Hong Kong TV series
A House Is Not a Home (Chinese: 家變) is a 1977 TVB television series. It stars Liza Wang, Simon Yam, Ha Yu, Bak Man-biu, Tang Pik-wan and Lee Heung-kam.
Synopsis
In 1970s Hong Kong, the construction industry was booming, but hidden dangers, due to corruption often jeopardized the public's safety. Lok Fai (Bak Man-biu) is one of these construction company owners. He has two wives, the first, Yuen Heng Wan (Tang Pik-wan) has 3 children including a gay son, Lok Wah (Simon Yam). Lok Fai's second wife Wong Yee Tak (Nam Hung) has two daughters, Lok Lam (Liza Wang) and Lok Man (Tsui Mei-leng).[1]
Between the two families, sandwiches Lok's friend a banker and his lawyer son who helps to mediate between the two wives but Heng Wan and her best friend, Sze Li Mo-Yung (Lee Heung-Kam), have deep hatred for them. Lok Lam creates a magazine, but the magazine's publication has Lok Wah's nude photos! (based on the 1970s standard, it is) This causes a war among the two families, and all hell breaks loose....with the anti-corruption ICAC investigators (played by Chow Yun-fat and Bill Chan respectively) who are hot on Lok Fai's trail. With his unworthy son-in-law Ma Chun Yau (Ha Yu) taking over the business it is now up to Lok Lam to save the family business.
History
The TVB drama A House Is Not a Home premiered on 1 August 1977 and had 110 episodes.[2][3] Roman Tam sang the series' theme song. His performance became more popular than the theme song "Raging Tide".[2] The series was viewed by 2.6 million people, which broke the previous record.[4]
Legacy
According to the scholars Heung-wah Wong and Hoi-yan Yau, Liza Wang's depicted Lok Lam, the heroine of the story, as a strong woman which "found great favor with Hong Kong audiences, especially young women". Numerous Hong Kong women mimicked the "Lok Lam hairstyle", which is a "straight shoulder-length cut with a wavy fringe". Career women viewed Lok Lam, a powerful woman focused on her career, as their exemplar in the several years after the drama was broadcast.[4]
The heroine's brother was depicted as "sissy" gay man. Although a small part, during 1970s Hong Kong television, his character was "the major representation" of a gay Hong Kong man.[5] The South China Morning Post's Lisa Cam said A House Is Not a Home made Liza Wang, Simon Yam, Ha Yu, and Tang Pik-wan "Hong Kong acting legends".[6]
References
External links