Screen Play - Season 1

1x1 - Episode 1

January 1, 2001

SAI (AU YEUNG CHUN WAH, BOBBY) and HANG have accidentally switched bags with YING CHING (TANG SHUI MAN) after pirate video-taping in a cinema, when they argue over getting a taxi. This causes trouble for YING CHING at the customs. CHING complains to her father, NAN, that people working in the film industry only care about earning fast money and are killing the whole industry. SAI starts an electrical fire at home. He also gets scolded by his boss for tapeing the wrong movie and feels terribly unlucky. People in the entertainment business take action to combat piracy. SAI takes it as a good chance to sell pirate copies. He assumes that he is followed by a customs officer and allows the man to beat him up. Later he finds out that the man, CHEUNG (TSAI TIN WAH, MICHAEL), is actually a small-time actor. CHING criticizes KING (YUEN SIU CHEUNG, LOUIS) and upsets him.… ...

1x2 - Episode 2

January 2, 2001

SAI feels bad about not being able to attend the meeting with CHUN CHING. He goes up to the restaurant to apologize, but finds out that she does not even want that date. CHEUNG is very upset when he finds out that all of his part in a new film has been cut. On the celebration party for KING’s new film, NAN scolds him for masterminding piracy. CHEUNG also complains about being cut from film. NAN admires CHEUNG’s enthusiasm in film making and invites him to join his company. HUNG tries to force SAI to put pirate copies into NAN’s car. SAI tries to persuade CHEUNG not to join NAN’s company. SAI tries hard to stop NAN getting to his car, so that HANG can put the pirated VCDs into his car. NAN then notices that SAI is wearing a rare watch and offers to buy it for ,000. YING CHING has no hope in Hong Kong and decides to go to the States.

1x3 - Episode 3

January 3, 2001

CHUN CHING’s sister PAULINE (TOM YING YING) attracts much attention as soon as she arrives in Hong Kong from the mainland. KING realizes that his man WAI (CHAN KOK PONG) is involved in the piracy business. To cover up WAI’s wrong doings, KING sets up a gambling trap for NAN in order to control him. However, NAN wins ,000 from them. CHEUNG decides to leave the TV Company and join NAN’s company. NAN, SAI and CHEUNG lose a lot of money in a Macau Casino. SAI does not feel too bad because he thinks he still has ,000 from NAN. Unfortunately, he finds out that NAN has died of choking when they get off the ferry. At the funeral, YING CHING learns that NAN had many unpaid debts; one of them is a down payment for a new film. KING buys that contract and forces YING CHING to pay. SAI cannot cash the cheque that NAN gave him. He then decides to have a car race with a tycoon.

1x4 - Episode 4

January 4, 2001

SAI decides to run away in case his family gets involved when the loan shark comes after him. He accidentally tells his father, WING (KONG HON), about this issue and gets a scolding. WING pays off the debt with his retirement money and makes SAI feel guilty. CHEUNG is made redundant. He can only go back to the TV Company and play unimportant roles. YING CHING is bothered by her father’s debts. She knows the only way to pay them off is to make another movie. Luckily, a Taiwanese businessman, Mr. KOK, is willing to pay mil for her to do it. His only condition is to get the top actor, ALEX, in Hong Kong. YING CHING is turned down by ALEX. SAI learns about this and decides to help for ,000. PAULINE is asked to send a takeaway to where KING is filming. WAI asks her to be a temporary actress when he sees her sexy outfit. SAI lies to YING CHING and Mr.… ...

1x5 - Episode 5

January 5, 2001

SAI asks YING CHING for his money back at her home. He finds out that she has spent a lot of money on her new movie. At the Director’s Club meeting, KING is sarcastic to YING CHING and threatens that no film crewmembers will work for her. SAI backs her up. He suggests holding an open contest to find a suitable actress for her new film.FUNG (LO CHUN SHUNG) is shocked by CHUN CHING’s beauty and drags her to the contest. She acts well and is very much admired by YING CHING. However, SAI keeps criticizing her acting and sends her away. She then delivers takeaways to another filming scene and is told that PAULINE has been forced to act in a dirty movie. She messes up the filming, but later finds out it was only a misunderstanding. She also bumps into KING. He finds that she looks like his puppy-lover and decides to give her a movie contract.

1x6 - Episode 6

January 8, 2001

Mr. KOK makes it clear that he will only invest more money in YING CHING’s company when he sees ALEX working for her. SAI lies to him and asks YING CHING to change the filming location to suit ALEX. She and CHUNG (CHENG TSE SHING) have to check out the new filming site. Unfortunately, CHUNG’s car is stolen and he is then accused of dangerous driving by the police. YING CHING finds out that SAI has lied to her from an interview. CHUN CHING gets popular under KING’s help. YING CHING tells the press that CHUN CHING has scolded some new actors. She later learns that this was her misunderstanding and apologies to her at a filming scene. CHEUNG finds that CHUN CHING is stuck inside a window sill. He tries to shock her by pulling down her skirt. Some reporters have shot the scene.

