Farewell Mr. Chan Hung Lit

The awards ceremony appropriately began with a segment honoring Chan Hung Lit, a veteran actor who died of a heart attack on November 24, 2009. Clips of his past performances were displayed, including one as Sun Ching Wah that earned him the Best Supporting Actor award. TV audiences saw him happily dancing with Shek Sau and Kiki Sheung shortly before his death on the Anniversary Gala show. He is survived by his wife and children.

Following the departures of Lydia Shum, Shek Kin, and a few others in recent memory, this is yet another blow to the TVB community and a reminder of how precious, short, and unpredictable life is.

Wayne Lai Wins TVB.com Popularity Award

I have little idea how an artiste’s popularity on TVB.com is calculated apart from the number of hits an official blog receives. Do results of online polls factor in? That would make more sense because Yoyo Mung’s blog is always positioned at the top of the list when I happen to stop by. I’ve never even seen Wayne’s on the front page. Ah, the influence of intangible players.

Aimee Chan Wins Most Improved Actress Award

With Selena Li completely out of the running (what happened?), my next pick was Koni Lui. However, to be fair the most deserving qualifier this year was definitely Sharon Chan, who has much more experience than the others and indeed shown improvement. After seeing how grateful and moved Aimee Chan was, I should probably be somewhat happy for her. Hopefully, she continues to work on both her acting skills and Cantonese pronunciation, and doesn’t get pigeonholed into playing “tomboy” roles.

Ngo Ka Nin Wins Most Improved Actor Award

A deserving win for Ngo Ka Nin! With 10 years of experience already under his belt, he broke through this time with a well-received performance as eldest son Chiang Bit Man in Rosy Business.

Tavia Yeung Wins My Most Favorite Female Character Award

Appointing Wong Yat Wah as presenter proved to be a good decision. His role as Kwok Jing in the classic 1982 The Legend of the Condor Heroes remains a favorite among many TVB fans. Lest we forget, he flexes his acting chops pretending to be upset after seeing Tavia Yeung and Charmaine Sheh exchange pecks on the cheeks.

With members of the Rosy Business cast being heavy favorites, I expected Sheren Tang’s Hong Po Kei to win as she was more likable than Yiu Gam Ling. To pair up with Dayo Wong’s Mak Tai Song of You’re Hired, however, Charmaine’s Lam Miu Miu was required. For the first time since her breakthrough role in 2001’s Country Spirit, she impressed me – that’s a big plus in my book. I’ve warmed up to her quite a bit this year.

It’s interesting to observe the high affinity TVB viewers have for certain villainous roles. Is the attraction based purely on the level of performance? That often humans with strong flaws are sympathized? Or the probability that villains leave deeper impressions on their audiences in comparison to righteous characters? I believe it to be a combination of all three when TVB plays fairly. Nonetheless, congratulations to Tavia. She humbly repeated the same two lines from last year’s acceptance speech.

Wayne Lai Wins My Most Favorite Male Character Award

Watching Mak Tai Song painfully struggle to devise a breakup plan with Lam Miu Miu again caused me to laugh. Poor girl, she fell for his plans each time. I really love characters with wit and a good sense of humor, so he was my personal favorite, but unsurprisingly, Chai Kau was a powerful force to be reckoned with even beyond the grave.

As you prepare to move your eyes vertically down, I would like to waste 20 seconds now to state an irrelevant opinion: Moses Chan’s ridiculously annoying Terrence Ho in The Gem of Life was by far my least favorite character of the year. Thank you.

Susan Tse Wins Best Supporting Actress Award

Susan Tse may be a new addition to the TVB family, but no rookie actress as she is famous outside for her participation in Chinese operas. Possessing an aura that breeds authority and the ability to pull at heartstrings, Susan was perfect as Empress Dowager Kwok in Beyond the Realm of Conscience and Yan Fung Yee in Rosy Business. I can’t even imagine her in modern dramas now, but I shall look forward to her upcoming productions.

Michael Tse Wins Best Supporting Actor Award

My heart goes out to Lee Kwok Lun, who excels in his supporting roles. Missing out on such a rare opportunity this year, I doubt we’ll see him again in the Top 5. What a shame. And how could Derek Kwok not be a finalist? D.I.E. Again was seriously overrated, but he was solid as Cheung Ching Yee. The man is likely aching for a big break.

Although Michael Tse is not a disappointing actor, his performance as Laughing Gor has already earned him a leading part in the spin-off film Turning Point. Perhaps TVB should have given the Popularity award to him and left this one open to the other two actors.

Tavia Yeung Wins Best Performance of the Year Award

“Best Performance of the Year” is a new category created in 2009 to reward hardworking artistes. The winner is not decided by public votes, but rather a panel of professional judges. Four main criteria are:

• Success in surpassing his/her peers
• Leaves a strong impression on viewers
• Strong work ethic
• Positive attitude

Wait a minute, those sound like the same considerations for choosing Best Actress. The new title even sounds more prestigious – it’s unisex. As much as Tavia deserves to be rewarded for her superb performance as Yiu Gam Ling, handing out this award nearly defeats the purpose of presenting the next two trophies. I blame TVB, but am happy the company cherishes Tavia enough to do this.

