Rosy Business
Encyclopedia
Rosy Business is a 2009 award-winning Hong Kong television drama produced and by TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

. The original broadcast was on the TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...

 network with 45-minute episodes airing daily from April 27 to May 29 in 2009. The final episode was an hour and a half long finale with a special Scoop (東張西望) showing insert, having the whole finale special last for two hours.

Set in Eastern China in the mid-19th century Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

, Rosy Business tells a story of the mercantile Chiang family and the ambition and jealousy surrounding the issue of who was to own the family business when Chiang Kiu dies. The story surrounds the life of Hong Po-kei, who marries into the Chiang family as Chiang Kiu's fourth wife. She gains ownership of Hing Fung Nin, the family rice shop, and guides the ambitious coolie
Coolie
Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...

 Chai Kau to rise in the social status ladder.

The script was inspired by the successful Chinese television series, The Grand Gate Mansion (大宅門). Although the drama was met with mixed reviews in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 due to its vital similarities to The Grand Gate Mansion, the drama was a popular critical success in Hong Kong and was the most successful drama in the first half of 2009. The final week of broadcast garnered a peak at 47 rating points with 3 million viewers. It has won numerous awards, including Best Drama at the 2009 TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards (2009)
TVB Anniversary Awards 2009 is an award ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming of 2009. The award ceremony took place on December 4, 2009.-Best Drama:...

, Most Outstanding Drama at the 2009 Mingpao Magazine Entertainment Awards, and Most Popular Drama at the 2009 Yahoo! Buzz Asia awards in Hong Kong.

Synopsis

In the mid 1820s, a natural disaster strikes the city of Nantong
Nantong
Nantong is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, near the river mouth, Nantong is a vital river port bordering Yancheng to the north, Taizhou to the west, Suzhou and Shanghai to the south across the river, and...

, tarnishing most of the city's rice fields. Running out of food supply for the citizens, city mayor Hong Chi-wing (Wong Wai Leung) uses the city's military food supply to feed the people. A few days after the disaster, an official from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

 arrives to the city to check the military supply. Upon seeing an empty trailer, he sentences the Hong family to death. His daughter Hong Po-yin (Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...

) escapes from punishment and becomes a maid in the Prince's mansion, living under the name Hong Po-kei.

Twenty years later, Po-kei reunites with the rich rice merchant Chiang Kiu (Elliot Ngok
Elliot Ngok
Elliot Ngok Wah, better known as Yueh Hua, is a former Shaw Brothers actor and veteran TVB actor.-Career:Elly was born Leung Lok Wah in Shanghai, with native Cantonese roots. He immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962. He joined Shaw Brothers and started his acting career in 1965. His breakout film role...

) at his manor in Wuxi
Wuxi
Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...

, whom she was betrothed to before the disaster, while the Prince is there for a visit. Chiang Kiu's wife, Yan Fung-yee (Susan Tse
Susan Tse
Susan Tse was a former famous Chinese opera actress in Hong Kong. She is the 76th generation descendant of Confucius. This was confirmed by China's family tree study of Confucius according to her appearance on the TVB show Be My Guest....

) recognizes Po-kei and reveals her identity to the Prince. Chiang Kiu manages to convince the Prince to free her, and marries Po-kei as his fourth wife. He appreciates Po-kei's wisdom and persistence, and decides to entrust his business to her, telling her to find a suitable successor for him before he dies.

Hungry for power and eager to keep tradition, Fung-yee finds every opportunity for her son, the eldest child Bit-man (Pierre Ngo) to be the only heir of the family business. She tries to strip Po-kei from power even when Chiang Kiu's final will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...

 reads that Po-kei should be the full owner of the business.

Despite attacks from the family, Po-kei manages to keep the business in good shape. She is impressed with second son Bit-ching's (Ron Ng
Ron Ng
Ron Ng Cheuk-hei is a Hong Kong TVB actor, singer, professional dancer, ambassador, and model. He is one of the most demanded artists from TVB.-Early Childhood:...

) intelligence and guides him to become the successor, but her efforts are met with Chai Kau's (Wayne Lai
Wayne Lai
Wayne Lai Yiu-cheung is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Biography:Lai entered TVB in 1983 as a clerk in the business department. In 1985, he gave up the job and trained in the TVB Acting School. He starred in a few series in 1989. He started out in some minor roles, and took on some more significant roles...

) challenges. Chai Kau seeks vengeance for being mistreated and wants a pay back from Bit-man and the Chiang's family uncle, Pang Hang (Henry Lee). After rounds of battle wits and fights, Po-kei and Chai Kau develop a deep friendship.

