Editor’s Note: With an abundance of movies, TV shows, and variety programs airing every week, how do you decide what to watch? You might want to check out the recommendations from the "The Paper" team.

Movies

National Day Releases

According to the Lighthouse Professional Version, as of October 4th at 2 PM, the total box office revenue for the 2024 National Day period has reached 1.35 billion yuan. The top three movies at the box office are "The Volunteer Army: The Battle of Life and Death," "749 Bureau," and "Road of Flames."

→ [Special Report] National Day Cinema

In recent years, during major releases, a few films have often been pulled from the lineup, and several have seen their reputation crash.

On October 3rd, the movie "Peaceful Passages" announced it would withdraw from the National Day schedule, with its release date pending. The day before, the animated film "Pipilu and Luxisi's 309 Dark Room" filed a withdrawal application and decided to pull out effective from midnight on October 4th.

→ "Peaceful Passages" and "Pipilu and Luxisi's 309 Dark Room" Withdraw from the National Day Lineup

This year, among the new releases for the National Day period, "749 Bureau" quickly fell into a whirlpool of negative reviews. Throughout October 1st, this film trended on social media for descriptors like "bad" and "Lu Chuan's 'Catching Dolls'," with its Douban rating dropping from an initial 5 to currently 4.6, with potential for further decline.

Currently, "Only This Green" leads the ratings among the new releases, standing at an impressive 8 on Douban.

As of October 4th, at 2 PM, ratings for some new National Day films on Douban.

Oscar for Best International Feature

At 12 PM Beijing Time on October 3rd, the submission deadline for the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature officially closed. Mainland China has nominated the documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon," and "The Siege of Kowloon Walled City" and "Old Fox" represent Hong Kong and Taiwan, respectively.

This year, many films vying for the Oscar from various countries or regions mostly stem from the three major European film festivals. Given the increasing significance of publicity efforts, it seems somewhat unrealistic to expect a film to burst onto the Oscar scene without using film festivals as a stepping stone.

Additionally, "The Grandson of Grandma" is representing Thailand for the Oscar nomination.

The long list for this year's Oscar for Best International Feature will be announced on December 17, with the final nomination list revealed on January 17, 2025, coinciding with the announcements for other awards. The awards ceremony will take place on March 2, 2025.

→ Oscar Best International Feature Registration Deadline, Popular Films Already Taking Shape

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Television Dramas

New Drama Updates

The treasure-hunting suspense fantasy web series "Love in the Northern Frontier", starring Li Dongxue, Tang Jingmei, Li Yunao, and Chen Mengqi, will be exclusively streamed on Tencent Video starting October 6. The series was filmed in the second half of 2017.

The contemporary investigative drama "People's Police", starring Lu Yi, Wan Qian, Ma Yuan, and Li Naiwen, will air on CCTV-8 at prime time starting October 7, simultaneously streaming on iQIYI and Tencent Video. Filming wrapped in May 2021.

A web series adapted from the novel "Strawberry Print" by the author a cabbage on Jinjiang Literature City, "Goodbye, Heartbeat" will be co-broadcast on Tencent Video and Youku starting October 8. The cast includes Li Yunrui, Xu Ruohan, Ren Shihao, Wang Yijin, Xia Haoran, and Duan Yu.

A new series in the Youku Hong Kong theater "Black Moonlight", starring Yang Qianyao, Wang Haoxin, Lin Xiwei, Ma Zhiwei, Huang Cuiyu, Yang Zhuona, and Ma Guandong, will premiere on October 9. It is said to be the Hong Kong version of "Dark Glory."

The costume drama "Seven Night Snow," adapted from the novel by Cangyue, will exclusively stream on iQIYI starting October 9, starring Li Qin and Zeng Shunxi.

The Republic of China legend series "On the Path of Mystery," began filming on September 27, featuring Guo Qilin, Dong Jie, Ma Sichun, and Du Chun.

Produced by Hairun Film and Television, the drama "String Songs" started filming on September 28, with Ren Zhong, Wang Yuanke, Huang Junpeng, and Zhang Lingxin leading the cast.

The costume drama "The Vast Moon," began filming on September 28, and will have exclusive streaming on iQIYI, with a cast featuring Peng Xiaoran, Zheng Yecheng, Dong Sicheng, Yang Shazi, Lin Kai, and Li Xinzhe.

