Kids' Lives Matter
| Kids' Lives Matter | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 星空下的仁醫 |
| Genre |
|
| Written by | Poon Man-hung |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Cherish" by Linda Chung |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Ben Fong |
| Production location | Hong Kong |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company | TVB |
| Original release | |
| Network | TVB |
| Release | October 18 – November 22, 2021 |
Kids' Lives Matter (Chinese: 星空下的仁醫; lit. Doctors Under The Stars) is a Hong Kong medical television series created by television network TVB, with Ben Fong serving as producer. The 25-episode series premiered on 18 October 2021 and concluded on 22 November 2021. Set against the backdrop of pediatric surgery, it stars Kevin Cheng, Kenneth Ma, Linda Chung, and Catherine Chau, and chronicles the lives of medical interns, residents, and attendings caring for sick children at the fictional Princess Anne Hospital.
Cast
- Kevin Cheng as Dr. Johnathan Hui Gam-fung – pediatric surgeon and Consultant doctor[2]
- Kenneth Ma as Dr. Amos Fong Chung-yan – pediatric surgeon and Consultant doctor[2]
- Linda Chung as Dr. Eman Cheung Yi-sum – pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon[2]
- Catherine Chau as Dr. Kay Mak Hoi-kei – chief of service of pediatric department[2]
- Him Law as Dr. Max Man Pak-hei – pediatric resident specialist[2]
- Mimi Kung as Dr. Flora Chung Wai-seung – Dean of School of Medicine[2]
- Bowie Cheung as Dr. Candice Lin Cheuk-ying – anesthetic medical intern[2]
- Regina Ho as Dr. Esther Yu Chi-wa – pediatric medical intern[2]
- Gabriel Harrison as Dr. Paul Chow Chun-yiu – Hospital Chief Executive[2]
- Florence Kwok as Dr. Joey Kwok Bo-ying – anesthesiologist[2]
Plot
The story begins with a flashback in 2001 introducing Johnathan Hui, Amos Fong, and Eman Cheung as medical interns. An operation causes a rift between Hui and Fong, leading to them becoming estranged. Flash to the present, Hui and Fong are pediatric surgeons and work at North West Hospital and Princess Anne Hospital, respectively. One day, Hui asks Fong to perform a liver transplant operation jointly. An anesthetic mistake occurs during the procedure where Cheung, a cardiothoracic surgeon, appears timely to rescue. She returns to Hong Kong after being a Doctor Without Borders and is now a newly contracted doctor at Princess Anne Hospital.
With the ambitious vision of building a pediatric facility, Fong uses tactics to make Hui join Princess Anne Hospital. He then recruits Hui, Cheung, and a few other doctors, including Max Man, a resident specialist, Kay Mak, pediatric chief of service and Fong's love–interest, and Joey Kwok, an anesthesiologist, to create an "elite" surgery team, building themselves an influential reputation to pave the way for Fong's vision. The team faces various obstacles during the process, with Hui and Fong reconciling their friendship. The truth of the operation incident in the past also gets revealed. Although Fong's vision is not yet realized towards the end of the series; the doctors experience growth in both their personal and professional lives.[3]
Production and background
The series was produced and directed by Ben Fong, with the script supervised by Poon Man-hung. It marks TVB's first medical drama focused on pediatric surgery, utilizing a team of professional doctors as technical consultants throughout filming.[4][5] The set for the fictional Princess Anne Hospital was modeled after the Hong Kong Children's Hospital,[6] with principal photography taking place from August to December 2020.[7] The series also marked Linda Chung's return to television after a six-year hiatus from the industry.[8]
Music
The soundtrack consists of 4 individually released singles as follows:
| Kids' Lives Matter | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | October 2021 |
| Genre | Cantopop |
| Language | Cantonese, English |
| Label | The Voice Entertainment Group |
| Producer | Herman To & Joseph Wei & Alex Lau |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cherish (好好珍惜自己)" | Cheung Mei-yin | Linda Chung, Nick Wong | Linda Chung | 3:45[9] |
| 2. | "Couldn't Tell (不敢開口)" | Vivian Koo | Andy Ho & Johnny Yim | Vivian Koo | 4:37[10] |
| 3. | "Fear In My Heart (我會害怕)" | Hayes Yeung | Johnny Yim & Alan Cheung | Hana Kuk | 3:46[11] |
| 4. | "Never Too Late" | Quinn Lui | Kong Fai & Marley Chan & Chan Chung-wai | Quinn Lui | 3:53[12] |
Reception and ratings
