Which series has aged the best over the years?

[Felix]

hi all,
Actually back then I thought teresa mo(moke geem ping) and Chow Sau Lan(seung yee) were quite cute.

Yes, I think Elaine Chow looks the nicest of the wives in DOMD84. Teresa Mo I thought looked her best in that series. Much more appropriate then her playing Ah 9 in SSWRB85.

[i_fotted]

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_fotted]

Yes, I think Elaine Chow looks the nicest of the wives in DOMD84. Teresa Mo I thought looked her best in that series. Much more appropriate then her playing Ah 9 in SSWRB85.

Who was Elaine Chow? The only wive that I thought was pretty was Seung Yi.

[Felix]

Who was Elaine Chow? The only wive that I thought was pretty was Seung Yi.

You sort of answered your own question. Seung Yi is Elaine Chow.

[LuNaR]

loch 94, roch 95 and domd 98. ive seen all of those at LEAST 15 times.

[Tom]

loch 94, roch 95 and domd 98. ive seen all of those at LEAST 15 times.

Those aren't that old. I've watched LOCH 94 and ROCH 95 and other than cheap sets and stages, they're actually pretty good. True that the quality is no HD compared to today's wuxia series but they are still amazing considered the time that they were made. Especially LOCH 94 which kept me hooked the entire time.

[Quinton]

yes the shell game deserves to be on this list. recently my great aunt gave me the shell game and i have to say what a performance the cast showed. i also received Chinese title: 網中人; English title: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly does anyone remember this show? the show starred a number of good actors:
Chow Yun Fat
Cora Miao (繆騫人)
Carol Cheng
Au Yeung Pui Shan (歐陽佩珊)
Simon Yam
Lee Dou Hung (李道洪)
Liu Wai Hung (廖偉雄)
Lau Dan
Tang Bik Wan (鄧碧雲)
Wong Sun (黃新)
Shek Gin (石堅)
Kwan Hoi San
Lee Heung Kam
Nam Hung (南紅)
Tam Bing Man
Hui Siu Hung
Susanna Kwan (關菊英)
Lo Lan (羅蘭)
Kam Kwok Leung (甘國衛)
So Hung Shue (蘇杏璇)

[Jirehmy]

yes the shell game deserves to be on this list. recently my great aunt gave me the shell game and i have to say what a performance the cast showed. i also received Chinese title: 網中人; English title: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly does anyone remember this show? the show starred a number of good actors:
Chow Yun Fat
Cora Miao (繆騫人)
Carol Cheng
Au Yeung Pui Shan (歐陽佩珊)
Simon Yam
Lee Dou Hung (李道洪)
Liu Wai Hung (廖偉雄)
Lau Dan
Tang Bik Wan (鄧碧雲)
Wong Sun (黃新)
Shek Gin (石堅)
Kwan Hoi San
Lee Heung Kam
Nam Hung (南紅)
Tam Bing Man
Hui Siu Hung
Susanna Kwan (關菊英)
Lo Lan (羅蘭)
Kam Kwok Leung (甘國衛)
So Hung Shue (蘇杏璇)

Yes, the acting was superb.

[Ken Cheng]

Yes, the acting was superb.

So was the screenwriting. I dare say this series had the second most intelligently written scripts by TVB after THE BUND. TVB was on a real roll during 1979-1980.

[almo89]

So was the screenwriting. I dare say this series had the second most intelligently written scripts by TVB after THE BUND. TVB was on a real roll during 1979-1980.

How was the pacing? I know that it is a long series. I'm always for longer series because of character development, but is it too slow for today's standards?

[Ken Cheng]

How was the pacing? I know that it is a long series. I'm always for longer series because of character development, but is it too slow for today's standards?

It would probably be slow by today's standards. Of the eighty episodes that comprised this series, the first fifteen episodes were devoted to very meticulous development of each of the significant characters and their psychological and social profiles. Even relatively minor characters were explored in depth without the plot moving forward in a significant way until beginning around the sixteenth episode. Some of the threads laid down by the screenwriters in the early episodes didn't pay off and reveal their signficance until much, much later in the series. This is what I found wonderful about, it however: it was very thoughtfully planned and structured, and each development had important meaning, although that meaning would not always be immediately apparent. This series and THE BUND both did this very well (think the same director handled both series).

