YUXIN ZHOU WRITES — On April 2, the Chinese TV drama series “All is Well” ended. The show was about a typical Chinese family, in which, yes, (as the title suggests) all is well. Is it? While the show features an ordinary Chinese family, in one episode Mingyu (played by…
Tag: TV
JAPAN: Netflix and Shrug
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – As of September 2, the citizens of Japan have been able to “Netflix and chill” to their heart’s content. Be that as it may, it looks as though they aren’t really into binge-watching uber popular, original series such as “House of Cards” or “Orange in the…
HONG KONG: Can Anyone Save ATV?
MIRANDA PAK WRITES – Everything must come to an end, including Hong Kong’s oldest TV station, Asia Television (ATV). ATV will have to stop broadcasting starting April 1st, 2016. Hong Kong’s Executive Council said they won’t renew ATV’s free-to-air license when it expires on November 30th of this year. ATV strove to…
NEW ZEALAND: The Rise of Convenient Entertainment
VERONICA BANEZ WRITES – Lightbox, Neon, Netflix, Quickflix, Sky TV. These are only a few of the many streaming movie and television services that are provided in New Zealand. James Croot and Blayne Slabbert, writers for the website Stuff.com, really put into perspective the wide range of differences between all…
TELEVISION REVIEW: Orgies + War = Marco Polo
ANNIE LUNDGREN WRITES – “Marco Polo” is Netflix’s newest warfare-meets-orgy saga. Despite failing with critics, the historical melodrama was greenlit for a second season in January. Since Netflix does not release ratings data, it is safe to assume that the show is doing well among viewers. Marco Polo showcases Asian…
TELEVISION: Fresh Off the Boat is a Fresh Look at the Asian-American Experience
ANNIE LUNDGREN WRITES – ABC’s newest primetime show, Fresh Off the Boat, reminds us that America’s complicated race relations can be funny, too. Set in 1995, the sitcom follows a Taiwanese-American family’s move from D.C.’s Chinatown to a white middle-class suburb in Orlando, Florida, where they learn how to fit in…
JAPAN: Finally Facing A Touchy Subject
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Social conduct dictates that people should avoid discussions of religion and politics, but should the media abide by these social laws too? This year will mark the 19th anniversary of the the Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) doomsday cult’s toxic nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.…
INDIA: Sexy Commercials Keep Women Vulnerable
AUSTIN SZABO WRITES – The hanging of four men convicted of rape and murder will do little to stem misogyny in India. The solution lies with the media and how it represents women. From 1990 to 2008, the number of reported rapes in India more than doubled, according to official…
HONOLULU: East-West Center Announces Pakistan US Journalist Exchange
The East-West Center has announced it is now accepting applications for the 2014 Pakistan-United States Journalists Exchange, March 30-April 19, 2014. This program, now in its fourth year, is designed to increase and deepen public understanding of the two countries and their important relationship, one that is crucial to regional…
SOUTH KOREA: KBS’ ‘XY That Girl’ Gets ‘OUTed’!
A new talk show targeting the transgender community, which invited transgender individuals to discuss their experiences, was cut from programming after viewers strongly voiced their objections. After premiering last week on a midnight time slot on KBS Joy, a subsidiary of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the show titled “XY That…
CHINA: Following in Singapore’s Footsteps … Censorship by Another Name
Will Chinese television veiwers have anything good left to watch? The State Administration of Film, Radio and Television recently published six new guidelines that ban remakes of foreign TV series, as well as shows based on online games. The rules also require that revolution-themed TV series clearly differentiate between friend…
NORTH KOREA: Now Broadcasting Live
North Korea’s young new leader, Kim Jong-un, has embarked on yet another (relatively) shocking endeavor. The micro-managed state-controlled television company has initiated the occasional live broadcast. Under the late Kim Jong-il, such communication was nonexistent due to a high risk of technical difficulties and “mishaps.” Since his death four months…
HONG KONG: No Next Step for ‘Next Media’
Next Media, publisher of Next Magazine and the scandal-crazy Apple Daily, was reported by Forbes on April 7th to be considering selling its operations in Taiwan for a low $500 million. The Hong Kong based company founded by Jimmy Lai, known for his blistering critiques of Beijing, has become one of the largest Chinese language media companies in…