| Genre: | War drama Period |
| Starring: | Zhou Xun Zhu Yawen Huang Xuan Yu Rongguang Qin Hailu |
| Based On: | Red Sorghum by Mo Yan |
| Director: | Zheng Xiaolong |
| Producer: | Cao Ping |
| Endtheme: | Jiu'er (九兒) by Han Hong & Hu Shasha |
| Num Episodes: | 60 |
| Company: | Shandong TV Qingdao Golden Phoenix Film & Television Culture Company Flower Film & TV |
| Channel: | Beijing TV Shandong TV Zhejiang TV Dragon TV |
Red Sorghum (Chinese: c=红高粱|p=Hóng Gāoliang) is a 2014 Chinese television series based on Nobel laureate Mo Yan's 1986 novel of the same name. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it also features the highly anticipated return of actress Zhou Xun to television after 10 years.[1] The series chronicles the struggles of the protagonist Jiu'er (played by Zhou) in rural Shandong province in early 1930s.[2] [3] It aired simultaneously on four satellite television channels from 27 October to 17 November 2014 for 60 episodes.
To reproduce the scenes of the novel, the Gaomi local government planted more than 200 hectares of sorghum. The field, now known as "Red Sorghum TV Production Base", became a shooting site for the TV series. More than 500 local residents performed as extras in the TV show.
The series premiered to rave reviews online on Weibo and has enjoyed good ratings. It topped the ratings on four satellite TV channels for three weeks during its broadcast; and has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on major streaming site iQiyi.[4] [5] According to Qilu Evening Post, the series also spawned viral greetings. Xinhua News Agency praised the drama, calling it a "classic in Chinese television history" and Hainan Daily called Zhou an "impeccable performer".[6]
However, the series has been criticized the series as "too commercial" and "losing the touch of authenticity." The casting of Zhou in the role of the 19-year-old protagonist has also sparked a controversy.
| CSM50 City Ratings[7] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air date | Episode | Beijing TV | Shandong TV | Zhejiang TV | Dragon TV | |||||
| Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | |||
| October 27 | 01–03 | 1.151 | 2 | 1.099 | 3 | 0.659 | 8 | 0.729 | 7 | |
| October 28 | 04–06 | 1.158 | 3 | 1.236 | 2 | 0.942 | 5 | 0.752 | 7 | |
| October 29 | 07–09 | 1.195 | 3 | 1.298 | 2 | 0.921 | 5 | 0.780 | 7 | |
| October 30 | 10–12 | 1.154 | 3 | 1.380 | 2 | 0.971 | 4 | 0.781 | 7 | |
| October 31 | 13–15 | 1.264 | 2 | 1.392 | 1 | 0.850 | 7 | 0.976 | 6 | |
| November 1 | 16–17 | 1.468 | 3 | 1.548 | 1 | 0.842 | 7 | 1.154 | 4 | |
| November 2 | 18–19 | 1.474 | 3 | 1.684 | 1 | 0.899 | 6 | 1.111 | 4 | |
| November 3 | 20–22 | 1.505 | 1 | 1.428 | 3 | 0.905 | 6 | 1.000 | 5 | |
| November 4 | 23–25 | 1.528 | 1 | 1.390 | 3 | 1.222 | 4 | 0.994 | 5 | |
| November 5 | 26–28 | 1.472 | 3 | 1.478 | 2 | 1.270 | 4 | 1.078 | 5 | |
| November 6 | 29–31 | 1.645 | 1 | 1.463 | 4 | 1.481 | 3 | 0.910 | 7 | |
| November 7 | 32–34 | 1.666 | 1 | 1.569 | 2 | 1.290 | 4 | 0.945 | 7 | |
| November 8 | 35–36 | 1.796 | 1 | 1.757 | 2 | 1.093 | 5 | 1.108 | 4 | |
| November 9 | 37–38 | 1.594 | 2 | 1.781 | 1 | 1.412 | 4 | 1.202 | 5 | |
| November 10 | 39–41 | 1.415 | 3 | 1.563 | 2 | 1.409 | 4 | 0.976 | 6 | |
| November 11 | 42–44 | 1.655 | 2 | 1.614 | 3 | 1.374 | 4 | 1.029 | 5 | |
| November 12 | 45–47 | 1.668 | 2 | 1.617 | 3 | 1.387 | 4 | 1.055 | 5 | |
| November 13 | 48–50 | 1.710 | 2 | 1.584 | 3 | 1.440 | 4 | 1.030 | 5 | |
| November 14 | 51–53 | 1.685 | 2 | 1.711 | 1 | 1.324 | 4 | 1.027 | 5 | |
| November 15 | 54–55 | 1.920 | 1 | 1.884 | 2 | 1.145 | 4 | 1.105 | 5 | |
| November 16 | 56–57 | 1.939 | 1 | 1.910 | 2 | 1.345 | 4 | 1.184 | 5 | |
| November 17 | 58–60 | 1.949 | 1 | 1.870 | 3 | 1.494 | 4 | 1.178 | 5 | |
| Total | 34.011 | - | 34.256 | - | 25.675 | - | 22.104 | - | ||
| Average | 1.546 | - | 1.557 | - | 1.167 | - | 1.005 | - | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Top Ten Television Series | Red Sorghum | ||
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | |||
| Outstanding Contribution Award | Zheng Xiaolong | |||
| 2015 | Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | ||
| Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | |||
| Best Actor | ||||
| Best Actress | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | ||||
| Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | |||
| Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | |||
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | |||
| Best Actor (Revolution-Era Drama) | Zhu Yawen | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Qin Hailu | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Huang Xuan | |||
| Best Newcomer | ||||
| Best Producer | Cao Ping | |||
| Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | |||
| Best Actress | Zhou Xun | |||
| Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China | Best Actress | |||
| 2016 | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | ||
| Best Cinematography | Yu Fei, Wang He, Yang Haipeng | |||
| Best Art Direction | Wang Shaolin, Yao Zhijie, Yang Kaiqiang | |||
| Best Lightning | Zhang Xin'an, Chen Li |
| Country | Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2015 | Tamnan Rak Thung Si Plerng (ตำนานรักทุ่งสีเพลิง,[8] lit: Fire-Colored Field Love Legend) | |||
| Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Cambodia Thailand | Oh!K | Oct 13,2017 | Wed To Fri 17:50 (SIN) 16:50 (JKT/BKK) 18:55 (HK) |