That's (odd) entertainment!

• Source: Global Times
• [11:38 August 04 2010]
• Comments

Contestant Luo Yan on stage with her friend. Photo: Courtesy of Xu Ai

By Huang Xi

Television talent shows have been the summer ratings winners throughout the country for some time now, but this year the hordes of plagiarized dating shows stole their audiences. The record ratings and fan controversies have vanished, probably because of the lack of anything new in their presentation.

But one show is breaking the mold. The new Dragon TV talent show China's Got Talent aims to bring some of China's more extraordinary performers to the world.

The first episode on July 25 soared to 8 percent of the ratings in Shanghai and 1.37 percent in 26 cities nationwide, while the ratings of Super Boy on Hunan TV and Blossoming Flowers on Qinghai TV managed only 0.83 percent and 0.09 percent at the same time.

Talented or odd

Where most talent shows concentrate on singing or dancing, this upstart gives anyone a go. Stephen Flint, the deputy director of Fremantle Media, an international production company which owns the titles Got Talent and Pop Idol, said that he hoped ordinary Chinese people with unique skills will perform on the show. "I want to see if the Chinese version can find its own Susan Boyle," he added.

The show involves performers of different ages, professions and educational background - the first episode included a 94-year-old grandmother soprano, migrant-workers-turned street dancers, a dwarf singer and a 4-year-old pianist.

"Unlike people in the West, Chinese are not that keen on performing in public. This show wants to encourage Chinese people to share their talents with others. We are especially looking for talents born in the 1980s and 90s," said Lu Wei, a spokesman for the show.

On the first show Kuang Biru, a 94-year-old Shanghainese, sang the song "Edelweiss" in English and enjoyed a warm reception from the audience.

When the judges joked about her performance, Kuang was a pure professional, retorting: "If I embarrass myself this is also a talent especially if it can make you guys laugh."

With few rules on the sort of acts that can appear on the show, anything can happen. And sometimes does.

Luo Yan came with her act which involved her dancing and playing with several live snakes. When she chose a 2-meter python to accompany her on the stage, judge Annie Yi jumped off her seat and turned her back to the contestant throughout the act. She was not alone. Several in the audience watched the performance, peeking through their fingers.

Jin Lei, the director of China's Got Talent thinks this show and other talent shows are as different as apples and oranges. "This is where ordinary people can show extraordinary skills," he said.

But strange performances can give the ratings a boost. The show reached a peak of 9.9 percent when the dwarf girl Zhu Jie sang.

She chatted with the judges afterwards, embraced her boyfriend on the stage and declared "I will be happy forever" - a phrase that brought several in the audience and some of the judges close to tears.

Hong Kong actress Yvonne Yung said in her mini blog: "I like the show because it provides a showcase for people from all walks of life."