Veteran actor Chiang Hou-jen asks: Who killed Taiwan's film and TV industry?

Taiwan's once-vibrant film and television industry, which once captivated global Chinese audiences, has fallen into a "catastrophic" state, according to veteran actor Chiang Hou-jen. The 70-year-old, who was part of the "Five Tigers of CTS" in the 1980s alongside actors like Kou Shih-hsun and Chang Chen-kuang, expressed his dismay in a late-night Facebook post.

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Who killed Taiwan's film and television industry?

Chiang reminisced about the golden age when Taiwanese films, starring actors like Brigitte Lin and Chin Han, were highly sought after, with contracts signed before stories were even developed. Television dramas, such as the ones he starred in with Chang Chen-kuang and Kou Shih-hsun, commanded viewership ratings as high as 60-70%, a stark contrast to the 1-2% considered good today. Even variety shows were immensely popular, featuring lively hosts and guests.

The actor attributed the industry's decline to several factors. He criticized the "localization" policy initiated by former President Lee Teng-hui, which led to a surge in Hokkien-language programming. This, he argued, allowed mainland Chinese productions to gain a foothold and ultimately led to the decline of Taiwanese dramas. He also pointed to "corrupt officials" who flooded the market with low-cost or free mainland Chinese dramas, displacing local talent.

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Back then, Taiwanese movies starring actors like Brigitte Lin and Chin Han were extremely popular. If you could get a contract signed by either of them, film companies would invest, and then you'd make up a story. Movies were that easy to make.

Furthermore, Chiang lamented the rise of "newlyweds who are not sharp," referring to Taiwanese directors returning from the U.S. who produced low-budget films with unknown actors, a strategy he deemed "drinking poison to quench thirst." He also cited a lack of innovation among industry professionals, leading to audience fatigue, and the overwhelming competition from high-quality, well-packaged Chinese and Korean dramas.

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Back then, the 8 p.m. slot dramas I starred in with Chang Chen-kuang and Kou Shih-hsun were all hits. Every household watched at 8 p.m. A hit drama could get a 60-70% viewership rating (now 1-2% is considered good).

"A country without its own works, watching imported goods every day, is quite tragic," Chiang stated, questioning the value of spending large sums on film and television awards only to give them to outsiders. He felt the industry's current state, producing "long-running dramas for nursing homes," was a sad reflection of the nation's cultural output.

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This led to the entire mainland market being handed over on a silver platter, and Taiwanese dramas have been in decline ever since.