Who Wants a Baby?
| Who Wants a Baby? | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | BB來了 |
| Genre | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Having You" by Ka-yee Tam |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Liu Chun-shek |
| Production location | Hong Kong |
| Editor | Wong Bing-yi |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company | TVB |
| Original release | |
| Network | TVB Jade |
| Release | July 9 – August 3, 2018 |
Who Wants a Baby? (Chinese: BB來了; lit. Baby Is Coming) is a Hong Kong television series created and produced by television network TVB. It premiered on 9 July 2018 and continued until 3 August 2018 for 20 episodes. With parenting as the main topic starring Ali Lee and Lai Lok-yi, it follows the story of a young couple who is having their first child and the family conflicts they encounter during the process. The show was well-received for its realistic storyline, with Ali Lee winning "Best Actress" at the 51st TVB Anniversary Awards for her starring role.
Cast
[edit]- Ali Lee as Ellen Tong Tim-yee: Elvis's wife who works as a fashion buyer[1]
- Lai Lok-yi as Elvis Yip Chi-ting: Ellen's husband, the manager of a high-end restaurant and bar[1]
- 8 young actors as Yip Wan: Ellen and Elvis's daughter, from newborn to one-year-old
- Chan Ying-man
- Wong Sing-nga
- Chan Fei-yi[2]
- Tse Wo-yau
- Lee Ka-lam
- Leung Sum-yu
- Ng Man-yuet
- Tang Hau-yuen
- Stefan Wong as Frankie Lee Koon-chung: Elvis's boss and friend, owner of a high-end restaurant and bar[1]
- Samantha Ko as Katrina Hui Ching: Ellen's high school friend, who works as a bartender at Frankie's restaurant[1]
- Tsui Wing as Ben Yip Chi-yoon: Elvis's older brother[1]
- Griselda Yeung as Wong Kai-miu: a doula who works at the postpartum confinement business, Po On Sum[1]
- Claire Yiu as Belle Hui Long: Katrina's older sister; she works as a doula at Po On Sum[1]
- Angelina Lo as Joyce Hong Lai-jing: Elvis's mother and Yip Wan's paternal grandmother[1]
- Rebecca Chan as Leung Yuet-sin: Ellen's mother and Yip Wan's maternal grandmother[1]
- Law Lok-lam as Tong Chow: Ellen's father and Yip Wan's maternal grandfather
- Carlo Ng as Choi Cheung-ching: Chinese medicine physician
Plot
[edit]Ellen Tong and Elvis Yip have been married for a year. An unexpected pregnancy leaves them unprepared, as they are used to a spending and traveling lifestyle. Ellen, a strong-minded woman, does not want to get help from either her husband's or her own family. However, for the sake of her unborn daughter, she takes maternity leave and then, with Elvis, moves into a flat in the same high-rise building as her mother-in-law. After giving birth, she often clashes with her mother-in-law due to differences in baby care, leaving Elvis sandwiched between the two. Ellen eventually quits her job and takes over the postpartum confinement business, Po On Sum. In taking care of this business operations, conflicts between Ellen and Elvis arise where Ellen stands firm on getting justice when an issue comes up—she emphasizes being a role model to her daughter when it comes to moral subjects. In contrast, Elvis worries more about financial matters to keep the business running regardless of the situation.
One of the employees at Po On Sum is Wong Kai-miu, who lives with her son, Lung, and struggles to make ends meet after her husband ran away to avoid his gambling debt. Elvis purposely reveals Wong's family story to the media to give Po On Sum more exposure. After Wong's ran-away husband catches the news story, he shows up and kidnaps Lung. Seizing this opportunity, Elvis rescues Lung but, at the same time, uses calculated tactics to create a sensational "supreme dad" image of himself to the public. He becomes a spokesperson for several brands, displaying his savvy marketing side and helping Po On Sum gain various money-making opportunities. Ellen eventually finds out and confronts her husband's gimmick, leaving their marriage turning into jeopardy. The story ends where they reconcile after Elvis posts a video online showing himself being remorseful. The epilogue emphasizes the ultimate life lesson is learning to love and be loved in the bittersweet and imperfect moments.
