Short End of the Stick (TV series)

Short End of the Stick
公公出宮

Short End of the Stick official poster
Also known as Eunuchs Leave the Palace
Genre Period drama, Comedy
Created by Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited
Written by Kwan Chung-ling, Dai Tak-gwong, Au Ka-wai, Hui Ka-yue, Leung Man-tse
Directed by Lai Bak-kin, Wong Yue-lok, Liu Sui-lun, Kwok Ka-hei, Ng koon-yu
Starring Wayne Lai
Nancy Wu
Natalie Tong
Rosina Lam
Edwin Siu
Power Chan
Raymond Cho
Grace Wong
David Chiang
Theme music composer Alan Cheung
Opening theme Blue Sky (藍天白雲) by Sammy Sum
Country of origin Hong Kong
Original language(s) Cantonese
No. of episodes 35
Production
Executive producer(s) Catherine Tsang
Producer(s) Marco Law
Location(s) Hong Kong
Kaiping, China - Zili village
Editor(s) Kwan Chung-ling
Camera setup Multi camera
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s) TVB
Release
Original network Jade
HD Jade
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Original release 9 February (2016-02-09) – 27 March 2016 (2016-03-27)
Chronology
Related shows The Confidant
External links
Website programme.tvb.com/drama/shortendofthestick
Short End of the Stick
Traditional Chinese 公公出宮
Simplified Chinese 公公出宫
Cantonese Yale Gūnggūng Chēutgūng
Literal meaning "Eunuchs Leave the Palace"

Short End of the Stick (Chinese: 公公出宮; Cantonese Yale: Gūnggūng Chēutgūng; literally "Eunuchs Leave the Palace") is a 2016 Hong Kong period comedy television drama produced by TVB. The drama is TVB's 2016 Lunar New Year drama, starring Wayne Lai, Nancy Wu, Natalie Tong, Rosina Lam, Edwin Siu, Power Chan, Raymond Cho, Grace Wong and David Chiang as the main cast. It premiered on February 9, 2016, airing every Monday to Friday on Hong Kong's Jade and HD Jade channels during its 8:30-9:30 pm timeslot, concluding March 27, 2016 with a total of 35 episodes.[1]

Short End of the Stick is an indirect sequel to TVB's 2012 drama The Confidant. Short End of the Stick also stars most of the same cast from The Confidant. Both dramas centers around the lives, struggles and betrayals of eunuchs, but unlike The Confidant which was a melodrama, Short End of the Stick is a light hearted comedy. The Confidant main protagonist Li Lianying, played by Wayne Lai is mentioned as part of the plot in Short End of the Stick.

The drama is a comedic depiction of the lives of eunuchs after the fall of the Qing dynasty and their eviction from the Forbidden City by the last Emperor of China, Puyi.

Synopsis

Eunuchs Lee Suk-gung (Wayne Lai), Dan Tin (Power Chan) and Chan Siu-fung (Raymond Cho) lived a peaceful life serving the Emperor and the royal family in the Forbidden City. Suk-gung worked in the kitchen as a cook and master carver, Tin worked in the Physician quarters and Siu-fung was a beautician who made the ladies in waiting presentable. After the fall of the Qing dynasty and eviction of all eunuchs and servants in the Forbidden City by the last Emperor of China Puyi, for constant theft of valuables, the three Eunuchs band together to survive outside the Forbidden City as civilians in Beijing. Life as civilians is harsh for the three as they face constant prejudice from revolutionists for being associated with China's imperial past while making a meager living working as kitchen help at an alleyway food stall and rent a small room living together in a dingy neighborhood.

