Don't Let Rural Dramas Become a Forgotten Corner

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that by the end of 2015, China's rural resident population was 600 million, accounting for about 44% of the total population. Yet in 2015, there were only 15 contemporary rural-themed TV dramas with 490 episodes, with the number of titles and episodes accounting for just 3.81% and 2.96% respectively of that year's total TV drama production and distribution. These two sets of figures, with their stark contrast, reveal the reality that rural-themed TV dramas occupy an absolutely weak position on a screen filled with a stream of "bizarre dramas" and a "blowout" of variety shows. How to use images to record the inner journey of Chinese farmers during the transition period, and to portray the changes and character of China's countryside amid urbanisation, is a task of the times facing TV drama creators.