| Can't Buy Me Love 公主嫁到 |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Costume drama, romantic comedy |
| Format | HDTV |
| Starring | Moses Chan Charmaine Sheh Linda Chung Raymond Wong Susanna Kwan Sharon Chan Kenneth Ma Lee Heung Kam Fala Chen Louis Yuen |
| Opening theme | Man Chin Chung Ngoi (萬千寵愛) performed by Susanna Kwan |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Language(s) | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 31 (Hong Kong) 32 (Overseas) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Mui Siu Ching |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | TVB Jade |
| Broadcast | |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | August 23, 2010 – October 3, 2010 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Beyond the Realm of Conscience (2009) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Can't Buy Me Love | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 公主嫁到 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 公主嫁到 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "The Princess Comes in Marriage" | ||||||||||
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Can't Buy Me Love is a 2010 Hong Kong television series. It is a grand production by TVB and starred Moses Chan, Charmaine Sheh, Linda Chung, Susanna Kwan and Sharon Chan.
Contents |
Set during the Tang Dynasty of China, Can't Buy Me Love tells the story of the Third Princess, Princess Chiu Yeung (Charmaine Sheh), of the Tang Emperor (Samuel Kwok), who is beautiful but very unreasonable, and, as such, no one wants to marry her. The Kam family is the largest gold manufacturer in the grand capital Chang'an, but because they are deceived, the business runs into troubles. The second son of the Kam family Kam Tuo Luk (Moses Chan) has to marry the Third Princess to save the family business, because then they will have the right to manufacture gold pieces for the Tang Palace, the Third Princess only agreeing to the marriage because otherwise she would be married off to the Tibetan king Songtsän Gampo, as schemed by the evil Concubine Wei (Kara Hui).
The Princess brings lots of servants to the Kam family after marrying Kam Tuo Luk, and constantly comes into conflict with the members of the Kam family (Lee Heung Kam, Susanna Kwan, Louis Yuen, Raymond Wong). The Princess brings Szeto Ngan Ping (Fala Chen), with her to the Kam family, who has been awarded "Best Servant" by the Concubine Dowager Chui (Susan Tse) and later became wife of Ding Yau Wai (Kenneth Ma). The Princess originally decides to leave the house, but when she misunderstands that the Kam family speaks negatively of her, she stubbornly stays. Later, she and Kam Tuo Luk fall in love. When the Kam family is convicted of a capital offence, she divorces Kam Tuo Luk to secretly save the Kam family.
After the huge success of Beyond the Realm of Conscience, the filming of a similarly set costume drama comedy was announced. "Can't Buy Me Love was featured in the TVB 2010 sales presentation clip, which was released shortly after the TVB Awards Presentation, and became a highly anticipated drama of 2010 in Hong Kong. The drama became popularly compared to Beyond the Realm of Conscience due to its extremely similar lavish costumes and sets, cast members, and close time period (both set during the Tang Dynasty of China). They were also compared to as "Can't Buy Me Love" also had links with the Tang imperial palace, though it had far more scenes out of the palace. It has also been widely and popularly named the indirect sequel (although it should really be a prequel, due to it being set during Taizong's reign) to the other drama, despite their entirely different genres ("Can't Buy Me Love" being a romance/comedy, while Beyond the Realm of Conscience being a historical palace epic). The two series share the same producer, Mui Siu Ching.
In order to capture the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, custom-made elaborate costumes and sets were created for the series, resembling those of Beyond the Realm of Conscience in a comical way. Elaborate costumes have been made for grand series produced by TVB in the past, especially costume dramas such as War and Beauty, The Charm Beneath and others. Costumes highly resembling those of the latter include those of the members of the Imperial Household Bureau and personal maids. Other costumes also greatly reminded the audience. A costume fitting was held on 17 December 2009 at 12:30pm in Hong Kong, in front of the Shaolin Temple in TVB City's Ancient Street, Tseung Kwan O, with most of the cast members attending. Especially grand was Charmaine Sheh's wedding ceremony headgear. A blessing ceremony was held for "Can't Buy Me Love" on 26 February 2010. The heavy headwear proved to be difficult for the cast; it resulted in injuries and discomforts for the members of the cast during filming. Television Broadcasts Limited created a lot of hype prior to the release of the series, having numerous news on the progress of the series' filming published on TVB Weekly magazine and letting out news on the filming progress.
The filming completed in April 2010. Three official trailers were released near the date of release, the first making a parody out of Beyond the Realm of Conscience. Malaysia's Astro On Demand channel also showed previews of the drama. Because of the drama's high ratings during the early episodes (the series reportedly managed to gain a peak of 36 points in its first few episodes; a celebration event was promised if the drama reached over 30 points in viewership ratings during its first week of broadcast), a celebration party was scheduled. However, because of the hostage-taking incident in The Philippines, the celebration event was cancelled, due to the tragedy, though the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority still received complaints for a comedy being aired at a tragic time.
The television series was released in Hong Kong on TVB Jade network on the 23rd August, 2010, in the third line time slot (starting at around 21:30 in GMT+7), airing between Monday-Friday every night at this hour.
