Summary
Red Sorghum (Chinese: 红高粱) is a 2014 Chinese television series based on Nobel laureate Mo Yan's 1986 novel of the same name. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it also features the highly anticipated return of actress Zhou Xun to television after 10 years.[1] The series chronicles the struggles of the protagonist Jiu'er (played by Zhou) in rural Shandong province in early 1930s.[2][3] It aired simultaneously on four satellite television channels from 27 October to 17 November 2014 for 60 episodes.
| Red Sorghum | |
|---|---|
 poster | |
| Genre | War drama Period |
| Based on | Red Sorghum by Mo Yan |
| Written by | Zhao Dongling |
| Directed by | Zheng Xiaolong |
| Starring | Zhou Xun Zhu Yawen Huang Xuan Yu Rongguang Qin Hailu |
| Ending theme | Jiu'er (九兒) by Han Hong & Hu Shasha |
| No. of episodes | 60 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Cao Ping |
| Production companies | Shandong TV Qingdao Golden Phoenix Film & Television Culture Company Flower Film & TV |
| Original release | |
| Network | Beijing TV Shandong TV Zhejiang TV Dragon TV |
| Release | 27 October – 17 November 2014 |
Cast edit
- Zhou Xun as Jiu'er / Dai Jiulian
- Zhu Yawen as Yu Zhan'ao
- Huang Xuan as Zhang Junjie
- Yu Rongguang as Zhu Haosan
- Qin Hailu as Shu Xian
- Matt William Knowles as AP Press Reporter
Production edit
To reproduce the scenes of the novel, the Gaomi local government planted more than 200 hectares of sorghum. The field, now known as "Red Sorghum TV Production Base", became a shooting site for the TV series. More than 500 local residents performed as extras in the TV show.[4][5]
Reception edit
The series premiered to rave reviews online on Weibo and has enjoyed good ratings. It topped the ratings on four satellite TV channels for three weeks during its broadcast; and has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on major streaming site iQiyi.[6][4] According to Qilu Evening Post, the series also spawned viral greetings. Xinhua News Agency praised the drama, calling it a "classic in Chinese television history" and Hainan Daily called Zhou an "impeccable performer".[5]
However, the series has been criticized the series as "too commercial" and "losing the touch of authenticity." The casting of Zhou in the role of the 19-year-old protagonist has also sparked a controversy.[5][3]
Ratings edit
| CSM50 City Ratings[7] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air date | Episode | Beijing TV | Shandong TV | Zhejiang TV | Dragon TV | ||||
| Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | ||
| October 27 | 01–03 | 1.151 | 2 | 1.099 | 3 | 0.659 | 8 | 0.729 | 7 |
| October 28 | 04–06 | 1.158 | 3 | 1.236 | 2 | 0.942 | 5 | 0.752 | 7 |
| October 29 | 07–09 | 1.195 | 3 | 1.298 | 2 | 0.921 | 5 | 0.780 | 7 |
| October 30 | 10–12 | 1.154 | 3 | 1.380 | 2 | 0.971 | 4 | 0.781 | 7 |
| October 31 | 13–15 | 1.264 | 2 | 1.392 | 1 | 0.850 | 7 | 0.976 | 6 |
| November 01 | 16–17 | 1.468 | 3 | 1.548 | 1 | 0.842 | 7 | 1.154 | 4 |
| November 02 | 18–19 | 1.474 | 3 | 1.684 | 1 | 0.899 | 6 | 1.111 | 4 |
| November 03 | 20–22 | 1.505 | 1 | 1.428 | 3 | 0.905 | 6 | 1.000 | 5 |
| November 04 | 23–25 | 1.528 | 1 | 1.390 | 3 | 1.222 | 4 | 0.994 | 5 |
| November 05 | 26–28 | 1.472 | 3 | 1.478 | 2 | 1.270 | 4 | 1.078 | 5 |
| November 06 | 29–31 | 1.645 | 1 | 1.463 | 4 | 1.481 | 3 | 0.910 | 7 |
| November 07 | 32–34 | 1.666 | 1 | 1.569 | 2 | 1.290 | 4 | 0.945 | 7 |
