Sparrow (TV series)
| Sparrow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Spy War Action thriller |
| Written by | Hai Fei |
| Directed by | Jin Chen Zhou Yuandan |
| Starring | Li Yifeng Zhou Dongyu Zhang Luyi Zhang Ruoyun Kan Qingzi Yin Zheng |
| Composer | S.E.N.S |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 61 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Zhong Conghai |
| Production location | China |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production companies | Mahayana Media H&R Century Pictures DOMYS Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hunan TV |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereophonic |
| Original release | 5 September – 20 October 2016 |
Sparrow (Chinese: 麻雀) is a 2016 Chinese television series based on the novel of the same name by Hai Fei (海飞), starring Li Yifeng as the title character.[1] It aired on Hunan TV from 5 September to 20 October 2016.[2]
Synopsis[]
Set in the 1940s during Shanghai's revolutionary times, communist agent Chen Shen infiltrates the Japanese' base and adopts the code name "Sparrow". His mission is to obtain the "zero" intel, a secret plan that could destroy China. To do so, he becomes the assistant of Bi Zhongliang, the leader of the Special Operations Team under the Public Security Bureau.[1]
Cast[]
Main[]
- Li Yifeng as Chen Shen
- The titular protagonist. Born as an ordinary barber, Chen Shen is actually an uncover agent for the Communist Party, codenamed "Sparrow". A charismatic, resilient and loyal man, with a deep-rooted fear of using firearms after inadvertently killing a child soldier many years ago. Due to his prolonged undercover mission, he has learned to disguise his emotions under a facade of carelessness and mockery.
- Zhou Dongyu as Xu Bicheng
- An idealistic and temperamental girl who was formerly Chen Shen's student at the Republic of China Military Academy. She is in love with Chen Shen but has to put up a pretense as Tang Shanhai's wife to complete her mission as a nationalist spy.
- Zhang Luyi as Bi Zhongliang
- Leader of the Special Operations Team under the Public Security Bureau. He was saved by Chen Shen during a war, and became blood brothers with him. After an incident where Chen Shen failed to capture "Prime Minister", he grows suspicious of Chen Shen's real identity. He is distrustful, manipulative and cruel, though he loves his wife dearly.
- Zhang Ruoyun as Tang Shanhai
- A nationalist spy undercover in the Public Security Bureau, codenamed "Foxglove". Serious, calculating and always planning far into the future, he is in love with Bicheng, despite the fact that their marriage is only by name, and must constantly suppress his feelings to prevent them from compromising his mission. After he begins his mission, he starts to turn against Chen Shen.
- Kan Qingzi as Li Xiaonan
- A beautiful and extroverted girl who appears to be bumbling, clumsy and ingenuous, but is a highly capable and composed agent codenamed "Doctor". She is in love with Chen Shen and would do anything to protect him. Her cover identity is a third-rate movie actress.
- Yin Zheng as Su Sanxing
- A cold, ambitious and ruthless young man who betrayed the nationalists to become an officer of the Public Security Bureau. Underneath his megalomanic exterior, he has a twisted yearning for love and acceptance. He is infatuated with Li Xiaonan and sees her as the light of his life.
Supporting[]
- Li Xiaoran as Shen Chunxia
- Nicknamed "Prime Minister", she is Chen Shen's only relative. A deeply loyal Communist agent who dies in order to save Chen Shen after being betrayed by a fellow comrade.
- Wang Jinsong as Li Moqun
- Bi Zhongliang and Chen Shen's superior; Xu Bicheng's uncle. The ultimate mastermind who tries all sorts of methods to get rid of Bi Zhongliang.
- Liu Jiatong as Liu Meina
- A hopeless romantic with a warm disposition who works as a bookkeeper under Bi Zhongliang at the Public Security Bureau. She is a close friend of Chen Shen, and she eventually falls in love with the "married" Tang Shanhai, who deceives her to achieve his goals.
- Wang Wanjuan as Liu Lanzhi
- Bi Zhongliang's wife. A kind woman and a devout Christian who does not involve herself in her husband's plans.
