1991: The Era of Hong Kong Dramas

Lau Ching-wan was reading the script, completely absorbed in it.

Sitting next to him, Huo Sheng gradually felt relieved—he was worried that Liu Qingyun wouldn't see the value in the script, but he was also afraid that Liu Qingyun wouldn't be interested in it.

This is something we must be wary of; an actor's ability to act and their ability to choose scripts are two different things.

The casting process at TVB differs significantly from other regions. In most other regions, production and broadcasting are separate processes, with the production company first sending a story outline to the talent agency and then inviting them to auditions.

This is a two-way selection process between actors and production companies.

But TVB is completely different. TVB uses its own actors, who are produced and sold by the station itself and are all under contract. As long as the producer sets the direction, they can select suitable actors from the cast list and start filming after a simple audition.

In other words, Lau Ching-wan never had the opportunity to choose scripts; he usually just filmed whatever TVB gave him.

This is very risky.

If Lau Ching-wan is just an empty-headed actor who can't see the value in this TV series script, Huo Sheng will have to spend another month or two searching for someone else who can get him a job at TVB.

However, the worst outcome did not occur.

Lau Ching-wan was completely immersed in the story, reading it very carefully, and it took him half an hour to look up.

"This story is very..."

He read it through carefully. Leaving aside the rich story, the realistic subject matter, and the high level of professionalism, the script was also remarkably well-developed, especially in its character portrayals, which were familiar to him. It was clearly a very good script; he couldn't find any fault with it and praised it:

"To be honest, this is the best script I've ever seen in my eight-year acting career."

Huo Sheng smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment."

"It's not just being polite."

Lau Ching-wan shook his head and said, "I even want to kick Ting Hai a couple of times."

"But you can't beat him."

"yes."

Lau Ching-wan nodded, then picked up the glass of whiskey that had long been diluted with ice, took a sip, and his gaze fell on the script.

"You want me to help you get this into the station's production department?"

"right."

Huo Sheng nodded.

Lau Ching-wan didn't answer immediately, and after a long while he finally spoke: "I've been working at TVB for eight years, so I can still manage to pass something in."

Such statements are usually followed by a "but," Huo Sheng thought to himself.

Sure enough, after waiting for a while, Lau Ching-wan looked up at him, somewhat conflicted, "But... even if I submit it, they might not have the time to film it if they see it was written by a newcomer."

Hong Kong's television industry has been deeply influenced by Japanese dramas, but in terms of scheduling, it does not strictly divide the seasons. Instead, it divides the programming into several important time slots and regular rotations based on time nodes.

For example, family-friendly TV dramas are often scheduled for the Spring Festival period in January and February;

Meanwhile, youth-oriented dramas with a youthful and energetic feel dominate the summer season in July and August;

Finally, there's the most important month, November, when big-budget, all-star cast dramas with high viewership expectations gather, known as the anniversary month.

Depending on the time period, the content of the series filmed also varies.

The script provided by Huo Sheng spans a long period of time, depicts the heavy fates of the characters, and at its core, explores the desires and consequences of a turbulent era...

It's not suitable for the Lunar New Year, and it's unlikely to attract young people who just want to watch lighthearted romance movies during the summer.

As for regular rotating broadcasts, there's no need to consider them; those are reserved for outdated sitcoms with over a hundred episodes.

Thinking about it that way, it's such a pity.

It's clear that Huo Sheng is a very promising talent.

Although Lau Ching-wan was not optimistic that the script could be made into a film, he still admired the talent and prepared to recommend him to TVB as a script assistant.

Helping him today doesn't take much effort, but maybe in ten or twenty years, it will become a valuable connection, which feels like a good deal.

But before he could even think of how to phrase his words of persuasion, Huo Sheng spoke up, "I know that the current regular time slot is not suitable for airing this drama."

Seeing that he understood, Liu Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say a few words of encouragement when Huo Sheng said, "So, I want to put it in the anniversary month."

Liu Qingyun was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard.

"What?"

"Taiwan Anniversary Month".

Huo Sheng repeated himself, his tone calm, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Liu Qingyun looked at him, unsure whether the young man was genuinely ignorant or pretending.

What is the anniversary month? It's a venue where only the most top-tier dramas in Taiwan can be shown. It's a project personally overseen by Mr. Shaw, used to suppress ATV, grab ratings, and save face.

He's a waiter, writing his first script, and he immediately wants it featured on the anniversary celebration?

Liu Qingyun found it both amusing and exasperating. He sighed, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Ah Sheng, do you think the TV station's food stalls are like grocery stores, where it's first come, first served?"

Huo Sheng smiled and said, "How will you know if you don't try? TVB's 25th anniversary celebration next year still hasn't been finalized, has it?"

"..."

Liu Qingyun was stunned for a moment, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Of course he knew about the Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration.

The entire station was watching closely; the producers had been vying for this slot for countless rounds of open and covert battles.

"You..." Liu Qingyun paused, his body unconsciously leaning forward slightly, "You're planning to do this next year?"

"Has it been decided what to film?" Huo Sheng asked.

No, not at all.

Lau Ching-wan shook his head and said slowly, "I've only heard rumors that they're going to film a period drama about palace intrigue, but the actual production hasn't been finalized yet. The producers all have their own ideas."

Some wanted to write about family feuds, some wanted to write about urban romance, and some wanted to try their hand at science fiction…

"There are so many topics to choose from, but we haven't decided yet..." Huo Sheng paused, then chuckled, "Liu Sheng, do you know why?"

Liu Qingyun was taken aback: "Why?"

"Because Mr. Shao was not satisfied."

Huo Sheng said with certainty, "Historical palace intrigue, family feuds, urban romance—these happen every year, they're nothing new."

For the Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration, Mr. Shao naturally wants something that will resonate with Hong Kong people. With the stock market crashing this year and people jumping off buildings every day, what kind of theme do you think will best touch people's hearts?

Huo Sheng had studied Run Run Shaw in depth in a university course called "Analysis of the Chinese Film and Television Industry".

Having spent his entire life making television programs, Run Run Shaw's greatest strength wasn't production, but observation—observing what the audience most wanted to see.

In the 1970s, there was a backlog of anti-establishment sentiment in society, so he made martial arts dramas; in the 1980s, the economy took off, and ordinary people looked at the mansions on the hillside with envy and jealousy, so he made dramas about the feuds of wealthy families.

It is now 1991, and what are Hong Kong people most afraid of?

It's not that we're poor, it's that we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

The stock market can send people soaring to the heavens or driving them to their deaths overnight. At times like these, what audiences want to see isn't historical dramas or palace intrigues, but a mirror reflecting their own anxieties and desires.

And "The Greed of Man" is that mirror.

Liu Qingyun was slightly taken aback after hearing this.

Two days ago, he overheard people in the production department complaining on set that Mr. Shaw had said that anniversary dramas should not repeat old themes, but should be about things that are relevant to the present and have social resonance.

He didn't take it to heart at the time.

But now, he looked down at the script that he had been holding down—

Using the rise and fall of the stock market as a stage, it fully depicts human greed, family ethics, and the changes of the times, almost perfectly meeting this demand.

It looks like...

It's as if it was tailor-made for next year's anniversary month.