After School by Flora Chan

I recently discovered After School, a self-produced show by Flora Chan, where she invited guest stars to visit their alma maters and share their personal stories about their school days.

In this episode, Flora accompanies Carman Lee as Carman returns to her high school for the first time in thirty years. Flora has always been one of my favourite actresses and I've loved Carman since Never Dance Alone. I am thrilled to see them share the screen again. This episode is genuine, meaningful and sincere. I especially love Flora's soothing voice as narrator.

Overview - Watch Out Boss

The workplace is like a battle field. There is no eternal friend or enemy in the office, only people who mutually benefit from each other! Flora Chan, the senior secretary in the marketing department, has always enjoyed the favour of her boss - marketing director Waise Lee, and is known as the "Secretary Queen" in the company.  She is constantly fighting against the rivaling camp, which is led by sales director Tony Hung. Tony's secretary Ali Lee goes to work every day in "battle mode", using her beauty to cover up her mistakes. Flora sees this as nothing and easily wins with her intelligence. When the company decides to launch a new brand, it becomes the battleground for both sides. But surprisingly, upper management hires an outsider, Ben Wong, to be the marketing director of the new brand, to the great shock of Flora. Additionally, she is busy with helping the heir, Steven Cheung. The power dynamics in the company undergo a big shift. When Ben and Flora's former relationship as a married couple is eventually revealed, it drastically increases the intensity of political climate in the office. Even the boss and secretary relationship, which shares in times of honour and disgrace, takes on a new style every day.

Never Dance Alone Review

Producer: Eric Tsang, Joe Chan
Genre: Modern
Cast: Carman Lee, Rachel Lee, Gloria Yip, Angie Cheong, Fennie Yuen, Elvina Kong, Flora Chan

Review:
Put seven women together and I had expected a cat fight. Luckily, Never Dance Alone chooses a different path. It turned out to be an entertaining and heartfelt series.

For older viewers, it was a nice trip down memory lane. Watching this series with my parents, they couldn't help but share memories from their school days. Alan Tam's songs were artfully used to enhance the feeling of nostalgia. But viewers of all ages will find that they can resonate with the messages about friendship and dreams. The series was thoughtful in its examination of friendship and inspiring in its message to pursue your dreams.

The story occurs in the past and present. I like the interconnections between the two time frames, with the two generations doing some of the exact same things. The casting of the young actresses was done well. They all bare resemblance to their older versions. Their acting is better than most newbies and they exhibited a youthful energy. They were given ample screen-time, which unfortunately meant less time for the veterans.

Carman Lee was phenomenal. Never have I been so entranced by a performance. It's hard to look away from her whenever she is on-screen. Her every expression, every movement, every line delivered was perfect. Her chemistry with her on-screen husband, Lawrence Cheng, was impeccable. Not to mention her stunning beauty regardless of whatever her real age might be.

Flora Chan turned in an excellent performance as well. She carried herself with the arrogant manner of her character. Yet at the same time, she was able to make her character one that the audience would sympathize instead of hate. And her dancing was spectacular.

The other actresses also left memorable impressions with their characters. Each of them fully embodied their characters and acted in their roles without restraint. The bond between the ladies feels genuine and deep, as if they really have known each other for 20 years. I have not seen most of these actresses before and I am truly wowed by their talent.

The series is rounded off with good performances from the supporting cast. Lawrence Ng shows off his comedic side, a big difference from his normally professional image. Lawrence Cheng plays in his typical loving husband role, but as I said, his chemistry with Carman was remarkable. Miu Kan Fung was superb as the mean mother-in-law. Special mention to the maid Daisy who was seriously hilarious. Even Eliza Sam has improved to the point that her acting and accent doesn't bother me here. It was great to see the guest stars too, including Eric Tsang himself!


Rating: 5/5. A rare gem.

Everlasting Friendship?

你相信"友誼永固"這四個字嗎？
Do you believe in everlasting friendship?

Does it not exist?

Or was it just our friendship that was particularly weak?

"Never Dance Alone" Actresses

Many younger TVB fans (me included!) may not be familiar with the actresses in Never Dance Alone, who were active during the 1980s and 1990s. Here's a brief rundown of the seven actresses.


