Can't Buy Me Love (TV series)
Can't Buy Me Love is a 2010 Hong Kong television series. It is a grand production by TVB and starred Charmaine Sheh, Moses Chan, Linda Chung, Raymond Wong Ho-yin, Kenneth Ma, Fala Chen, Louis Yuen, Selena Li, Susanna Kwan, Lee Heung Kam, Susan Tse, Edwin Siu and Sharon Chan.
The television series was released in Hong Kong on TVB Jade network on 23 August 2010, in the third line time slot, airing between Monday-Friday every night at this hour.
Synopsis
Set during the Tang dynasty of China, Can't Buy Me Love tells the story of the Third Princess, Princess Chiu Yeung, of the Tang Emperor, who is beautiful but very unreasonable, and, as such, no one wants to marry her.The Kam family is the largest gold manufacturer in the grand capital Chang'an, but because they are deceived, the business runs into troubles. The second son of the Kam family Kam Tuo Luk has to marry the Third Princess to save the family business, because then they will have the right to manufacture gold pieces for the Tang Palace, the Third Princess only agreeing to the marriage because otherwise she would be married off to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, as schemed by the evil Concubine Wei.
The Princess brings lots of servants to the Kam family after marrying Kam Tuo Luk, and constantly comes into conflict with the members of the Kam family. The Princess brings Szeto Ngan Ping, with her to the Kam family, who has been awarded "Best Servant" by the Concubine Dowager Chui and later became wife of Ding Yau Wai.
The Princess originally decides to leave the house, but when she misunderstands that the Kam family speaks negatively of her, she stubbornly stays. Later, she and Kam Tuo Luk fall in love. When the Kam family is convicted of a capital offence, she divorces Kam Tuo Luk to secretly save the Kam family.
Development
After the huge success of Beyond the Realm of Conscience, the filming of a similarly set costume drama comedy was announced. Can't Buy Me Love was featured in the TVB 2010 sales presentation clip, which was released shortly after the TVB Awards Presentation, and became a highly anticipated drama of 2010 in Hong Kong.The drama became popularly compared to Beyond the Realm of Conscience due to its extremely similar lavish costumes and sets, cast members, and close time period. They were also compared to since Can't Buy Me Love also had links with the Tang imperial palace, though it had far more scenes out of the palace. It has also been widely and popularly named the indirect sequel to the other drama, despite their entirely different genres. The two series share the same producer, Mui Siu Ching.
To capture the grandeur of the Tang dynasty, custom-made elaborate costumes and sets were created for the series, resembling those of Beyond the Realm of Conscience in a comical way. Elaborate costumes have been made for grand series produced by TVB in the past, especially costume dramas such as War and Beauty, The Charm Beneath and others. Costumes highly resembling those of the latter include those of the members of the Imperial Household Bureau and personal maids. Other costumes also greatly reminded the audience. A costume fitting was held on 17 December 2009 at 12:30 pm in Hong Kong, in front of the Shaolin Temple in TVB City's Ancient Street, Tseung Kwan O, with most of the cast members attending.
Especially grand was Charmaine Sheh's wedding ceremony headgear. A blessing ceremony was held for Can't Buy Me Love on 26 February 2010. The heavy headwear proved to be difficult for the cast; it resulted in injuries and discomforts for the members of the cast during filming. Television Broadcasts Limited created a lot of hype prior to the release of the series, having numerous news on the progress of the series' filming published on TVB Weekly magazine and letting out news on the filming progress.
The filming completed in April 2010. Three official trailers were released near the date of release, the first making a parody out of Beyond the Realm of Conscience. Malaysia's Astro on Demand channel also showed previews of the drama. Because of the drama's high ratings during the early episodes, a celebration party was scheduled.
However, because of the hostage-taking incident in The Philippines, the celebration event was cancelled, due to the tragedy, the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority received complaints for a comedy being aired at a tragic time.
Format
The television series is a romantic comedy costume drama, featuring lavish costumes and sets intended to capture the luxury and grandeur of the Tang dynasty, and makes parodies out of other Hong Kong television shows, including dramas and varieties.The drama is set to have 32 episodes, with a definitive beginning and ending to the story. Each episode is 45 minutes long. This drama format is hugely popular throughout East Asia and also in Southeast Asia. The bickering is a major part of the comedic aspect of the drama. Apart from this romantic plot, the series also focuses on a plot where the protagonists' lives are under threat from the villains, and therefore part of the plot has focus on scheming in the palace. Dramas involving scheming people in the palace have long been in existence in TVB dramas, especially after the hit 2004 TVB series War and Beauty.
The series, apart from the main couple, Charmaine Sheh and Moses Chan, also has the romantic plots of two main supporting couples, Linda Chung and Raymond Wong Ho-yin, Fala Chen and Kenneth Ma.
Historical Trivia
- None of the princesses featured in the drama are historically recorded princesses, though their names are loosely based on popular characters given to imperial princesses. The princesses in the drama are named, in descending age or ranking, Princess Yonghe the Eldest, Princess Qingyun, Princess Zhaoyang, Princess Qinping, Princess Qinhui and Princess Dexin, nome of whom are historically recorded imperial princesses.