At a rally held by Yip Ching-yee (Ram Chiang), a cruel revolutionist bent on eradicating anyone associated with the Qing dynasty, the three witness a former high-ranking eunuch they were acquainted with during their time in the Forbidden City, being humiliated and abused by Ching-yee and his group of revolutionists. They are told by Ching-yee to join in on humiliating the captured eunuchs. Not wanting to because they are afraid, they meet and befriends Chiu Jun-sing (Edwin Siu) who tells them he is also "one of their own" and that better them doing the abusing of the eunuchs being persecuted than by Ching-yee's group. Chiu Jun-sing is actually a pretend eunuch living off his relative, the former high-ranking eunuch being humiliated by Ching-yee because the high-ranking eunuch has lots of priceless valuables taken from the Forbidden City in his possession. Jun-sing helps the eunuch illegally sell these valuables, which is a national crime.

Their troubles begin when Siu-fung is seduced by a prostitute who tricks him into selling himself as a slave to the Americas. Suk-gung and Tin save Siu-fung in time before he signs his life over but before doing so Siu-fung had divulge to the prostitute that he is a eunuch. While walking by they see Jun-sing being prosecuted by Ching-yee for being a eunuch but Jun-sing does not want to blow his cover as a pretender since he has priceless valuable in his possession. Suk-gung, Tin and Siu-fung pretends to be vengeful cheated husbands out for revenge against Jun-sing to save him from Ching-yee but they're outed as eunuchs by the prostitute who earlier tried to trick Siu-fung.

Now wanted criminals by authorities for having a national artifact in their possession and Ching-yee for being eunuchs, the four escape to Shenzhen. During their escape, Siu-fung was hit by a bullet. Once they arrive in Tianjin they take Siu-fung to a hospital where the staff refused to treat Siu-fung unless they have money. In order to save Siu-Fung, the three decide to mug someone. After looking at possible victims they decide on a cruel looking woman beater who happens to be a female dressed like a man. During the struggle to rob her, she suffers an asthma attack. Worried that she could die from her asthma attack, they take her to the same hospital that they took Siu-fung. They soon find out that she is Kam Dai-nam (Rosina Lam) from the powerful and rich Kam family. Hearing that her niece was bullied, Dai-nam's aunt Kam Heung (Nancy Wu) comes to the hospital with her servants to seek revenge.

Kam Heung lets them go and pays for Siu-fung's medical expenses when she realizes that the trio only robbed for money to save their friend's life. However Siu-fung's medical expenses was not a charity and the three are sent to work as servants for the Kam family until their debt is paid off. Suk-gung and Tin are satisfied with this arrangement since life as a Kam servant is similar to the life they had in the Forbidden City.

Kam Heung is head of the Kam family and manages the family rice merchant business because she is the only child alive born to the main wife of her father. Her older brother and Dai-nam's father Kam Cheong (David Chiang), has no status in the family since he was born to a concubine and his offspring are all daughters. Besides managing the family business, Kam Heung has to deal with a bickering household where her late older brother's wife gets her way and belittles everyone in the family because she gave birth to the Kams current heir, and she also has to deal with a trouble making business rival who steals from them and constantly makes fun of the Kams for having insufficient male heirs.

Suk-gung and Tin's professionalism, intelligence, obedience, patient and complementing words soon prove to be the perfect servants to the Kams. Dai-nam also take a liking to Siu-fung and showers him with luxury when he brings her good luck in gambling. But the trios secret as eunuchs could affect their standings with the Kams when they find out the Kams have an hatred for eunuchs because the family was cursed by legendary powerful imperial eunuch Lei Lin-ying, because the Kams ancestors had offended Lei. Afraid they will be facing prejudice, Suk-gung and Tin decides to revert to their dirty eunuch tactics, along with the help of Jun-sing they steal valuables from the Kams to fund for their passage escape.

When strange things starts happening on the Kam family grounds, everyone in the village start to believe the Kam curse. The eunuchs who have seen this kind of situation in the Forbidden City between the Emperor's consorts know that someone is up to no good and secretly warns Kam Heung, In order to prove the curse is just a saying, Kam Heung encourages all the single females over thirty to get married. Her plan however backfires when the Kams enemy Tsui Tai-Fu, pushes her to get married herself. Suk-gung, Tin and Jun-sing sees this as an opportunity to ripoff more of the Kam fortune by hiring a stranger to enter into a fake marriage with Kam Heung. Meanwhile, Suk-gung, Tin and Jun-sing's roommates find their stolen stash and reports it to Kam Heung, however ironically Suk-gung and Tin had donated all the money they pawned from stolen goods to the local western doctor who needed it for his son's medical expenses. This makes the eunuchs reputation in the Kam family even better since they think the eunuchs stole to help save a life and Suk-gung soon becomes Kam Heung's personal advisor.