Kids' Lives Matter garnered mainly positive reviews from the audience and media, who commented on the show's "convincing" acting and "moving" storyline.[13][14][15][16] Lam Chun-king from HK01, on the one hand, criticized the series's overall storyline direction for being old-fashioned but nevertheless indicated "the compactness of the script, the richness of the story's content, and the actors' performance set the show as a TVB's masterpiece in recent years and a classic among medical dramas".[17][18] An editor from Hong Kong Economic Times praised Linda Chung's maturity in her acting skills and wrote that she could fully "express the tenderness of maternal love when interacting with sick children".[19] Although Chung did not win in the end, she was noted by the media to be among viewers' favorites for the "Best Actress" title at the 54th TVB Anniversary Awards.[20][21]
| Week | Episodes | Airing dates | Average ratings[a] | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 5 | 18–22 October 2021 | 18.5 points | [23] |
| 2 | 6 – 10 | 25–29 October 2021 | 18.9 points | [24] |
| 3 | 11 – 15 | 1–5 November 2021 | 19.4 points | [25] |
| 4 | 16 – 20 | 8–12 November 2021 | 19.3 points | [26] |
| 5 | 21 – 24 | 15–18 November 2021 | 19.9 points | [27] |
| 6 | 25 | 22 November 2021 | 22.8 points | [28] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54th TVB Anniversary Awards | My Favorite Television Series (Malaysia) | Kids' Lives Matter | Won | [20] |
| My Favorite Actress In A Leading Role (Malaysia) | Linda Chung | Won | [21] | ||
| My Favorite Actor In A Leading Role (Malaysia) | Kevin Cheng | Nominated | [29] | ||
| Best Television Series | Kids' Lives Matter | Nominated | [30] | ||
| Best Actor | Kevin Cheng | Nominated | |||
| Kenneth Ma | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress | Linda Chung | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Him Law | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Regina Ho | Nominated | |||
| My Favorite Male Character In A Television Series | Kenneth Ma (for Amos Fong) | Won | [20] | ||
| My Favorite Female Character In A Television Series | Linda Chung (for Eman Cheung) | Nominated | [30] | ||
| Best On-screen Partnership | Kevin Cheng & Linda Chung | Nominated | |||
| Best Television Theme song | "Cherish" | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Asian Academy Creative Awards | Best Television Series | Kids' Lives Matter | Won | [31] |
| Best Actor | Kenneth Ma | Won |
Overseas releases
In Singapore, the series was broadcast in June 2022 on Mediacorp Channel 8 with Mandarin dubbing. The original Cantonese version was made accessible through the Mediacorp OTT service MeWATCH. In Malaysia, the series was aired in October 2022.
Notes
References
- ^ "Closing credits (Episodes 1–25)". Kids' Lives Matter (in Cantonese). 2021. TVB Jade. TVB.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "台慶劇《星空下的仁醫》 醫者童心 奇蹟降臨" [Kids' Lives Matter Characters]. TVB Weekly (in Traditional Chinese). 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "星空下的仁醫．劇情︳雙視帝＋回巢舊將主導 真係冇得輸？" [Kids' Lives Matter Episodes Summary]. Yahoo Hong Kong Entertainment (in Traditional Chinese). 21 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ 林迅景 (Lam Chun-king) (15 October 2021). 《兒科醫生》更名《星空下的仁醫》 編審親解受袁國勇訪問啟發 [Kids' Lives Matter Script Supervisor Personally Reveals the Drama Was Inspired by an Interview with Professor Yuen Kwok-yung]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ^ 黃欣華 (Wong Yan-wa) (19 October 2021). "星空下的仁醫︱首部定檔54周年台慶劇 鄭嘉穎回歸竟未算最大亮點" [Kids' Lives Matter is TVB's 54th Anniversary TV Series; Kevin Cheng's TV comeback is only one among other highlights of the show]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "星空下的仁醫｜張寶兒曝光絕密拍攝場景 「安妮醫院」只有一樣唔係道具" [Bowie Cheung takes the audience to the set of Kids' Lives Matter]. Oriental Sunday (in Traditional Chinese). 2 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "【兒科醫生】鍾嘉欣回港拍劇與子女分隔兩地落淚 鄭嘉穎催馬國明：有仔趁嫩生【有片】" [Kids' Lives Matter Linda Chung Returns to Hong Kong for Filming, Tearful Over Separation from Children; Kevin Cheng Tells Kenneth Ma: "Have Kids While Young"]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 22 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- "【一家團聚】拍畢《兒科醫生》回加拿大與家人團聚 鍾嘉欣感激丈夫照顧子女" [Linda Chung returns to Canada after finished filming the pediatric TV series; she is grateful of her husband for taking care of their children]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Chan, Ilsa (17 March 2022). "Linda Chung Turns Down Role In Sequel To TVB Drama Kids' Lives Matter". 