Chai Kau appreciates Po-kei's work ethics and pledges his loyalty to her. With their excellent cooperation and quick thinking, the business manages to survive through the locusts disasters and the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...

. Meanwhile third wife, Lau Fong (Kara Hui
Kara Hui
Kara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances...

) and Po-kei become good friends and sisters, to the point that Lau Fong even sacrifices her life to protect Po-kei.

Development and concept

Before Lee Tim-shing began preparing for a new production, Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...

 approached Li and explained that she wanted to work on a drama with him. Eager to work with Lee, Tang said that she was willing to accommodate her schedules for the new production. Tang also suggested to work with Wayne Lai
Wayne Lai
Wayne Lai Yiu-cheung is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Biography:Lai entered TVB in 1983 as a clerk in the business department. In 1985, he gave up the job and trained in the TVB Acting School. He starred in a few series in 1989. He started out in some minor roles, and took on some more significant roles...

. Lee agreed to the project, and when both Tang's and Lai's scheduling were finalized, Lee began working on the production in early 2008. Along with producing coordinator Cheung Wah-biu, they submitted an initial script to Catherine Tsang, manager of TVB's production department. She was impressed with the script and development for the production formally began in July 2008. A press conference and costume fitting for the cast was held on July 25, 2008 with the working title "Red Powder Merchant" (紅粉商人). Filming began August and ended four months later in November 2008 in Hong Kong. Lee explained that the production was temporarily called "Wives and Concubines" (妻妾成群) when the initial script was first submitted, but was later renamed to "Red Powder Merchant." Colleagues criticized the new working title, and Lee later finalized the official title to "Veiled Heroine, Ruthless Hero" (巾幗梟雄) and its official English title to Rosy Business. "Veiled Heroine" (巾幗) represented Tang's role of the fourth wife, while "Ruthless Hero" (梟雄) represented Lai's role 'Chai Kau'. The drama was also sponsored by Bawang Shampoo.

Broadcast

The drama aired in TVB's main TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...

 channel for five days a week, from April 27 to May 29, 2009, with a total of 24 episodes. While production planned for 25 episodes, the two final episodes were aired together. A special Scoop celebration aired during commercial breaks, with the whole finale lasting for approximately two straight hours.

Before the broadcast of grand production drama Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Beyond the Realm of Conscience is a 2009 Hong Kong television series. Produced by Mui Siu-ching, the serial is one of the two grand TVB productions to celebrate along with the channel's 42nd anniversary, the other being Born Rich...

, Rosy Business was 2009's most viewed drama, with an average rating of 33 points (2.1 million viewers) per episode. The finale episode peaked to 47 rating points (3.3 million viewers; 3.4 million including TVB's HDTV sister channel), the second highest in 2009. The highest peak of average ratings in one week reached to 42 points (2.8 million viewers), also the second highest in 2009.

Critical reception

Rosy Business has received commercial and critical acclaim in Hong Kong. While ratings went to as high as 47 points, critics claim that if the points included the viewers who watched the drama through TVB's HDTV and other sister networks, the rating results may have been comparative to the viewership success of Moonlight Resonance
Moonlight Resonance
Moonlight Resonance is an award-winning 2008 grand production HDTV drama by TVB. It is an spiritual sequel to 2007's award-winning series, Heart of Greed featuring most of the original cast members. The series is written and edited by Cheung Wah-biu and Sit Ga-wah. Sponsored by Kee Wah Bakery, the...

and Korean drama Jewel in the Palace, in which both dramas reached to a rating of 50 points. The roles of the "fourth wife" and "Chai Kau" propelled both Sheren Tang and Wayne Lai to stardom, and both respectively won the title as Best Actress and Best Actor at the 2009 TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards (2009)
TVB Anniversary Awards 2009 is an award ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming of 2009. The award ceremony took place on December 4, 2009.-Best Drama:...

.

However, Rosy Business aired in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 with mixed reviews. Viewers expressed that the story was too similar to The Grand Gate Mansion, and claimed that Hong Kong script writers were beginning to lack creativity, having remade a few Mainland dramas already in the past.

