In The Name Of The People (2017)

''In the Name of the People'' () is a 2017 Chinese TV drama series based on the web novel of the same name by Zhou Meisen. Its plot revolves around a prosecutor's efforts to unearth corruption in a present-day fictional Chinese city. It has drawn large audiences in China, where its release coincides with General Secretary Xi Jinping's leadership's anti-corruption campaign. It is the first broadcast political drama featuring high-level government corruption in China since 2004. The production received significant government funding from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the highest agency responsible for both investigation and prosecution in the People's Republic of China. The intervention from censors was much lighter due to the support of the authorities. The series is considered by some western observers as the Chinese version of ''House of Cards''.

The program's stars include Lu Yi as detective Hou Liangping, Xu Yajun as his antagonist Qi Tongwei, and Zhang Fengyi as Sha Ruijin, the provincial Party Committee Secretary. The series is based on a book by author Zhou Meisen, and was adapted for television by Zhou and his wife Sun Xinyue. It was primarily filmed in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.

Synopsis

''In'' ''the Name of the People'' chronicles the internal power struggle of the Chinese Communist Party in the fictional city of Jingzhou, Handong province, featuring stories about Chinese politics that are often talked about but never seen on mainstream television.

Cast

* Lu Yi as Hou Liangping
* Zhang Fengyi as Sha Ruijin
* Wu Gang as Li Dakang
* Xu Yajun () as Qi Tongwei
* Zhang Zhijian () as Gao Yuliang
* Ke Lan () as Lu Yike
* Bai Zhidi () as Chen Yanshi
* Li Guangfu () as Zheng Xipo
* Hu Jing () as Gao Xiaoqin
* Ding Haifeng () as Zhao Donglai
* Zhang Xilin () as Cai Chenggong
* Li Jianyi () as Ji Changming
* Huang Junpeng () as Chen Hai
* Han Benben () as Zheng Shengli
* Tang Wan () as Lin Huahua
* Yue Xiuqing () as Ouyang Jing
* Ji Shuai () as Zhou Zheng
* Xu Wenguang as Ding Yizhen
* Xu Guangyu () as Cheng Du
* Li Wei () as Sun Liancheng
* Zhang Kaili () as Wu Huifen
* Li Xinyue () as Zhang Baobao
* Huang Pinyuan () as Yi Xuexi
* Hao Guang () as Qin Siyuan
* Zhao Ziqi () as Zhong Xiao'ai
* Hou Yong as Zhao Dehan
* Gao Yalin () as Liu Xinjian

Reception

It is noted for its ensemble cast of skilled veteran actors as well as its high quality despite China's strict censorship system. The drama also surpassed 7% in ratings, breaking the single day ratings record for a Chinese drama. The series also received the praise from ''People's Daily'', which is known as the mouthpiece of the Communist Party.

However, some dissidents, such as cartoonist Rebel Pepper, treated the series as a way for the authorities to manipulate and fool the public. The core of the series is that anti-graft efforts could only be conducted by a strong government rather than democratic elections or a free press, as ''The New York Times ''commented. Essentially, the series is not a success of creativity, but a success of the "permits to create", according to a widely spread opinion on Internet by Du Junfei, a professor in mass communication of Nanjing University. 人民的名义 , 不是创作的成功,而是创作许可令的成功

Ratings

Awards and nominations

References

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External links

In the Name of the People
at IMDb

2017 Chinese television series debuts
2017 Chinese television series endings
Chinese drama television series
Chinese period television series
Political drama television series
Television shows based on Chinese novels
Television shows set in Beijing
Television shows filmed in Jiangsu
Television shows filmed in Beijing
Mandarin-language television shows
Hunan Television dramas
Television series by EE-Media