Deng TV series lifts the lid on key years

A host of political twists following the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) are revealed in a TV series commemorating the life of late top leader Deng Xiaoping.

The 48-episode series, which translates roughly as Deng Xiaoping During a Historic Turning Point, began on China Central Television's channel 1 on Friday at 8 pm. Two 45-minute episodes are being shown each night from Monday to Friday.

Marking the 110th anniversary of Deng's birth, which falls on Aug 22, the drama tells the story of the former leader and those surrounding him from 1976 to 1984, an important period that defined today's China.