1x7 - Episode 7

January 9, 2001

YING CHING continues filming the ‘Glassy story’ under YUNG (LEUNG WING LAM) and FUNG’s encouragement. She has to film near where ALEX works in order to comfort Mr. KOK. WAI finds out and reports this to Mr. KOK. He asks YING CHING ,000 for compensation. CHEUNG sits on the roof edge feeling miserable about his own future as an actor. SAI assumes that he wants to kill himself. He rushes up to save him and nearly falls off the roof. SAI reveals WAI’s plot of introducing CHUN CHING to tycoons. She worries this kind of trouble will happen again and cancels the contract with KING’s company. Nobody hires her after that. SAI wants to clear things up with WAI for her. CHEUNG calls the police in case SAI might get hurt. It ends up with the police detaining SAI and CHUN CHING.

1x8 - Episode 8

January 10, 2001

The press reports that CHUN CHING’s family is involved with triads, so her whole family is monitored by reporters all the time. She finally loses patience and clears everything up with the reporters. CHUNG gets YING CHING a job in finance. She is puzzled by the work. One day when she rushes to see a client, she sees Director CHUI is troubled by officers from the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, so she helps him out. WAN (LOK YING KWAN) notices that he has many supporting actress friends, so he decides to raise mil for CHEUNG to make a movie. CHEUNG dashes to tell SAI and YING CHING about it. However, YING CHING has to set some rules with CHEUNG in case he cheats her again. CHUNG is annoyed learning that YING CHING is directing again. She is very bothered by choosing a leading actress. SAI proposes CHUN CHING.

1x9 - Episode 9

January 11, 2001

CHUN CHING agrees to sign the contract when SAI sincerely invites her. However, she cannot find PAULINE a supporting actress position, so PAULINE assumes that she is jealous of her talent and decides to expand her career in Guangzhou. CHEUNG goes to Shenzhen to invite WAH to be the leading actor in a movie. When he sees WAH is unwelcome there, he decides not to do so. However, KIM (LEE KA SHING) has already told WAH about it. KING lets WAI run his magazine company. WAI forces his employees to search for stars’ scandals, so YAN (CHAN LING LI) picks through CHU KI’s garbage to investigate. TUNG treats WAH as a joke in his programme. SAI feels unfair and ask FATTIE (LAW KWUN JOR) to save WAH. CHEUNG realizes WAN’s intension over CHUN CHING, so he tells him that she is a playgirl.

1x11 - Episode 11

January 15, 2001

CHEUNG tells CHUN CHING about WAN’s plot for her, but she ignores him. WAN gives her an open cheque implying his bad intention towards her. She slaps his face and leaves furiously. WAN refuses to invest more in the movie after seeing the news on the newspaper about WAH visiting a prostitute. WAN and SAI mess up WAI’s office, so WAI orders YAN to publish some fake stories about WAH. She refuses and gets sacked. WAN has his eye on YUNG and decides to invest in YING CHING’s movie again. WAH leaves Hong Kong suddenly because of his debts. It leaves the filming crew with no leading actor. WAN thinks that CHEUNG has seen him kissing YUNG, so he proposes him as the leading actor to shut him up. SAI disagrees with the arrangement and is sarcastic about CHEUNG.

1x12 - Episode 12

January 16, 2001

SAI supports CHEUNG to take up the leading role because of YAN’s advice. LING goes out with a tycoon, TAI, who restricts her activities a lot. WAN approaches YUNG more often. YING CHING is delighted to see CHUNG waiting outside the radio station with a bundle of flowers. However, the flowers are for MINNIE. She decides to split up with him after talking to FUNG. CHUNG asks her for some ‘splitting up fee’. SAI scolds him for doing that. SAI forces CHEUNG to expose himself more by attending the premiere of TONY’s new movie, but he cannot get close to TONY. MINNIE is teased by a few gangsters after the premiere. She tells the press that YING CHING has set her up. Many reporters follow YING CHING around.

1x13 - Episode 13

January 17, 2001

LING tearfully tells FATTIE that TAI is an unfaithful man. YUNG uses WAN to get rid of FUNG in order to get the art director position. SAI sees WAN and YUNG having an affair, so he blackmails him to sponsor CHEUNG singing in a charity show. However, CHEUNG is still not called to perform after waiting for a long time behind the stage. SAI thinks about challenging TING (YEUNG MING) in holding breath in order to get on the stage. Unfortunately, CHEUNG faints during the challenge. SAI signs CHEUNG up for飢饑三十 to increase his exposure. YING CHING scolds SAI for doing that. LING tells reporters TAI’s bad doings after getting a contract from WAI. LUNG worries that LING is being cheated, so he rushes up to KING’s office to pick her up. After KING’s explanation, he becomes LING’s manager.