Carman Lee (李若彤)


Carman was an air stewardess before entering the entertainment industry. She became widely known after playing Xiaolongnü in TVB's 1995 remake of The Condor Heroes with Louis Koo. Her popularity was boosted further after she participated in another wuxia remake, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Carman was known for her versatility in portraying many different types of characters. She largely retired from the television and film industry starting in 2005.

Last TVB series: Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1997)



Rachel Lee (李麗珍)


Rachel began filming commercials since high school. During her early career, she was a member of the “Happy Young Girls”, a group known for their young, cheerful image. Later, she made a drastic change and got a breakthrough from Category III movies. In 1999, she was awarded Best Actress in Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards for her performance in the film Ordinary Heroes. Since then, she has been working mostly in the Mainland market.

Last TVB series: War of Genders (2000)



Gloria Yip (葉蘊儀)


Gloria entered the showbiz at the young age of 13 and quickly became a sensation. Based on her role in the film Peacock King, she was named “Most Popular Foreign Actress” in both Japan and Korea, the first Hong Kong actress to receive both awards in the same year. Her popularity streak continued throughout Asia as she released music albums in Japanese, Korean and Mandarin. She retired in 1995 after her marriage, though she made a brief comeback from 2001-2004.

Last TVB series: Justice Bao (1995)



Angie Cheong (張慧儀)


Angie represented Malaysia at the 1993 Miss Chinese International beauty pageant and was awarded a contract with TVB. She became a household name with her two roles in A Kindred Spirit. The death scene of one of her characters set a ratings record at that time. Her other notable role was the “Spider Demon” in Journey to the West. In 2006, she stepped away from the entertainment circle to focus on her healthy foods business.

Last TVB series: Armed Reaction IV (2004)



Fennie Yuen (袁潔瑩)


Fennie was discovered at the age of 16 by famed movie producer Raymond Wong. As a prominent member of the “Happy Young Girls” group, she starred in many comedies and had a part in the group’s three music albums. She also released two individual albums on her own. Beginning in 1992, she ventured onto the television scene. Her most notable work is her double role in Face to Face, where she played a pair of sisters with opposite personalities. She has been in retirement since 2003.

Last TVB series: Slim Chances (2002)



Flora Chan (陳慧珊)


Flora started as a news reporter for TVB’s English channel. She became an actress after being offered a role in File of Justice V. From there, she quickly became one of the top fadans and participated in numerous classics, such as Untraceable Evidence, Healing Hands and Triumph in the Skies. She was awarded Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Family Man. She has been in semi-retirement mode since her marriage and her daughter’s birth in 2007.

Last TVB series: Suspects in Love (2010)



Elvina Kong (江欣燕)


Elvina participated in the 1985 New Talent Singing Awards and was signed by TVB. She joined the long-running variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, where she gained recognition for portraying the Filipino domestic worker “Maria”. She took a hiatus in 2001 following her marriage, before returning to TVB in 2006. Upon her return, she has participated in the sitcoms Best Selling Secrets and Off Pedder and was brought on as a host of the Super Trio show.

Last TVB series: Let It Be Love (2012)

Never Dance Alone Promo Clips

Overview - Never Dance Alone

Extended Trailer

Overview - Never Dance Alone

Carman Lee lives an ordinary life with husband Lawrence Cheng despite always being bullied by her mother-in-law. One day, she comes across a flyer advertising the “Fung Sin Dance Studio”, making her think back to her high school days. Back then, she enjoyed writing and formed a group called “M Club” with her fellow classmates: the girl with a local accent (Rachel Lee), the avid dancer (Elvina Kong), the gossiper (Fennie Yuen), the early maturer (Angie Cheong) and the fortune teller (Gloria Yip). The six friends vowed to stick together no matter what. But twenty years later, they each lead separate lives and can only look back at their youthful dreams with a sigh. Only Elvina has maintained her passion for dancing. An accident that causes her to be hospitalized leads to the reunion of the M Club members. The old friends work together to defend the “Fung Sin Dance Studio” from the competing “D Fitness”, run by their high school rival Flora Chan. Meanwhile, Carman reencounters her first lover, Lawrence Ng. Rachel has mixed feelings as she remembers her past, including secretly causing the break-up of Carman and Lawrence, and giving birth to her daughter out of wedlock. Through all these events, the ladies rediscover the energy, courage, motivation and confidence that they thought had disappeared…