- It is revealed that the fictional Princess Yonghe's mother was Empress Zhangsun, who is revered as one of the most benevolent empresses of Chinese history. Empress Zhangsun made notable contributions to peasantry and labour, and even towards Chinese technology despite her elevated status as an Empress during her lifetime.
- The Emperor featured in the series is Emperor Taizong of Tang, the second Emperor of the Tang dynasty. Princess Zhaoyang explicitly admires her father. Emperor Taizong, while still only a duke's son, assisted his father, then the Duke of Tang, to overthrow the brief Sui dynasty, thus establishing the Tang Dynasty and paving the road for one of China's golden ages.
- The series reveals a reason for Princess Wencheng's famed political marriage to Songtsen Gampo of the Tibetan Empire. Princess Wencheng was probably not an imperial princess but a niece or maid of Emperor Taizong's or the Imperial Household's, who was married to Songtsen Gampo, forging an alliance between the Tang Empire and the Tibetan Empire. Princess Wencheng would later help to develop technology and more civilised and idealistic standards of living in Tuoba, which was then regarded by the Chinese as an almost barbaric empire.
- The series mentions gender equality during the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was in fact a period of a Chinese history in which women were fairly liberated, with records of outspoken courtesans and women of prominent families playing the Persian sport of polo with gentry men. The first instance of feminism in the Tang Dynasty was established very early on, when the daughter of the Tang's founding father Emperor Gaozu, Princess Pingyang, made large military contributions and in fact led military forces to help overthrow the Sui and establish the Tang.
- Emperor Taizong was the first husband of the young Wu Zetian, who would later become a favourite of Emperor Gaozong's, then his Empress consort, a regent power and eventually an Empress regnant in her own right, interrupting the Tang Dynasty's early stages with the Later Zhou. Wu Zetian would rule as the only historically recorded female imperial monarch of Chinese history, and she would even further contribute to gender equality in the Tang after Princess Pingyang. Her efforts would include the installing Shangguan Wan'er as a political and literary scholar.
- The series references trade with foreign empires. China at the time was by far the world's largest economy, and many foreign empires and states paid homage to China and traded with China. Trade with the West flourished for China under the Tang. China also imported aspects of foreign culture. Chang'an, the Tang capital, was a cosmopolitan area boasting a huge population. Christianity reached China for the first time around the time setting of the series. Buddhism was imported during the Northern and Southern Dynasties from India and its presence was solidified under the Tang. Chinese hanfu also made major alterations, adopting some of the court styles of the Persian Empire. Sports, philosophies and consumer goods were all imported, as well as exported.
Cast
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Charmaine Sheh | Princess Chiu Yeung 昭陽公主 | Third Princess of Tang Palace Kam Tuo Luk's wife Was framed for being an impostor by Concubine Wei and becomes a civilian in Episode 23 Had a daughter in Episode 32 |
| Moses Chan | Kam Duo Lok 金多祿 | Second son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's stepson Princess Chiu Yeung's husband. Also has a daughter in episode 32 |
| Linda Chung | Ng Sze Tak 吳四德 | Kam family's maid, then housekeeper Becomes "3rd Princess" in Episode 23, after Concubine Wei frames Chiu Yeung as an impostor Princess Chiu Yeung's adoptive sister in Episode 28 Kam Duo Sao's wife in Episode 32 |
| Raymond Wong Ho-yin | Kam Duo Sao 金多壽 | Third son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's son Ng Sze Tak's husband in Episode 32 |
| Fala Chen | Szeto Ngan Ping 司徒銀屏 | Third Princess's servant and friend as well as body guard Concubine Dowager Cui awards her "No. 1 Servant" Ding Yau Wai's wife in Episode 32 |
| Kenneth Ma | Ding Yau Wai 丁有維 | Lo Tou-yun and Fong Hak-lan's son Szeto Ngan Ping's husband in Episode 32 |
| Susanna Kwan | Ding Loi Hei 丁來喜 | Boss of Kam Kam Ho Gold Shop Kam Tai Fu Yan's daughter-in-law Kam Tuo Fuk and Kam Tuo Luk's stepmother Kam Tuo Sao's mother Ding Choi Wong's cousin and enemy/rival later became friends |
| Lee Heung-kam | Kam Tai Fu Yan 金太夫人 | Ding Loi Hei's mother-in-law Kam Tuo Fuk, Kam Tuo Luk, Kam Tuo Sao's grandmother Suffered from Alzheimer's disease later and cured due to religion |