1x14 - Episode 14

January 18, 2001

CHEUNG feels hurt when his cousin comes to visit her boyfriend in the hospital only. He tells CHUN CHING why he likes her. In order to help him, she fills a bottle with paper stars and begs his cousin to take it to him. However, his cousin refuses. CHEUNG and CHUN CHING act brilliantly according to YING CHING’s new script. They kiss during filming. SAI tells the others that CHUN CHING is his girlfriend and makes CHEUNG feel guilty and avoid her. A fire breaks out in the filming location. SAI saves some of the crew, but he tells the press that CHEUNG is the rescue hero. This makes CHEUNG famous in the industry. CHEUNG and CHUN CHING are trapped inside a lift. She pretends to have phobia and forces him to say ‘I love you’.

1x15 - Episode 15

January 19, 2001

SAI beats CHEUNG up when he finds out that he and CHUN CHING are going out. YING CHING realizes that the fire was an accident and SAI was the one rescuing people at the scene. WAN and YUNG are having an affair in a love hotel. They suspect that his wife, KWUEN, followed them there. Suddenly, the fire alarm goes off. While they are running out of the room, he bumps into KWUEN and finds out that she has come with another man. He asks to divorce her. YAM (YAN YING) expresses her anger over her parents’ divorce by shoplifting. Some reporters force CHEUNG to say his girlfriend’s name. SAI tells them that she is YAM. After that, she follows CHEUNG everywhere. SAI teaches him to scare her off with body smell, but she does not care and is willing to do anything for him.

1x16 - Episode 16

January 22, 2001

CHEUNG has to meet CHUN CHING secretly in case of hurting YAM’s feelings. Some reporters take pictures of FAYE and TING dating. Luckily, WAI stops the picture being exposed. LING reveals how her perfect boyfriend should be in MINNIE’s radio show. WAI hears it and decides to tell her his feelings for her. He prepares to tell KING about it, but sees LING coming out from KING’s bedroom. WING worries that SAI will end up in misery staying in the filming industry, so he sets him up to learn cooking and a blind date. YING CHING gets into WING’s taxi and he starts telling her how bad SAI is being his son. Suddenly, he backs out. SIMON (LO HO KAI) advises TING not to reveal his relationship with FAYE. He ignores him and tries to date YING CHING to distract the reporters.

1x17 - Episode 17

January 23, 2001

TING decides not to expose his relationship with FAYE after talking to her. He and YING CHING are both working at nearby locations and SAI suspects that they are talking to each other with walkie-talkies. SAI tells YING CHING that he likes her and scares her. LUNG advises LING to stop dating KING in case of bad press reviews. YING CHING asks CHUN CHING out for dinner, but she is surrounded by fans and CHUN CHING leaves angrily. She is then hit by a car. CHEUNG witnesses it and carries her to his car. She is very jealous seeing YAM following CHEUNG around. CHEUNG intends to tell WAN that CHUN CHING is his girlfriend, but SAI stops him. YAN overhears that CHEUNG is taking CHUN CHING to see a meteorite shower.

1x18 - Episode 18

January 24, 2001

YAN pages CHEUNG using SAI’s name and finds out where CHEUNG and CHUN CHING are going to see the meteorite shower. She tapes down their conversation and puts it as a live show. Next day they are surrounded by reporters. Luckily, SAI arrives with other people and tells the reporters that they held a birthday party for CHEUNG last night. YAM locks herself up and wants to kill herself. WAN blames CHEUNG and stops investing in the movie. SAI meets a former director begging on the street and worries that YING CHING will end up like that, so he advises CHEUNG to call for a press conference to declare his relationship with CHUN CHING. YAN finds out that MINNIE has cut out her interview with YAM and asks her for a reason. CHUN CHING is hurt and proposes to split up with CHEUNG after seeing him getting very close with YAM in the press conference.

1x19 - Episode 19

January 25, 2001

SAI tells YING CHING his feelings for her again but she refuses to date him. In case that CHEUNG gets too famous, KING allows TING to reveal his relationship with FAYE. She even holds his hand in front of reporters in public. KING tells CHEUNG that YAN has revealed his relationship with CHUN CHING. CHEUNG suspects that SAI plans everything. YUNG leaves WAN. He decides not to invest anymore in YING CHING’s movie. SAI calls all crews to gather money to continue making the movie. CHEUNG mentions some unhappy memories again and has a big argument with SAI. YAM wants to beg WAN to change his mind for CHEUNG, but he does not want to let the misunderstanding grow, so he tells her that he does not love her. FUNG meets PO (YUEN KING TANG) in a Chinese opera show and they become lovers very soon after. CHUN CHING works on very low class advertisements to collect money for YING CHING.… ...

