This book examines the role of television in contemporary China, focusing on the political, economic and cultural forces shaping the transformation of Chinese primetime TV dramas, in particular the dynasty dramas which have enjoyed increasing popularity since the late 1990s.

1. Chinese Television Drama as Art, Political Discourse, and Transnational Capital 2. History as Political Discourse: Dynastic and Contemporary Anti-Corruption Dramas 3. TV Drama as Political Discourse II: Marching towards the Republic and the Great Emperor Hanwu 4. Dynasty Drama and Serial Narrative 5. Chinese Domestic Theme Dramas, Latin American Telenovelas, and Korean Trendy Dramas 6. Transnational Circulation of Chinese Language Television dramas 7. Building a Harmonious Society through Television Drama: Towards a Chinese Century?

Ying Zhu is Associate Professor of Media Culture, City University of New York-Staten Island, USA. She is the author of Chinese Cinema during the Era of Reform: The Ingenuity of the System, and her work has appeared in leading media journals and various edited books.