Entertainment

10 Retro HK dramas That Keep 90s Kids Glued to the TV Before Netflix Took Over

2016-10-18 , 3:17 pm

Last Updated on 2023-06-08 , 2:25 pm

Long before YouTube and Descendants of the Sun, our main source of entertainment was between 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. every day, and they were either local shows, the dreaded boring news and Hong Kong drama dubbed in Chinese. If you’ve been a 90s kid, you’ll have watched at least some of these Hong Kong dramas—wait, heck, you might have watched all of them.

Because what else can you do when there was no Internet? Just a disclaimer: this trip down memory lane is going to be very nostalgic.

烈火雄心

You know, I won’t be surprised if there’re many firemen in Singapore who admitted that they’ve joined the life-saving force because of this show. This drama was so influential that I remembered doing push-ups as the firemen trained. But of course, that was before NS. And lest you’re going to watch it, just prepare a box of tissure paper. You’ll need it.

我和僵尸有个约会

How good is this? This good: I can vividly remember what time the show was boardcasted, and the entire plot. Starting from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., it’s a drama every single person (and I meant it) in the office have watched before—even those born in the 90s.

Words really can’t describe how good this is. It’s just a sin for you not to have watched it—whether it’s for the complicated plot that resembled a game or for Ma Xiaoling’s skirt.

齐天大圣孙悟空

If you’ve not seen the YouTube video above, see it first. Then you’ll understand, because only 90s kids recognize that tone—that catchy, old but gold tone that we still hum together.

妙手仁心

Descendants of the Sun, please greet your grandfather: 妙手仁心. The show is so popular that there’re 妙手仁心II and 妙手仁心III, but as always, it’s always the first that leave the greatest impression.

衝上雲霄

Here’s a proven formula: have a star-studded cast, good-looking guys in uniform to attract the girls, good-looking planes to attract the guys and a catchy theme song, you’ll get a show like 衝上雲霄 that glued everyone to the TV. It’s one of the shows that a Goody Feed staff who’s born in the 90s remember first (wait, not 我和僵尸有个约会? WTF is wrong with her?)

上海灘

Need more introduction? Okay, here’s one: Chow Yun-fat, Chow Yun-fat and Chow Yun-fat. And 上海灘. This might be one heck of an old show (first aired in Hong Kong in 1980), but it’s one heck of a show.

真情 A Kindred Spirit

The only thing everyone can remember about this drama is this: it never ends. Like, never. That’s why I embed the ending here, hoping it’ll finally end.

烈火雄心2

Granted that it isn’t as good as the first one, it’s still pretty watchable. Maybe the novelty has died off, but you’ll still want to sign on as a fireman after finishing the entire drama, and be the heroes in the show. Oh, remember to watch the YouTube video. It’s available in both DVD and VCD! If anyone knows what they are, that is.

天地男兒

You just need one reason to watch this: 鄭少秋 (Adam Cheng). He used to be a Song Joongki.

我和僵尸有个约会2

The drama started to get more and more confusing, and so, PPAP.