A new TV series tells the story of PLA Navy submarine
In 2014, crew members of Submarine 372 of the People’s Liberation Army discovered that the vessel was sinking fast.
Then on a patrol mission at sea, they were caught between life and death at midnight, after a sudden change in water conditions.
Thanks to the fast reaction and skills of the PLA Navy, the crew was able to stop the submarine from sinking in a few minutes.
President Xi Jinping honored the naval fleet’s Senior Captain Wang Hongli in 2014. Wang’s crew was also given first-class merit citations by the PLA Navy — a rare honor in peacetime.
The incident inspired the TV series Deepwater Forces, which has been airing on Beijing Satellite TV, Zhejiang
(left) says his latest TV series, versary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Satellite TV and streaming site iQiyi since July 27, with two episodes each night.
Directed by well-known TV figure Zhao Baogang, the series has added fictional content to develop it into a story of young officers on a submarine. DeepwaterForces,
Zhao’s 2007 hit TV series, Struggle, depicted bittersweet love in an urban setting. But his old fascination for the ocean led him to make this navy-themed series, a first in his 30-year career.
“The core of the story is about China’s effort to establish a new, modern navy,” Zhao tells China Daily.
To make the sets look as real as possible, Zhao got his team to build a life-size submarine prop in Fangshan district, around 40 kilometers from downtown Beijing.
But many scenes were shot inside a real submarine that the PLA Navy allowed the TV crew to use for the series when the vessel was not needed for missions.
“The submarine soon became the top star. We had to follow its schedule. After all, its real job is not TV performance but to safeguard the country,” Zhao jokes.
Zhao says he spent more than five months shooting in such coastal cities as Dalian and Qingdao.
As the story centers on a group of young service personnel, the cast members are actors and actresses born in the 1990s. But cameos are played by soldiers and officers of the PLA Navy.
Zhao says he hopes the series will also appeal to audiences that like military-themed TV dramas.
“The largest scene shows around 1,500 naval crew members,” Zhao says.
Xia Ping, a rear admiral of the PLA Navy, said in an earlier promotional event in Beijing that helicopters and other vehicles were also provided for the shooting.
The TV series examines a lesser-known aspect of the navy and is a tribute to the PLA Navy in its 68th year, as well as to the PLA, which celebrates the 90th anniversary of its founding this year.
“We hope there will be more such quality productions to tell about the navy’s glorious history and achievements,” says Xia.