Charm of Journey to the West

The repeat telecasts of Journey to the West, a TV series produced in the 1980s based on one of China's four ancient classics, demonstrate the lack of good ideas for TV dramas, says an article in Qianjiang Evening News. Excerpts:

Journey to the West, which has been telecast on the Chinese mainland more than 3,000 times since it was produced in 1986, has reportedly applied for a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

So what is the reason behind the cross-generational popularity of Journey to the West?