Chinese actress Jiang Qinqin

The Four Generations Under One Roof, the TV series adapted by Chinese novelist Lao She, will hit the small screen on April 28th. Chinese actress Jiang Qinqin stars as the kind-hearted Yun Mei, her first role since she gave birth in January. The newly acquired motherhood has lent Jiang a sense of feminine sophistication in the 36-part TV series.

Four Generations Under One Roof epitomizes on a group of Beijing residents living in the Xiaoyangjuan alleyway. They lived in the besieged city of Beiping, but refused to bow down to the Japanese invaders and thus staged a series of fights. The novel has spawned many screen adaptations, including a memorable TV series in the 1980s.

Audition for the new version went through several rounds to make sure a younger set of actors impress the audience just as well. Jiang Qinqin and Chinese actor Huang Lei are slated to play a part in the TV series right from the start. Jiang plays Yun Mei, a traditional Chinese women who venerates her husband and is loyal to the family.

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Screen adoptions of novels

Screen adaptations of novels often have mixed fortunes...with many turning out to be a huge success, or a dismal failure. One successful example is the latest Oscar winning film, "Slumdog Millionare". In today's "Spotlight", we take a look at some screen adaptations, both at home and abroad.

In China, the novel "Summer of Foam" is being made into a TV series and shooting has just begun. The lead roles are played by stars Huang Xiaoming, He Rundong, Barbie Hsu, and Ying Tsai-ling. Lead actor He Rundong, who is also the series' producer, says they are being very careful about adapting the novel into a TV series. They have chosen quality stars who appeal to a young audience.

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Producer He Rundong said, "I persuaded Ming Xiaoxi, the writer of the original novel for two months, letting her to sell the adaptation rights to me. Now, you see our cast is very powerful, so I believe the series will be a success."

Another two screen adaptations in China are using stars to boost their image. The film "Night Rose" was adapted from Taiwan writer Cai Zhiheng's novel of the same name. It stars Ruby Lin and Wallace Chung. Another TV series "Love in a Fallen City", adapted from late writer Eileen Chang's famous novel, features actress Chen Shu as the heroine. Chen rose to fame by playing a mathematician in the hit TV series "Calculation". The novel is a classic in the eyes of many readers. Chen has done a lot of preparation for her role, hoping she can satisfy fans' expectations.

The most successful adaptation of the year arguably goes to "Slumdog Millionare". It met Chinese audiences within the shortest time of all imported films, after its foreign premiere. It garnered eight Academy awards at this year's Oscars.

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