A tasty bit of TV heaven

Of all the carefully prepared shows desperate for viewers on CCTV 1, a documentary series on Chinese culinary culture, A Bite of China, is making a stir.

Everyday at 10:40 pm the channel is suddenly enjoying a surge in viewers. On and off the Internet, there are hot discussions about the series. Some fans have confessed they stock up with food before each episode is aired, lest the seductive footage of the country's fine foods make them drool.

The series may not deserve this frenzy by Western documentary standards. After all, one can detect plenty of similarities between it and Western documentaries of its kind - the narrative style in particular. But it stands out anyway, for a multitude of reasons.

As a food-crazy nation - our ancestors even said that "to the masses, food is heaven" - the subject matter of course has a special appeal to us. And the narrative style is a refreshing change for many of us fed up with the usual documentary fare. Added to this is the high-definition photography and sophisticated special effects that many viewers find irresistible.

Yet perhaps the series' greatest appeal is the human touch the documentary displays and the sentimental attachment to one's hometown that is aroused by the sight of familiar foods. It brings to mind cherished periods of time in one's life associated one way or another with eating.

The series has been so well received that CCTV has reportedly decided on reruns, and the crew is basking in stardom.

Yet while extending congratulations to our CCTV colleagues on a job well done, we have to affirm that the series has been such a sensation reveals two rudimentary truths: people are hungry for human-interest TV stories, and that such programs remain a rarity.

And there is a lesson to be learned, particularly by those who have difficulty communicating their ideas to the general public, and that is: no matter how good the packaging it is content that tugs at the heartstrings that really pulls in viewers.

The benefits will not be limited to CCTV 1 should there be sensible reflection on the appeal of A Bite of China.

(China Daily 05/24/2012 page8)