Witness to a Prosecution
Encyclopedia
Witness to a Prosecution is a Hong Kong television series produced by TVB
. The original broadcast was on the TVB Jade
network with 45-minute episodes airing five days a week from 20 December 1999 to 16 January 2000. The drama stars Bobby Au-yeung
as the famous historical forensic medical expert Song Ci
("Sung Chee" in Cantonese romanisation). Set during the Southern Song Dynasty of Mid-Imperial China
, Witness to a Prosecution tells a fictionalised account of Chee's modest beginnings and the events leading to the creation of his book Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified
, the world's earliest documentation of forensic science.
Witness to a Prosecution was met with positive reviews and quickly became a popular success. Viewership ratings were consistently high, and the drama was the seventh most-viewed drama in 2000, drawing an average of 33 rating points, peaking at 44 points. The drama also yielded Au-yeung a "Best Actor
" win at the 2000 TVB Anniversary Awards
. A subsequent sequel was released in 2002. Although viewership ratings peaked higher to 47 points, it was met with mixed reviews.
) was despised in To Yuen village due to his posthumous birth
in a coffin, having only the sickly scholar Sit Dan (Michael Tse
) and the coolie
Cha Siu-chaan (Lo Mang
) as his friends. After disputing with the village chief over his family's land, Chee, along with a homeless female thief Tong Sze (Jessica Hsuan
), are accused for murdering the chief and are sentenced to death. The village's newly appointed magistrate Sung Yik (Frankie Lam
) finds the case suspicious and investigates. With the help of the mysterious yet experienced coroner Ma Kwai (Lau Kong
), Yik successfully revokes Chee and Sze's sentences. Kwai becomes Chee's coroner master and Yik employs Chee to be his personal forensic medical doctor. The two become good friends and partners, successfully solving many murder cases in town. Sze develops a crush on Yik, unaware that Yik and Nip Fung (Mariane Chan), daughter of senior constable
Nip Yan-lung (Gordon Liu
), are already in a relationship. Chee, on the other hand, falls for Lam Choi-dip (Eileen Yeow
), the spoiled daughter of rich merchant Lam To (Lee Lung-kei). Choi-dip, however, has her eyes on Yik.
Several months later, a man also by the name of Sung Yik shows up and confronts Yik, calling him a traitor. After the two intensely quarrel, the fake Yik accidentally kills the real Sung Yik. In a panic, he buries Sung Yik's body in the garden of the Sung family rice shop. Yik's relatives then mysteriously die one by one; Chee eventually uncovers the body of the real Sung Yik and begins to grow suspicious of the current Yik, a man whom he has always respected and treated as a friend.
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 five days a week from 20 December 1999 to 16 January 2000. The drama stars Bobby Au-yeung
Bobby Au-Yeung
Bobby Au-yeung Tsan-wah is a Hong Kong actor best known for his comedic roles in many TVB television dramas. Au-yeung gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Ben Yu in the 1991 legal drama File of Justice, appearing in all five seasons of the drama...
as the famous historical forensic medical expert Song Ci
Song Ci
Song Ci was a forensic medical expert active during the Southern Song Dynasty who wrote a groundbreaking book titled Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified ....
("Sung Chee" in Cantonese romanisation). Set during the Southern Song Dynasty of Mid-Imperial China
Mid-Imperial China
Mid-Imperial China begins with the reunification of China by the short-lived Sui dynasty in 589. The Sui replaced the nine-rank system with the imperial examination and embarked on major public works such as connecting the various canals to form the Grand Canal...
, Witness to a Prosecution tells a fictionalised account of Chee's modest beginnings and the events leading to the creation of his book Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified
Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified
Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified or Washing away of wrongs is a Chinese book written by Song Ci in 1247 during the Song Dynasty as a handbook for coroners. The author combined many historical cases of forensic science with his own experiences and wrote the book with an eye to avoiding...
, the world's earliest documentation of forensic science.
Witness to a Prosecution was met with positive reviews and quickly became a popular success. Viewership ratings were consistently high, and the drama was the seventh most-viewed drama in 2000, drawing an average of 33 rating points, peaking at 44 points. The drama also yielded Au-yeung a "Best Actor
TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor
The TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is one of the TVB Anniversary Awards presented annually by Television Broadcasts Limited to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in Hong Kong television dramas throughout the designated year...
" win at the 2000 TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards is an annual awards ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming. It is the Hong Kong equivalent of the Emmy Awards....
. A subsequent sequel was released in 2002. Although viewership ratings peaked higher to 47 points, it was met with mixed reviews.
Synopsis
For 30 years, nighttime keeper Sung Chee (Bobby Au-yeungBobby Au-Yeung
Bobby Au-yeung Tsan-wah is a Hong Kong actor best known for his comedic roles in many TVB television dramas. Au-yeung gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Ben Yu in the 1991 legal drama File of Justice, appearing in all five seasons of the drama...
) was despised in To Yuen village due to his posthumous birth
Posthumous birth
A posthumous birth is a birth of a child after the death of a parent. A person born in these circumstances is called a posthumous child or a posthumously born person...
in a coffin, having only the sickly scholar Sit Dan (Michael Tse
Michael Tse
Michael Tse Tin Wah is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Career highlights:Michael Tse graduated from TVB's Dance Training Class and worked with TVB as a dancer for 5 years. He then left TVB and formed a boy band group called 風火海 with Jordan Chan and Jason Chu...
) and the 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...
Cha Siu-chaan (Lo Mang
Lo Mang
Lo Mang is a Hong Kong based veteran martial artist who was born as Lo Hin Lam in Hong Kong on 23 July 1956. Primarily known for starring in Shaw Brothers kung fu movies in the latter part of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s...
