Culture
10:51, 22-Feb-2018
Writer tells why he wrote US TV show episode in Mandarin
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The writer of a US television show that features a Chinese family said the move to do a Mandarin episode is significant.
“I think a lot of things the show does is significant,” writer Jeff Chiang said. “There has never been four seasons of a show on American television that features a Chinese family.”
“Fresh Off the Boat” show did an episode in Mandarin on February 6.
“Just progress,” he said when opening up to CGTN Digital about his desires to write the groundbreaking episode entitled “Ride the Tiger.”
About 50 percent of it was spoken in Mandarin.
“It kind of just came together,” he said. “Jessica (Constance Wu) and Evan (Ian Chen) are fluent so we figured they had to be the focus of the episode.”
A still from "Ride the Tiger", "Fresh Off the Boat" /courtesy of ABC
A still from "Ride the Tiger", "Fresh Off the Boat" /courtesy of ABC
No language barrier
CGTN Digital asked Chiang what inspired him to do the episode in Chinese. He said because this is a story about a Chinese family and it makes sense.
Chiang said to a lot of people whether they spoke Mandarin or not it was cool to experience and see.
“Hopefully it was funny not just novelty. I was proud of that,” he told CGTN Digital. “I was happy that people enjoyed.”
The television series’ Chinese New Year-themed episode featured media icon, Connie Chung. She was the Chinese-American, the first Asian, to anchor an American major network newscast.
On the show, Chung calls out local newscasters for failing to cover the Chinese New Year.
Calling out the lack of representation in the media was another message in the episode.
“The fact that this is a Chinese family people connect with and want to see them each week,” Chiang told CGTN Digital. “You don’t have to be from the same background to relate.”
A still from "Ride the Tiger" /courtesy of ABC
A still from "Ride the Tiger" /courtesy of ABC
Above average
Chiang recognizes that his Hollywood story is not usual.
“I would have never thought as a writer I would be able to work on a show about an Asian family,” he said. “Let alone that people actually like the show.”
A still from episode "Ride the Tiger" /courtesy of ABC
A still from episode "Ride the Tiger" /courtesy of ABC
Fans enjoyed the bilingual episode lauding the show on social media for using Mandarin in the storyline.
/Tweet @rachelhojw
/Tweet @rachelhojw
Feisty Mo @jazzlema tweeted,
/Tweet @jazzlema
/Tweet @jazzlema
Now, fans will have to stay tuned to see whether or not this will happen more often or was it just a one-hit wonder.
“It has to feel organic, we don’t want it to seem forced. It has to be funny inherently... You have to find what’s humorous about it,” Chiang said. “I’m sure there will be more Mandarin episodes.”