♠❁❧汶の文❀❤♣

The series that has continued Destiny's successful streak is SET's and Frankie Chen's latest idol drama, Woody Shan-Bao-Mei. With the two main characters from You are My Destiny making cameo appearances in the first episode of Woody, the new show scored 10.57 in the ratings, a record for the premiere of an idol drama. As of November 2008 it was the top idol drama on television.
The nostalgic tone of the show and its old-time feel is a deliberate effort by Frankie Chen to create an idol drama "unlike anything else on the market." Meanwhile, the series creator persists in her efforts to write a leading character that is closer to a regular person from everyday life, while keeping the romantic relationship funny and sweet.
In Woody Shan-Bao-Mei, the heroine, Hu Shan-bao, works in her father's Cantonese-style barbecue restaurant. Given Shan-bao's tomboy look, flat-chested figure, muscular biceps from hard work and the greasy smell she has from always being in the kitchen, she lacks confidence about her appearance. Then she meets narcissistic and flirtatious cooking show host Woody Sun and the show centers on the relationship between them.
Surprising, creative touches are found throughout the show, such as the theme music, the old Chinese song Love Flower Blossoms. The song has been used in several films by renowned Hong Kong comic actor and director Stephen Chow in which it is played at a slow tempo, giving it a sad, melancholy feel. In the Woody series, however, it is remixed to sound like upbeat dance music. The end of each episode is a cartoon drawn by the well-known local illustrator Cola King and the dialogue is even contributed by bloggers. Frankie Chen insists on including original elements in the series and says local audiences have always responded well whenever something new is added. The smashing success of both You Are My Destiny and Woody Shan-Bao-Mei seems to have proven the point made by Fu Jen professor Daniel Chao that new ideas are key to sustaining interest in idol dramas.
In fact, the impact of the genre has gone well beyond creating idol dramas to being "idol makers" as Chao terms it--turning young actors and actresses into celebrities overnight. There is also considerable cross-promotion with the music industry, and producers capitalize on the popularity of lead actors by casting them in successive shows.
Barbie Hsu was a singer and variety show hostess before her role in Meteor Garden, but the series quickly turned her and the four male leads who also made up the boy band F4, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu, into superstars. All five stars have appeared in a number of television series since then. The band associated with the show, F4, now named JVKV, has gained a huge following, held sold-out concerts in Taiwan and throughout Asia, and released a number of albums, with each of the band members subsequently releasing solo albums.
Actress Joe Chen starred in The Prince Who Turns Into a Frog and several other idol dramas before her role as the female lead in You Are My Destiny cemented her place in the idol drama firmament. Ethan Ruan, the male lead in Destiny, considered quitting the entertainment industry after five years of struggling as an actor and model, before shooting to fame with the series. He is now one of the hottest celebrities in Taiwan.
Nicholas Teo and Amber Kuo, the stars of Woody Shan-Bao-Mei, have both moved into acting from singing careers. In particular, Malaysia-born Teo's role in his first idol drama, Smiling Pasta (2006), won him recognition both as a singer and actor as he performed several songs for the series' soundtrack. His solo album, Prince, released in 2007 after the series ended, played on the image of his character in the television drama, a young singer who appears aristocratic and stand-offish.
The idol drama genre has also started to gain recognition at the Golden Bell Awards, Taiwan's highest honor for television programs organized by the Government Information Office. While the cast and crew of only a few idol dramas have made it onto the awards' nomination list in the past, 2008 was a fruitful year for many of the shows. You Are My Destiny alone was nominated in six categories, eventually taking home two prizes for best drama and best marketing. In the best actress category, four of the five nominees were the female leads from idol drama series, with the award going to Ariel Lin for the idol drama They Kiss Again.
Frankie Chen sees this unique style of storytelling as among the most influential international exports that Taiwan's cultural creative industry has produced. "Just as for our pop music, our TV dramas are in the leading position in the Mandarin-speaking world," Chen says. According to SET, the majority of their self-produced series have been aired overseas. You Are My Destiny has been sold for broadcast in more than 10 countries, with royalties valued at some US$2.5 million. Many of the idol dramas are also available by mail order or Internet order.
Fu Jen's Daniel Chao also believes Taiwan's idol drama genre has brought about a remarkably positive impact on the way television dramas are produced. He says the influence might prove to be profound, as current idol drama viewers will demand more of such offerings from other television series in the future.
The emergence of idol drama was an important turning point for Taiwan's television industry, Chao says. It represents a different approach to the production of popular drama and new possibilities for the genre. More importantly, it is realizing these possibilities, he says.
In the bigger picture, the international success of these locally produced idol dramas is showing the strength of Taiwan's cultural creative industry, and entertaining new fans around the world.

Woody Shan-Bao-Mei stars Nicholas Teo and Amber Kuo. The first episode of Woody in 2007 delivered record ratings for the premiere of an idol drama and brought instant fame to the two young leads. (Courtesy of Sanlih E-Television)

From : No. 59 Taiwan Review 01/01/2009