More than 1,100 Hong Kong viewers complain to TVB over mainland's 'Journey to the West'
Mainland series Journey to the West receives a record number of complaints for a TVB drama, with viewers fuming over its prime-time slot
The legendary tale of the Monkey King escorting a monk in search of a sacred sutra may be an enduring Chinese classic, but in Hong Kong, a mainland production of Journey to the West is struggling to find its way into the hearts of television viewers.
The 50-episode drama serial, now airing in an evening prime-time slot, is at the receiving end of 1,100 complaints, a number TVB admits is the highest ever lodged against any of the dramas it has offered. Some have demanded that TVB axe the show.
Critics say the record figure reflects reignited anger over free-television licensing, as the dominance of broadcaster TVB limits the programming available.
The complaints also signalled a widening cultural gap with the mainland and Hongkongers' rejection of mainlanders' taste, they said.
Watch: Trailer of Journey to the West
Scriptwriter and critic Alex Pao Wai-chung said the special effects and props were below par. As the story was so well known, the decisive factor in winning an audience lay in its aesthetics, Pao said - and yet the special effects turned Hongkongers off.