Shades of Life


Shades of Life is a 2014 Hong Kong modern drama produced by TVB, starring Jack Wu and Elaine Yiu. The series began airing on July 20, 2014 and was broadcast on the following Sundays at 9:00 p.m with 12 episodes in total.
The series centers around the Ko family, a modern Hong Kong family and the ordinary people they encounter. The series tells of the struggles and social issue of ordinary Hong Konger. Each episode does not continue on from the previous episode and each is a new standalone story.

Main cast

Ko family

  • Jack Wu as Ko Ho Pan 高可攀: Tung Ngoi Ting's husband and San Ting's father. He works as a reporter.
  • Elaine Yiu as Tung Ngoi Ting 董愛晴: Ko Ho Pan's wife and San Ting's mother. She works as a personal tour person for VIP tourist.
  • Henry Yu as Ko Baat Dau 高八斗: Ho Pan and Ho Yen's father. A retired school principal.
  • Zoie Tam as Ko Ho Yen 高可人: Ho Pan's younger sister. A design student.
  • Albert Lo as Ko San Ting 高山青: Ko Ho Pan and Tung Ngoi Ting's preteen son.

    Tung family

  • Albert Law as Tung Fu Gwai 董富貴: Tung Ngoi Ting's arrogant and greedy father who invest in real-estate to make a living.
  • Angelina Lo as Mrs. Tung 董太: Tung Ngoi Ting's materialistic and greedy mother.

    Synopsis and cast

Episode 1: Succeed 望子成龍
  • Mandy Lam as Mrs. Lau 劉太
  • Raymond Chiu as Lau Chi Yen 劉志仁
  • Andrew Au as Dicky Lau 劉迪奇
Episode 2: Same Root 同根生
  • Océane Zhu as Wong Mei Fan 王美芬
  • Leung Hoi Lam as Chan Bo Yee 陳寶儀
Episode 3: Influence Life With Life 非常校長
  • Ben Wong as Ma Wui Jung 馬匯忠
  • Rachel Kan as Ho Yuk San 何玉珊
Episode 4: Sub-divided Hero 劏房英雄
Episode 5: Winter's Fairy-tale 冬天的童話
  • Gary Tam as Cheung Huk Kau 張學求
  • Skye Chan as Lau Siu Wan 劉小雲
  • Owen Cheung as Cheung Si Tim 張思甜
Episode 6: Successor 接班人
  • Brian Chu as Cheng Chi Ho 鄭志豪
  • Lily Poon as Helen
Episode 7: Dream Dwelling 蝸居夢
Episode 8: So Close, So Far 這麼近, 那麼遠
Episode 9: Father and I 公公與我
Episode 10: What Is Good 餘何是好
  • Det Dik as Leung 亮
  • Wong Hin Chung as Cyu 柱
  • Kinko Koo as Chum 沈
Episode 11: Sunset Warrior 夕陽戰士
Episode 12: Homeward Bound 歸去來兮

Controversies

Shades of Life received over 1500 complaints in its 2nd week of airing. The series was slammed for depicting Hong Kong citizens in a negatively and inaccurate portrayal of stereotypes. Also providing misleading information when depicting other country societies, such as episode 1 where it is mentioned about the difference between Hong Kong students and American students, one of the characters ask "why Hong Kong students carry backpacks to school when in the United States students does not carry backpacks because everything they need is already provided by the school".