Reality's TV stars

Zhao Kaixuan, a young nurse from Quzhou in Zhejiang province, was among the first batch of medical teams from her area dispatched to Wuhan, Hunan province, which is hit hardest by the COVID-19 epidemic.

A video clip that records her spending more than an hour comforting a bad-tempered patient with serious novel coronavirus symptoms has since become popular online.

On the night of Feb 13, the patient－who was suffering from fear and a sense of desperation－pulled out his endotracheal tube as well as removing all other medical attachments, and refused treatment, demanding he be allowed to go back home. Bowing toward him, holding his hands and speaking softly, Zhao managed to calm the patient and resume treatment.

"Most internet users say that I was heard speaking gently and softly. Actually, I had to shout to make my voice heard through the protective suit, which caused a bit of ringing in my ears," recalls Zhao in the ongoing program Zhanyi Gushi (Chronicles of Battling the Virus).

A livestreamed TV show, produced by China Movie Channel, or CCTV-6, Zhanyi Gushi aired its first episode on Feb 22, and will run for 10 episodes, with the finale being streamed at the end of March.

So far, the program has been watched over 138 million times online, and seen its related topics receive more than 650 million "clicks".

A die-hard fan of actor Eddie Peng, Zhao once asked a colleague to write the characters "wife of Eddie Peng" onto her protective suit, a joke to express her fondness for the unmarried A-list actor and to lift her spirits while working long, exhausting shifts.

Usually, doctors and nurses in isolated wards write their names on the suits to identify one another, as their faces are unrecognizable through their goggles and masks.

On the show, Zhao got a big surprise when she received a video call from Peng, one of the top box-office draws in China.

Known for action blockbusters such as Operation Mekong, Peng has played many tough characters on the big screen. But the actor says Zhao－who faces the risk of contracting a highly infectious disease to take care of patients－has given him real strength.

"You are so brave, optimistic and lovely. Our world needs people like you who work very hard but ask for no reward. Please take care of yourself and protect yourself… I expect you to return home safely," Peng told her on the call.

Peng also promised her a hug and movie tickets after the battle against the epidemic is concluded.

As well as Peng, more than 20 celebrities, including Hong Kong comedy legend Stephen Chow and kung fu icon Jackie Chan, have joined the show to cheer for people who are battling the epidemic on the front lines.

All of them－who are normal, everyday people but doing great things－are from different walks of life, ranging from elite doctors to selfless volunteers and optimistic patients.

For instance, Lou Weichen, a 25-year-old from Anji town in Zhejiang, drove over 700 kilometers to donate more than 4,000 face masks to locals in Wuhan. He has since stayed in the Hubei capital to serve as a volunteer.

When he was contacted by the show's producers, the young man was shopping in a local supermarket to purchase food for some elderly residents undergoing self-isolation at home. For the elderly people who live in poverty, Lou says he has spent over 30,000 yuan ($43,135) to buy food for them at his own expense.

Wu Shangzhe, a patient who goes by her pen name A Nian, is another impressive youngster contacted by the show's producers. To take better care of her grandmother, Wu, 26, applied to be transferred from a makeshift hospital－which treats patients with minor coronavirus symptoms－to the high-risk Huoshenshan Hospital, which specializes in treating seriously ill patients infected with COVID-19.

Through the help of the show's crew, Wu, also a scriptwriter, received greetings from literary master Wang Meng, director Chen Sicheng, and A-list actor Jing Boran.

Wang Pingjiu, deputy chief editor of China Movie Channel, says the show has adopted 5G technology to make the video calls clearer.

"We produced some TV programs about Spring Festival blockbusters in January. Since the novel coronavirus outbreak has caused screenings to be canceled and shut down cinemas, we had to quickly figure out new program ideas," explains Wang.

Noting that he believes the film industry should play its part, Wang says he hopes the show will display Chinese people's morale and unity in the fight against the epidemic.