Cast and characters

  • Sheren Tang
    Sheren Tang
    Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...

     as Hong Po-kei
  • Wayne Lai
    Wayne Lai
    Wayne Lai Yiu-cheung is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Biography:Lai entered TVB in 1983 as a clerk in the business department. In 1985, he gave up the job and trained in the TVB Acting School. He starred in a few series in 1989. He started out in some minor roles, and took on some more significant roles...

     as Chai Kau
  • Elliot Ngok
    Elliot Ngok
    Elliot Ngok Wah, better known as Yueh Hua, is a former Shaw Brothers actor and veteran TVB actor.-Career:Elly was born Leung Lok Wah in Shanghai, with native Cantonese roots. He immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962. He joined Shaw Brothers and started his acting career in 1965. His breakout film role...

     as Chiang Kiu
  • Susan Tse
    Susan Tse
    Susan Tse was a former famous Chinese opera actress in Hong Kong. She is the 76th generation descendant of Confucius. This was confirmed by China's family tree study of Confucius according to her appearance on the TVB show Be My Guest....

     as Yan Fung-yee
  • Kiki Sheung
    Kiki Sheung
    Kiki Sheung Tin Ngoh is a Hong Kong TVB actress. Kiki was originally with TVB, but moved over to rival station ATV in 1995, moving back to TVB once again in 2002...

     as Pang Giu
  • Kara Hui
    Kara Hui
    Kara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances...

     as Lau Fong
  • Ron Ng
    Ron Ng
    Ron Ng Cheuk-hei is a Hong Kong TVB actor, singer, professional dancer, ambassador, and model. He is one of the most demanded artists from TVB.-Early Childhood:...

     as Chiang Bit-ching
  • Suki Chui
    Suki Chui
    Suki Chui Suk-Man is an actress in Hong Kong under TVB. She participated in Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2006 and was awarded with the Tourism Ambassador Award. She married Kenny Wee on November 15, 2009....

     as Yau Man
  • Pierre Ngo as Chiang Bit-man
  • Kelvin Leung as Chiang Bit-mo
  • Henry Lee as Pang Hang
  • Nancy Wu
    Nancy Wu
    Nancy Wu Ding Yan is a Chinese actress contracted to TVB. In 1999, she participated in TVB's 18th Annual New Talent Singing Awards competition and finished in the top four. In 2001, she entered TVB's 3rd Annual Cover Girl Competition and won the Most Photogenic Award, the Most Fit Award, the Most...

     as Suen Hoi-tong
  • Suet Nei as Gui Yuk-yu
  • Samuel Kwok as the Prince

Reboot

After the success of Rosy Business, TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

 announced plans to reboot the serial starring the original cast, slated to begin filming in March 2010. However, Fala Chen
Fala Chen
Fala Chen is a Chinese-American beauty pageant titleholder. Chen has held the titles of Miss Asian America 2002 and Miss NY Chinese 2004, and placed as runner-up in Miss Chinatown USA 2003 and Miss Chinese International 2005.-Education:Chen was born in Chengdu, People's Republic of China, in 1982...

 and Raymond Wong were casted to replace Kiki Sheung
Kiki Sheung
Kiki Sheung Tin Ngoh is a Hong Kong TVB actress. Kiki was originally with TVB, but moved over to rival station ATV in 1995, moving back to TVB once again in 2002...

, Ron Ng
Ron Ng
Ron Ng Cheuk-hei is a Hong Kong TVB actor, singer, professional dancer, ambassador, and model. He is one of the most demanded artists from TVB.-Early Childhood:...

, and Suki Chui
Suki Chui
Suki Chui Suk-Man is an actress in Hong Kong under TVB. She participated in Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2006 and was awarded with the Tourism Ambassador Award. She married Kenny Wee on November 15, 2009....

, who were reported to be not taking part in the production due to scheduling conflicts.

Tentatively titled Rosy Business II (巾幗梟雄之義海豪情), a sales presentation trailer of the drama featuring a majority of the original cast was filmed on October 25, 2009 in TVB's filming studio. The three-minute trailer aired on the TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...

 channel on December 6, 2009 to an overwhelmingly positive reception. 50 random locals were interviewed in the streets, and 58% chose Rosy Business II as their most anticipated drama. Several Mainland China news portals also listed Rosy Business II as one of the top 15 for most anticipating upcoming Hong Kong/Taiwanese dramas.

The spin-off will take place during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

, approximately 100 years after the events of Rosy Business. Li explained that Rosy Business II will take a darker route in introducing the main characters, having that Tang will portray a villainous role. While the original did not have Tang and Lai dwell in a romantic relationship, the spin-off will concentrate on these developments, but it will merely be a side-story to the main plot.

Viewership ratings

Week Episodes Average points (peak) HK viewers
(in millions)
References
1
April 27 — May 1, 2009
1 — 5
28 (30)
1.78 (1.91)
2
May 4 — 8, 2009
6 — 10
30 (33)
1.91 (2.10)
3
May 11 — 15, 2009
11 — 14
32 (35)
2.04 (2.23)
4
May 18 — 22, 2009
15 — 19
35 (39)
2.23 (2.49)
5
May 25 — 28, 2009
20 — 23
39 (43)
2.49 (2.74)
May 29, 2009
24
42 (47)
2.68 (3.00)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK