With or Without You Theme Song

The theme song for With or Without You is "I'm Not Good Enough" (我不够好), by Linda Chung.



Theme Song MV:

Overview - With or Without You

Eminent Northern Song Dynasty writer, Bobby Au-Yeung, is unable to forget about his late wife and hence, turns a blind eye to his sister-in-law, Joey Meng's active pursuit of him. However, the food lover in him is eventually swayed by Joey's braised pork dish and they finally get married. Bobby thought life would be perfect after marriage, but a slew of family problems is making his head spin! On one hand, he must worry if his sister, Jacqueline Wong, is being tricked by the flirty scholar, Vincent Wong. On the other hand, he is concerned that his other sister, Harriet Yeung, is still hung up on Tyson Chak,who is now the husband of a "lioness" wife, Alice Chan. On top of that, his son does not accept Joey as his step-mother and always makes a fuss about it. Besides hi family problems, Bobby also has to deal with the politics in the imperial court. He is constantly engaging in a battle of wits against the opposing minister, Pal Sinn. Later on, Bobby is embroiled into a treasonous plot by a Liao spy (Sire Ma). Sire purposely sows discord between Bobby and Joey. Soon after, Joey goes missing...

With or Without You Promo Clips

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Trailer

FILMART 2015 - Series Briefs

View FILMART trailers here



Brother's Keeper II - Edwin Siu and Kristal Tin worked hard to establish the "Law Shun Kei" brand in Hong Kong and Macau. However, it has attracted the displeasure of real estate developer Hugo Ng, who uses underhand tactics to suppress them. Edwin is betrayed by his trusted aide, Matt Yeung. Feeling that the world is too chaotic, he travels to Japan in search of a peaceful space. There, he falls in love with a secretive girl, Grace Chan, and gets embroiled in a murder case from twenty years ago! Meanwhile, Kristal's husband, Louis Yuen, suffers a brain injury and now treats her as a stranger. In addition, there is the return of Ruco Chan, who is looking for his "golden biscuit". Faced with all these sudden problems, how will Edwin and Kristal handle it?

Anticipation Level: 2.5/5. Boy, am I so excited for an extended Koi Kei Bakery commercial.




Blue Veins - Five hundred years ago, Kevin Cheng was a ferocious bandit. During a battle against vampires, he was struck by lightning and from then on, the group of bandits all became immortals. Nowadays, Kevin hides his identity and operates a late-night restaurant to help him pass his sleepless nights. He also runs a martial arts studio, where he teaches his two students, Wong Yau-Nam and Luk Wing-Kuen, martial arts in order to stand up for the poor.

At the onset of the story, Kevin meets a kind-hearted forensic pathologist, Kay Tse. Her memories and powers have been frozen, so she does not know that she is a vampire. The only power that she retains is the ability to revive a corpse for one minute. Kevin stays by her side and helps her to slowly regain her memory and powers. But ultimately, their naturally opposing identities turn their romance into a catastrophe, with dangers coming from everywhere. Kevin is willing to sacrifice himself to save Kay. At the edge between life and death, they discover that the origins of vampires and immortals actually comes from the future...

Anticipation Level: 2/5. Not a fan of vampire series, but Grace's sexy scenes in the trailer has upped my interest.




Captain of Destiny - While chasing a thief, police officer Grace Chan is accidentally caught up in a waterspout and brought back to the Qing Dynasty, where she meets Tony Hung, the pirate that dominated the Hong Kong waters at that time. The two of them start off as rivals, but fall deeply in love after going through life and death situations together. The 11th prince (Ruco Chan) leads the navy in a bloody battle against Tony. Grace is captured by Ruco while trying to save Tony. The proud and arrogant prince is charmed by her modern intelligence and ultimately abandons his ambitions to succeed the throne for her. Grace finally has a chance to return to modern Hong Kong, yet finds it hard to let go of the two men that have fallen for her. At a moment between life and death, Grace travels through time again and returns to modern Hong Kong. However, she has lost her memories. She can only search for the lost fate from a previous life in the modern world.

Anticipation Level: 4/5. Everything seems great except the CGI.




Lord of Shanghai - Anthony Wong came from humble beginnings. At a time when criminal forces ran rampant, Anthony got along well with the gangster leader, Wayne Lai. With Wayne as the brave fighter and Anthony as the strategist, they build their success together. As Anthony strives to climb upwards, he sacrifices a romance with Myolie Wu, a Peking opera student. This becomes his greatest regret in life. Later on, Anthony gains the favour of casino boss Alice Chan and serves under the tutelage of Shanghai tycoon Kent Tong. He rises rapidly and soon, he, along with Wayne and Kent, become prominent figures in Shanghai.

However, Kent and Wayne's contentions grow deeper by the day, leading to bloody battles on the streets of Shanghai. Anthony uses his ways to suppress both of them and establish himself as the only tycoon in Shanghai, with control over the legal and illegal forces. But behind the seeming peacefulness are hidden dangers. Foreign forces each have control over portions of Shanghai, while the Japanese are planning an invasion of China. Anthony and his disciplines contribute money and energy to the resistance effort. Myolie, by now a famous star, encounters Anthony again. His patriotic actions change her opinion of him and she stays by his side during the war. The Japanese officially begin their invasion. As Shanghai enters into a "Solitary Island" period, Anthony sets aside his personal interests to resist against the Japanese and the puppet government. On the other hand, Wayne chooses to become a Chinese traitor for his own gain. The sworn brothers reach a breaking point. For the sake of national interests, Anthony has no choice but to sacrifice brotherhood and allow blood to splatter in Shanghai...

Anticipation Level: 4/5. A war-time epic that hopefully does not include a sickly girl who writes a diary...




Limelight Years - Liza Wang is the pop queen of her generation, with 40 years of stage experience and tens of thousands of fans. She has many friends, but even more enemies. At the same time, she is a woman who has experienced two failed marriages and has three children who are like strangers. In her later years, she may escape death, but she cannot avoid loneliness. Reflecting back on her life, she realizes that she has sung for her career, but never once sung for her loved ones! She decides to hold what could be her last concert and invites every single person that she has loved or has loved her. In the process, she encounters a photographer who is destined to be in a supporting role, a young man who is determined not to be an extra, and an over-aged girl who does not know what role she wants to play yet. It results in an off-tuned symphony that brings out laughter and tears! Life is like a stage. Whether it is the main or supporting character, as long as they make a gorgeous turnaround after falling down and continue to sing wholeheartedly, their loved ones will certainly applaud for them.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. Judging from the trailer, Linda just might redeem herself with this series.




With or Without You - Bobby Au-Yeung, an eminent writer from the Northern Song Dynasty, is unable to forget about his late wife and thus, ignores Joey Meng's love for him. However, the food lover in him is eventually moved by Joey's braised pork dish and they get married. Bobby thought life would be great after his marriage, but a slew of family problems is making his head spin! On one hand, he has to worry if his sister, Jacqueline Wong, is being tricked by the flirty scholar, Vincent Wong. On the other hand, he is concerned that his other sister, Harriet Yeung, is still hung up on Tyson Chak, who is now the husband of a "lioness" wife, Alice Chan. He is driven to exhaustion from having to save his upright brother from political opponents. In addition, he needs to make his son accept Joey as his new step-mother, as well as deal with his own martial issues...

Aside from his family problems, Bobby also faces conflict in the imperial court. He has to cope with an unreasonable princess, engage in a verbal war with the opposing minister Pal Sinn, and think of creative ways to make the Emperor accept his proposals. Bobby uses a painting to cause Pal to lose his minister position, but then, he is unwittingly drawn into a plot by a Liao spy (Sire Ma) that will endanger the Song empire. The most unexpected thing is that one of Sire's subordinates is actually one of his family members who is purposely trying to ruin the relationship between him and Joey! Although Bobby finally succeeds in exposing the conspiracy and preserve the Song Dynasty, the Emperor is increasingly distrusting of him. The Emperor accuses him of writing a treasonous poem and seems intent on putting him to death...

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5. Bobby is lovely, but all the family drama makes my head spin too!




Rogue Emperor - In the late-1970s, graffiti with the words "Rogue Emperor" appeared on the streets of Hong Kong. At first, it seemed like just the silly work of a homeless man, but when a social worker (Tracy Chu) is sent to help him, she realizes that he is a legendary character that has been ignored. Kenneth Ma was initially a poor farmer. In order to marry his childhood lover, Niki Chow, he experienced many unimaginable things, from being banished from his village to becoming deputy commander, from escaped prisoner to Shanghai tycoon and even the last emperor of China! Kenneth faced all these ups and downs calmly, but there is one thing that he can never let go – the repeated separation and reunion from Niki. It seems that they cannot break the curse of being able to go through difficult times together, but not prosperity.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. It should be fun to see all the experiences that Kenneth goes through.




Wudang Rules - This series talks about a group of young people, who, for different reasons, chose to leave the bustling city and go to the Wudang Mountains to learn martial arts from two masters. Together they lead a peaceful and quiet lifestyle and study the wisdom in Taoist philosophy. After several months, the group has learnt profound martial arts, established deep friendships and have a better understanding of human nature. It helps them get rid of the burdens that they had before going up to the mountains and regain their confidence so that they can continue to face the life ahead of them. But at this time, a secret that was between them is revealed, causing their friendship and beliefs to be seriously tested.

Anticipation Level: 1.5/5. Sounds so preachy, though I'm interested in the secret between the group.




Under the Veil - In Buddhism, all outer appearances are false, reality is seen in the heart. Although people can have similar appearances, their minds will still lead them to do different actions. Through the folktales "Hairpin Exchange", "Chasing Fish" and "Judge Luk", it will show the love, hate, greed, anger and lust of mankind. There are people who are selfish and others that are altruistic; some have unsatisfied greed, others do not care about fame. Everything in the world is a mere shadow and only those with a good heart can understand the true meaning of life. Double Fantasies was a TVB classic. Twenty years later, with advanced filming and CGI technologies, the audience can view it from a brand new perspective.

Anticipation Level: 2.5/5. Should be interesting to see most of the cast portray two roles. 

FILMART 2015

Some trailers have been released ahead of FILMART 2015. Read the series briefs here.

Blue Veins (aka "Vampire")


Brother's Keeper 2


Limelight Years


Lord of Shanghai


Captain of Destiny


Under the Veil


With or Without You


Rogue Emperor


Wudang Rules

TVB Sales Presentation 2015

Lord of Shanghai - Produced with rigorous standards, the crew travelled to Shanghai for filming. They construct a grand historical stage that details the style of the Republican era. During this momentous period, the lords each pull out all stops to get what they want, whether it is for personal gain or for the benefit of society. Although some people break their faith, there are still some that will hold tight to their beliefs and fight passionately, demonstrating the glory of humanity in these turbulent times.

Anticipation Level: 4/5. These epic dramas never fail to be exciting. 




Captain of Destiny - Based on the legendary story of the pirate Cheung Po Tsai. Modern CGI effects are used to create a refreshing action stage for television, presenting magnificent pirate ships, naval battles and the natural phenomenon of a waterspout. Advanced computer effects, a professional team and a free budget combine to make this story of a modern female police officer travelling through time, only to be ensnarled in the battle between the Qing court and pirates, all the more spectacular.

Anticipation Level: 4.5/5. Cringing at the thought of TVB's CGI, but love the plot and cast.




Young Charioteers - The post-80s and post-90s generations are full of passion and dreams, but they will inevitably encounter challenges in their work and allow life to grind away their edge. With an accounting firm as the background, the series shows the cruel reality of office politics, turning the workplace into a battlefield. The series adds a cycling aspect, touring around the island of Taiwan to express how young people chase their dreams and love. Finding a balance between real life and dreams is the ideal way of living.

Anticipation Level: 2/5. Idol dramas are not my type.




Quid Pro Quo - Justice, rule of law and equality are Hong Kong's core values. The barristers, solicitors and trainees in this series are the backbone for defending these values. The current state of the justice system is shown through the different cases. The trainees, with passion and energy, overcome many challenges and experience growing pains and pleasures. The barristers, solicitors and prosecutors work faithfully in their positions to defend justice and equality. With great determination and perseverance, they vow to protect the judicial system and the spirit of the law.

Anticipation Level: 4/5. Aspiring lawyer here.




Wudang Rules - Shaolin and Wudang are seen as the birthplace of Chinese martial arts. In particular, Wudang martial arts contains philosophies that can be appreciated. Through the inspirational story of a group of Hong Kong people travelling to Wudang to learn martial arts, this series illustrates the long-standing, unique, martial arts spirit. Besides cleansing our soul, it can also be applied in modern society, to help us deal with the challenges and setbacks in our daily lives.

Anticipation Level: 2/5. Martial arts theme is okay, but yawning at the philosophical preaching.




Limelight Years - The story of a pop queen; behind the glamour, how does she balance her career, love and family? A light-hearted series that is also heart-warming, filled with laughter and tears, and will make people reflect. Travelling to Taiwan to film with beautiful scenery, the series presents a pleasant picture, along with moving original soundtracks.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. I'm always curious about the behind-the-scenes of the entertainment circle. 




Smooth Talker - As Mencius said, "Time is not as good as place, place is not as good as harmony." Hence, the importance of harmony is clearly seen. But as long as there are people, there will be conflicts and a need for a middle-person to help resolve the dispute. In the past, there were "peacemakers"; recently, the judicial system has introduced the method of mediation to settle civil cases, giving rise to the role of mediators - the modern peacemakers. This series will allow people to understand the concept of mediation, which can be applied to daily life to settle conflicts.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. Mediation is a new angle.




Brick Slave - In order to find a home in the tiny area of Hong Kong, some people will give up their dreams, be willing to work hard and live frugally to pay for their mortgage. These people are known as "brick slaves". Through several standard brick slaves, the series will discuss the real meaning of responsibility and bearing responsibility. Some people pursue stability and allow themselves to be tied to a mortgage for their whole life. Others will seek freedom and choose to be like a snail without its shell. Which is the wise choice?

Anticipation Level: 2/5. Sounds similar to L'Escargot.




With or Without You - So Dong Po is a distinguished historical figure; his poems and artwork have been passed down and his biography is well-known. His intelligence, humour and concern for the country and citizens are admired by both his peers and future generations. The series makes use of his famous works and revolves around So Dong Po's family, along with the wars between the Song and Liao. It depicts the love between family, friends, couples and society and illustrates the joys and sorrows of life.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5. Look forward to the historical stuff + Bobby always makes good comedies.




Ghost of Relativity - Ever since humans discovered the system of "going to work", workers have been stuck in endless misery. They frequently have to work overtime for meagre compensation. In addition, they have to deal with superiors who only engage in office politics, making the situation even more despairing. Through a human and a ghost, two women fighting in the workplace, the series shows the various people and attitudes in the office, to help express the frustrations of all workers.

Anticipation Level: 2.5/5. Refreshing cast combination, seems like a decent comedy.




When Race Car Meets the Bicycle - Patrolling on motorcycles and unmarked vehicles, traffic officers can be said to be the coolest team in the disciplined services. With the bright uniforms and using real cases as reference, this is another dynamic and sentimental work in TVB's "uniform" collection.

Anticipation Level: 2/5. I like police dramas, but there doesn't seem to be much excitement with traffic cops.




Empress Lu - Power is known to corrupt people, so imperial power, which can be used to command the world, can certainly distort humanity. For this power game, there are many people who are willing to sacrifice their lives. Some of them are not just in pursuit of personal glory, but also for the prosperity of their clan, or even as a reflection of motherhood. Motherhood has always been an inherent motivator. Whether it is humans or animals, rich or poor, if their children are being threatened, the mother will ignore their own safety to protect their offspring. This is true of Empress Lu and of Concubine Qi. Their initial motivation for participating in the bloody power struggle comes from the inherent instinct of a mother to protect her son.

Anticipation Level: 5/5. So glad TVB picked up the Empress Lu idea again!




Vampire - The classic vampire genre is reinterpreted from a new angle, using dazzling effects to create a modern urban legend. Vampires and immortals are natural enemies, but fate has them falling in love, leading to an intensely passionate story. Modern wuxia elements and demon slaying are combined to present a splendour magical world.

Anticipation Level: 1/5. Bleh, vampire movies. 




Eunuch Leaves the Palace - After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the eunuchs are dismissed from the palace. Having always been servants, they must learn how to live as ordinary citizens. With newfound dignity, freedom and self-worth, how do the eunuchs go about their new lives? This series talks about how four real and fake eunuchs use the survival tactics they learned in the palace to overcome challenges and find a place to settle down.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. This idea for a The Confidant spin-off is worse than last year's. 




Last Imperial Physician - An imperial physician, as the name suggests, is responsible for treating the emperor, ensuring His Majesty's health and longevity. Being an imperial physician is supposed to be a medical practitioner's highest honour. But accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, not to mention that the imperial physician holds the survival of the emperor in his hands. If he can fend off illnesses for the emperor, he can rise rapidly. However, if, in case he cannot cure the emperor, he might be to put to death at any time. The job of an imperial physician is like trending on thin ice, stepping on the tip of a knife. Because of this, inside the palace's medical institute, there are many people who are after fame and fortune.

Anticipation Level: 4.5/5. It will look into the mysterious death of the Guangxu Emperor.




Corrupt Cop's Conscience - During the 1930s, Hong Kong was evolving from a quiet fishing town into a bright metropolitan. Behind the flurry of prosperity, the law enforcers were colluding with criminals, turning a blind eye to their illegal activities, such as prostitution, gambling and human trafficking. It was like a sin city! But beneath the greed, a human conscience still exists. A formerly corrupt cop is awakened by a lowly maid and rekindles his conscience that was never fully extinguished. He fights to bring the rule of law back to the city. At the same time, a love that breaks taboos emerges.

Anticipation Level: 3/5. Corrupt cops are cool, forbidden love is not so much. 




Spare the Blade - Humans will always search for the wisdoms of life in between life and death... Some people live like the dead, wasting away because of a hurtful experience and seeing no way out. Others spread love through charity, illuminating people's hearts; although they may be dead, they are still here in spirit. Through the themes of life and death, the choices made by the characters at life's crossroads and their learning of how to balance between gains and losses, supplemented with Buddhist philosophies, the audience will be able to reflect on the meaning of life and take away their own gains.

Anticipation Level: 2/5. Story about executioners reminds me of The Slicing of the Demon.