The living room sofa is the place to be every night with the release of television series "Hot Ladies." With four beautiful protagonists involved in storylines that echo modern big city life, the show is likely to have an impact among local younger viewers.

Adapted from the comic book of the same name by Taiwan caricaturist Zhu Deyong, the show revolves around Fang Xiaoping (Rene Lau), a woman obsessed with marrying Mr Right; Ru Nan (Zhang Yan), an ambitious career woman; the classic beauty Wan Ling (Chen Hao), who begins and ends relationships with men quickly; and Ha Mei (Xue Jianing), the youngest, trendiest and most innocent of the bunch.

"Our production might become the Chinese version of 'Sex and the City,'" says director Zhu Yi. "The two shows put the women into a similar background, focusing on their experiences and views about love and marriage. But I believe the four Chinese ladies in our production are more closely related to the home audience."

The comic book titled "Se Nulang" was a hit after it was published in 1999. Since then the book has sold nearly 3 million copies in China.

"The book represents the psychology of certain young ladies," says Zhang Wenjin, a local office woman in her early 20s. "The foursome are refined and quite representative. They could easily be popular among young girls."

Indeed, exaggeration is one of the show's means of communication. "Hot Ladies" features over-the-top body language to express plot points among the protagonists and the various men in their lives. Actresses use artificial accents, false teeth or other props, in some scenes, to draw laughs from viewers.

When the series debuted in Taiwan last September, it became an immediate hit with an audience rating of 8.6 percent on the island.

Will the success continue in Shanghai, the first mainland city screening the production?

"I firmly believe the TV series will attract an audience," says Xue Jianing. "It's quite special compared with all other previous productions. It features enormous cartoon style, which is rare in China.

"Its superficial plots will gradually lead audiences to some philosophic understandings," she continues. "The four main characters all have faults. Their merits compliment others' weaknesses and the mix of the four could be a perfect image. But it's their imperfections that really touch viewers."

Director Zhu also points out that most lines in the show are "humorous with a little bit of poignancy tossed into the mix." Storylines are active with a happy but quick tempo.

With similar patterns and characters, people may view the Chinese television serial as an inferior clone of its American counterpart. But Zhu says this is not the case and that some of his crew hadn't even watched "Sex and the City" before shooting.

"Similarities do exist. So do differences," he says. "'Sex and the City' takes a realistic approach to love and sex while our stories are adapted from a caricature book in a more dramatic way. And the American production tells a relatively independent story in each episode while our 40 episodes is just one complete story."

While the cast is confident about the show, audiences will, as always, determine if the show is successful. Initial reviews remain mixed.

"I prefer the original caricature book," says 22-year-old Zhang Yu, who works for a local advertising company. "I watch the series primarily for the stars. The adap-tation is funny and relaxing, but not deep. And some cast members read their lines with no emotion."

Office worker Zhang Wenjin shares this view. She says the book is "relatively straight and full of philosophy, while the TV serial just tells one amusing story from beginning to the end."

She also believes it's better to read the book after watching the television series. Local younger generations are attracted to "Sex and the City" mainly because they share the thoughts and experiences, to some degree, with the four New York women -- exactly what the Chinese series is lacking according to some viewers.

"'Sex and the City' has a deeper meaning due to its classic lines and stories, which reflects city life everywhere in the world. But I don't think 'Hot Ladies' achieved this," says Wang Xu, a college student.

Still, "Hot Ladies" is innovative for a domestic TV production. The cast and crew have introduced something new to the Chinese television industry.

Director Zhu believes there is still room for further improvement in Chinese television serials. "The future is promising, despite the fact that Japanese or South Korean TV serials are popular here. Chinese audiences have always been deeply fond of long multi-episode love stories. Overseas programs may appeal to them with fresh plots and exotic locations, but Chinese works can really mirror their lives."

(Eastday.com May 19, 2003)