On the day of Kam Heung's husband competition everything goes wrong. Tsui Tai-Fu sends his nephew to beat the man Jun-sing hired to win the competition, and the man hired is found out as a wanted criminal. Embarrassed by the whole situation, Kam Heung runs away with Suk-gung following her. When the two are found by the rest of the Kam family, the two are in a compromised position due to accidentally consuming a performance enhancer and mistaken by onlookers to have acted in an indecent manner. Not wanting to expose himself as a eunuch, Suk-gung agrees to Kam Heung's idea of going into a fake marriage with her in order to avoid the village punishment of being drowned alive.

Cast

Eunuchs

A eunuch who worked in the palace kitchen as a cook and master carver. The leader and most masculine of the three eunuchs. His flattering words gets Kam Heung to admire him, and he becomes her personal advisor. He and Kam Heung are forced into marriage when the entire village thinks they had an indecent affair. He soon becomes spoiled like the rest of the Kam family when he starts living their affluent life.
As a pretend eunuch, Suk-gung, Siu-fung and Tin meet as civilians outside of the palace. He was living off of his maternal uncle Eunuch Chiu by illegally selling priceless artifacts he has in his possession. He is also a womanizer that has affairs with married women and a penchant for prostitutes. He falls in-love with Wong Lin at first sight. He is also Kam Fai, the illegitimate son of Cheung's and Heung's father. Yin-wai devises a plan to frame him for selling tinted soy sauce because she is worried that he will become the new Kam family head. When someone dies because of Yin-wai's lies he is put on death row, but is saved during his execution due to befriending a crime boss in jail. He comes back to the Kams village as a high ranking warlord general under the name Ko Chiu (高超), to seek revenge against the Kams.
A eunuch who was a beautician to the ladies in waiting in the palace. He is a romantic who is always searching for someone to love him. He is also the most feminine, gullible and honest of the three eunuchs. Kam Dai-nam takes a liking to him because he brings her good luck. Uneducated, unskilled, unambitious and weak, Kam Heung refuses to hire him. When all the females in the village over 30 are encouraged to get married he helps them look presentable, especially Dai-nam who he helps dress like a female.
A eunuch who worked in the physician quarters in the palace. He is the wisest and most educated of the three eunuchs. He finds ways for the three to possibly better their lives. Lee Suk-gung often plots together with him. Suk-gung helps him set up a Chinese Physicians practice when Suk-gung is fraudulently engaged to Kam Heung. Dan Tin is not happy being a physician as he is not confident with himself and is afraid someone will die in his care.