Sheren Tang Wins Best Actress Award

Prior to the announcement of Best Actress, a clip of Tavia’s character crying, “In the end, the winner is I, Yiu Gam Ling! Ahahahah!” was shown, generating much laughter. Now that was comedic timing.

Bravo! The true winner was no other than Sheren Tang, who was snubbed five years ago playing Yue Fei in War and Beauty and two years later as Hilda Hoi in La Femme Desperado. Third time’s the charm, however. Sheren was simply incredible as Hong Po Kei, the strong fourth wife of rice merchant Chiang Kiu (Ngok Wah). She was sincerely honest when speaking about the significance of awards and contract extensions. I loved her “one for all and all for one” attitude!

Wayne Lai Wins Best Actor Award

It was great to see classy actress Angie Chiu again. Her comment regarding the treatment of non-biological sons was spot-on.

The ever-dependable Wayne Lai was finally crowned Best Actor! I was so proud he captured the title with his first leading performance. Chai Kau is his most complex role to date, and he portrayed the dynamic character flawlessly.

Rosy Business is 2009’s Best Series

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Rosy Business! My jaw actually dropped when it was declared the winner. TVB repairing what’s left of its reputation by ignoring ratings and records? Was this a way to lull us into a false sense of security only to attack with more surprises next year? We’ll see, we’ll see. As much as I enjoyed watching weak melodrama and old ladies being pushed down the stairs, folks, the wrath of Lau Ka Ho had to cease; peace was restored – literally.

On a more serious note, I couldn’t be happier with this outcome. Although Beyond the Realm of Conscience managed to tie for 50 points with Jewel in the Palace, popularity and ratings are not always accurate indicators of excellence. For example, 2007’s Phoenix Rising and 2008’s Last One Standing deserved more recognition than Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance, respectively. The Beyond actresses should be applauded for sustaining neck pain during filming, and Tavia Yeung and Susan Tse were convincing. However, Rosy Business is technically superior with a well-crafted script, proper pacing, and an engaging plot.

Lee Tim Sing Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

The mystery behind Lee Tim Sing’s suit as Ngo Ka Nin pointed out earlier is solved! Tim Gor is my favorite TVB director and producer. His works include 1976’s Hotel starring Chow Yun Fat and Shek Kin, 1977’s A House Is Not a Home starring Liza Wang, and 1979’s The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly starring Chow again and Carol Cheng – those two were sizzling as a couple! These three series are masterpieces and some of my all-time favorites. I highly encourage those who haven’t seen them to raid their parents’ VHS collections for unedited copies. Divert your eyes away from the heavy make-up, large hairdos, long flairs, and thick glasses.

As a fan of mainly his productions, I did not remember that he played the hilarious Sweeping Streets Ah Mao in Enjoy Yourself Tonight. Seeing him walking down the street brought back memories. “Are you rushing to reincarnate?”

Overall, I’m quite satisfied with this year’s results. Congratulations to all winners and nominees!

What began as a strange nomination list became one of fair winners, and that’s a very generous saying given TVB’s history of playing favoritism. I assumed that a few of the awards would be distributed to those who required reassurance at the company or had connections with executive members, but I was delightfully surprised to be proven wrong.

Most Improved Actor Award
Having only seen Wong Cho Lam in a few episodes of Best Selling Secrets and Super Trio Supreme, I can’t say that he didn’t improve. Judging by the sample of his accomplishments shown, he seemed to be the right choice for the award. [The thought of Derek Kwok standing on stage holding a "Most Improved" trophy still makes me cringe. He was joking about being an awfully old winner, but I could sense the bitterness in his voice.]

Most Improved Actress Award
With several memorable performances and five series released in one year, I was nearly certain that Selena Li would bring home the prize, but seeing the less-promoted Nancy Wu take her place was just as gratifying. Nancy stepped into the entertainment industry in 2002, but only recently was she able to take her career to new heights starring in The Silver Chamber of Sorrows and the competition Strictly Come Dancing. She is a promising actress I look forward to seeing more of in upcoming series.

Most Favorite Female Character Award
This was a complimentary award for last year’s television queen Louise Lee. Many viewers cherished the wise, forgiving, and preachy Hor Ma in Moonlight Resonance, but she is unique to the imaginations of TVB writers; I doubt an unrealistically altruistic character quite like her exists elsewhere. While I do understand the importance of having sincerity in a world where sufferings and atrocities occur on a daily basis, surely we can protect ourselves without doing harm to others and succumbing to the dark side of human nature.

Most Favorite Male Character Award
Of all the young actors working for TVB, Raymond Lam is the most versatile and talented. Sadly, there is little variety in the roles given to him. Goon Ga Jai in Moonlight Resonance is family-oriented, sensitive, supportive, and sweet – the definition of a “good” guy. And that’s exactly the problem. How many of his other characters could be described as so? I welcomed the breath of fresh air when he portrayed the arrogant Lai Yeuk Yee in Face to Fate, but to truly expand his range, I believe Raymond must take on a villainous role – one more despicable than the Qin emperor in A Step Into the Past.

