Steven Ma Pegged to Win TVB Best Actor Award This Year?

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Steven Ma Pegged to Win TVB Best Actor Award This Year?
Source: Next Magazine # 1098
Credit: Jayne @ http://jaynestars.com

Charmaine Sheh Si Man was rumored to leave TVB and focus on money-earning opportunities in China . Bowie Lam and Joe Ma Tak Chungwill be heading to mainland as well. With few big stars left, TVB was forced to increase wages and please their remaining artists, such as Bosco Wong Chung Chak and Steven Ma Chun Wai. This included casting Bosco in a new Shaw Brothers’ movie and airing Steven’s new series in the latter half of the year, paving his road towards winning the TVB Best Actor Award this year.

There is a great demand for artists in the mainland film and television industries. Many mainland companies were actively recruiting Hong Kong artists and willing to pay high salaries. Many artists were interested in filming for mainland. Once dominating the industry, TVB now has to pull out various incentives to make their artists stay with the company.

TVB Eager to Make Steven Ma Stay
TVB regularly invited artists to dinners. In the past, Steven Ma was rumored to not get along with TVB executive, Viriginia Lok. However, at a recent dinner, Ms. Lok sat next to Steven and frequently chatted and joked with him. The atmosphere was harmonious. With Steven’s contract ending this year, TVB was eager to retain him.

An inside source at TVB revealed, “Steven often filmed ancient dramas and was very suitable for the mainland market. With mainland companies paying such high filming fees, TVB was afraid to [drag its relationship with Steven like before]. Aside from producing a new culinary program Apprentice Chef <大廚出馬 2> featuring Steven, TVB will be airing Thunder of the Forbidden Palace <紫禁驚雷> in September, which will pave the road for the TVB Best Actor Award. Anyway, TVB was using every possible means to make Steven stay.”

Opening a Movie for Bosco Wong

Although Bosco Wong Chung Chak’s contract will not expire until two years later, many companies approached him to discuss collaborating together. Since Ms. Lok knew Bosco wanted to film movies, TVB decided to open a new film project to boost his popularity further. In the new crime thriller, Bosco will be playing opposite Anthony Wong Chau Sung. An inside source commented, “Earlier when Chin Kwok Wai filmed <戀夏，戀夏，戀戀下>, Ms. Lok advocated casting Bosco in the movie. Since the filming location would be Hainan Island , Bosco did not have time to travel to the filming location, so the role was given to another actor. By pairing Bosco with Anthony Wong in the new movieUnderworld Justice <江湖 ．義 >, TVB wanted to show how much they valued him and make Bosco stay with the company.”

With Charmaine Sheh determined to leave, TVB Deputy Chairman, Mona Fong, ordered management to make sure that no more popular artists will follow. Allegedly, TVB was successful in making Roger Kwok Chun On stay. Ms. Lok was still discussing contract details with Bernice Liu Bik Yee, who was interested in pursuing filming opportunities.


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tamaya @asianfanatics  AF1177
This title truly makes my blood boiled and that of my fellow Steven Ma fans for many reasons. The only good news coming out of it (if it is true) is that "Thunder" may air in September but hate that the 'leak' is tagged with TVB's wanting to 'bestow' Steven the title of tv king. 

Before I go on a rant, let me first say this: TVB, I despise you for your political machinations and manipulations -- TVB's stick and carrot method of using the lure of awards to get artistes to renew their contracts, then reneges on their promises, and what's worse, tarnishing the integrity of their awards in the process. In the past, TVB has unashamedly used Raymond Lam to stir up TV king award contentions with its most favored son, Moses Chan, (the constant) but with RL temporarily indisposed I guess Steven Ma will just have to do, for now…that is, until such time when other artistes’ series starts airing one after another. And if their series garnered respectable ratings, Steven with his cannon fodders and his small production “Thunder” will soon fade into nothingness. When the anniversary rolls around, Steven, having served the purpose as the first hype to the year end awards will only be mentioned in passing. Steven’s Thunder, what Thunder? Oh, that small production, tvb can’t fit it in the schedule so will air after the anniversary, moreover, TVB don’t want to shock HK audience by airing a Steven Ma series in a favorable timeslot. Yep, I don’t hold out any hope that Thunder will be aired in September, maybe if all those 6 grand production series showcased in Filmart bombed, then maybe.

So having one’s series aired in September is paving the road for a tv king? Is that all it takes to become tv king? Really? Is that why tvb constantly aired Steven’s series in unfavorable timeslots (if not releasing them overseas, that is) just to keep him out of awards contention year in and year out? Lol! So if Steven’s series had aired in September, he could have had gotten tv king award twice over last year for A Watchdog’s Tales and Ghost Writer? Anyway, I think since the award is obviously based on ratings, it is more appropriate to dub it rating tv king award than the best actor award.