Kam family

The matriarch of the Kam family. Kam Heung and Kam Cheong's aunt. Wanting Kam Heung to get married, she makes the entire village believe the Kam family curse to be true.
Kam Suk's niece. She manages the family rice business because she is the only surviving offspring of her father's main wife. Wanting to prove the Kam family curse is false, she encourages the single females in the village to get married only to be pushed into marriage herself by the Kam family nemesis Tsui Tai-Fu. She later suffers from a brain tumor which forces her to hand over the family business to Kam Cheong.
Kam Heung's older half-brother. Ng Yin-wai's husband. Kam Dai-nam, Dai-tse and Dai-da's father. He has no status in the family since he was born to a concubine and is often belittled by his half-sister-in-law Wan Tai-tse and enemy Tsui Tai-Fu for having no male off-springs. He loses the opportunity to become head of the Kam family when it is found out that he was behind Kam Heung and Suk-gung accidentally consuming a sex drug. He marries a pregnant Wong Lin in order to raise Jun-sing's child as a Kam.
Kam Cheong's second wife and Kam Dai-nam, Dai-tse and Dai-da's step-mother. She treats all of her step-daughters as if they were her own. Tsui Tai-Fu's cousin who is in-love with her. She is often belittled by the first son's wife Wan Tai-tse for not being able to have children after being married to Kam Cheong for so many years. To make sure her husband is secure as the new head of the household she underhandedly schemes with Law Hai, Ng Yin-cho and Dr. But Dou to ruin Jun-sing. She advises her husband to marry Wong Lin in order to repel her sin of framing Jun-sing.
Kam Cheong's eldest daughter. She dresses and acts like a brutish male because her father is made fun of for not having any sons. Her rash behavior and gambling addiction often causes trouble for her aunt Kam Heung. She takes a liking to Chan Siu-fung because he brings her good luck. Got married to Chan Siu Fung.
Kam Cheong's second daughter. Fung Chun-sai's wife. She is desperate to become pregnant because she is afraid of being belittled for not being able to have a child. She pretends to have amnesia so her husband Chun-sai can regain his confidence.
Kam Dai-tse's husband. He is a highly educated scholar who is also Kam Da-bo's tutor. He is afraid of his wife as she often physically and verbally abuses him. Ashamed of being (mentally) impotent, he lets the entire village think that he died from drowning in the river. He is also a spy for the Qing dynasty.
Kam Cheong's youngest daughter. The first university graduate in the Kam family. She studied abroad and is very westernized, dressing in western clothes and speaking English often. But in reality, she never went abroad to study and was working as a magician at a nightclub in Shanghai. She desperately wants to go to France because her lover Bak Long is there. After Bak Long seduces her, he dumps her, and she later finds out that she is pregnant and aborts the child. She starts to admire and have romantic feelings for Dan Tin when he tends to her while she is recovering from her abortion.
The wife of the Kam family's late oldest son by the main wife. Kam Da-bo's mother. She is arrogant and mean-spirited because of her position as the mother of the current and only Kam family male heir. She takes control of the Kam rice business when Kam Heung marries Lee Suk-gung. However, she abuses her power by spending money carelessly on herself. To continue living lavishly as a Kam, she brought Kam Da-bo from a child abductor and lies that he is her biological son.
Wan Tai-tse's son. He is spoiled because he is the current and only Kam family male heir. When he tells the truth about Suk-gung, Tin and Jun-sing stealing from the Kams, no one believes him because of his reputation as a spoiled brat. He is actually not related to the Kams as Wan Tai-tse bought him from a child abductor to cover for her miscarriage.
Kam Heung's cousin and Law Hai's wife. She manages the Kam family servants.
Kam Tai-lik's husband. He is the Kam family account. His wife always ends up doing his job because he doesn't know how to do math. Together with Ng Yin-wai and Ng Yin-cho, they frame Chiu Jun-sing for selling tainted soy sauce because the three are jealous of Jun-sing's success.
Ng Yin-wai's cousin who works for the Kam family. Together with Ng Yin-wai and Law Hai, they frame Chiu Jun-sing for selling tainted soy sauce because the three are jealous of Jun-sing's success.
A revolutionist who is bent on eradicating anyone associated with the Qing dynasty. He likes to humiliate and belittle eunuchs in public. He is also a distant relative of the Kams. When he arrives to the Kam home village to attend Kam Heung's wedding the eunuchs, fearing that he will recognize them, plans to murder him but end up blinding him instead. But he forgives the eunuchs when his sight recovers after seeing how caring they were to him.

