Taiyang Beihou (Behind the Sun), a 20-part TV drama, is believed to be the first serial to feature the ups and downs of dotcoms in China.
Some would mistake it for the 2001 Miramax feature about families locked in a generation-old deadly feud in Brazil because it has the same English title, but instead it tells the story of an IT company struggling in the recession of the so-called "Internet economy."
Optical Fiber Web, a fictional company in the drama, illustrates the fate of many Chinese dotcoms.
Renowned actor Wu Ruofu will play the main role as the chief executive officer of the company.
The shooting for Behind the Sun started earlier this month. It is produced by the Huayi Brothers & Taihe Film Investment Co Ltd.
The production of TV dramas has been developing rapidly in recent years as private capital has been allowed to enter, making it the most commercialized sector in China's entertainment industry.
The themes of many TV shows are closely related to the reality, catering for the needs of ordinary viewers.
(China Daily November 29, 2002)
