Television Drama in Contemporary China ─ Political, Social and Cultural Phenomena

The book examines a group of recently released TV drama serials in China which focus upon, and to various degrees represent, topical political, social and cultural phenomena. The selected TV serials reflect the present ideological proclivities of the Chinese government which endorse a strong central government and a powerful leadership. They also uphold the egalitarian ideals of socialism, and demand social equality and justice across the entire society, such as the need to bridge the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots." A study of these TV dramas will shed light on fiercely debated social issues, such as contradictions between health providers and patients, the left-over women social stigma, the relationship between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws of the young Chinese who were born under the one-child policy, and the unwritten rules (of corruption) circulating in contemporary workplaces.

Providing insights into the changing political inclinations, emerging social tendencies and newly-formatted cultural fashions of contemporary China, this book will appeal to students and scholars of contemporary Chinese culture, society and politics, as well as those with research interests in television studies more generally.

Shenshen Cai completed her PhD in contemporary Chinese culture studies with the School of Humanities at Griffith University, Australia. Her research interests cover contemporary Chinese literature, film, theatre and folklore studies and she is a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne in Australia, teaching Chinese and Chinese culture related courses.