At the Threshold of an Era

Infobox Television
show_name = At the Threshold of an Era
(創世紀)


caption =
genre = Modern Drama
format =
runtime = 45 minutes (approx.)
creator =
director =
producer =
writer =
starring = Gallen Lo
Roger Kwok
Louis Koo
Sunny Chan
Kenix Kwok
Liza Wang
Ada Choi
Flora Chan
Nicky Wu
Maggie Siu
Paul Chun
opentheme = "准我留下" by
Gallen Lo
endtheme =
country = HKG
language = Cantonese
network = TVB
first_aired = October 11,1999
last_aired =
December 18,1999
num_episodes = 51 (Part 1)
55 (Part 2)
preceded_by =
related =
website =

"At the Threshold of an Era" (Chinese:創世紀) was a Hong Kong epic drama series broadcast by TVB Jade Channel from late 1999 to early 2000, and was extensively promoted by TVB as its cross-milliennium, one-hundred-episode-long epic. The series composed of two parts, with a gap in between the airing.

The entire series took place in a continuing flashback, with one of the main characters pondering the trials and tribulations he went through while riding on a train in the "green city" he developed.

Premise

The drama documents the rise and fall of three entrepreneurs, who founded Lik Tien Century Construction (力天世紀) together to achieve the ultimate goal of developing a pollution-free city in Hong Kong. Vendetta and love serves as strong subplots throughout the series, with the vendetta between two families being the most prominent.

The stories covered a span of 20 years, from 1990 to 2010, and featured many technologies that came to age during this time, including the nascent internet, and a bulkier tamaguchi virtual pet device (shown as a device similar to Game Boy in the series), which was developed by one of the entrepreneurs before his entry into construction.

peculation on production

It was speculated that the show was not originally meant to become a cross-millennium event, and was rushed into development and broadcast by TVB because of a slump in ratings.

In Hong Kong, TVB is the predominant TV station in terms of ratings, often receiving 90% viewing shares. During the summer of 1999, Taiwanese drama Princess Pearl, aired by rival broadcaster ATV, took away a significant portion of TVB's audience, and came out on top in the ratings battle during certain hours.

It is speculated, but never confirmed, that the managements of TVB drafted its top actors and actresses to perform in the series, and rushed the production into broadcast as a weapon against the resurgent ATV. Supporters of this theory point to the splitting of the series into two parts, with a gap in between the broadcast to allow for production time. Opponents of the speculation assert that ATV only had a one-off hit with Princess Pearl, and there were no other series afterward that could have retained the audience that eventually returned to TVB. The opponents also allude to the fact that even during the lowest point of the entire crisis, TVB still retained a competitive edge in ratings, and would have been able to defeat ATV right after Princess Pearl concluded.

Cost

The series was the costliest ever produced in Hong Kong television history, totalling more than 100 million HKD (12.8 Million USD), thus creating a record that no other television series has ever been able to break.

Characters

Main characters

*Tim Yip (葉榮添, portrayed by Gallen Lo): The main character in the series, and the leader of a gang of three that established the Lik Tien Century (力天世紀) construction corporation. Throughout the series, Tim has sometimes resorted to rather unsavory tactics to get things done. And as the main character of the series, he faces many challenges. Like the constant betrayals of his best friends (especially Michael), the feud between the two branches of Yip families, and the love obstacles with the many women in the series. He cares most of his family and friends and is initially a caring person. Yet at the beginning of the story, he was too bent on revenge, resulting in unethical schemes that hurt others around him. But through the long course of the story, he becomes an honorable person.

*Michael Hui (許文彪, portrayed by Sunny Chan): An urban planner and the most educated person in his family, he was the brain of the gang of three, and the most principled one out of all three in the beginning. However, a crisis turned him into the villain of the first series. His evolution was so big that he would eventually turn on everyone he loved just for fame and fortune. He was probably Tim's greatest friend and greatest challenge. He eventually died in the hands of a professional assassin hired by Jason Yip at the end of the first series, which started a new round of rivalry in the second series.

*Ma Chi Keung (馬志強, portrayed by Roger Kwok): He is the most unimpressive of the gang of three, but he is very nice towards his parents, and left the company after his parents died during the execution of a plot hatched by Michael and Tim. Though sometimes considered the weaker one, he is a good-natured innocent boy stuck between Tim and Michael. He is the friendly one who always stops the arguing of the three friends.

Yip family

Yip Hau Ken's branch

*Yip Hau Ken (葉孝勤, portrayed by Chow Chung): Brother of Howard Yip, and established Ming Dai Group (明大集團), which is now controlled by Howard Yip and his family. He went to prison for his brother over poorly constructed houses that violated safety regulations years before the time of the series, and is currently in retirement.

*Yip Lee Chun (葉麗珍, portrayed by Suet Nei): Mother of Tim, and has a housewife mentality.

*Yip Wing Jak (葉榮澤, portrayed by Hawick Lau): An athlete whose dream was dashed during a revenge attack by Michael Hui.