8days. Archived from the original on 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "Cherish 好好珍惜自己 (Theme from TV Drama Kids' Lives Matter) by Linda Chung on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "Couldn't Tell 不敢開口 (Interlude from TV Drama Kids' Lives Matter) by Vivian Koo on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "Fear In My Heart 我會害怕 (Ending theme from TV Drama Kids' Lives Matter) by Hana Kuk on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ Never Too Late (Interlude from TV Drama Kids' Lives Matter) by Quinn Lui on YouTube. YouTube. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Cheryl (22 November 2021). "星空下的仁醫｜大結局團圓誕生多對CP 揭20年前事故真相 罕有被讚平實出色" [Kids' Lives Matter happy ending; the truth of 20-year incident was uncovered; the television series was praised]. HolidaySmart (in Traditional Chinese). PressLogic. Archived from the original on 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "【星空下的仁醫】鍾嘉欣演技大躍進挑戰視后寶座 病危星仔告別父母情節感人" [Kids' Lives Matter Linda Chung's Breakout Performance Puts Her in Best Actress Race; Dying Child's Farewell Scene Moves Viewers]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 23 October 2021. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "細仔肉緊陪睇《星空下的仁醫》結局 鄭嘉穎大讚︰TVB製作進步咗" [Kids' Lives Matter finale; Kevin Cheng praised Kids' Lives Matter as a good TVB production]. ULifeStyle (in Traditional Chinese). 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "鬥氣冤家CP值爆燈 鄭嘉穎向大肚鍾嘉欣表白" [Kevin Cheng and Linda Chung play a couple in Kids' Lives Matter, showing their chemistry]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 4 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- 洪曉璇 (Hung Hiu-suen) (16 November 2021). "星空下的仁醫｜鄭嘉穎搶救鍾嘉欣母子曬演技 BB道具造價達5位數" [Kevin Cheng tries his best to save Linda Chung and her baby during an operation in Kids' Lives Matter; the prop for this particular scene costs up to 5 figures]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ 林迅景 (Lam Chun-king) (23 November 2021). "星空下的仁醫．全劇評｜還原度高但悶 點解唔轉一轉套路玩法？" [Kids' Lives Matter Review]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ 林迅景 (Lam Chun-king) (23 November 2021). "星空下的仁醫｜演員終極評核報告 鍾嘉欣用自身經驗技入角色加分" [Kids' Lives Matter Actors' Performance Review]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ "【萬千星輝頒獎禮】鍾嘉欣演技大躍進封后呼聲高 李佳芯演機械人贏盡網民心" [TVB 54th Anniversary Awards: Linda Chung shows great maturity in acting; Ali Lee wins the hearts of the audience by acting in a robot role]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 30 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Netizens Say Linda Chung Was "Robbed" Of Best Actress Award, Slam TVB For Giving It To Rosina Lam Instead". Today Online. 4 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ a b Lim Ruey Yan (4 January 2022). "Hong Kong's Linda Chung misses out on Best Actress award for 11th time". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "TVB Interim Report 2025" (PDF). TVB. 2025. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ "台慶劇收視出爐 《換命真相》揮低《仁醫》" [TV Ratings Report for Kids' Lives Matter and Take Two are released]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 25 October 2021. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (Wong Tsz-hang) (2 November 2021). "三台收視報告｜TVB劇集質數勝收視 ViuTV即將大爆發" [TV Ratings Report for the week of October 25–31, 2021]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (Wong Tsz-hang) (9 November 2021). "三台收視報告｜兩台交鋒第一輪成績 多咗觀眾睇電視唔係仲好咩？" [TV Ratings Report for the week of November 1–7, 2021]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (Wong Tsz-hang) (16 November 2021). "三台收視報告｜《演鬥聽》贏口碑 《全民造星IV》仲有得升" [TV Ratings Report for the week of November 8–14, 2021]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (Wong Tsz-hang) (22 November 2021). "三台收視報告｜《換命真相》暫排全年尾六 ViuTV下跌但不用緊張" [TV Ratings Report for the week of November 15–21, 2021]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ 黃梓恒 (Wong Tsz-hang) (6 December 2021). "三台收視報告｜《拳王》令人跌眼鏡 《星空下的仁醫》暫排尾六" [TV Ratings Report for the week of November 22–28, 2021]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "TVB Jade Power: Top 5 Finalists of TVB Anniversary Awards (Malaysia)" (in Traditional Chinese). TVB via Facebook. 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ a b "TVB頒獎禮丨最後5強名單出爐 《星空下的仁醫》包攬11項提名" [54th TVB Anniversary Awards: Kids' Lives Matter was nominated among Top 5 in 11 categories]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "Asian Academy Creative Awards National Winners 2022" (PDF). Asian Academy Creative Awards. 30 September 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.