Limelight Years
Limelight Years (Chinese: 華麗轉身; Jyutping: Waa4 Lai6 Zyun2 San1; Cantonese Yale: Wàh Laih Jyún Sān; literally "Elegant Transformation") is a 2015 Hong Kong romantic television drama created and produced by TVB, starring Linda Chung, Liza Wang, Alex Fong, Damian Lau and Eliza Sam as the main cast.[1] Filming took place from June till September 2014. The drama began airing on Hong Kong's Jade and HD Jade channels April 27 till May 22, 2015 every Monday through Friday during its 8:30-9:30 pm timeslot with a total of 22 episodes. The final 2 episodes aired on the same night as a 2-hour finale special on Sunday May 24, 2015 starting at 8:00 pm.[2]
| Limelight Years | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Also known as | Elegant Transformation |
| 華麗轉身 | |
| Genre | Modern Drama, Romance |
| Created by | Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited |
| Starring | Linda Chung Liza Wang Alex Fong Damian Lau Eliza Sam |
| Theme music composer | Anthony Lun |
| Opening theme | Gorgeous Turnaround (華麗轉身) by Liza Wang |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Catherine Tsang |
| Producer | Chong Wai Kin |
| Production locations | Hong Kong, Taiwan |
| Editor | Au Koon Ying |
| Camera setup | Multi camera |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | TVB |
| Release | |
| Original network | TVB Jade, HD Jade |
| Original release | 27 April – 22 May 2015 |
| Limelight Years | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 華麗轉身 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Elegant Transformation" | ||||||||||||
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This is the third time Wang and Lau have collaborated playing a couple. The two previously worked together in TVB's 1980 Yesterday's Glitter (京華春夢) and 2001 The Awakening Story (婚前昏後)[3]
This is Alex Fong's first drama with TVB in nine years. His last collaboration with TVB was in 2005 My Family (甜孫爺爺).[4]
Synopsis
After recovering from a long term illness, semi-retired popular singer Wah Fong Ying (Liza Wang) realizes that she has lived an unfulfilled life. With two failed marriages and estranged relationships with all of her children, she lives a lonely life. Wanting to mend her relationship with her oldest daughter, Lancy who resides in Taiwan, she travels there and meets Hong Kong photographer Ben Law (Damian Lau), whose wife was a fan of hers. Ben is in Taiwan to fulfill his late wife's wish (Michelle Yim) to have her remains returned to her ancestral home. Romance sparks between the two and soon each becomes the other's strength and support. Realizing that throughout her career she has never sung for her loved ones, Fong Ying decides to hold a last concert for her friends and family with Ben's encouragement, but her daughter Tong Yan (Eliza Sam) rejects her invitation to attend. Fong Ying proceeds to work on her concert and hires personal assistant Jinny Szeto (Linda Chung) and creative director Sean Song (Alex Fong) to help her produce the concert. Just as light seems to shine on Fong Ying again, darkness comes back into her life when Jinny finds out that Fong Ying was involved in an affair with her uncle in the past and Ben starts to suffer from hallucinations due to a brain tumor.[5][6]
Cast
Main cast
- Linda Chung as Szeto Tik Tik (司徒迪迪; Dikdik)
- Liza Wang as Wah Fong Ying (華芳凝)
- Alex Fong as Sean Song (桑尚恆)
- Damian Lau as Ben Law (羅斌漢; Robin)
Guest appearance
- Michelle Yim as Ming Ha (明霞)
Law family
- Hugo Wong as Law Chi Yue (羅子譽; Famous)
- Jacqueline Wong as Law Chi Wing (羅子穎; Wing Wing)
Tong family
- Patrick Dunn as Tong Se Kit (唐士捷)
- Jonathan Wong as Vince Tong (唐榮)
- Eliza Sam as Yanto Tong (唐欣)
Poon family
- Pat Poon as Poon Sa Wo (潘世和)
- Candice Chiu as Lancy Poon (潘南思)
Extended cast
- William Chak as Ken Pak (畢地特; Buddy)
- Grace Wong as Lydia Nam (藍汀雅)
- Alan Wan as Szeto Bong Bong (司徒邦邦)
- Chung King-fai as Zoek Si (爵士)
- Li Shing-cheong as George Lui (雷佐治)
- Lau Kong as Suen Long (舜郎)
- KK Cheung as Gordon Lai (賴哥頓)
- Timothy Cheng as Yip Ga Yu (葉佳耀)
- Corinna Chamberlain as Alice (愛麗斯)
- Becky Lee as Marjorina (馬祖蓮娜)
- Stanley Cheung as Diamond
