{ "id": "ep34p3ecpr", "slug": "the-menu", "title": "The Menu (导火新闻线)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.hong_kong_taiwan_drama", "label": "Hong Kong and Taiwanese serial drama", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.hong_kong_taiwan_drama" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020: International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Menu (導火新聞線) is a 2015 24-episode Hong Kong TV drama by Hong Kong Television Network about journalists at the free newspaper 囧報, starring Noel Leung, Catherine Chau, Kate Yeung, and Gregory Wong; it aired online after HKTV lost its license bid and spawned a 2016 film version with Ng Man-tat.", "snippet": "The Menu (導火新聞線) is a 2015 24-episode Hong Kong TV drama by Hong Kong Television Network about journalists at the free newspaper 囧報, starring Noel Leung, Catherine Chau, Kate Yeung, and Gregory Wong; it aired online after HKTV lost its license bid and spawned a 2016 film version with Ng Man-tat.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.hong_kong_taiwan_drama", "markdown": "# The Menu (导火新闻线)\n\n**The Menu** (導火新聞線) is a 24-episode [Cantonese](https://www.edgepedia.org/cantonese) television drama produced by Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) in 2015, set in the newsroom of a Hong Kong free newspaper and centered on the conflict between press ethics and commercial pressure.[1](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/KiUwYyw%3D) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ) It was directed by Fong Chun-wah (方俊華) with Poon Man-hung (潘漫紅) as script editor, and starred Noel Leung (梁小冰), Catherine Chau (周家怡), Kate Yeung (楊淇), and Gregory Wong (王宗堯), with Shek Sau (石修), Benji Chiang (姜文杰), Kwok Fung (郭鋒), and Lok Ying-kwan (駱應鈞) in supporting roles.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ) • [3](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/) The series premiered on March 10, 2015 and was shown online after HKTV was denied a free-to-air television license.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ) • [4](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/) A film version with the same title, made by largely the same team, was released in Hong Kong on August 4, 2016.[5](https://m.maoyan.com/moviedp/640395?_v_=yes&channelId=60008)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | 導火新聞線 (The Menu)[3](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/) |\n| Format | Hong Kong television drama, 2015, Cantonese, 24 episodes[1](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/KiUwYyw%3D) |\n| Production | HKTV; chief director Fong Chun-wah, script editor Poon Man-hung[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ) |\n| Lead cast | Noel Leung, Catherine Chau, Kate Yeung, Gregory Wong[3](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/) |\n| Setting | The newsroom of the free newspaper 《囧報》 (Smart Post)[1](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/KiUwYyw%3D) • [3](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/) |\n| Premiere | March 10, 2015, online after HKTV's free-TV license was refused[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ) • [4](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/) |\n| Audience trend | HKTV's daily average independent logins rose from 54,000 (March 23–31, 2015) to 59,000 (April 1–8) as the series ran[6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant) |\n| Film version | Released in Hong Kong on August 4, 2016, with Ng Man-tat and former news anchor Fung Wai-yee added to the cast[5](https://m.maoyan.com/moviedp/640395?_v_=yes&channelId=60008) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and characters\n\nThe story follows three female journalists with different ideals working at 《囧報》, a free newspaper that the industry does not take seriously. The chief editor puts profit first and produces sensationalized reports at the expense of moral responsibility, while the news editor and reporters, full of conviction, want to speak for the disadvantaged and expose social injustice. Each day the paper reveals or hides the truth for different purposes as its staff weigh how a reporter can uphold justice with a pen.