Teresa Teng's songs inspire new TV series

In the smash Hong Kong movie Comrades: Almost A Love Story (1996), there is a memorable line: "Wherever there are Chinese people, Teresa Teng's (pic) songs can be heard."

Now, fans can plug into the singer's songs and more, with Fox Networks Group in Asia planning a five-part series called Memory Eclipse.

According to various media reports, each episode will showcase a different line-up of characters and be driven by a plot inspired by a Teng song.

Shooting will take place in Taiwan and Thailand, where the Taiwanese singer died of an asthma attack at age 42 in 1995.

"The series is a bold re-imagining of the themes behind Teresa Teng's music so that her fans can experience the heart, soul and spirit of her beloved songs in a completely new way," said producer John Chong.

Kaiser Chuang, who was nominated for Best Actor in last year's Golden Horse Awards for his role in thriller Who Killed Cock Robin, is among the names tapped for the production that is set to air next year.

Singing mostly in Mandarin in a 27-year career, but also in other Asian languages and English, Teng's repertoire spanned pop, ballads and folk music.

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She was wildly popular in the 1970s and 1980s and her hits included The Moon Represents My Heart and Tian Mi Mi.

Her songs were even familiar in mainland Chinese households in the 1970s even though the country shut the doors to outside entertainment sources.

More than 20 years after her death, her star has not dimmed.

Teng even made a "comeback" as a holographic performer in 2013 as part of a show by Taiwanese mega-star Jay Chou.

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Memory Eclipse marks another milestone for Fox in growing Asian content.

It also backed Trading Floor (2018), a show focused on Hong Kong's financial world that was produced by and stars Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau, and crime thriller Stained (2017), starring Kara Wai and Anthony Wong.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.