With or Without You (TV series)
With or Without You (Chinese: 東坡家事; Jyutping: Dung1 Bo1 Gaa1 Si6; Cantonese Yale: Dūng Bō Gā Sih; literally "Tung Po's Family Affairs") is a 2015 Hong Kong period historical fiction comedy drama produced by TVB, starring Bobby Au-Yeung, Joey Meng, Vincent Wong, Jacqueline Wong, Alice Chan and Harriet Yeung as the main cast. Filming took place from October 2014 to February 2015 on location in Hong Kong and China Central Television Wuxi Film & Television Base.[1] The drama is broadcast on Hong Kong's Jade and HD Jade channels from 26 October till 6 December 2015 every Monday through Friday during its 8:30–9:30 pm timeslot with a total of 30 episodes.
| With or Without You 東坡家事 | |
|---|---|
 With or Without You official poster | |
| Also known as | Tung Po's Family Affairs |
| Genre | Period drama, historical fiction, Comedy |
| Created by | Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited |
| Written by | Au Yin Yuan, Ngai Hong Yee |
| Starring | Bobby Au-Yeung Joey Meng Vincent Wong Jacqueline Wong Alice Chan Harriet Yeung |
| Theme music composer | Jin Nakamura |
| Opening theme | I Am Not Good 我不夠好 by Linda Chung |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language(s) | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Catherine Tsang |
| Producer(s) | Wong Wai Sing |
| Production location(s) | Hong Kong China Central Television Wuxi Film & Television Base |
| Editor(s) | Ga Wai Nam |
| Camera setup | Multi camera |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company(s) | TVB |
| Release | |
| Original network | Jade HD Jade |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | 26 October – 6 December 2015 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| With or Without You | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 東坡家事 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 东坡家事 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Tung Po's Family Affairs" | ||||||||||||
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The drama is a fictional telling of Song dynasty poet Su Shi and is the last of TVB's four 2015 grand anniversary dramas to be broadcast.[2]
Synopsis
The drama is a fictional account of the family life of Song dynasty poet Su Shi also known as So Tung Po.
Unable to forget his late wife, So Tung Po (Bobby Au Yeung) has refused to remarry until he meets talented female chef Wong Yun Chi (Joey Meng) who wins him over with her cooking. Thinking life will get better, he marries Yun Chi, but after marriage the two constantly bicker and Tung Po's son from his first marriage does not accept his new step mother .
Besides his own marriage Tung Po is also concerned with his youngest sister So Siu Mui's (Jacqueline Wong) love life since he believes her flirtatious boyfriend Chun Siu Yau (Vincent Wong) will eventually leave her and break her heart. Also his other younger sister So Dai Mui (Harriet Yeung), who still has not gotten over her first love that is now married to someone else.[3]
So Dai Mui finally marries with Tung Po's friend, Chan Kwai Sheung. They were lovers when Kwai Sheung was working in a temple. However that time he chose another one to marry. But the wife he marries is shrewish and claimed by Tung Po as "the lioness of Hedong". And eventually he is separated from his wife and be with Dai Mui.
Before marrying Siu Mui, Siu Yau told Tung Po a secret he's been keeping from Siu Mui. Siu Yau is a divorced man, with a divorce certificate he showed to Tung Po. However, his ex-wife returns to seek him after knowing he's already been the Champion of Keju. She lies to everybody that she is unaware of the divorce certificate. To not break her heart, Siu Mui chooses to serve Siu Yau with her. However Tung Po and Jeon Chi finally discover her she has been lying to everyone except her parents for a long time. She re-separate with Siu Yau.
Siu Yau goes to Silkworm Village for a working journey. He goes investigating the plague happened in the silkworm village since he used to help the villagers there. The plague is caused people to act as zombies. The plague was from Wong On Shek while he was planted the virus with an injury after he was fired by the emperor. Siu Yau found it in the medical classics knowing the plague is so call Baak Bin Ku and make up the antidote. When he and Siu Mui are both in illness, Tung Po save them with the antidote. This makes Wong On Shek and So Tung Po end with their argument.
The Emperor was dating with Kum Chow who is a famous prostitute in the Capital. She was introduced by Tung Po to the emperor. Underneath the prostitute's cover, she is actually a spy from the Kingdom of Liao. She set a lot of traps, and the plague is one of them.
Cast
So family
- Bobby Au-Yeung as So Tung Po, a famous poet and officer in Song dynasty
- Joey Meng as Wong Yun Zhi, Tung po's younger cousin-sister-in-law and wife later.
- Jimmy Au as So Chit, Tung Po's younger brother, also a poet and officer.
- Harriet Yeung as So Tai Mui, one of the two Tung Po's younger sisters, So Siu Mui's elder sister. Chan Kwai Sheung's concubine.
- Jacqueline Wong as So Siu Mui, Tung Po's youngest sister, Chun Shiu Yau's wife and later the equivalent wife (a kind of old-fashioned marriage relationship in China), good in martial arts and couplets.
