Which series has aged the best over the years?

[Tom]

I just recently saw the mainland version and I have to disagree with you. I did not like it very much. Maybe its just that TVB bias in me, but I thought Fung Ching-ching and Hui Man-keung character was poorly played. I liked Ding Lik's character but thats about the end of it.

You're pickier than Ken, lol. And Ken is the kind that prefers the 80's to modern series most of the time. But even he said it's good. Iunno...might just be your taste?

[Ian Liew]

In general, TVB serials are split into three categories:-

Wuxia
Modern
What they call "man chor kek", things like the Bund and Shell Game

In general, the third type would age the best in terms of watchability. Wuxia has suffered because fighting choreography has come a long way since the 70s and 80s, while modern just doesn't cut it when everyone has 70s and 80s hairstyles and clothes. It's no surprise that The Bund, Shell Game, Yesterday's Glitter, "man sui chin san chong si ching" and other shows of that ilk remain extremely watchable and beat almost everything else TVB throws at us these days. There are a few exceptions to the wuxia, though.

One Sword. The fighting choreography in One Sword is so brutal and fast it's hard to believe it came from the same generation as HSDS 79 (which had *very* slow motion effects). It's let down by some poor audio in outdoor scenes, but otherwise is still very entertaining by today's standards. Just accept that it's a rip off Smiling Proud Wanderer and Rinsing Flower Purifying Sword, and you'll enjoy it no end.

Duke of Mount Deer. DOMD was a unique JY novel in that it was set in ancient times, hence costumes and hairstyles don't suffer from being old. It's also hardly uses martial arts fighting scenes at all. There are a few, but they're totally irrelevant to the plot you don't mind that they're not fast and furious. The charisma of and chemistry between Tony Leung and Andy Lau was perfect even then, perhaps even more intense and expressive than it was in Infernal Affairs almost 15 years later. The wonderful soundtrack by Leslie Cheung also expressed different moods depending on the way it was played, and it remains until today my favourite 80s serial.

LOCH 82 and ROCH 84 were all excellent serials, but age well they have not. They catered so perfectly for taste and culture of the 80s that it feels even less watchable than Chor Lau Heung 79. The early 80s were when CGI was just starting, and the dated CGI methods really stick out like a sore thumb. GJ's dragon palms had a WOW factor then, today you hope your western friends don't laugh when they see it. Mei Chaofeng's 9yin killing that man in a skeleton costume who dances in the light.. that was bad. ROCH's disco lights during the ending battle, Golden Wheel Monk's pointy head (which prompted YG to adlib and address him as "Pointy Head Monk"), plus the dragged out TVB-created subplots in the two serials all added to make LOCH and ROCH a good piece of wuxia history to keep, but not one I would like to sit through all over again. Wonderful soundtrack unmatched by all future versions, though. HSDS 86 didn't drag as much - in fact I don't think they added any filler into the story, but some scenes just came out as corny and unnecessary. Unlike LOCH and ROCH, it's much more watchable by today's standards, but nowhere near the timeless classic that DOMD was.

[almo89]

In general, TVB serials are split into three categories:-
Wuxia
Modern
What they call "man chor kek", things like the Bund and Shell Game

Yeah the Early century "man chor" shows age very well. Mostly because it's always love/drama which never really gets old. It's the reason why The Bund is still very watchable after so many years.

[lilviet_grl8o8]

Yes, I agree with you. But the new generation likes CGI stuff.

I'm still semi-part of the new generation, I don't really enjoy the CGi effects. It gives me a migraine sometimes, specially in Twin of Brothers. Bleh. I look more torwards the plot & actors.

I've long believed that THE FINAL COMBAT was TVB sending itself up: a parody of its own wuxia adaptations of the 1980s. By the end of the 1980s, just about every Jin Yong and Gu Long story worth adapting had been done, and most of them had been major hits for TVB during that decade. It's almost as if TVB said to itself, "OK, we've done everything possible with wuxia adaptations. Why not end the decade with a parody of wuxia series and send the whole thing up?"

It worked. The show was a hit, and essentially thrived because it poked fun at the oh-so-serious wuxia adaptation rage of the 1980s.

I think that series has aged pretty well. I laugh watching it today, as the older generation has probably laughed back in the day. (: Classic.

[raymond_obsessed]

I'm not sure what exactly do you mean by "aged well". I assume you mean that the fighting is realistic and the jokes and comic relief is still funny and not corny?

I think the most important aspect is the background music and theme songs. I don't know about others but the theme songs and background music is the most important thing to keep me entertained and involved in the movie.

TO answer your question, I think HSDS86 and ROCH83 has aged better than any Wuxia series. I won't comment on modern series. The theme song and music throughout HSDS86/ROCH83 was so good and the fighting were great.

I don't think DOMD82 has aged all that well. One reason is the because I did not like their costumes and the women, lets face it were not all that appealing. Even Karina Lau was probably the best looking female lead and her role was not very big at all. Plus at that time she was still a bit chubby and did not have that beauty and elegance she posses now.

I agree, I have both HSDS86 and ROCH83, and I never get sick of watching it...I love Tony in HSDS and the music in the series...I love the storyline and all the actors play their characters well...I cried so much in this series, and after seeing it over and over, I still cry at the same things...Tony's chemistry with Kitty is great. I love that he fights a lot in this series, and I love his character...He truly defined who Zhang Wuji is, for the other actors...

OH, I absolutely love Andy, in anything, really...but I really love him in ROCH. I love his fight scenes, well, I love all the fight scenes, it seems more authentic, and not so much flying here and there. I loved his character and how he doesn't care what anyone thinks, he'll do what he wants, but still ends up being a hero...


So combine two of my favorite actors and what do I get? DOMD...I loved the friendship between the king and siao bao...This was the one series where I didn't care about the love interests or love story...It was good to see a story about friendship and loyalty...It was so good to see that in LWOLAP as well...I guess I was fine that they didn't focus so much on Ray and Charmaine's love story, because I saw the bigger picture...Fung Hung Lit was torn between his love and friendship to the loyalty to his country and people...He was put in a situation no one should ever be in, but I liked watching how he handled it...and it ended well...Besides, Siao Bao's wives weren't all that pretty...I think they did better in Hap Hak Hang...speaking of which, I liked that series too, even though it was kinda weird how they did the twins thing

[BlueWhiteRed]

I vote for 3 series

The Bund
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15n-vxXRk4c

Looking Back in Anger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mV2U7hfEGQ

The Return of the Condor Hero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-I86MIQXE4

[bubcas]

Ah Chanh's burger-eating scene, along with the steamy kissing scenes between Chow Yun Fat and Do Do Cheng in THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY are among the most iconic scenes in TVB history...right up there with Hui Mun Keung's death in THE BUND or any memorable scene you could think of from the 1980s Jin Yong adaptations.

But it's interesting to note that Ah Chanh's burger-eating scene was one of the few lighter, humorous moments from a series that otherwise took itself dead seriously. I think that's one of the things that distinguish 1970s/1980s TVB dramas from those of today: the older series took themselves seriously. Today's dramas, it seems, can't decide if they're supposed to be serious dramas or sitcoms, and end up becoming a confused mess that really isn't one or the other.

I always sees Chow Yun Fatt and Dodo Cheng as a perfect couple on-screen or off-screen. Too bad in real life, both have "odd" couples.

[Ken Cheng]

I always sees Chow Yun Fatt and Dodo Cheng as a perfect couple on-screen or off-screen. Too bad in real life, both have "odd" couples.

Their onscreen chemistry was something special. As far as I know, however, they were never anything more than platonic friends in real life.