So September is the only good timeslot in the year? Other months are not? The anniversary timeslots are not? Why not say TVB is paving (or has paved) the road for all the other artistes who will have (or had) their series aired in September? Why picked on Steven? Guess as the recently dubbed crowned king of cannon fodder timeslot series, it is so rare for HK audience to actually watch a Steven series in September that the thought of it boggles the mind, hence this report?

Steven’s contract expires next year in July but talks usually begin a year earlier to that. So per this article, General Ma of Cannon Fodders Outpost might finally be decreed by TVB to abandon his godforsaken station to get back into the thick of things --- Steven Ma fans and I have this to say to Steven: “Don’t believe TVB! What did you get out of your contract renewal in 2009? – nothing! Still cannon fodders timeslots, still no promised album release, worse – not even a themesong to sing, and still a mentor to bring out young fandans. Nothing has changed and don’t believe it ever will for you. If not for Apprentice Chef having the luck to get done and aired before Stephen Chan’s debacle, and its impressive ratings, AP would probably be still in the back burner, dead cold, nevermind having a 2nd season in the works.


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Sigh. Steven Ma's fans are so hard to please. When TVB air his series in early timeslot, they complain. Now, TVB air his series in 1/2 half of the year, they still complain.  asianfanatics.net

Steven Ma fans are not complaining about the alleged September timeslot of Thunder -- like I said that was the only good news coming out of the whole article, although we will believe it when we see the actual airing.  Disclaimer: Although my opinions reflected that of most steven ma fans in baidu and steven-ma.org, they are in essence my own, therefore do not represent ALL SM fans.

What got our goat is the very insincerity of TVB towards Steven. If tvb is really sincere in crowning him as TV king why leaked such news, why not do it with subtlety, why create such unnecessary hoopla whereupon if Steven wins, aspersions and doubts will be cast upon his win? And that TVB remembers him only when they need him for something, or in this case, when his contract is expiring soon, but comes distribution of awards, he is readily cast aside. In short, we SM do not believe a word in this article, that tvb is just using Steven to create awards news for them.

Also, we are disgusted with TVB for making it seems as if they were bestowing a benefaction upon Steven by airing his series in September and calling it their endorsement of him as tv king. How does a mere September timeslot equates paving the road to a tv king title? So what kind of roads are tvb paving for those artistes whose series not only will be aired in September and October but at 9:00 pm to boot, and moreover have already been highly promoted in 2011 Filmart? Or as tvb favored sons, having their series constantly aired in favorable timeslots are part of their entitlements and privileges not given to Steven?

Moreover, who is to say, if Thunder is indeed aired in September, it is not to promote Kenneth Ma as the new hot villain, or to debut Selena Li as a new tvb lead fadan in her first ever leading lady role? After all, Steven has been put to this use in numerous series already – billed as the leading man in name only as an audience draw.

On the contrary, Steven Ma fans are not hard to please at all, in fact, over time our standard of expectations towards TVB treatment of Steven Ma series has reduced most pathetically.

From please air Steven series in a better timeslot to “please at least let it air in HK even if its timeslot is unfavorable, just so long it is not release overseas, again.” But low as our standard, the consecutive airing of his series spanning the festive months Christmas through lunar new year this year really pushed it to a new low. Amid Steven Ma fans' dismay and yes complaints, there was this resignation: “Well, at least, they got aired, and were not released overseas.” That’s how pathetically low our standard of expectation has been reduced to. Incidentally as a note interest, no series was released overseas this year, that's how Steven series escaped its overseas release fate this year.

From please help Steven release an album to ‘please let him sing the themesong to please at least let him sing half of a themesong duet in his series.”

From please let Steven participate in a grand production to ‘please don’t freeze Steven to just hosting half-hour late night game show and cook show; him shooting small production is fine.”

From please let Steven work with other producers to ‘please let Steven continue working with Leung Choi Yuen who at least cares about his work, no more Producer Tsui Yu On, please!”

From please let Steven partner with different fadans other than his usual three and not have him mentor even younger fadans to “please nevermind who the fadan co-star is, just don’t let him be the vase in his own series.”

Anyway, I no longer believe that Steven will ever get the elusive award from TVB, and guess, what I don't care anymore. Just despise TVB for using him to hype up news for them.

I hope Steven leaves tvb too. He may or may not get recognition in Mainland but at least he can earn more money. If he stays in tvb, he will get neither recognition nor money. Plus the fact that ancient dramas are more appreciated by mainland audience than Hong Kong's.