Best Supporting Actor Award
Congratulations to Wayne Lai! The standing ovations demonstrated his popularity amongst fellow actors and the audience. Appearing in very minor roles during the late 80’s and working his way up to moderate ones in Journey to the West (loved his version of Zhu Bajie!) and Safe Guards the next 18 years, he has long been a leading actor playing secondary characters. However, as a supporting actor, this restriction has not prevented him from stealing the show on multiple occasions. Dai Tsung Man in The Gentle Crackdown II is my favorite male character this year, and I’m simply thrilled that TVB is allowing Wayne to lead his first series with Sheren Tang.

Best Supporting Actress Award
Good for Tavia Yeung! It’s about time she lives outside the shadows of weaker actresses. Her strong portrayal of the adopted Ah Yuet in Moonlight Resonance provided a much-needed boost to her career, and she deserves every bit of the attention denied in past years. Though quite a few of her fans were upset that her performance was recognized as supporting material, the drop resulted in a more favorable outcome; she would have walked away empty-handed competing against fiercer opponents in the “Best Actress” category.

Best Series Award
Once again, Lau Kar Ho’s grand production squashed its competition, and once again I was left with the feeling of being cheated. Neither Heart of Greed nor Moonlight Resonance had a well-written script or decent plot to claim the “Best Series” title. After the cleverly scripted Phoenix Rising was defeated in 2007, the impressive Last One Standing suffered the same fate a year later. I’m just relieved another successor is not in the making. Has the milk finally evaporated?

Best Actress Award
The ever-youthful Michelle Yim is an exquisite actress. As a villainess, her piercing stares and devious smiles have the ability to send chills down my back. While Yan Hung in Moonlight Resonance may be easily compared to Sung Gam-Chi in The Brink of Law, as both were mothers who supposedly schemed for the well-being of their children, she approached this character differently to bring out her conniving qualities – all with cakey foundation and horrendous hair! I’m glad that Michelle’s career is peaking again, and may she continue to be successful.

Best Actor Award
Realistically, the only competitors were Ha Yu and Raymond Lam, but of the top five nominees, the performance of the latter was arguably the second weakest. Unfortunately, the brilliant deliveries of Damian Lau in Catch Me Now and Roger Kwok in Last One Standing (rather than D.I.E.) were overshadowed by those of the Moonlight Resonance cast members. I am, however, satisfied with Yu’s win because he truly deserves the award. Acting for nearly 40 years in a number of series, one of which earned him the “Chicken Man” nickname, he was never given the opportunity to shine brightly until Heart of Greed came his way.

On a side note, Louise Lee’s words before the presentation of the award were a bit unsettling. Yes, Kevin Cheng and Roger Kwok were out of the running, but to completely ignore their existence or hard work this year was bordering on insensitivity. Even in jest, respect should have been given to each nominee regardless of his/her odds.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Chun has had a distinguished career in both television and film, and the collection of this honorable award marked another milestone. How fitting they displayed the clip of Lee Heung Kam presenting the “Best Actor” award to him in 1986. I still remember first watching him as the gambler with the coolest voice synthesizer in 1990’s classic Hong Kong film All for the Winner. Hopefully, he keeps his promise and continues to act for decades more.

Good luck to all winners in the future!

Stripping away the overall solid performances by cast members, particularly that of sorely missed Gallen Lo, and the attractiveness of odd canine-feline couple Siu Ba and CanCan, When a Dog Loves a Cat had not the potential to receive high TV ratings. More than ever, the average Hong Kong viewer now seeks drama as re-defined by Heart of Greed : season-ending cliffhangers in each episode and arguments that mercilessly hammer away our senses. And that is a disappointment.

Weaknesses are seen in its script and character development, but When a Dog Loves a Cat is less concerned with triggering a full range of emotions and more about promoting ethical approaches to dealing with stray animals. Its message is clear: we have life-long responsibilities to our pets. Some may think these words are too “out there” and laugh, but having made the decision to bring home, care for, and form a bond with another being, should an owner then abandon it so easily on the street?

Of course, life is fragile and filled with unexpected surprises. There may come a time when caring for oneself is difficult let alone another. Having all shelters adopt a “no-kill” policy would be most beneficial to these abandoned pets. Remember: most animals in shelters are not “put to sleep” or “spared” from suffering a serious injury or illness. They are simply killed due to the lack of space, money, and proper medical treatment needed to keep them alive – that is not the true definition of euthanasia.

While the problems are clear, the solutions are not. How many actually have the time and resources to place strays in temporary housing or pet stores for adoption like MC, Chow Chow, and Jim? Far too few, and understandably so. Ultimately, eradication begins at the root of the problem, and basic options still include:

• Do research on an animal beforehand to be sure of compatibility with lifestyle.
• Adopt from a local shelter rather than purchase from a pet store.
• Bring pets to the veterinarian for regular check-ups and immunizations.