TV crime drama a hit in China

A TV series about a police investigation and manhunt following a crime wave on a Beijing-Moscow train has become a hit in China.

The poster of Operation Moscow. [File Photo: IC]

The 31-episode TV drama, Operation Moscow, aired on a local Chinese television station and several online video platforms on Jan. 8.

It quickly went viral, scoring 8 out of 10 points on Douban, a popular Chinese movie rating platform. The first 10 episodes were viewed online more than 130 million times.

Operation Moscow is based on an actual case in 1993. Chinese police launched a cross-border manhunt after criminals from several gangs conspired and committed rape and robbery on a Moscow-bound train from Beijing.

According to the series writer Xu Yang, the writing team talked with the police, train staff and victims when they created the story, hoping to provide insight into the actual history and characters.

"Many gang members have died, so we have to study the documents to reconstruct their roles," Xu added.

Director Zhang Rui said the TV drama depicts the courage and fearlessness of the Chinese police.

The drama was shot in China and Russia and stars actors from both countries.

"It's rare to see such a good domestically produced TV drama. The shooting style and narrative rhythm make you feel that you are watching an American drama," wrote a Douban user with the screen name "bkn."