| Louis Yuen | Kam Duo Fok 金多福 | Eldest son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's stepson Yuen Siu Yuk's husband and have 5 children while his wife is pregnant with another |
| Selena Li | Yuen Siu Yuk 阮小玉 | Kam Tuo Fuk's wife Have 4 daughters and a son while pregnant with another |
| Sharon Chan | Princess Wing Ho 永河公主 | First Princess Chiu Wan's wife Daughter of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Empress Zhangsun Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung Depreciated to a commoner, expelled from the Palace, and went mentally unstable in Episode 15 Was mentioned to be mending her ways later |
| Edwin Siu | Chiu Wan 趙弘 | Princess Wing Ho's abused husband Leave the Palace to live with Princess Wing Ho in Episode 15 |
| Samuel Kwok | Emperor Taizong of Tang 唐太宗 | Princesses Yonghe, Qingyun, Chiu Yeung, Chuanping, Chunhui's father Deshan's adoptive father Concubine Wei and Concubine Xuan's husband |
| Susan Tse | Concubine Dowager Cui 崔太妃 | Emperor Gaozu of Tang's concubine |
| Kara Hui | Concubine Wei :zh:韋珪|韋貴妃 | Emperor Taizong of Tang's concubine Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung and Kam family Committed suicide in Episode 28 |
| Griselda Yeung | Concubine Xun 孫貴妃 | Emperor Taizong of Tang's concubine |
| Tracy Ip | Princess Qingyun 清雲公主 | Second Princess Hung Che-gong's wife Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung later friends |
| Matthew Ko | Hung Che-gong 孔志恭 | Princess Qingyun's husband |
| Yoyo Chen | Princess Chuanping 川平公主 | Fourth Princess Cheng Po Wife Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung later friends |
| Eric Li | Cheng Po 鄭浦 | Princess Chuanping's husband |
| Charmaine Li | Princess Jinhuai 晉懷公主 | Fifth Princess Tai Dak Leung Wife but divorced in Episode 28 Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung later friends |
| Jonathan Cheung | Tai Dak Leung 泰德亮 | Princess Chuanhuai's husband, but divorced because he can't stand her attitude in Episode 28 |
| Joseph Lee | Ding Choi Wong 丁財旺 | Boss of Ding Fung Ho Gold Shop Ding Loi Hei's cousin and enemy Mai Yan Che's husband Ding Yau Wai's adopted father |
| Mary Hon | Mai Yan Che 米仁慈 | Ding Choi Wong's wife Ding Yau Wai's adopted mother |
| Ram Chiang | Lo Tou-yun 羅道遠 | Turkic peoples Fong Hak-lan's husband Ding Yau-wai's father Yu-Man Kit's subordinate Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Yu-Man Kit Killed and sacrificed himself to protect his recently found son when fighting with Wong Mang in Episode 32 |
| Meini Cheung | Fong Hak-lan 方克蘭 | Lo Tou-yun's wife Ding Yau Wai's mother Deceased |
| Vincent Wong | Yu-Man kit 宇文傑 | A disguised philanthropist, actually a Turkic prince Lo Tuo-yun and Wong Mang's supervisor Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Lo Tou-yun and Wong Mang Committed suicide when his plans failed and caught by Tang army in Episode 32 |
| Tai Chi-wai | Wong Mang 王猛 | A Turkic General Yu-Man Kit's subordinate Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Yu-Man Kit Killed when fighting with Lo Tou-yun in Episode 32 |
| Yu Tsz-ming | Uncle Wing 榮叔 | Kam Kam Ho's ex-shop manager, then Ding Fung Ho's ex-shop manager Threatened Kam Kam Ho to pay for his gambling debts Fired by Kam Kam Ho and Ding Fung Ho successively |
| Tsui Wing | Uncle Po 寶叔 | Ding Fung Ho's shop manager Plot with gangsters to kidnapped Mai Yan Che, but killed by gangsters in Episode 16 |
| Elaine Yiu | Cho Kiu 楚 翹 | A prostitute Kam Tuo Luk's dream woman Bribed by Princess Wing Ho to seduce Kam Duo Luk and separate him and Chiu Yeong |
| Lily Li | Aunt Mei 媚 姨 | A brothel's operator Bribed by Princess Wing Ho to assist Cho Kiu to seduce Kam Duo Luk |
| Deno Cheung | Boss Mak 麥老闆 | Boss of Mak Lee Ho, another gold store Incriminated Kam Kam Ho to sell fake gold |
| Au Sui-wai | Wong Ka-tung 王家棟 | An assassin Ordered by Concubine Wai to determine to kill Princess Chiu Yeung Killed by poisoning by Concubine Wai in Episode 23 |
| Rosanne Lui | Chui Sim 徐嬋 | Proclaimed to be Ding Choi-wong's cousin Stole Lo Tou-yun's son and sold him to Ding Choi-wong Killed by Lo Tou-yun in Episode 26 |
| Li Hung-kit | Buk Yat Buk 卜一卜 | A fortune-teller Kam Tuo-luk's friend Promoted to court astronomer for being very accurate in his predictions in Episode 31 |
| Stephen Huynh | Luk Tung-chan 祿東贊 | A Tibetan ambassador |
| Tam Bing-man | Uncle Lam Tin 林天叔 | A former gang leader |
| Fung So Bor | – | Grandmother of Princess Chiu Yeung Deceased |
| Chuk Man-kwan | – | Mother of Ding Loi Hei Incriminated by Ding Choi Wong Deceased |