Chinese anti-graft TV drama ends with record-breaking ratings

Chinese anti-corruption television drama "In the Name of the People" ended Friday with the highest viewing figures for a locally produced TV drama in a decade, reports jfdaily.com. 

A poster for the Chinese television drama "In the Name of the People" [Photo: jfdaily.com]

The 52-episode TV series premiered on Hunan Television in March, and told the stories of anti-graft investigators tracking down corrupt government officials.

The show achieved 21 billion hits on six leading Chinese video sites such as Tencent Video and Mango TV, attracting about 120,000 comments and an 8.5/10 score on Douban, a popular Chinese fan-rating site as of Thursday, according to jfdaily.com.

The show is especially popular among younger viewers, as well as with people from overseas, according to some media reports. 

A still from the Chinese TV drama "In the Name of the People" [Photo: Xinhua]

One person posted on Weibo, "Secretary Da Kang's acting skill is fantastic. I was born in the 1990s, and I have watched the TV drama more than 10 times so far."

Some foreign diplomats from the U.S. and European countries have apparently shown great interest in the TV drama, with some embassies in China organizing special screenings for their diplomats at which many took notes, Xinhua reports.

The hit show has also stimulated heated debate about “what it takes to be a good government official” among viewers, according to jfdaily.com.

A still from the Chinese TV drama "In the Name of the People" [Photo: Xinhua]

60 percent of the audience said they liked the TV series due to its authenticity, because it bears a striking resemblance to reality, according to an online poll conducted by Beijing News.

20.1 percent say they liked it because of its A-list scriptwriter and story structure, with 19.9 percent saying it was due to the strong and attractive cast, the poll shows. 

It is the first drama series to feature high-level Chinese government corruption since 2004, according to media reports.

Several other Chinese TV dramas focusing on the topic of anti-corruption are also said to be in production this year, according to jfdaily.com.