- Stephen Wong as Fung Ka Ming (馮家明)
- Lily Liew as Yuet jie (月姐)
- Siu Koi Yan as
- Kelvin Yuen as
Development
- A promotional image of Limelight Years was featured in TVB's 2015 calendar for June.[7]
- The costume fitting ceremony was held on May 27, 2014, at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One.[8]
- Original overseas shooting was supposed to take place in Vietnam; due to Vietnam's anti-Chinese protests in 2014, overseas shooting was moved to Taiwan.[9]
- The blessing ceremony took place on June 3, 2014, 12:30 pm at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One Parking Lot.[10][11]
- Filming of the drama began in June 2014 and ended in September 2014. Shooting of Taiwan scenes took place in late August and early September 2014.[12]
- Limelight Years was one of the dramas previewed at "TVB Sales Presentation 2015" held in November 2014.[13]
Viewership ratings
| # | Timeslot (HKT) | Week | Episode(s) | Average points | Peaking points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon – Fri 20:30 | 27 April - 1 May 2015 | 1 — 5 | 23 | 27 |
| 2 | 04-8 May 2015 | 6 — 10 | 24 | 27 | |
| 3 | 11–15 May 2015 | 11 — 15 | 24 | 29 | |
| 4 | 18–22 May 2015 | 16 — 20 | 24 | 26 | |
| 5 | 24 May 2015 | 21 — 22 | 26 | 29 | |
| Total average | 23.95 | 29 | |||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | StarHub TVB Awards | My Favourite TVB Drama | Limelight Years | Nominated |
| My Favourite TVB Actress | Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Female TV Character | Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Theme Song | Gorgeous Turnaround (華麗轉身) by Liza Wang | Nominated | ||
| TVB Star Awards Malaysia | My Favourite TVB Drama Series | Limelight Years | Nominated | |
| My Favourite TVB Actor in a Leading Role | Alex Fong | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Actress in a Leading Role | Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| Liza Wang | Nominated | |||
| My Favourite TVB Actor in a Supporting Role | Damian Lau | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB On-Screen Couple | Alex Fong & Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite Top 16 TVB Drama Characters | Linda Chung | Won | ||
| TVB Anniversary Awards | TVB Anniversary Award for Best Drama | Limelight Years | Nominated | |
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor | Alex Fong | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress | Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| Liza Wang | Nominated | |||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor | William Chak | Nominated | ||
| Jonathan Wong | Nominated | |||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character | Alex Fong | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Female Character | Linda Chung | Nominated | ||
| Liza Wang | Nominated | |||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Favourite Drama Song | Gorgeous Turnaround (華麗轉身) by Liza Wang | Nominated | ||
| Galaxy (銀河) by Liza Wang | Nominated | |||
| Flashing On Stage (閃爍登場) by Liza Wang | Nominated |
References
- Limelight Years soompi page. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- Limelight Years AF.net page. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- 汪明荃劉松仁第三度合作互笠高帽(in Chinese). Retrieved April 21, 2015
- 方力申主動獻殷勤 鍾嘉欣懶理輕鬆補妝(in Chinese). Retrieved April 21, 2015
- FILMART 2015 - Series Briefs. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- Synopsis of TVB’s “Limelight Years”. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- TVB Calendar 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- Damian Lau Wants to Film “Elegant Transformation” in Canada. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- TVB’s “Elegant Transformation” Halts Plans to Film in Vietnam. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- "Extravagant Change" Blessing Ceremony. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- 鍾嘉欣樂做汪阿姐妹仔任糟質(in Chinese). Retrieved April 21, 2015
- Alex Fong and Linda Chung Film “Elegant Transformation” Under Hot Sun. Retrieved April 21, 2015
- Uncles Lead 2015 TVB Dramas. Retrieved April 21, 2015
External links
- Official website (in Chinese)