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Week Around the Ists
Well, it's all over the news. Hunan TV is going to do a Chinese version of the hit US TV show Ugly Betty. According to a report from the BBC, the lead character—the Chinese Betty—has already been chosen. A Chinese article that we read, dated March 7, says that Hunan TV wants to hold nation-wide auditions to find the ugliest girl possible. So we're not sure what the case is, but in any case, whoever is chosen will soon have their identity known to the world, because the show is supposed to start shooting in April. The plans are to stretch the show out over ten seasons, with about 40 episodes each, for a total of 400 episodes. However, unlike in the US, there aren't going to be longish breaks between seasons (and presumably, no writers' strikes either).
Hunan TV to make Chinese version of Ugly Betty
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...which is an American version of the Colombian soap opera Betty La Fea. Props to the Latinos for putting a regular person on the TV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_8hss8oR-0
(Even if they sorta blew it.)
And props to Hunan TV for casting an unknown actress to play Betty. Hunan TV has a tradition of creating new stars for TV through its PK-style shows, like they did for a couple of the current hosts of 快乐中国, for the lead in the 琼瑶's remake of her classic一帘幽梦, and the host of starlets that came out of Super Voice Girl and Happy Voice Boy.
400 episodes? Let me guess the plot line of every single one:
I'd love to meet just one person who thinks that this show is funny.
James, yeah, Ugly Betty is one of those shows ... well produced, well acted, looks like a million dollars but ultimately comes down to the same thing each time. And when it does try to throw in an issue or something different it's overbearing style sabotages the effort.
No props to Hunan TV for giving us Li Yuchun. Although I loved her/his song 'TMD Wo Ai Ni' which tried to redefine the slang TMD as 'Tianmi de' (sweetly). Yeah right. Instead you get legions of 9 years olds singing 'I f%cking love you' ... or 'f*ck me, I love you!'. Whichever way you'd like to translate it.