Kam family servants

A supposed impoverished peasant girl working at the local brothel and hawking matches on the streets that Kam Cheong and Kam Dai-nam take pity on. She is from a family that was originally wealthy, but became poor. To free her from her brothel contract Kam Cheong steals his wife's savings to buy Wong Lin's freedom. She then becomes a Kam servant working under Kam Dai-da. She is actually hired by Tsui Tai-Fu to seduce Kam Cheong in order to break up his marriage. Chiu Jun-sing falls in-love with her at first sight. She is actually a Qing princess who was saved and raised by an eunuch.
The Kam family body guard who is good at martial arts.
A village elder who lives and works at the Kams property. Mrs. Nau's husband and Miss Nau's father.
Uncle Nau's wife and Miss Nau's mother. She works at the Kams property.
Uncle Nau and Mrs. Nau's daughter. She work at the Kams rice field. Chiu Jun-sing and her were in a courting relationship until he met Wong Lin.
The Kam household cook.

Tsui family and servants

The Kam family business rival. He often causes trouble for the Kam's by stealing from them and belittling them for not having many male off-springs. Ng Yin-wai's cousin has a soft-spot for her because he is in-love with her. He later becomes poor and loses his fortune.
Tsui Tai-Fu's nephew who was sent to ruin Kam Heung's husband competition.

Queue Society

*An underground society that wants to restore the Qing dynasty.

Leader of the Queue Society.
A spy of the Qing dynasty who is on a secret mission to pass information to Fung Chun-sai.
A Queue Society member whose cover is selling incense and joss paper.
The Imperial Royal Physician Dan Tin study under in the Forbidden City.

Extended cast

Kam Dai-da's lover in France. He is a poor poet who already has a wife. He lies to Dai-da that he will divorce his wife for her. After seducing Dai-da he dumps her. When he is divorced with his wife he tries to win Dai-da back but she no longer loves him by then.
A former high-ranking eunuch and Chui Jun-sing's uncle who he was living off of because he has lots of priceless artifacts in his possession. The three eunuchs remember him as kind and always looking out for them in the palace.
A royal consort that Siu-fung attends to in the Forbidden City.
A prostitute who lived in the same dingy neighborhood as the three eunuchs. She tries to trick Siu-fung into selling himself as a slave.
The loan shark and debt collector from the village gambling parlor. He is also a part-time assassin for hire.
The only Chinese medical physician in the town. He is a fraud who falsely diagnose and wrongly prescribe medicine to his patients. His cover is blown when he lies about his credentials to the eunuchs that he was a royal imperial physician.
A western medical doctor of India descent who refuses to treat people unless they have money. He becomes sworn brothers with Suk-gung and Tin when they give him money to save his son. Desperate for money he takes Ng Yin-cho and Law Hai money in order to frame Jun-sing for selling tainted soy sauce.
A nurse at the western hospital who refuse to treat patients unless they have money.
Chiu Jun-sing's friend hired by Jun-sing to pose as Kam Heung's would be husband. He is actually a wanted criminal.
A child abductor who traded children on the black market. Wan Tai-tse was one of his customers. The Kams sold him as a slave to the Americas.
Head of the village police force.
The new doctor at the western hospital when But Dou skips town after taking Ng Yin-cho and Law Hai money to frame Jun-sing.
A death row inmate Jun-sing saves and befriends in prison. He is a bandit gang leader who is saved by his gang during execution.
A warlord that Jun-sing is a subordinate of when he takes on the identity of Ko Chiu.
A former Qing palace maid Suk-gung is acquainted with. After leaving the forbidden city, she marries an abusive husband.
Hau Sin's abusive husband. He and his wife manage and own an awful noodle shop that they rent from the Kams.
A prostitute that Siu-fung (aka Sai Gai) hires to help him pretend he is a bad person in order to make Kam Dai-nam no longer want to marry him.