- Shi Chao as Liu Erbao
- Yang Zheng as Bian Tou
- Chen Guanning as Wei Zhi
- Zhang Dabao as Wu Long
Soundtrack[]
| No. | Title | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fly (飞)" (Ending theme song) | Han Lei | |
| 2. | "Ballet in the Wind (風中芭蕾)" | Yisa Yu | |
| 3. | "Astray (迷途)" | Zhang Ruoyun | |
| 4. | "Love in the Past (暖人)" | Ning Hengyu |
Reception[]
Sparrow received critical acclaim for its tightly-woven plot and acting performance, particularly Li Yifeng's.[3] It became the highest rated spy drama to date with a peak rating of 2.46,[4] and also the first spy drama to surpass 10 billion views.[5]
Ratings[]
| Air date | Episode | CSM52 city network ratings | National Internet ratings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratings (%) | Audience share (%) | Rank | Ratings (%) | Audience share (%) | Rank | ||
| September 5, 2016 | 1-2 | 0.946 | 2.94 | 4 | 1.03 | 3.29 | 1 |
| September 6, 2016 | 3-4 | 0.939 | 2.815 | 4 | 1.14 | 3.6 | 1 |
| September 7, 2016 | 5-6 | 1.411 | 4.527 | 1 | 1.53 | 5.09 | 1 |
| September 8, 2016 | 7-8 | 1.193 | 3.896 | 1 | 1.43 | 4.77 | 1 |
| September 9, 2016 | 9 | 1.081 | 3.49 | 2 | 1.21 | 3.85 | 1 |
| September 10, 2016 | 10 | 1.068 | 3.42 | 1 | 1.32 | 4.27 | 1 |
| September 11, 2016 | 11 | 1.07 | 3.44 | 2 | 1.03 | 3.61 | 1 |
| September 12, 2016 | 12-13 | 1.242 | 3.999 | 1 | 1.35 | 4.44 | 1 |
| September 13, 2016 | 14-15 | 1.367 | 4.408 | 1 | 1.36 | 4.48 | 1 |
| September 14, 2016 | 16-17 | 1.606 | 4.766 | 1 | 1.8 | 5.41 | 1 |
| September 15, 2016 | 18 | 1.049 | 3.419 | 1 | 1.34 | 4.23 | 1 |
| September 16, 2016 | 19 | 1.191 | 3.68 | 2 | 1.21 | 3.78 | 1 |
| September 17, 2016 | 20 | 1.175 | 3.612 | 1 | 1.16 | 3.62 | 1 |
| September 18, 2016 | 21 | 1.279 | 3.867 | 2 | 1.31 | 4 | 1 |
| September 19, 2016 | 22-23 | 1.656 | 5.093 | 1 | 1.68 | 5.5 | 1 |
| September 20, 2016 | 24-25 | 1.624 | 5.058 | 1 | 1.62 | 5.29 | 1 |
| September 21, 2016 | 26-27 | 1.487 | 4.665 | 1 | 1.59 | 5.23 | 1 |
| September 22, 2016 | 28-29 | 1.715 | 5.352 | 1 | 1.63 | 5.38 | 1 |
| September 23, 2016 | 30 | 1.357 | 4.319 | 1 | 1.37 | 4.25 | 1 |
| September 24, 2016 | 31 | 1.317 | 4.093 | 1 | 1.6 | 4.87 | 1 |
| September 25, 2016 | 32 | 1.487 | 4.429 | 1 | 1.65 | 4.95 | 1 |
| September 26, 2016 | 33-34 | 1.685 | 5.267 | 1 | 1.78 | 5.78 | 1 |
| September 27, 2016 | 35-36 | 1.845 | 5.745 | 1 | 1.98 | 6.34 | 1 |
| September 28, 2016 | 37-38 | 1.736 | 5.401 | 1 | 1.77 | 5.65 | 1 |
| September 29, 2016 | 39-40 | 1.939 | 5.967 | 1 | 1.98 | 6.37 | 1 |
| September 30, 2016 | 41 | 1.608 | 4.955 | 1 | 1.77 | 5.25 | 1 |
| October 1, 2016 | 42 | 1.623 | 5.391 | 1 | 2.08 | 6.36 | 1 |
| October 2, 2016 | 43 | 1.727 | 5.552 | 1 | 2.16 | 6.64 | 1 |
| October 3, 2016 | 44-45 | 2.182 | 6.959 | 1 | 2.52 | 8.12 | 1 |
| October 4, 2016 | 46-47 | 2.144 | 6.648 | 1 | 2.51 | 7.86 | 1 |
| October 5, 2016 | 48-49 | 2.199 | 6.705 | 1 | 2.35 | 7.45 | 1 |
| October 6, 2016 | 50-51 | 2.205 | 6.242 | 1 | 2.3 | 7.04 | 1 |
| October 7, 2016 | 52 | 1.74 | 4.922 | 1 | 1.89 | 5.5 | 1 |
| October 8, 2016 | 53 | 1.787 | 5.256 | 1 | 1.89 | 5.63 | 1 |
