Mainland censors have banned a popular yet controversial TVB drama series When Heaven Burns with five episodes to go. It was the first local production to be banned in China in a decade.
According to media reports, the channel said the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) ordered TVB's sub-licensees on the mainland - youkou.com and tudou.com - to stop showing the series and remove all content from their websites.
One source said a similar order was issued to TVB's other licensed online video providers on the mainland. 'TVB is concerned about the matter.
It is waiting for an official notice before making any comment,' the source said.
The ban comes as Sarft starts to limit the number of entertainment shows and replace them with 'moral preaching' programmes.
A search for the series' Chinese title on video sites including youkou.com, tudou.com and PPS yesterday afternoon found nothing. The exact reason for the ban was not immediately apparent, but baffled mainland fans speculate it was because of the series' controversial storyline.