1x20 - Episode 20

January 26, 2001

YING CHING arranges dinner with everyone and announces that PO has agreed to invest in her movie. After a few drinks, she starts complaining about SAI, CHEUNG and CHUN CHING. YAN makes a conversation of MINNIE scolding PO public. Hence, PO stops her funding for KING’s Internet business. KING is very upset and treats LING badly. She passes by a show room and watches KING’s first movie. When KING sees her crying, he starts telling her the story of making that movie. He promises to make LING a Hollywood star. FUNG arranges a business meeting for PO and YING CHING. In fact, he wants to introduce PO’s assistant, DONALD, to YING CHING. FUNG realises that she actually loves SAI when she becomes nervous after hearing that SAI has lost his wallet. SAI suggests that CHEUNG should block off the traffic when CHUN CHING takes her road test. Unfortunately, he has to brake hard and her car crashes into his.

1x21 - Episode 21

January 29, 2001

LING goes to see a flat alone. Suddenly, the owner has difficulty in breathing. She performs artificial respiration. WAI takes some pictures while she is doing it and shows them to KING. KING believes him and sends her away. She feels shocked and tries to kill herself. SAI holds a birthday party for CHUN CHING. She gets too thrilled and throws herself into him and upsets CHEUNG. YING CHING’s movie negatives are stolen. In order to save her, SAI lets the thief go. CHEUNG signs KING as his manager and scolds SAI for stealing his girlfriend. He then breaks up with CHUN CHING. FUNG complains about PO in front of the reporters. SAI suspects that KING sent people to steal YING CHING’s negative and argues with him in his office. They end up going to a police station. YING CHING begs KING not to sue SAI.

1x22 - Episode 22

January 30, 2001

YING CHING has to borrow money from a loan shark to pay her crew salaries. SAI becomes unemployed. He has to work for a parking company again. However, he is laughed at when he cannot drive a new model car. CHEUNG is sympathetic to him when he sees it. KING forces CHEUNG to be sarcastic towards him and irritates him. LING sets off a fire in the restaurant kitchen accidentally. UNCLE CHUNG breaks his leg, but WAI still forces him to work long hours. YING CHING says that she will cover for him, but she comes across many difficulties on the first working day. KING finds out that WAI has stolen YING CHING’s negatives and asks him to resign in the board meeting. Unpredictably, WAI reveals that he owns more than half of the shares and kicks KING off of the board.

1x23 - Episode 23

January 31, 2001

WAI agrees to shorten CHEUNG’s contract if he acts in a pornographic movie or he will sue him. CHEUNG becomes furious when he sees some indecent pictures of him in the newspaper and rushes to WAI’s office. One of WAI’s clients is obsess about CHEUNG and makes him drunk. Luckily, SAI saves him in time. SAI also tells him about his relationship with CHUN CHING. YAN joins WAI’s Internet company. FUNG asks PO to forgive him in YAN’s show, but she cuts away that section and points out that FUNG complains about PO. YAM is hassled by WAI on a plane and breaks his head, but the press makes up all sorts of rumour and makes WAH, LING, YAM and FUNG ‘Four Lunatics’. WAI even publishes some pictures of them messing up places. LING dashes out onto the road and is knock down by a car when she tries to hide from the reporters.

1x24 - Episode 24

February 1, 2001

YAN regains her conscience and decides to leave WAI’s company. KING apologizes to LING and they get back together. WAI finds another actor to replace CHEUNG when he finds out that YING CHING makes CHEUNG too artistic looking in the porno movie. SAI intends to date YING CHING again, but meanwhile, CHUNG asks to talk to her alone. CHEUNG and CHUN CHING encourage him to try again. SAI plans to kidnap WAI to stop him withdrawing YING CHING’s flat. Somehow, he takes ALEX accidentally. When ALEX understands YING CHING’s situation, he asks WAI to give her 3 more days and lends her some manpower to finish her movie. SAI explains to her the importance of finishing this movie. CHUNG asks YING CHING to emigrate to the States with him.

1x25 - Episode 25

February 2, 2001

CHUNG proposes to YING CHING. SAI deeply believes that she will say no, but he is not so confident after hearing YING CHING and FUNG’s talking. SAI gets drunk and tells CHEUNG his feelings for YING CHING. CHEUNG wants to tell her the truth, but SAI asks him to keep it secret. WAI bribes all the action directors and causes trouble for YING CHING. SAI agrees to jump from several floors because he wants to finish filming the movie. He is scared at first, but he falls off and is seriously injured when he sees CHEUNG talking to YING CHING secretly. He blesses YING CHING when he is in a coma. In the premiere, WAI shows a new movie to fight with YING CHING’s one. He even gives free lunch boxes to attract an audience. While everyone is thinking of tactics, ALEX leads many famous people to the cinema…

Episode 10

Screen Play - S1 - E10