[1](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/KiUwYyw%3D)\n\nThe three leads were deliberately cast to represent three generations of the newsroom. Script editor Poon Man-hung described the series to the actors as a \"news version of *20 30 40*\": rookie reporter Mallory (麥曉欣), played by Kate Yeung, stands for journalists in their early twenties; news editor Fong Ying (方凝), played by Catherine Chau, for the thirty-something generation; and chief editor Alma Wong (汪海藍), played by Noel Leung, for the forties.[6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant) Gregory Wong plays reporter Lok Ka-fai (樂嘉輝).[7](https://jiangbingren.pixnet.net/blog/posts/11327613471) In the English-language synopsis, Alma Wong and Fong Ying are former colleagues and friends who broke all ties after a certain incident, then find themselves working together again at the same paper, clashing continuously over profit versus press ethics.[3](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/)\n\n## Production and broadcast context\n\n**A rare subject for Hong Kong television.** Commentators noted that although Hong Kong's television industry had long excelled at workplace dramas, the previous local series centered on reporters dated back to the 1983 TVB production 《無冕天使》; Japanese and Korean dramas such as *News女郎* and *Pinocchio* had covered the field more recently.[4](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/) • [8](https://www.mpweekly.com/entertainment/article/%E8%A6%96%E8%A9%95-6) Journalists who watched the series said it captured industry jargon, reporters' hardships, and the logic behind news decisions.[4](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/)\n\nThe script went into preparation in 2012. According to HKTV chairman Ricky Wong (王維基), the company gave its drama teams maximum creative freedom, and the teams delivered two scripts, one on Hong Kong–mainland tensions (*來生不做香港人*) and this one, about journalists choosing between news ethics and circulation.[6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant) Soon after filming wrapped, the free-television licensing dispute ended with HKTV refused a broadcast license; the company announced it would stop all production while the drama was still in post-production, and the finished episodes were shown online.[4](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/) • [6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant)\n\nThe production was noted for its attention to continuity: the crew took thousands of comparison photographs of props and sets so that details such as the position of a camera strap or the shape of thrown newspapers matched across shooting blocks.[9](https://collection.news/thestandnews/articles/6926)\n\n## Reception and the \"prophecy\" label\n\nDuring its broadcast the series drew attention because several plot points appeared to anticipate real events in Hong Kong, including the attack on a newspaper editor-in-chief, a police beating in a dark corner, and a front page being changed; media reports called it a \"prophecy drama\" (预言剧) and the coincidence became a talking point.[10](https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2015/03/16/a1184697.html) • [8](https://www.mpweekly.com/entertainment/article/%E8%A6%96%E8%A9%95-6) The series was voted \"2015 best television drama of the year\" in the HKGolden forum poll.[11](https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/16/8/14/n8199737.htm) • [12](https://hawatchmovie.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post.html?m=0)\n\nThe run also lifted HKTV's audience. Its daily average independent logins rose from 54,000 between March 23 and 31, 2015 to 59,000 between April 1 and 8, and press coverage and online commentary sustained public discussion of the show.[6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant) • [8](https://www.mpweekly.com/entertainment/article/%E8%A6%96%E8%A9%95-6) Reviewers credited Catherine Chau, who first drew wide attention as the passionate news editor, and Noel Leung, whose domineering chief editor was widely praised online, with helping HKTV regain viewers after the poor runs of earlier series.