Production and background
[edit]The television series was produced by Liu Chun-shek and was filmed from November 2017 to March 2018. It utilized first-time parenting with postpartum confinements as the main theme.[3][4] The child character, Yip Wan, was portrayed by eight young actors of different ages throughout the show, the youngest being only 15-day-old.[4] The screenwriter, Wong Bing-yi, is a first-time mother at the time and touched on the storyline with her own experience as well as others'.[5][6] In order to have the correct knowledge of confinement care, the cast received an instruction course from the professional confinement teachers before filming.[6][7]
Music
[edit]| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Having You (有了你)" | Cheng Kwok-kong | Chung Chiu-fung | Ka-yee Tam | 4:18[8] |
Note: The theme song was a classic remake originally released by Danny Chan in 1981.[9]
Reception and ratings
[edit]Who Wants a Baby? received favorable response from the audience, being the third most watched TVB television series of the year.[10] The finale peaked at 30.2 rating points, approximately 1.9 million viewers.[11] Wong Tsz-hang from HK01 noted the childbirth and parenting topic discussed in the show to be "resonating with daily life". Wong also praised the cast's acting, in particular Ali Lee, noting her as the "treasure" of the television series.[12] An editor writing for Oriental Sunday also commented on its "realistic storyline" with "straightforward, heartfelt dialogues".[13]
| Week | Episodes | Airing dates | Average ratings[a] | Peak ratings | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 5 | 9–13 July 2018 | 28.8 points | [15] | |
| 2 | 6 – 10 | 16–20 July 2018 | 28.3 points | [11] | |
| 3 | 11 – 15 | 23–27 July 2018 | 27.8 points | [16] | |
| 4 | 16 – 20 | 30 July–3 August 2018 | 27.5 points | 30.2 points | [11] |
| Average Total: | 28.1 points | [11] | |||
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 51st TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Actress | Ali Lee | Won | [17] |
| My Favorite Male Character In A Television Series | Lai Lok-yi (for Elvis Yip) | Nominated | [18] | ||
| My Favorite Female Character In A Television Series | Ali Lee (for Ellen Tong) | Nominated | [19] | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Tsui Wing | Nominated | [20] | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Angelina Lo | Nominated | [21] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "《BB來了》新手爸媽最強攻略" [Synopsis of Who Wants a Baby?]. TVB USA (in Traditional Chinese). 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ "《BB來了》允豬遇上小春雞 網友催黎諾懿拍續集" [Who Wants a Baby? Yip Wan meets Lai Lok-yi's real-life son; viewers want a sequel to be filmed]. Sky Post (in Traditional Chinese). ULifestyle. 25 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "《BB來了》新手父母血淚史" [Who Wants a Baby? portrays the blood and tears of new parents]. TVB USA (in Traditional Chinese). 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ a b "允豬有8個分身！《BB來了》小演員最細得15日大" [8 young actors portrayed the character Yip Wan in Who Wants a Baby?; the youngest was only 15-day-old]. Bastille Post (in Traditional Chinese). 3 August 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ Lam, Seun-ging (21 July 2018). "【BB來了】點解劇本咁貼地窩心？全靠監製編劇堅持六個「不」" [Who Wants a Baby is meant to be a heartwarming TV series; the staff has a lot of freedom in creating the storyline]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ a b Tang, Yi-ting (6 July 2018). "《BB來了》 李佳芯黎諾懿新手爸媽齊湊B" [Who Wants a Baby Ali Lee and Lai Lok-yi play first-time parents]. ULifeStyle (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "黎諾懿 渴望做豬公" [Who Wants a Baby cast received a confinement care course]. TVB USA (in Traditional Chinese). 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Having You (Theme from TV Drama Who Wants a Baby) by Ka-yee Tam on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "【原唱與翻唱】譚嘉儀甜蜜演繹《有了你》 Eason 都有唱過" [Ka-yee Tam covered Danny Chan's classic song "Having You" for Who Wants a Baby; Eason Chan also once covered the song at his concert]. Ming Pao Weekly (in Traditional Chinese). 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "【萬千星輝】今年「最佳劇集」花落誰家？ TVB高層原來一早有暗示……" [Prediction on "Best Television Series" of 2018 TVB Anniversary Awards]. Oriental Sunday (in Traditional Chinese). 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Wong, Tsz-hang (13 August 2018). "【收視滯後報告】新增澳門收視係咩玩法？ 《衛斯理》成全年最差" [TV Ratings Report for the week of 30 July–5 August 2018]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Wong, Tsz-hang (5 August 2018). "【任噏亂評】《BB來了》能成為本年最高收視 有一個人不可以忽略" [Who Wants a Baby? has the potential to become the highest-rated television series of the year; there is an actor the audience cannot ignore]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "【BB來了】劇情對白夠貼地！《BB來了》啜核金句大合集！" [List of memorable dialogues from television series Who Wants a Baby?]. Oriental Sunday (in Traditional Chinese). 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ Nip, Amy (9 August 2013). "Slide in television ratings is no drama, says TVB". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Wong, Tsz-hang (23 July 2018). "【收視滯後報告】《BB來了》成功突圍而出 《天命》被拋離成條街" [TV Ratings Report for the week of 9–15 July 2018]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Wong, Tsz-hang (8 August 2018). "【收視滯後報告】《天命》成年度大輸家 高成本高卡士低收視" [TV Ratings Report for the week of 23–29 July 2018]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "李佳芯由專演小三到成最佳女主角 李佳芯首奪《萬千星輝》視后：自己不是贏在起跑線" [Ali Lee transformed from novice acting to win the "Best Actress" Award]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2018: 最受歡迎電視男角色 - 馬國明 (宮心計2深宮計) [51st TVB Anniversary Awards - Most Popular TV Male Characters]. TVB USA Official on YouTube/Google, Inc. (in Traditional Chinese). 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2018: 最受歡迎電視女角色 - 陳煒 (宮心計2深宮計) [51st TVB Anniversary Awards - Most Popular TV Female Characters]. TVB USA Official on YouTube/Google, Inc. (in Traditional Chinese). 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2018: 最佳男配角 - 梁烈唯 (是咁的，法官閣下) [51st TVB Anniversary Awards - Best Supporting Actor]. TVB USA Official on YouTube/Google, Inc. (in Traditional Chinese). 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "《萬千星輝》盧宛茵演野蠻奶奶獲激讚 TVB御用媽打與大小姐爭最佳女配角" [Angelina Lo was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" Award for her role in Who Wants a Baby]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 11 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.