The television series is a costume drama, featuring lavish costumes and sets intended to capture the luxury and grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, and to remind of the costumes and sets featured in Beyond the Realm of Conscience. The drama is a romantic comedy set during the Tang Dynasty, and makes parodies out of other Hong Kong television shows, including dramas and varieties. The drama is set to have 32 episodes, with a definitive beginning and ending to the story. Each episode is 45 minutes long. This drama format is hugely popular throughout East Asia and also in Southeast Asia. The plot can be compared to many other Asian dramas, including numerous other Hong Kong TVB dramas, Korean drama, other Chinese dramas, Taiwanese dramas and Japanese dramas, and to numerous films worldwide, where a bickering couple fall for each other, with one of them being unreasonable and hard-to-satisfy. The bickering is a major part of the comedic aspect of the drama. Apart from this romantic plot, the series also focuses on a plot where the protagonists' lives are under threat from the villans, and therefore part of the plot has focus on scheming in the palace. Dramas involving scheming people in the palace (especially those within the imperial harem, such as imperial concubines) have long been in existence in TVB dramas, especially after the hit 2004 TVB series War and Beauty, which fully focused itself on scheming imperial concubines. This type of palace scheming plot has also been existence in other Asian countries popularly. The series, apart from the main couple, Charmaine Sheh and Moses Chan, also has the romantic plots of two main supporting couples, Linda Chung and Raymond Wong, Fala Chen and Kenneth Ma. There are also numerous other sub-couples.
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Lee Heung-kam | Kam Tai Fu Yan 金太夫人 |
Ding Loi Hei's mother-in-law Kam Tuo Fuk, Kam Tuo Luk, Kam Tuo Sao's grandmother Suffered from Alzheimer's disease |
| Susanna Kwan | Ding Loi Hei 丁來喜 |
Boss of Kam Kam Ho Gold Shop Kam Tai Fu Yan's daughter-in-law Kam Tuo Fuk and Kam Tuo Luk's stepmother Kam Tuo Sao's mother Ding Choi Wong's cousin and enemy later became friends |
| Louis Yuen | Kam Duo Fok 金多福 |
Eldest son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's stepson Yuen Siu Yuk's husband |
| Selena Li | Yuen Siu Yuk 阮小玉 |
Kam Tuo Fuk's wife |
| Moses Chan | Kam Duo Lok 金多祿 |
Second son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's stepson Princess Chiu Yeung's husband |
| Charmaine Sheh | Princess Chiu Yeung 昭陽公主 |
Third Princess of Tang Palace Kam Tuo Luk's wife Had a daughter in Episode 32 |
| Raymond Wong | Kam Duo Sao 金多壽 |
Third son of Kam family Kam Tai Fu Yan's grandson Ding Loi Hei's son Ng Si Tak's husband in Episode 32 |
| Linda Chung | Ng Si Tak 吳四德 |
Kam family's housekeeper, later as 3rd Princess, then later as 6th Princess and Kam Duo Sao's wife in Episode 32 |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Samuel Kwok | Emperor Taizong of Tang 唐太宗 |
Princesses Wing Ho, Ching Wan, Chiu Yeung, Chun Ping, Chun Huai's father De Sin's adoptive father Concubine Wei and Concubine Suen's husband |
| Susan Tse | Concubine Dowager Tsui 崔太妃 |
Emperor Gaozu of Tang's concubine |
| Kara Hui | Concubine Wai 韋貴妃 |
Emperor Taizong of Tang's concubine Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung and Kam's family Committed suicide (by stabbing a sharp headpiece into her chest) in Episode 28 (Main Villain) |
| Griselda Yeung (楊卓娜) | Concubine Suen 孫貴妃 |
Emperor Taizong of Tang's concubine |
| Sharon Chan | Princess Wing Ho 永河公主 |
First Princess Chiu Wan's wife Daughter of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Empress Zhangsun Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung Depreciated to a commoner, expelled from the Palace and goes mentally unstable in Episode 15 (Villain) |
| Edwin Siu | Chiu Wan 趙弘 |
Princess Wing Ho's husband Leave the Palace to live with Princess Wing Ho in Episode 15 |
| Tracy Ip | Princess Ching Wan 清雲公主 |
Second Princess Hung Che-gong's wife Enemy of Princess Chiu later friends (Semi-villain) |
| Matthew Ko | Hung Che-gong 孔志恭 |
Princess Ching Wan's husband |
| Charmaine Sheh | Princess Chiu Yeung 昭陽公主 |
Third Princess Kam Tuo Luk's wife |
| Moses Chan | Kam Tuo Luk 金多祿 |
Princess Chiu Yeung's husband |
| Yoyo Chen | Princess Chun Ping 川平公主 |
Fourth Princess Cheng Po Wife Enemy of Princess Chiu Yeung later friends (Semi-villain) |
| Eric Li (李天翔) | Cheng Po 鄭浦 |
Princess Chun Ping's husband |
| Charmaine Li | Princess Chun Huai 晉懷公主 |
