Many an expatriate has long had to live with Canto-pop. Now they can add Canto soap operas to enrich their cultural life in the city.
Starting from this week, selected drama series aired on TVB's high-definition Jade channel will be made available with both Chinese and English subtitles for the first time.
Thanks to TVB's switch to digital broadcasting, not only have more TV channels become available, but viewers can also watch more programmes with suitable subtitles.
The first show being aired with English subtitles is the broadcaster's current hit series No Regrets, produced by veteran TV producer Lee Tim-sing, whose drama series have elevated numerous TVB actors from the small screen to superstardom. Among these stars are Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau Tak-wah and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
'We always have English subtitles done for the overseas releases of our TV dramas,' said a TVB spokesman. 'The English subtitles are already there, but we just never had the chance to show them in the past with the TV analogue system.'
Starring Sheren Tang Shui-man and Wayne Lai Yiu-cheung - winners of best actress and actor respectively at last year's TVB anniversary award presentation - No Regrets is a melodrama set against the background of 1930s Guangzhou, a period of political turmoil. Tang plays a gangster's daughter, a rival of the police inspector played by Lai, with whom she eventually falls in love. No Regrets had its first episode aired last Monday.
Crime thriller Gun Metal Grey, which will have its premiere on November 1, will be the next programme to be aired with English subtitles.
