# Red Sorghum (TV series)

Red Sorghum (Chinese: 红高粱; pinyin: Hóng Gāoliang) is a 2014 Chinese television series based on Nobel laureate Mo Yan's 1986 novel of the same name. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it also features the highly anticipated return of actress Zhou Xun to television after 10 years. The series chronicles the struggles of the protagonist Jiu'er (played by Zhou) in rural Shandong province in early 1930s. It aired simultaneously on four satellite television channels from 27 October to 17 November 2014 for 60 episodes.

## Cast

* Zhou Xun as Jiu'er / Dai Jiulian
* Zhu Yawen as Yu Zhan'ao
* Huang Xuan as Zhang Junjie
* Yu Rongguang as Zhu Haosan
* Qin Hailu as Shu Xian
* Matt William Knowles as AP Press Reporter

## Production

To reproduce the scenes of the novel, the Gaomi local government planted more than 200 hectares of sorghum. The field, now known as "Red Sorghum TV Production Base", became a shooting site for the TV series. More than 500 local residents performed as extras in the TV show.

## Reception

The series premiered to rave reviews online on Weibo and has enjoyed good ratings. It topped the ratings on four satellite TV channels for three weeks during its broadcast; and has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on major streaming site iQiyi. According to Qilu Evening Post, the series also spawned viral greetings. Xinhua News Agency praised the drama, calling it a "classic in Chinese television history" and Hainan Daily called Zhou an "impeccable performer".
However, the series has been criticized the series as "too commercial" and "losing the touch of authenticity." The casting of Zhou in the role of the 19-year-old protagonist has also sparked a controversy.

## Ratings

CSM50 City Ratings :
| Air date | Episode | Beijing TV | Beijing TV | Shandong TV | Shandong TV | Zhejiang TV | Zhejiang TV | Dragon TV | Dragon TV |
| Air date | Episode | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank | Ratings | Rank |
| October 27 | 01–03 | 1.151 | 2 | 1.099 | 3 | 0.659 | 8 | 0.729 | 7 |
| October 28 | 04–06 | 1.158 | 3 | 1.236 | 2 | 0.942 | 5 | 0.752 | 7 |
| October 29 | 07–09 | 1.195 | 3 | 1.298 | 2 | 0.921 | 5 | 0.780 | 7 |
| October 30 | 10–12 | 1.154 | 3 | 1.380 | 2 | 0.971 | 4 | 0.781 | 7 |
| October 31 | 13–15 | 1.264 | 2 | 1.392 | 1 | 0.850 | 7 | 0.976 | 6 |
| November 1 | 16–17 | 1.468 | 3 | 1.548 | 1 | 0.842 | 7 | 1.154 | 4 |
| November 2 | 18–19 | 1.474 | 3 | 1.684 | 1 | 0.899 | 6 | 1.111 | 4 |
| November 3 | 20–22 | 1.505 | 1 | 1.428 | 3 | 0.905 | 6 | 1.000 | 5 |
| November 4 | 23–25 | 1.528 | 1 | 1.390 | 3 | 1.222 | 4 | 0.994 | 5 |
| November 5 | 26–28 | 1.472 | 3 | 1.478 | 2 | 1.270 | 4 | 1.078 | 5 |
| November 6 | 29–31 | 1.645 | 1 | 1.463 | 4 | 1.481 | 3 | 0.910 | 7 |
| November 7 | 32–34 | 1.666 | 1 | 1.569 | 2 | 1.290 | 4 | 0.945 | 7 |
| November 8 | 35–36 | 1.796 | 1 | 1.757 | 2 | 1.093 | 5 | 1.108 | 4 |
| November 9 | 37–38 | 1.594 | 2 | 1.781 | 1 | 1.412 | 4 | 1.202 | 5 |
| November 10 | 39–41 | 1.415 | 3 | 1.563 | 2 | 1.409 | 4 | 0.976 | 6 |
| November 11 | 42–44 | 1.655 | 2 | 1.614 | 3 | 1.374 | 4 | 1.029 | 5 |
| November 12 | 45–47 | 1.668 | 2 | 1.617 | 3 | 1.387 | 4 | 1.055 | 5 |
| November 13 | 48–50 | 1.710 | 2 | 1.584 | 3 | 1.440 | 4 | 1.030 | 5 |
| November 14 | 51–53 | 1.685 | 2 | 1.711 | 1 | 1.324 | 4 | 1.027 | 5 |
| November 15 | 54–55 | 1.920 | 1 | 1.884 | 2 | 1.145 | 4 | 1.105 | 5 |
| November 16 | 56–57 | 1.939 | 1 | 1.910 | 2 | 1.345 | 4 | 1.184 | 5 |
| November 17 | 58–60 | 1.949 | 1 | 1.870 | 3 | 1.494 | 4 | 1.178 | 5 |
| Total | Total | 34.011 | - | 34.256 | - | 25.675 | - | 22.104 | - |
| Average | Average | 1.546 | - | 1.557 | - | 1.167 | - | 1.005 | - |
* Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2014 | China TV Drama Awards | Top Ten Television Series | Red Sorghum | Won |
| 2014 | China TV Drama Awards | Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won |
| 2014 | China TV Drama Awards | Outstanding Contribution Award | Zheng Xiaolong | Won |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | Nominated |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Nominated |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actor | Zhu Yawen | Nominated |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Huang Xuan | Nominated |
| 2015 | Shanghai Television Festival | Best Supporting Actress | Qin Hailu | Won |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Television Series | Red Sorghum | Won |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Won |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Actor (Revolution-Era Drama) | Zhu Yawen | Nominated |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Qin Hailu | Nominated |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Huang Xuan | Nominated |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Newcomer | Huang Xuan | Nominated |
| 2015 | Huading Awards | Best Producer | Cao Ping | Nominated |
| 2015 | Flying Apsaras Awards | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Nominated |
| 2015 | Flying Apsaras Awards | Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Nominated |
| 2015 | Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China | Best Actress | Zhou Xun | Won |
| 2016 | China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Director | Zheng Xiaolong | Won |
| 2016 | China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Cinematography | Yu Fei, Wang He, Yang Haipeng | Won |
| 2016 | China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Art Direction | Wang Shaolin, Yao Zhijie, Yang Kaiqiang | Nominated |
| 2016 | China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Lightning | Zhang Xin'an, Chen Li | Nominated |

## International broadcast

| Country | Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Title |
| Thailand | Modernine TV | August 1, 2015 | Tamnan Rak Thung Si Plerng (ตำนานรักทุ่งสีเพลิง, lit: Fire-Colored Field Love Legend) |
| Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Cambodia Thailand | Oh!K | Oct 13,2017 | Wed To Fri 17:50 (SIN) 16:50 (JKT/BKK) 18:55 (HK) |