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Years of failing to attract viewers pushed directors, producers and scriptwriters to come up with a new formula.

True-to-life characters with varied and interesting personalities coupled with high-level production techniques have helped make many of this year's mainstream TV series a success. Alongside the changes in approach, the theme of mainstream series has also evolved to match societal changes.

Previously mainstream shows had a strong political focus and reflected the government's ideology. The new productions have a strong personal content of being true and pursuing one's ideals. Love, friendship and kindness are frequently explored in relation to ordinary people's fate, which is boosting their appeal Yin explained.

A scene in "My Chief and My Regiment" [haoruan.net]

"I was surprised when I discovered that 'My Chief and My Regiment' was a mainstream series because the impression I get from the show is completely different from that of previous mainstream TV," Li Ziliang, a fan of "My Chief and My Regiment" told the Global Times. "Without some god-like characters and too politically obvious in nature, I only see ordinary people, just like you and me, without any high-minded slogans, or soldiers fighting for the nation in a hard environment with poor equipment," Li added.

"These ordinary soldiers are not tall, handsome or cultivated. Instead, they are vulgar, sometimes selfish, will fight or quarrel with others and are even afraid of death and become deserters. But I like them and I can understand their behavior most of time and I think if I were them, I would do the same. I like this TV series because I think the director is presenting true history — most of our soldiers do come from poor families. They are just like these characters who have a lot of shortcomings. But these small potatoes are the real heroes, who touch us and should be remembered forever. The war scenes in the series are very real and shocking, it reminds me of the cruelty of war itself and the value of life."

Fans of "Qianfu" agree that the new approach makes watching mainstream series a joy. "There are no war scenes in the series, but the mysterious and intense spy warfare is more exciting than the actual war. I can't help but think of the story each day," commented Wang Yi, a fan of the series. Some viewers have even compared the production to the US series "Prison Break."

While Chinese mainstream TV series are reaching new heights, Yin warned that production teams must be vigilant and keep the shows up to date and interesting. He added that satisfying the audience is now a key element in making successful mainstream TV.

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