[13](https://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/lifestyle/219108/%E3%80%8A%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A%E3%80%8B%E5%B9%AB%E6%B8%AF%E8%A6%96%E7%BF%BB%E8%BA%AB%2B%E7%B6%B2%E6%B0%91%E6%BF%80%E8%AE%9A%E6%A2%81%E5%B0%8F%E5%86%B0%E6%BC%94%E6%B4%BB%E9%9C%B8%E6%B0%A3%E8%80%81%E7%B8%BD) A mainland trade paper later described the series as a 2015 ratings-and-reputation double champion for its producer.[14](https://www.scdnews.com/images/paper/170125/170125C.pdf)\n\nCritics identified the show's central question as whether the media reports news or manufactures it: the newspapers in the story, chasing exclusives and click rates, show how public interest can be prioritized over the public good.[15](https://www.truth-light.org.hk/%E9%97%9C%E9%8D%B5%E5%AD%97/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A) The drama also depicts working conditions in the industry, including heavy workloads with low pay, entertainment-driven news values, and reporters carrying both a video camera and a still camera to produce usable material.[6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant)\n\n## The 2016 film version\n\nA feature film continuation, made with the original television team including director Fong Chun-wah and script editor Poon Man-hung, was released in Hong Kong on August 4, 2016.[5](https://m.maoyan.com/moviedp/640395?_v_=yes&channelId=60008) • [12](https://hawatchmovie.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post.html?m=0) Gregory Wong, Catherine Chau, and Kate Yeung returned, while Noel Leung, the television version's top-billed lead, was unable to take part; the film added [Ng Man-tat](https://www.edgepedia.org/ng-man-tat) (吳孟達) and former news anchor Fung Wai-yee (方健儀) among its new cast.[5](https://m.maoyan.com/moviedp/640395?_v_=yes&channelId=60008) • [6](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant)\n\nThe film's plot begins with an explosion during a live interview program at the C99 television station. The suspect, lighting technician Tam Yui-chi (譚銳智), played by Ng Man-tat, takes hostages and demands to meet the Chief Executive before midnight or he will detonate explosives in the studio; the man he accuses, Ko Kin-yan (高建仁), had raped and killed his daughter but escaped punishment through a legal loophole.[16](https://hamivideo.hinet.net/hamivideo/product/335535.do?cs=2) • [11](https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/16/8/14/n8199737.htm) The running time is 89 minutes.[16](https://hamivideo.hinet.net/hamivideo/product/335535.do?cs=2) Screenwriter Poon Man-hung said the choice of Hong Kong's judicial system as the film's subject was inspired by a bookmarked Japanese novel that built a detective story from one of its laws.[17](https://www.am730.com.hk/column/%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/223646/%E7%B4%99%E5%AA%92-vs.-%E4%BD%8E%E9%A0%AD%E6%97%8F-%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A-%E7%B7%A8%E5%8A%87%E5%AF%AB%E5%88%B0%E5%96%8A)\n\n**A tighter focus on journalism.** Reviewers noted that the film version strips out the romance lines of the television series and concentrates on the media ecosystem and news ethics, continuing the story of 《囧報》.[18](https://spill.hk/filmburns/the-menu-movie-review/) It reuses material from the series, including a discussion of photojournalist [Kevin Carter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-carter)'s \"Sudan\" photograph of a vulture watching a starving child, which famously raised the question of whether to rescue a victim first or photograph first.[18](https://spill.hk/filmburns/the-menu-movie-review/) The film also engages with the shift from print to online media, with acting chief editor Fong Ying saying the media should \"Stay Hungry\" without becoming a numb vulture, and the story stating plainly that print media will soon be finished and online media will become mainstream.[18](https://spill.hk/filmburns/the-menu-movie-review/) Critics compared it to Hollywood films about the news industry such as *Nightcrawler* and *Spotlight*, with one reviewer judging it a rare case of a television-to-film adaptation that more than passes muster.