Development

Kaiping Diaolou in Zili village, Kaiping, Guangdong Province, China
Dixi Road in Chikan, Kaiping, Guangdong Province, China

Historical inaccuracies

Viewership ratings

Timeslot (HKT) # Week Episode(s) Average points Peaking points
Mon – Fri
(8:30-9:30 pm)
20:30–21:30		 1 09 – 12 Feb 2016 1 – 4 24 --
2 15 – 19 Feb 2016 5 – 9 29 33
3 22 – 26 Feb 2016 10 – 14 29 --
4 29 Feb – 04 Mar 2016 15 – 19 28 --
5 07 – 11 Mar 2016 20 – 24 29.7 32.8
6 14 – 18 Mar 2016 25 – 29 -- --
7 21 – 25 Mar 2016 30 – 34 29 --
(Sun) 27 Mar 2016 35 28 --
Total average 28.1 33

International broadcast

Network Country Airing Date Timeslot
Astro On Demand MalaysiaFebruary 9, 2016Monday – Friday 8:30 – 9:15 pm
TVBJ AustraliaFebruary 9, 2016 Monday – Friday 7:15 – 8:15 pm
Starhub TV SingaporeMay 11, 2016Monday – Sunday 9:00 – 10:00 pm

Awards & Nominations

Year Ceremony Category Nominee Result
2016 StarHub TVB Awards[10] My Favourite TVB Drama Short End of the Stick Nominated
My Favourite TVB Actor Wayne Lai Won
My Favourite TVB Supporting Actress Natalie Tong Nominated
Rosina Lam Won
My Favourite TVB Supporting Actor Power Chan Nominated
Raymond Cho Won
My Favourite TVB Female TV Character Rosina Lam Nominated
My Favourite TVB Male TV Character Wayne Lai Nominated
TVB Star Awards Malaysia My Favourite TVB Drama Series Short End of the Stick Nominated
My Favourite TVB Actor in a Leading Role Wayne Lai Nominated
My Favourite TVB Actress in a Supporting Role Rosina Lam Nominated
My Favourite TVB Actor in a Supporting Role Power Chan Nominated
Raymond Cho Nominated
My Favourite Top 15 TVB Drama Characters Wayne Lai Won
Raymond Cho Nominated
Rosina Lam Nominated
My Favourite TVB On Screen Couple Wayne Lai & Nancy Wu Nominated
Raymond Cho & Rosina Lam Nominated
TVB Anniversary Awards Best Series Short End of the Stick Nominated
Best Actor Wayne Lai Nominated
Most Popular TV Male Character Wayne Lai Nominated
Raymond Cho Nominated
Most Popular TV Female Character Rosina Lam Nominated
My Favourite TVB Actor in a Supporting Role Power Chan Nominated
Raymond Cho Won
John Chiang Nominated
Willie Wai Nominated
Most Popular TV Female Character Rosina Lam Nominated
Yoyo Chen Nominated
Most Popular Series Partnership Wayne Lai, Edwin Siu, Raymond Cho & Power Chan Nominated
Most Popular Series Song Blue Sky (藍天白雲) by Sammy Sum Nominated

References

  1. ↑ 《公公出宫》新年播出　黎耀祥寄望口碑 orientaldaily.com. (in Chinese) Retrieved February 2, 2016
  2. ↑ 《太監五虎》巡禮拍攝 曹永廉蕭正楠玩斷背 (in Chinese) Retrieved February 10, 2016
  3. ↑ "The Five Eunuchs" Sales presentation clip. Retrieved February 10, 2016
  4. ↑ Ada Choi, Raymond Wong Back Out of TVB Drama “Eunuchs Leave the Palace”. Retrieved February 2, 2016
  5. ↑ 蔡少芬連推TVB兩劇 再辭演《公公出宮》 胡定欣頂上做女主角. (in Chinese) Retrieved February 2, 2016
  6. ↑ "《公公出宮》" Eunuchs Leave the Palace" Costume Fitting. Retrieved February 2, 2016
  7. ↑ 蕭正楠遭阿廉插鼻引翠如喪笑. (in Chinese) Retrieved February 12, 2016
  8. ↑ John Chiang Rushed to the Hospital While Filming “Eunuchs Leave the Palace”. Retrieved February 14, 2016
  9. ↑ TVB Releases 2016 Calendar and Teases Upcoming Dramas. Retrieved February 2, 2016
  10. ↑ StarHub TVB Awards 2016 Nominations. Retrieved September 10, 2016
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