- Vincent Wong as Chun Shiu Yau, another famous poet in Song dynasty. Tung Po's younger brother-in-law, So Siu Mui's husband, not only good in literature, but also martial arts.
- Lam Wing Yu
- Wong Yee Kam
Chan family
- Tyson Chak as Chan Kwai Sheung, Tung Po's best friend, he is historically famous for his fear of his cruel wife. He's So Tai Mui's ex-lover. Tai Mui and Yin-hung's lover.
- Alice Chan as Lau Yuet O, Chan's wife, historically famous by her husband describing her as a lion from the east of Yellow River in Chinese idiom 河東獅吼
Song dynasty Royals and Officials
- Jonathan Cheung as Song Shenzong, the emperor.
- Mary Hon as the empress dowager
- Leanne Li as Shau-On State Princess, ex-master for Kwai Sheung's wife Lau Yuet O and Tung Po's wife Yun Zhi.
- Pal Sinn as Wong on Shek, a famous reformer and poet in the Song Dynasty.
- Kevin Yau
- Joan Lee
Extended cast
- Sire Ma as Kum Chow, a prostitute and spy from the Liao State
- Akina Hong as So Chit's wife, she is also the servant of Kum Chow
- Becky Lee as Shuk Mei, Mrs. What, Shiu Yau's ex-wife and later wife, a liar too
- Dickson Lee as Hung Sei, a captor and Shiu Yau's friend
- Joseph Yeung
- Chan Wing Chun
- Bob Cheung
- Joel Chan
- Ceci So as Shiu Yau's mother-in-law
- Wong Chun as Shiu Yau's father-in-law
- Albert Law as Ching Chi-Coi, Tung Po's ex-brother-in-law and Kum Chow's servant
- Lily Li
- Lydia Law
- Ally Tse
- Wong Hong Kiu
- Roxanne Tong as Yin-Hung, a prostitute in Luk Ming Yuen. Tung Po's friend, Chan Kwai-sheung's mistress
- Glen Lee as Wong Pong, the elder son of Wong On Shek
- Suki Lam
- Ivana Wong (王舒銳) as Wong Yun Zhi's servant
Development
- The costume fitting ceremony and blessing ceremony was held on 30 October 2014 at 12:30 pm Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One Common Room.[4]
- Filming took place from October 2014 to February 2015 on location in Hong Kong and China Central Television Wuxi Film & Television Base.
- In March 2014, With or Without You was one of ten TVB dramas previewed at FILMART 2014.[5]
- A promo image of With or Without You was featured in TVB's 2015 calendar for the month of September.[6]
Viewership ratings
| Timeslot (HKT) | # | Week | Episode(s) | Average points | Peaking points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(8:30-9:30 pm) 20:30–21:30 |
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*19 November 2015: No episode was broadcast due to live airing of 2015 TVB Anniversary Gala.
International broadcast
| Network | Country | Airing Date | Timeslot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astro On Demand |  | 26 October 2015 | Monday – Friday 8:30 – 9:15 pm |
| TVBJ | .svg.png){kind=small} | 26 October 2015 | Monday – Friday 7:15 – 8:15 pm |
| Starhub TV |  | 18 February 2016 | Monday – Friday 8:00 – 9:00 pm |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | TVB Star Awards Malaysia | My Favourite TVB Drama Series | With Or Without You | Nominated |
| My Favourite TVB Actor in a Leading Role | Bobby Au-Yeung | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Actress in a Leading Role | Joey Meng | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Actor in a Supporting Role | Vincent Wong | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB Actress in a Supporting Role | Jacqueline Wong | Nominated | ||
| My Favourite TVB On-Screen Couple | Bobby Au-Yeung & Joey Meng | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Awards | TVB Anniversary Award for Best Drama | With or Without You | Nominated | |
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor | Bobby Au-Yeung | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actress | Joey Meng | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actor | Vincent Wong | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Best Supporting Actress | Jacqueline Wong | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character | Bobby Au-Yeung | Nominated | ||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Female Character | Joey Meng | Nominated | ||
| Jacqueline Wong | Nominated | |||
| TVB Anniversary Award for Favourite Drama Song | I'm Not Good Enough (我不夠好) by Linda Chung | Nominated |
References
- "歐陽震華出山拍劇要增肥演蘇東坡". on.cc 東網.
- INN STUDIO. "2015年TVB台慶劇《梟雄》《張保仔》《無雙譜》《東坡家事》 – HKChannel". ihktv.com.
- "Introducing TVB Anniversary Drama "With or Without You"". JayneStars.com.
- hyn5. "hyn5 @ 幸而城 Fortunate City: 《東坡家事》 "With or Without You" Blessing Ceremony". hyn5-hyn5.blogspot.com.
- "TVB Screens Upcoming Series at FILMART 2014". JayneStars.com.
- miriamfanz. "Casual TVB: TVB Calendar 2015". casualtvb.blogspot.com.