Pearl looking to British hits to overcome US screenwriters' strike
Besides the big 40th anniversary show on the Jade channel yesterday, TVB also hosted a more restrained dinner last Friday at the Citic Tower's East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Admiralty to celebrate its birthday. Attended primarily by management and staffers - in fact, the only 'celebrities' present were a couple of Miss Hong Kong runners-up this year - the station has some cause for cheer this year. One of its news reporters was nominated for an Emmy award and its dramas continue to dominate viewership.
However, on the English language Pearl - which relies heavily on overseas hits such as Prison Break, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and Lost - there are worries as the writers' strike in America threatens to be a long one.
Over roast piglet and shark's fin soup, the assistant controller of Pearl programming, Cecilia Tan, hinted that its prime-time schedule could literally be imprisoned, ugly, desperate or lost over the next few months.
'At the moment, we are still unsure about if we can air all the American shows as planned in the first half of next year,' she warned. 'There is the possibility that some of the dramas might be able to produce only 13 out of the usual 22 episodes. We are now considering other contingency options like buying British-produced shows in case the strike lasts for a longer period.'