One other great thing about THE MAN IN THE NET (THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY) today is that it provides a very good snapshot of Hong Kong society as it was when the 1970s became the 1980s. It was a turning point era, and the music, clothing, and lifestyles reflected the changing mood of the times. Watching this series, you got the sense that the 1970s were coming to a close, and the 1980s were dawning brightly.

[Ronaldo07]

It's safe to safe a lot of the ancient series still look very good today as they just about get away with it (e.g. costume, makeup, fighting, background music etc.)

[Quinton]

the good the bad and the ugly is 80 episodes long, cant wait to rewatch the series. one of my fav scenes is where a"chan" eats all those hamburger buns, quite funny actually. not only was the show good but the theme by teresa cheung http://youtube.com/watch?v=xKCG_qwXswg was excellent.

[Ken Cheng]

the good the bad and the ugly is 80 episodes long, cant wait to rewatch the series. one of my fav scenes is where a"chan" eats all those hamburger buns, quite funny actually. not only was the show good but the theme by teresa cheung http://youtube.com/watch?v=xKCG_qwXswg was excellent.

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.

[smurf120]

DOMD '84 is such a classic, must've watched and rewatched every 2-3 years - I am so looking forward to the China version coming out. For modern series, I prefer the antics of Stephen Chow/Frances Ng vehicles - it still makes me chuckle.

But it's interesting to note that Ah Chanh's burger-eating scenes was one of the few lighter, humorous moments from a series that otherwise took itself dead serious. 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.

Ken - interesting you mentioned this. That was exactly how I felt about Heart of Greed. It was generally good but too many plot devices to cause so much drama. Then the comedic scenes were way over the top (i.e. running cell phone joke about being "fou qua" - not sure what good word to represent in English - "to exaggerate"??). If it marketed itself to be sitcom with serious plot I would have liked it more but the theme song and trailers kept making me think it was a Grand Drama.

As for long and drawn out series - I don't even think new ones escape - I couldn't even finish Drive of Life.

[Moleitau]

I think 'Final Combat' has aged really well. I think it was made in the late 80's and rewatching it now still keeps my attention and still cracks me up! I'd admit... not too original story but it was fun! Plus it's memorable just for the fact that it was Stephen Chow's first acting job, I think.... (excluding the stuff he did while presenting 'Shuttle 430')

[Ken Cheng]

I think 'Final Combat' has aged really well. I think it was made in the late 80's and rewatching it now still keeps my attention and still cracks me up! I'd admit... not too original story but it was fun! Plus it's memorable just for the fact that it was Stephen Chow's first acting job, I think.... (excluding the stuff he did while presenting 'Shuttle 430')

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.

[Jirehmy]

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 can't remember the burger-eating scene but Ah Chanh (Liu Wai Hung) and his mother (Tam Bik Wan) almost stole the show from the magnificent two leads, Chow Yun Fat and Do Do Cheng. I remember also the scenes where Chow Yun Fat had to face his jail sentence. The expression on his face was priceless. Also recall Do Do Cheng's father's death scene being so sad.

[almo89]

Ken - interesting you mentioned this. That was exactly how I felt about Heart of Greed. It was generally good but too many plot devices to cause so much drama. Then the comedic scenes were way over the top (i.e. running cell phone joke about being "fou qua" - not sure what good word to represent in English - "to exaggerate"??). If it marketed itself to be sitcom with serious plot I would have liked it more but the theme song and trailers kept making me think it was a Grand Drama.

As for long and drawn out series - I don't even think new ones escape - I couldn't even finish Drive of Life.

Dramas are rarely done well these days. Heart of Greed was generally good, but it's suppose to be a drama and I didn't feel like the over the top comedy was needed. For shows like Instinct and Cold Blood Warm Heart used comedy pretty well as it was used in a more realistic situation without going over the top.

[Ken Cheng]

Dramas are rarely done well these days. Heart of Greed was generally good, but it's suppose to be a drama and I didn't feel like the over the top comedy was needed. For shows like Instinct and Cold Blood Warm Heart used comedy pretty well as it was used in a more realistic situation without going over the top.

I feel that the more recent TVB dramas tend to put comedy in at incongruous moments, and more often than not, it's so cartoonish that it really defuses the serious drama. That wasn't a problem in the earlier series: in older dramas, the humor was kept well clear of the serious moments, and although funny, seldom devolved into cartoonish (although maybe Ah Chanh's burger-eating scene came close).

Thirty hamburgers in one hour: it was one of the most talked-about scenes of the time, and made a legend out of Liu Wai Hung.