Fifth Princess Age 26 Tai Dak Leung Wife but divorced in Episode 28 |
| Cheung Wing Hong | Tai Dak Leung 泰德亮 |
Princess Chun Huai's husband, but divorced in Episode 28 |
| Linda Chung | Princess De Xin 德善公主 |
Emperor Taizong's adoptive daughter Sixth Princess |
| Raymond Wong | Kam Tuo Sao 金多壽 |
Princess De Xin's lover Later as Princess De Xin's husband in Episode 32 |
| Fala Chen | Szeto Ngan Ping 司徒銀屏 |
Third Princess's servant Concubine Dowager Tsui awards her "No. 1 Servant" Ding Yau Wai's wife |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Lee Kwok Lun (李國麟) | Ding Choi Wong 丁財旺 |
Boss of Ding Fung Ho Gold Shop Ding Loi Hei's cousin and enemy Mai Yan Che's husband Ding Yau Wai's adopted father |
| Mary Hon | Mai Yan Che 米仁慈 |
Ding Choi Wong's wife Ding Yau Wai's adopted mother |
| Kenneth Ma | Ding Yau Wai 丁有維 |
An official matchmaker Ding Choi Wong and Mai Yan Che's adopted son Lo Tou-yun's son Szeto Ngan Ping's husband |
| Fala Chen | Szeto Ngan Ping 司徒銀屏 |
Ding Yau Wai's wife |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Ram Chiang (蔣志光) | Lo Tou-yun 羅道遠 |
Turkic peoples Fong Hak-lan's husband Ding Yau-wai's father Yu-Man Kit's subordinate Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Yu-Man Kit Killed when fighting with Wong Mang in Episode 32 (Main villain) |
| Meini Cheung (張美妮) | Fong Hak-lan 方克蘭 |
Lo Tou-yun's wife Ding Yau Wai's mother Deceased |
| Kenneth Ma | Ding Yau Wai 丁有維 |
Lo Tou-yun and Fong Hak-lan's son Szeto Ngan Ping's husband |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Vincent Wong | Yu-Man kit 宇文傑 |
A philanthropist, actually a Turkic prince Lo Tuo-yun and Wong Mang's supervisor Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Lo Tou-yun and Wong Mang Committed suicide when caught by Tang army in Episode 32 (Main villain) |
| Tai Chi-wai (戴志偉) | Wong Mang 王猛 |
A Turkic General Yu-Man Kit's subordinate Determined to overthrow Tang Dynasty with Yu-Man Kit Killed when fighting with Lo Tou-yun in Episode 32 (Villain) |
| Yu Tsz-ming (余子明) | Uncle Wing 榮叔 |
Kam Kam Ho's shop manager, then Ding Fung Ho's shop manager Threatened Kam Kam Ho to pay for his gambling debts Fired by Kam Kam Ho and Ding Fung Ho successively (Villain) |
| Tsui Wing | Uncle Po 寶叔 |
Ding Fung Ho's shop manager Kidnapped Mai Yan Che, but killed by gangsters in Episode 16 (Villain) |
| Elaine Yiu | Cho Kiu 楚 翹 |
A prostitute Kam Tuo Luk's dream woman Bribed by Princess Wing Ho to seduce Kam Tuo Luk |
| Lily Li | Aunt Mei 媚 姨 |
A brothel's operator Bribed by Princess Wing Ho to assist Cho Kiu to seduce Kam Tuo Luk |
| Deno Cheung (張松枝) | Boss Mak 麥老闆 |
Boss of Mak Lee Ho Incriminated Kam Kam Ho to sell fake gold (Villain) |
| Au Sui-wai (歐瑞偉) | Wong Ka-tung 王家棟 |
An assassin Ordered by Concubine Wei to determine to kill Princess Chiu Yeung Killed by poisoning by Concubine Wei in Episode 23 (Villain) |
| Rosanne Lui (呂珊) | Chui Sim 徐嬋 |
Ding Choi-wong's cousin Stole Lo Tou-yun's baby (i.e. Ding Yau-wai) and sold it to Ding Choi-wong Killed by Lo Tou-yun in Episode 26 (Villain) |
| Li Hung-kit (李鴻杰) | Buk Yat Buk 卜一卜 |
A fortune-teller Kam Tuo-luk's friend Promoted to court astronomer in Episode 31 |
| Stephen Huynh | Luk Tung-chan 祿東贊 |
An Tibetan ambassador |
| Tam Bing-man (譚炳文) | Uncle Lam Tin 林天叔 |
A former gang leader |
| Fung So Bor (馮素波) | - | Grandmother of Princess Chiu Yeung Deceased |
| Chuk Man-kwan | - | Mother of Ding Loi Hei Incriminated by Ding Choi Wong Deceased |
| Week | Episodes | Average Points | Peaking Points | References | |
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August 23–27, 2010 |
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[1] |
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August 30 - September 3, 2010 |
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[2] |
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September 6–10, 2010 |
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[3] |
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September 13–16, 2010 |
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[4] |
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September 20–24, 2010 |
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[5] |
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September 27 - October 1, 2010 |
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[6][7] |
| October 2, 2010 |
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[6][7] | |
| October 3, 2010 |
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[6][7] |
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