Shades of Life

2014
Ended
~45m / ep
1 season

Yu Yang is a highly respected retired principal. He has a deep affection for traditional Chinese culture and places an emphasis on family values. His eldest son Jack Wu graduated with a journalism degree and works as a magazine editor. Jack likes to get to the bottom of things and sometimes has different opinions than his father on certain social issues. Yu Yang and his daughter Zoie Tam, being 40 years apart, have a major generation gap. Yu Yang finds it difficult to adjust to the rapidly changing technology era. Fortunately, his daughter-in-law Elaine Yiu is a good mother and wife, and keeps the household in perfect order. But as her son grows older, the family is faced with decisions about his education, which brings out the nerves of everyone. The series explores a number of critical issues for Hong Kongers, including education, housing, an aging population, declining competitiveness of youth, Mainland relations, and the immigration trend.

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Latest: Season 1 · 2014

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E1. Episode 1
May 5, 2014 · 45m
The slogan "Learning: It's more than scoring" reflects the new culture of teaching and learning that is recently promoted by Hong Kong schools. However, in reality, nothing ever goes as planned. Nowadays, most "Monster Parents" have great expectations of their children, who, ever since their infancy, have already attended the course namely "Let your child win at the starting line". The couple, TUNG OI-CHING and KO HO-PANG, take very much care of their son KO SHAN-CHING. Although KO SHAN-CHING is an average student, he is given much freedom by his parents. One day, OI-CHING is surprised that her son's classmates are very competitive, so she has no alternative but to pave the way for her son, hoping her son will be admitted to a famous secondary school. Unexpectedly, she witnesses the sacrifice that another pair of "Tiger Parents", LAU CHI-YAN and his wife, made after pushing their beloved son to this battlefield in person......
E2. Episode 2
May 6, 2014 · 45m
This is the story about two senior citizens who both live in a subdivided flat. One of them is called FRANKIE, who used to be a police inspector with high academic qualifications, but he ends up in poverty after using up all his money and becomes the rent collector. The other is called Uncle FUNG, who, although has lots of children and grandchildren, left his home in dismay to stay in the poorest place in Hong Kong, hoping to change his family members' living environment. Through his interview with the two, HO-PANG exposes that the poverty-stricken people are living in inadequate housing in Hong Kong, and at the back of this is subtly hidden an episode of suffering and bitterness. Hong Kong people are known to be optimistic. However, can we remain the same when facing such an extreme living environment?
E3. Episode 3
May 7, 2014 · 45m
Principal MA WUI-CHUNG has decided to take the plunge and give up his million-dollar annual incomes, stepping out of the Hong Kong educational system and establishing a free-of-charge tutorial school that is specifically for the students in poverty. He hopes that knowledge can help them get rid of poverty and change their destiny. However, it's certainly not easy for him to fulfil his philosophy of Equal educational opportunities. His family is on the verge of breaking down, whereas his tutorial school will be forced to close because they have no income and cannot afford the expensive rent. For the sake of these "hardworking yet still below average" students, how far can the extraordinary principal go?
E4. Episode 4
May 8, 2014 · 45m
As the old saying goes, "One may distinguish himself in any trade". CHEUNG HOK-KAU was a student of HO-PANG's father, BAT-DAU, however, he didn't finish high school due to his family issues, ending up becoming a cleaning worker at very young age. On cold winter nights when everyone enjoys their family times, HOK-KAU instead keeps working diligently till dawn. His diligence eventually pays off as he, who used to be a garbage collector and was looked down on by the others, has become a renowned property management entrepreneur. This is a very inspirational story, revealing that the real opportunity for success lies within the person provided he is diligent and tries hard.
E5. Episode 5
May 9, 2014 · 44m
The competitiveness of an individual might reflect the one of the whole of the society. With existing cutthroat competition in Hong Kong, a human resources consultant points out that twenty percent of those young job seekers they have contacted are classified as "High test scores, Low ability". This lack of independence has set alarm bells ringing with regard to Hong Kong's competitiveness. In fact, the magazine group that HO-PANG works for recently hired a fresh graduate called CHENG CHI-HO, who, although possesses high academic qualification, is overly protected by his "Helicopter parents". Confronting the challenges of the global elites, will this newly-joined employee eventually admit defeat?
E6. Episode 6
May 12, 2014 · 44m
The retirement in old age is an inevitable part of life, however, some outstanding seniors would rather continue to work at the stage of post-retirement. Seeking self-reliance and independence, they vigorously explore new possibilities, striving to live their best second half of life. Our main character, KING ELECTRIC, who twice suffered a stroke, keeps fighting for his career and never gives up. Living his life like a candle that burns itself from beginning to end to give off light and heat, he not only lights up his life, but also brings warmth to the people around him, glittering at the sunset as a warrior!