) as his friends. After disputing with the village chief over his family's land, Chee, along with a homeless female thief Tong Sze (Jessica Hsuan
Jessica Hsuan
Jessica Hester Hsuan, or Suen Huen is a Hong Kong actress. Jessica holds a degree from Imperial College London.She is currently one of the most popular television actresses of Hong Kong. She started her career in late 1992 and early 1993...
), are accused for murdering the chief and are sentenced to death. The village's newly appointed magistrate Sung Yik (Frankie Lam
Frankie Lam
Frankie Lam Man Lung is a Hong Kong actor for TVB. He is married to TVB Actress Kenix Kwok. He started off his career with a singing contest which he won and subsequently, signed a contract with TVB.-TV series:-Films:...
) finds the case suspicious and investigates. With the help of the mysterious yet experienced coroner Ma Kwai (Lau Kong
Lau Kong
Lau Kong is a Hong Kong actor who works on the network TVB.-Biography:Little is known of Lau's private life, but he has been acting since 1976, when he first joined the now defunct network Commercial Television, he later joined RTV Lau Kong (劉江) is a Hong Kong actor who works on the network...
), Yik successfully revokes Chee and Sze's sentences. Kwai becomes Chee's coroner master and Yik employs Chee to be his personal forensic medical doctor. The two become good friends and partners, successfully solving many murder cases in town. Sze develops a crush on Yik, unaware that Yik and Nip Fung (Mariane Chan), daughter of senior constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
Nip Yan-lung (Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
), are already in a relationship. Chee, on the other hand, falls for Lam Choi-dip (Eileen Yeow
Eileen Yeow
-Career:Eileen won the title of Miss Singapore Universe in 1991. After that, she went on to represent Singapore in the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas during the same year. Her best friend, Miss Hong Kong Anita Yuen then encouraged her to expand her acting career in Hong Kong. She then went to...
), the spoiled daughter of rich merchant Lam To (Lee Lung-kei). Choi-dip, however, has her eyes on Yik.
Several months later, a man also by the name of Sung Yik shows up and confronts Yik, calling him a traitor. After the two intensely quarrel, the fake Yik accidentally kills the real Sung Yik. In a panic, he buries Sung Yik's body in the garden of the Sung family rice shop. Yik's relatives then mysteriously die one by one; Chee eventually uncovers the body of the real Sung Yik and begins to grow suspicious of the current Yik, a man whom he has always respected and treated as a friend.
Cast
- Bobby Au-yeungBobby Au-YeungBobby Au-yeung Tsan-wah is a Hong Kong actor best known for his comedic roles in many TVB television dramas. Au-yeung gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Ben Yu in the 1991 legal drama File of Justice, appearing in all five seasons of the drama...
as Sung CheeSong CiSong Ci was a forensic medical expert active during the Southern Song Dynasty who wrote a groundbreaking book titled Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified ....
(宋慈) - Frankie LamFrankie LamFrankie Lam Man Lung is a Hong Kong actor for TVB. He is married to TVB Actress Kenix Kwok. He started off his career with a singing contest which he won and subsequently, signed a contract with TVB.-TV series:-Films:...
as Magistrate Sung Yik / Fong Tsun (宋翊 / 方俊) - Jessica HsuanJessica HsuanJessica Hester Hsuan, or Suen Huen is a Hong Kong actress. Jessica holds a degree from Imperial College London.She is currently one of the most popular television actresses of Hong Kong. She started her career in late 1992 and early 1993...
as Tong Sze (唐思) - Mariane Chan as Nip Fung (聶楓)
- Michael TseMichael TseMichael Tse Tin Wah is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Career highlights:Michael Tse graduated from TVB's Dance Training Class and worked with TVB as a dancer for 5 years. He then left TVB and formed a boy band group called 風火海 with Jordan Chan and Jason Chu...
as Sit Dan (薛丹) - Lo MangLo MangLo Mang is a Hong Kong based veteran martial artist who was born as Lo Hin Lam in Hong Kong on 23 July 1956. Primarily known for starring in Shaw Brothers kung fu movies in the latter part of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s...
as Cha Siu-chaan (查小燦) - Gordon LiuGordon LiuGordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
as Nip Yan-lung (聶人龍) - Lau KongLau KongLau Kong is a Hong Kong actor who works on the network TVB.-Biography:Little is known of Lau's private life, but he has been acting since 1976, when he first joined the now defunct network Commercial Television, he later joined RTV Lau Kong (劉江) is a Hong Kong actor who works on the network...
as Ma Kwai (馬貴) - Eileen YeowEileen Yeow-Career:Eileen won the title of Miss Singapore Universe in 1991. After that, she went on to represent Singapore in the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas during the same year. Her best friend, Miss Hong Kong Anita Yuen then encouraged her to expand her acting career in Hong Kong. She then went to...
as Lam Choi-dip (藍彩蝶) - May Kwong as Princess Sum-yu (心如郡主)
- Benz HuiBenz HuiBenz Hui Shiu-hung is a Hong Kong actor who currently works on the TV station TVB. He used to work on ATV before switching over to TVB.-Family background:...
as Sung Sing (宋誠) - Mimi Chu as Lo Fa (魯花)
- Ma Tai-lo as Sung Ling (宋玲)
- Anderson Junior as Tenth Prince (十王爺)
- Fung So-bor as Princess of Hong (康王妃)
- Lee Lung-kei as Lam To (藍濤)
- Lo Chun-shun as Choi Chuen (蔡全)