Rosy Business


Rosy Business is a 2009 Hong Kong period television drama produced by Lee Tim-sing and TVB. Comprising 25 episodes, it original aired on the Jade network from 27 April to 29 May 2009. The final two episodes were aired back-to-back as a two-hour finale, including a cast interview with Scoop.
Set in Eastern China during the mid-19th century, Rosy Business follows the mercantile Chiang family, owners of Wuxi's largest rice business Hing Fung Nin. After falling ill, patriarch Chiang Kiu temporarily hands over his leadership to his fourth wife Hong Po-kei, which incurs conflict with his other wives and sons. Meanwhile the impoverished coolie Chai Kau becomes an important figure in assisting Hong Po-kei in protecting the family business from crumbling during the Taiping Rebellion. The script was inspired by the successful Chinese television series The Grand Mansion Gate.
A commercial success, the final week of broadcast peaked at 47 TVRs with 3 million live viewers, becoming the second highest-rated television drama in Hong Kong of 2009. Rosy Business received twelve TVB Anniversary Award nominations and eight top 5 nominations, winning six of them, becoming the biggest winner of the year. The awards include Best Drama, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, My Favourite Male Character and Most Improved Male Artiste. A sister production, No Regrets, was released in 2010.

Plot

In the mid-1830s, a natural disaster strikes the city of Nantong, tarnishing most of the city's rice fields. Running out of food supply, city mayor Hong Chi-wing decides to use the city's military food supply to feed the people. A few days after the disaster, an official from Beijing arrives to the city to check the military supply, and upon seeing empty trailers, he sentences the Hong family to death. His daughter Hong Po-yin escapes from punishment and becomes a maid in Prince Wai's mansion, living under the name Hong Po-kei.
Twenty years later, Po-kei reunites with the rich rice merchant Chiang Kiu at his manor in Wuxi, whom she was betrothed to before the disaster. Chiang Kiu's wife, Yan Fung-yee recognizes Po-kei and reveals her identity to Prince Wai, who was there for a visit. Kiu manages to convince the Prince to free her, and marries Po-kei as his fourth wife. Appreciating Po-kei's wisdom and persistence, he entrusts the business to her, with the reason that his eldest son, Bit-man, is not yet ready to succeed him.
Hungry for power and eager to keep tradition, Fung-yee finds every opportunity for her son, Bit-man, to be the only heir of the family business. She attempts to strip Po-kei from power even when Chiang Kiu's final will reads that Po-kei should have the final call for the business.
Despite attacks from the family, Po-kei manages to keep the business in good shape. She is impressed with second son Bit-ching's intelligence and guides him to become the successor, but her efforts are met with Chai Kau's challenges. Chai Kau seeks vengeance for being mistreated and wants a pay back from Bit-man and his uncle, Pang Hang.
Chai Kau pledges his loyalty to Po-kei. With their excellent cooperation and quick thinking, the business manages to survive through the locusts disasters and the Taiping Rebellion.

Production

Development and concept

Before Lee Tim-shing began preparing for a new production, Sheren Tang approached Li and explained that she wanted to work on a drama with him. Eager to work with Lee, Tang said that she was willing to accommodate her schedules for the new production. Tang also suggested to work with Wayne Lai. Lee agreed to the project, and when both Tang's and Lai's scheduling were finalized, Lee began working on the production in early 2008. Along with producing coordinator Cheung Wah-biu, they submitted an initial script to Catherine Tsang, manager of TVB's production department. She was impressed with the script and development for the production formally began in July 2008. A press conference and costume fitting for the cast was held on July 25, 2008 with the working title "Red Powder Merchant". Filming began August and ended four months later in November 2008 in Hong Kong. Lee explained that the production was temporarily called "Wives and Concubines" when the initial script was first submitted, but was later renamed to "Red Powder Merchant." Colleagues criticized the new working title, and Lee later finalized the official title to "Veiled Heroine, Ruthless Hero" and its official English title to Rosy Business. "Veiled Heroine" represented Tang's role of the fourth wife, while "Ruthless Hero" represented Lai's role 'Chai Kau'. The drama was also sponsored by Bawang Shampoo.

Reception

Broadcast

The drama aired in TVB's main TVB Jade channel for five days a week, from April 27 to May 29, 2009, with a total of 24 episodes. While production planned for 25 episodes, the two final episodes were aired together. A special Scoop celebration aired during commercial breaks, with the whole finale lasting for approximately two straight hours.
Before the broadcast of grand production drama Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Rosy Business was 2009's most viewed drama, with an average rating of 33 points per episode. The finale episode peaked to 47 rating points, the second highest in 2009. The highest peak of average ratings in one week reached to 42 points, also the second highest in 2009.

Critical reception

Rosy Business has received commercial and critical acclaim in Hong Kong. While ratings went to as high as 47 points, critics claim that if the points included the viewers who watched the drama through TVB's HDTV and other sister networks, the rating results may have been comparative to the viewership success of Moonlight Resonance and Korean drama Jewel in the Palace, in which both dramas reached to a rating of 50 points. The roles of the "fourth wife" and "Chai Kau" propelled both Sheren Tang and Wayne Lai to stardom, and both respectively won the title as Best Actress and Best Actor at the 2009 TVB Anniversary Awards.
However, Rosy Business aired in Mainland China with mixed reviews. Viewers expressed that the story was too similar to The Grand Mansion Gate, and claimed that Hong Kong script writers were beginning to lack creativity, having remade a few Mainland dramas already in the past.

Cast and characters

After the success of Rosy Business, TVB announced plans to produce a companion piece starring the original cast, slated to begin filming in March 2010. However, Fala Chen and Raymond Wong Ho-yin were cast to replace Kiki Sheung, Ron Ng, and Suki Chui, who were reported to be not taking part in the production due to scheduling conflicts.
Tentatively titled Rosy Business II, a sales presentation trailer of the drama featuring a majority of the original cast was filmed on October 25, 2009 in TVB's filming studio. The three-minute trailer aired on the TVB Jade channel on December 6, 2009 to an overwhelmingly positive reception. 50 random locals were interviewed in the streets, and 58% chose Rosy Business II as their most anticipated drama. Several Mainland China news portals also listed Rosy Business II as one of the top 15 for most anticipating upcoming Hong Kong/Taiwanese dramas.
The reboot will take place during World War II in Guangzhou, approximately 100 years after the events of Rosy Business. Li explained that Rosy Business II will take a darker route in introducing the main characters, having that Tang will portray a villainous role. While the original did not have Tang and Lai dwell in a romantic relationship, the spin-off will concentrate on these developments, but it will merely be a side-story to the main plot.

Awards and nominations

Viewership ratings