A new Youku series "Peel the Layers" began filming on September 28, starring Luo Yunxi, Liu Yase, and Jiang Qilin.

"City of Sunshine"

Poster for "City of Sunshine"

Starring Zhou You, Yang Xiucao, Zhang Tong, and Wang Zhuochuo, the series tells the story of six young individuals, led by Suolang, as they seek self-discovery and pursue their dreams in the beautiful land of Tibet. After the premiere of the first two episodes, data from Kuyu shows an average viewership rating of 1.2813%, placing it in the TOP 3 for all channels, and it also ranks among the top ten on the Lighthouse platform, with internal heat on Tencent exceeding 10,000.

Driven by the concept of integrating culture and tourism, the series presents an authentic view of Lhasa and the real lives of Tibetan families, focusing on the Tuden, Pubu, and Jiumei families. According to the creative team, the script took two years to complete. The Mango TV's creative team visited Tibet four times, covering three districts and five counties in Lhasa, interviewing 132 real-life individuals related to the story, with over one million words in interview notes, visiting 78 major courtyards and 119 settings, and accumulating a total travel distance of 4,126 kilometers.

In recent years, themes blending local culture and film have become increasingly prevalent, allowing many viewers to see more regional characteristics through dramas. However, some viewers believe that the producers of this series focus too much on the scenery while neglecting the plot and pacing.

"Song of the Desert Wind"

Poster for "Song of the Desert Wind"

Starring Hanikezi, Fang Yilun, Gao Yang, and Guan Chang, this series narrates the compelling story of Princess Huang Beishuang, the most beautiful woman in the desert, of a fallen ethnicity who on her way to an arranged marriage interacts with three powerful men: Lord Huo Qingyun of the Northern Territory, the notorious bandit Ruo Wen, and the City Lord of Yunpei. Caught in the struggle for unification of the desert, she refuses to let fate dictate her life, entangling herself with these three men amid surreal crises.

The series follows a traditional costume drama style and currently has six episodes online, but has not performed well on Lighthouse and Yunyun data, receiving only 8.6 points on Tencent, with heat yet to surpass 20,000. Issues like the star power of the cast, a clichéd plot, and a lack of chemistry have contributed to its performance; it has a lengthy format that resembles shorter series amidst current trends of short series saturation. A shift to a shorter format could reduce costs and highlight strengths, making it competitive, but extending it to a longer series lacks compelling reasons for audience engagement, leading to comments suggesting it resembles shows from a decade ago.

"Flowers Bloom Like a Dream"

Poster for "Flowers Bloom Like a Dream"

Starring Zhang Jiayi, Dong Jie, Wang Lin, and Zhang Luyi, this series is adapted from Su Tong’s novel "Women's Lives," depicting the ups and downs of two generations of women’s fates during different historical periods. Filmed in 2015, this drama previously featured at the "China Day" event at the Asian American International Film Festival, jointly held with the New York Television Festival in 2017, winning three awards.

Due to long delays in its release, only two episodes are currently available for non-VIPs, and the promotion has been relatively low-key, resulting in poor heat data. Most mainstream data platforms have yet to record any heat data, and there’s little presence on popular social media platforms. Discussions around it are scarce, though it has garnered over 16,000 points on Tencent's internal heat. Some viewers have expressed dissatisfaction with significant deviations from the original work by Su Tong, while others note that despite the production's age, it possesses good quality and strong acting prowess, reflecting a return to authenticity.

Variety Shows

Poster for "Time Music Concert"

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Super Girl, 23 former contestants from five seasons reunite for 12 concerts in a musical showdown—a nostalgic dream of singing that harkens back to their youth! "Time Music Concert" will launch its pre-planning on October 4, airing every Friday on Mango TV and Hunan TV starting from October 11.

On October 4, the program "Chop the Thorns and Forge Ahead 4" premiered on Mango TV, ramping up the "camp battle." Six tribes have now fully upgraded to four camps. Team invitations and five public song selections promise to yield exciting moments among the brothers!

By the ninth episode, Wang Zhengliang has yet to differentiate between Wei Li'an and Cai Minyou. In