[19](https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1043900) • [20](https://www.thenewslens.com/article/46501)\n\n## Legacy\n\nAlongside HKTV's *The Election* (《選戰》), the series is cited as an example of dramas built on unusual subjects, politics and journalism, that generated public discussion even though they could not save the license-less HKTV; *The Menu* went further by spawning a film version.[21](https://www.hk01.com/01%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E/94371/01%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E-%E8%A9%AD%E6%8E%A2-%E4%B8%80%E5%91%B3%E9%9D%A0-%E5%9A%87-%E6%89%93%E7%A0%B4%E6%B8%AF%E5%8A%87%E6%82%B6%E5%B1%80) In 2020, HKTV re-uploaded the complete series, together with *The Election* and *來生不做香港人*, to YouTube.[22](https://www.esquirehk.com/lifestyle/hktvmall-hktv-3-hong-kong-tv-series)\n\n## References\n\n1. [导火新闻线剧情介绍, 电视猫](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/KiUwYyw%3D)\n2. [HKTV 一分鐘精選：導火新聞線, HKTVNetwork YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61GXuB59PQ)\n3. [Hong Kong Drama Review: The Menu, Drama for Gents](https://drama.bwanstudio.com/drama-reviews/the-menu/)\n4. [《導火新聞線》給港人的新聞道德課, William on the way](https://williamontheway.com/2014/09/21/themenu/)\n5. [导火新闻线, 猫眼电影](https://m.maoyan.com/moviedp/640395?_v_=yes&channelId=60008)\n6. [導火新聞線, Tvinfo Wiki](https://tvinfo.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A?variant=zh-hant)\n7. [導火新聞線觀後感, 薑餅人的部落格](https://jiangbingren.pixnet.net/blog/posts/11327613471)\n8. [視評, 明周娛樂](https://www.mpweekly.com/entertainment/article/%E8%A6%96%E8%A9%95-6)\n9. [他們，好認真 — 訪《導火》幕後功臣, 立場新聞•聞庫](https://collection.news/thestandnews/articles/6926)\n10. [《导火新闻线》热播 成功预测港媒大事, 新唐人电视台](https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2015/03/16/a1184697.html)\n11. [〖影评〗《导火新闻线》再现媒体良心, 大紀元](https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/16/8/14/n8199737.htm)\n12. [浩看電影: 導火新聞線](https://hawatchmovie.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post.html?m=0)\n13. [《導火新聞線》幫港視翻身 網民激讚梁小冰演活霸氣老總, etnet 經濟通](https://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/lifestyle/219108/%E3%80%8A%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A%E3%80%8B%E5%B9%AB%E6%B8%AF%E8%A6%96%E7%BF%BB%E8%BA%AB%2B%E7%B6%B2%E6%B0%91%E6%BF%80%E8%AE%9A%E6%A2%81%E5%B0%8F%E5%86%B0%E6%BC%94%E6%B4%BB%E9%9C%B8%E6%B0%A3%E8%80%81%E7%B8%BD)\n14. [中国影视 Daily News](https://www.scdnews.com/images/paper/170125/170125C.pdf)\n15. [導火新聞線, 明光社](https://www.truth-light.org.hk/%E9%97%9C%E9%8D%B5%E5%AD%97/%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A)\n16. [導火新聞線 線上看, HamiVideo](https://hamivideo.hinet.net/hamivideo/product/335535.do?cs=2)\n17. [紙媒 VS. 低頭族 《導火新聞線》編劇寫到喊, am730](https://www.am730.com.hk/column/%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/223646/%E7%B4%99%E5%AA%92-vs.-%E4%BD%8E%E9%A0%AD%E6%97%8F-%E5%B0%8E%E7%81%AB%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E7%B7%9A-%E7%B7%A8%E5%8A%87%E5%AF%AB%E5%88%B0%E5%96%8A)\n18. [〖影評〗《導火新聞線》：天涯若比鄰, FILMBURNS](https://spill.hk/filmburns/the-menu-movie-review/)\n19. [《導火新聞線》：傳媒是報導新聞？還是製造新聞？, 獨立媒體](https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1043900)\n20. [電視劇改拍電影十之八九是爛片，這次《導火新聞線》終於合格有餘, The News Lens](https://www.thenewslens.com/article/46501)\n21. [〖01觀點〗《詭探》一味靠「嚇」打破港劇悶局？, 香港01](https://www.hk01.com/01%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E/94371/01%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E-%E8%A9%AD%E6%8E%A2-%E4%B8%80%E5%91%B3%E9%9D%A0-%E5%9A%87-%E6%89%93%E7%A0%B4%E6%B8%AF%E5%8A%87%E6%82%B6%E5%B1%80)\n22. [HKTV支持香港人在家抗疫, Esquire HK](https://www.esquirehk.com/lifestyle/hktvmall-hktv-3-hong-kong-tv-series)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Hong Kong and Taiwanese serial drama*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Menu (导火新闻线)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Menu (导火新闻线)](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Menu (导火新闻线)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-menu. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Menu is a 2015 24-episode Hong Kong TV drama by Hong Kong Television Network about journalists at the free newspaper 囧報, starring Noel Leung, Catherine Chau, Kate Yeung, and Gregory Wong; it aired online after HKTV lost its license bid and spawned a 2016 film version with Ng Man-tat." }