| November 08 | 35–36 | 1.796 | 1 | 1.757 | 2 | 1.093 | 5 | 1.108 | 4 |
| November 09 | 37–38 | 1.594 | 2 | 1.781 | 1 | 1.412 | 4 | 1.202 | 5 |
| November 10 | 39–41 | 1.415 | 3 | 1.563 | 2 | 1.409 | 4 | 0.976 | 6 |
| November 11 | 42–44 | 1.655 | 2 | 1.614 | 3 | 1.374 | 4 | 1.029 | 5 |
| November 12 | 45–47 | 1.668 | 2 | 1.617 | 3 | 1.387 | 4 | 1.055 | 5 |
| November 13 | 48–50 | 1.710 | 2 | 1.584 | 3 | 1.440 | 4 | 1.030 | 5 |
| November 14 | 51–53 | 1.685 | 2 | 1.711 | 1 | 1.324 | 4 | 1.027 | 5 |
| November 15 | 54–55 | 1.920 | 1 | 1.884 | 2 | 1.145 | 4 | 1.105 | 5 |
| November 16 | 56–57 | 1.939 | 1 | 1.910 | 2 | 1.345 | 4 | 1.184 | 5 |
| November 17 | 58–60 | 1.949 | 1 | 1.870 | 3 | 1.494 | 4 | 1.178 | 5 |
| Total | 34.011 | - | 34.256 | - | 25.675 | - | 22.104 | - | |
| Average | 1.546 | - | 1.557 | - | 1.167 | - | 1.005 | - | |
- Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | China TV Drama Awards | Top Ten Television Series | Red Sorghum | Won |
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won | ||
| Outstanding Contribution Award | Zheng Xiaolong | Won | ||
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | Nominated |
| Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Zhu Yawen | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Huang Xuan | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Qin Hailu | Won | ||
| Huading Awards | Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | Won | |
| Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won | ||
| Best Actor (Revolution-Era Drama) | Zhu Yawen | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Qin Hailu | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Huang Xuan | Nominated | ||
| Best Newcomer | Nominated | |||
| Best Producer | Cao Ping | Nominated | ||
| Flying Apsaras Awards | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Nominated | |
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Nominated | ||
| Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2016 | China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Won |
| Best Cinematography | Won | |||
| Best Art Direction | Nominated | |||
| Best Lightning | Nominated |
International broadcast edit
| Country | Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
 Thailand |
Modernine TV | August 1, 2015 | Tamnan Rak Thung Si Plerng (ตำนานรักทุ่งสีเพลิง,[8] lit: Fire-Colored Field Love Legend) |
| Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Cambodia Thailand |
Oh!K | Oct 13,2017 | Wed To Fri 17:50 (SIN) 16:50 (JKT/BKK) 18:55 (HK) |
References edit
- ^ "Zhou Xun to lead TV adaptation of 'Red Sorghum'". China.org.cn. August 14, 2013.
- ^ "Zhou Xun as teen in 'Red Sorghum'". China.org.cn. November 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "Film star Zhou Xun plays teen in TV's 'Red Sorghum'". Sina.
- ^ a b "Mo Yan moved to tears by adapted TV series of his novel". China.org.cn. October 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Southern softie". Week in China. 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Zhou Xun fills Gong Li's shoes in a remake of Red Sorghum". The Straits Times. 5 February 2015.
- ^ "电视剧收视率排行榜 | 收视率排行" (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "พบกับ"Red Sorghum ตำนานรักทุ่งสีเพลิง"ซีรีย์สุดอลังการจากแดนมังกร". MCOT. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015. Thai: ภาษาไทย
External links edit