C-dramas make waves with overseas viewers

In addition, science fiction is also emerging as a new frontier for domestic dramas to go global.

In February, the Chinese sci-fi series Three-Body, adapted from Liu Cixin's Hugo Award-winning novel The Three-Body Problem, released all 30 episodes at once on Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. The show made its debut domestically last January, over one year ahead of Netflix's 3 Body Problem.

This move is seen as a positive signal, encouraging Chinese creators of science fiction, a genre that has gained momentum in the country with recent successful works like The Wandering Earth franchise, to produce more quality and innovative series to captivate global viewers, says Chen Liuqi, deputy secretary general of the Science Popularization Education Committee of the China Science Writers Association.

She comments that the streaming of Three-Body on a major North American streaming platform offers an opportunity for Western audiences to delve into modern China and its sci-fi narratives, deeply rooted in the nation's unique cultures and values.