he drove the vehicle through the streets and alleys of the capital, it caught the media's attention. The response was very positive. His organizing team grew to more than 30 people, many of them prepared to work without pay and more than 700 audition items were submitted from around the country.
"So much good work," Lao Meng said. It was tough to choose only 35. Lao Meng first labeled his show "shanzhai," whose meaning has expanded to cover all types of unauthorized products and methods used by amateurs.
Lao Meng eventually down played the phrase, emphasizing the grassroot's involvement in his show.
In mid-December, he announced an agreement with south China's Guizhou Satellite TV station to air the show but a week later, it backed away.
"We're continuing the effort to get it on TV," Lao Meng said. A latest report by Jinghua Times said the Macau-based MASTV was to telecast live the "shanzhai" show scheduled to start at 8pm tonight. If Lao Meng succeeds, the Goliath-like CCTV might have to start facing its own David.
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