| October 9, 2016 | 54 | 2.106 | 6.157 | 1 | 2.04 | 6.1 | 1 |
| October 10, 2016 | 55-56 | 2.253 | 6.875 | 1 | 2.17 | 7.09 | 1 |
| October 11, 2016 | 57-58 | 2.118 | 6.362 | 1 | 2.27 | 7.31 | 1 |
| October 12, 2016 | 59-60 | 2.417 | 7.443 | 1 | 2.31 | 7.63 | 1 |
| October 13, 2016 | 61-62 | 2.438 | 7.453 | 1 | 2.49 | 8.03 | 1 |
| October 14–16, 2016 | Due to rebroadcast of Golden Eagle Festival, the broadcast was suspended for three days | ||||||
| October 17, 2016 | 63-64 | 1.786 | 5.352 | 1 | 1.87 | 5.8 | 1 |
| October 18, 2016 | 65-66 | 2.036 | 5.99 | 1 | 2.16 | 6.57 | 1 |
| October 19, 2016 | 67-68 | 2.172 | 6.413 | 1 | 2.3 | 6.97 | 1 |
| October 20, 2016 | 69 | 2.486 | 7.326 | 1 | 2.35 | 7.59 | 1 |
| Average ratings | 1.714 | 5.29 | - | 1.82 | 5.8 | - | |
- Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue
Awards and nominations[]
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th China TV Drama Awards[7] | Top Ten Television Series | Sparrow | Won |
| Artist of the Year | Li Yifeng | Won | |
| Popular Actor Award | Zhang Ruoyun | Won | |
| Audience's Favorite Character | Yin Zheng, Kan Qingzi | Won | |
| 22nd Huading Awards[8] | Best Actress (Revolutionary-Era) | Zhou Dongyu | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Zhang Luyi | Nominated | |
| 23rd Shanghai Television Festival[9] | Nominated | ||
| 27th Zhejiang TV Peony Awards[10] | Outstanding Television Series | Sparrow | Won |
| Outstanding Actor | Li Yifeng | Won | |
| 4th Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China[11] | Best Director | Jin Chen | Won |
| Best Supporting Actor | Wang Jinsong | Won | |
| 29th China TV Golden Eagle Award[12][13] | Best Actor | Li Yifeng | Won |
| Best Actress | Kan Qingzi | Nominated | |
| 12th China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival | Most Popular Actor | Li Yifeng | Won |
References[]
- ^ a b "《麻雀》曝定妆海报 李易峰周冬雨打造制服诱惑". Tencent (in Chinese). October 16, 2015.
- ^ "《麻雀》开播发布会 史超挑战特务狠辣上线". Tencent (in Chinese). August 26, 2016.
- ^ "红色题材电视剧的新作". People.cn. 2016-10-10.
- ^ "热播剧《麻雀》守正出奇 周之光解构主旋律表达". Sohu. 2016-10-16.
- ^ "谍战大剧《麻雀》今晚收官 网络播放量破100亿". Tencent. 2016-10-20.
- ^ "电视剧收视率排行榜 | 收视率排行" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "2016国剧盛典李易峰领衔《麻雀》剧组成大赢家". Tencent (in Chinese). January 3, 2017.
- ^ "华鼎奖提名公布投票开启 《人民》吴刚陆毅齐入围". Sina (in Chinese). April 28, 2017.
- ^ "23届上海电视节入围名单公布 《欢乐颂》获八项提名". ifeng (in Chinese). May 24, 2017.
- ^ "第二十七届浙江省电视"牡丹奖"（电视剧、动画片）获奖作品公示". Zhejiang Radio and Television Group (in Chinese). June 14, 2017.
- ^ "恭喜！马伊琍凭借《我的前半生》获封视后". Tencent (in Chinese). October 29, 2017.
- ^ "第29届中国电视金鹰奖提名演员名单出炉". Xinhua News Agency (in Chinese). October 9, 2018.
- ^ "李易峰迪丽热巴金鹰夺双奖 《鸡毛》揽三奖成赢家". Sina (in Chinese). October 14, 2018.
External links[]
Categories:
- Chinese espionage television series
- Chinese period television series
- 2016 Chinese television series debuts
- Television shows based on Chinese novels
- Mandarin-language television shows
- Hunan Television dramas
- Television series by H&R Century Pictures
- Second Sino-Japanese War television drama series