White Deer Plain (TV series)

White Deer Plain
Chinese白鹿原
Hanyu PinyinBaílùyuántí
GenreHistorical drama
Based onWhite Deer Plain
by Chen Zhongshi
Written byKun Jie
Directed byLiu Huining
Liu Jun
StarringZhang Jiayi
He Bing
Qin Hailu
Liu Peiqi
Li Hongtao
Ge Zhijun
Lei Jiayin
Zhai Tianlin
Li Qin
Ji Ta
Deng Lun
Wang Xiao
Sun Yi
Opening themeWhite Deer Plain Fable (白鹿原童谣)
Country of originChina
Original languageMandarin
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes76
Original release
NetworkAnhui TV, Jiangsu TV
Release10 May (2017-05-10) –
21 June 2017 (2017-06-21)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

White Deer Plain (Chinese: 白鹿原) is a 2017 Chinese television series. It is based on the Chinese literature classic of the same name by Chen Zhongshi. Its plot revolves around the hardships and spiritual pursuits of several generations living on the White Deer Plain in Shaanxi.[1][2]

The series reportedly took 17 years of preparation and had a production budget of 230 million yuan (US$33.39 million).[2] It mirrors the changes which have taken place in the Chinese countryside over the first half of the 20th century, and the crew spent time in the countryside to experience rural life for a month before filming commenced.[2] The series is directed by Liu Huining and Liu Jin, and stars Zhang Jiayi as the main character.[1] The 85 episode drama premiered on Anhui TV and Jiangsu TV on 16 April 2017.[2] However, the show was taken off air after one episode.[3] It resumed airing on 10 May 2017.

The series received positive response on Douban. People's Daily praise the series for retaining the essence and spirit of the original work while making the story more dramatic and fascinating, and The Beijing News say that the series is one of the best produced on television. However, it has low viewership ratings, which has been attributed to the heavier subject matter of the drama.[4] White Deer Plain received the Outstanding TV Series Golden Angel Award at the 2017 Chinese American Film Festival (CAFF) at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles.[5]

  1. ^ a b "White Deer Plain to Be Adapted into a TV Series". China.org.cn. March 6, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "New TV drama 'White Deer Plain' debuts". China.org.cn. April 14, 2017.
  3. ^ "TV series 'White Deer Plain' taken down after first episode airs". Sina. April 19, 2017.
  4. ^ "Virgin territory". Week in China. May 19, 2017.
  5. ^ "Best TV Series". IMDb. 1 October 2020.