*Yip A-Min (葉雅汶, portrayed by Grace Ip): A student who doesn't really know what the future brings for her. Killed by Nick.

Howard Yip's branch

*Howard Yip (葉孝禮, portrayed by Paul Chun): Chairman of the Ming Dai Group, which is one of the largest companies in Hong Kong. His rise to the top involved treachery towards his brother, Hau Ken, who went to jail for him over poorly constructed houses consisting of concrete mixed with sea water (an illegal building method). Dies of a heart attack shortly after reconciling with his brother's family and discovering the betrayals of his own son, Donald.

*Donald Yip (葉榮晉, portrayed by Joe Ma): First son of Howard. He hates Tim Yip and their relatives, and hatched many plans to try to ruin Tim. Eventually contracted AIDS.

*Jason Yip (葉榮毅, portrayed by Lee Cheuk Kei): Second son of Howard. He also hates Tim Yip, but he does not have the devious nature that his elder brother Donald possesses. Jason dies in a plot hatched by Tim and his erstwhile allies.

*Joe Yip (葉榮亨, portrayed by Nicky Wu): Third son of Howard. He is at first a playboy, but later becomes more hardworking because of a kidnapping attempt by Michael and Jason. Initially dated Helen Fok, but the relationship ended rather quickly upon Howard's marriage to Helen's mother, which made them brothers and sisters.

Fok family

*Helen Fok (霍希賢, portrayed by Flora Chan): Love interest of Tim Yip, and worked in Lik Tien Century as their legal advisor for that very purpose. She married Barry, the son of a relative, after she realizes she will never be able to be with Tim.

*David Fok (霍景良, portrayed by Kwok Fung): Chairman of the Fok's Group (霍氏集團), and is known for his extremely unsavory tactics and ever-shifting alliance arrangements. Tim Yip worked with him at first to secure Lik Tien's future after a disastrous spell, but later ditches him and battled against him head on. Killed by Nick.

*Liza Fong (方健平, portrayed by Liza Wang): Initially wife of David Fok, but later divorced him upon learning that he is cheating on her with her best friend, Sabrina. Eventually married her longtime friend, Howard Yip. She is shown at the end of the second series to be with Anthony, another longtime friend of hers, at a gathering. It is unknown whether Liza and Anthony are married or not.

Hui family

*Hui Dai Hon (許大漢, portrayed by Liu Gong): Father of Michael Hui, and is, along with most of the family, uneducated. Shot by police and died.

*Hui Men Quan (許文坤, portrayed by Dai Ji Wei): Brother of Michael, and is known for acting before thinking.

*Hui Men Ying (許文瑛, portrayed by Ma Tei Lu); Sister of Michael.

*Fong (芳, portrayed by Ching Hor Wai): Estranged mother of Michael, who cheated on Michael's father and left for Taiwan. She has another son, Nick Cheung (張自力), who is a gangster at the time Michael knows of his existence.

*Nick Cheung (張自力, portrayed by Louis Koo): Half-brother of Michael. Initially a gangster, but upon learning his half-brother's death, he mistakenly thought that Tim Yip, who by that time has fallen out with Michael, was to blame for Michael's death (Michael told him if he died, Tim might be the murderer). As a result, he took on many plans to take revenge during the second series, and died because of that.

Other characters

*Ivy Shum (岑穎欣, portrayed by Kenix Kwok): Love interest of Tim Yip in the first series, she stood by Tim during his hardest hours, and did many things for him with little or no rewards in return. She was jailed in Taiwan and died during an escape attempt at the end of the first series.

*Mila Gao (高美娜, also portrayed by Kenix Kwok) Loved by Tim Yip in the second series because of her similar appearance to the late Ivy Shum. Her father is a local gang elder, and as a result, her demeanors reflected such a status.

*Anthony (portrayed by Yu Ji Ming): An upper-class widower who is best friend with Liza Fong.
*Barry (Portrayed by Michael Fitzgerald Wong): Son of Anthony, who eventually married Helen Fok.

Trivia

*The series was repeated during late night hours in the summer of 2005, and, to the shock of many analysts, drew impressive ratings. Traditionally, reruns only serve as fillers between new programmes, and was never expected to draw impressive ratings. TVB has since underwent a rethink into the philosophy of reruns, and is currently broadcasting more high-quality show during rerun hours.

*Two characters, Joe Yip (portrayed by Taiwanese actor Nicholas Wu), and Barry (portrayed by Chinese-American actor Michael Wong, speaks Cantonese Chinese with a very thick accent, much to the bemusement of others.

*The Chinese name for character Michael Hui (許文彪) might be an inside joke, as the actor who portrayed it, Sunny Chan, portrayed the classic TV character Hui Wenkiang (許文強) in the 1996 remake of TVB's classic drama The Bund.

External links

*hkadb name|name=At the Threshold of an Era|path=At_The_Threshold_Of_An_Era
*hkadb name|name=At the Threshold of an Era 2|path=At_The_Threshold_Of_An_Era_2