Small screen, big ideas

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?