In 2021, scriptwriter Ma Guangyuan experienced a profound shift in his life when his child commenced first-grade studies at a primary school. Reflecting on this transformation during a recent symposium for the TV series Growing Together, Ma recounted how the establishment of a WeChat group exclusively for the parents and teachers of his child's class elevated the urgency of responding promptly to teachers' messages.

As Ma delved deeper into this new world, discovering that parents had formed a separate WeChat group devoid of teachers, allowing for more candid conversations, he began to grasp the intricate subtleties of parenthood. This experience served as the inspiration for a 40-episode drama, with 80 percent of the plotlines drawn from his personal encounters.

Featuring acclaimed actor Zhang Jiayi and actress Chen Hao as a seasoned scriptwriter and his wife, respectively, the narrative follows the protagonists, their two children, and two other families as they navigate the adjustments brought about by school life following the initiation of the "double reduction" policy in 2021. This policy aims to curtail homework and extracurricular tutoring during Chinese students' nine years of compulsory education.

Since its premiere on Hunan Television and Mango TV in early February, the drama has garnered widespread acclaim, evidenced by its associated short videos amassing over 21 billion views online.

Producer Ren Shuangyou said that the project's inception stemmed from a conversation with Ma in March 2022, with scriptwriting commencing in November of that year, culminating in a two-year journey encompassing shooting and postproduction.

Ren emphasized that the series seeks to delve into societal shifts and parental concerns in the contemporary era, with the hope that audiences will contemplate their own lives while considering the most suitable educational approaches and embracing diverse development in children.

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