The New Year evokes new beginnings.  But I'm sure it wasn't the start you wanted with the big freeze, the worst cold snap in 30 years.  It's the sort of weather to make you just want to curl up on your sofa in your comfortable clothes with a cup of hot chocolate and find something good to watch on television.

Children's TV is one of those things you're aware of if you have children, or indeed you remember from your childhood with nostalgia.  Forever ingrained in my memories are Blue Peter, Vision On and Grange Hill.

Fast forward to 2010 and put aside your pre-conceived ideas.  Prepare to rethink children's TV with Spirit Warriors, a new mythical fantasy drama created by up-and-coming British-born Chinese writer, Jo Ho, produced by Nick Pitt (Silent Witness, Robin Hood) and executive produced and directed by BAFTA-winning programme maker Jon East (That Summer Day, Summerhill).  And Dim Sum got a sneak peak of the first episode.

Inspired by ancient Chinese myths and legends, and films and TV shows like Spirited Away, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kung Fu Hustle, A Chinese Ghost Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Jo has created a fantastical world where dragons talk and mysterious shadows come to life.  The show combines live-action and martial-arts fantasy with digital technology and computer-generated characters.

Little do five 21^st Century London school children know that, during their school museum trip to see an exhibition of ancient Chinese warriors, they'll be transported to a parallel Spirit World where our young heroes will go on bold adventures, do battle with an evil warlord and his henchman, overcome giant snakes, encounter ghost dogs and face their own worst nightmares so they can find 12 legendary spirit pieces and save the world.

Be prepared to be dazzled by brilliant visual effects, be thrilled by authentic martial-arts choreography and cheer for the young leads as they use their special spirit powers on their challenging quests.  Suitable for anyone six and above, these are the exciting elements of must-see TV - a family show that you can enjoy with your children, and even if you don't have children.

You may remember the interview I did with Jo Ho back in January, 2009 for DimSum. (Read the interview here) Back then I was thrilled to see a young British-born Chinese person make strides in a highly competitive environment, where an East Asian presence, both in front of and behind the camera, is sadly under-represented.  And it was great to see Jo's excitement in getting her series - originally entitled Bo and the Spirit World - commissioned by the BBC.

You know how the song goes: "What a difference a day makes"?  Well, what a difference a year makes as I caught up with Jo, during her busy schedule, to ask her what life has been like one year on with her series, Spirit Warriors completed and about to be broadcast on television.

Jo talks about the characters in the show as her kids, making the analogy of being like any expectant mother feeling like it's the longest pregnancy in history, wanting the series out already and not quite believing it until she sees it shown on TV.

SC: So, how has this last year been for you working on Spirit Warriors?  Give me a few highlights.

JH: There were many...I think the biggest highlight was visiting the set a few days into filming.  Seeing all the hard work and effort and attention to detail that had gone into making this show a reality, it blew me away. 

It was very surreal when I met the actors in full costume and makeup - epitomizing the very characters I had dreamt up seemingly so long ago.

Another major highlight was seeing the finished episodes for the first time.  We had a screening with the cast and crew a few weeks back and we were all incredibly proud and excited by the finished episodes. 

It had all the energy, life and passion that I wanted it to have, plus a whole lot more.  More importantly, it feels like a real mix of East meets West: We have the traditional Chinese values and landscapes, but then we also have these five 21st Century London kids.  It has a real identity and feels different from any other show on television.

SC: The series has a different title to when we last spoke.  Along with a new name, how much had to be changed from your original concept?

JH: As with any show, it has gone through a whole development phase.  I think we've stuck quite closely with the initial characters I came up with; we've just added a whole lot more, everything has gotten bigger.  Originally there were four spirit pieces; that became twelve.  I had two child leads; that became five. 

Li was the only bad guy and then he was given a henchman, Hwang.  Timothy [younger brother] became Jen [younger sister], and so on...  Lots of things evolved, whether due to story points, scheduling issues, or budget restraints (the latter being the main reason for most changes).  When you're making a martial-arts fantasy show starring five kids and CGI characters, there's a lot to consider!

SC: What was it like casting for the parts?  What was your role with the actors once the parts were cast?

JH: I wasn't involved with the casting, except with Li's role, as I had only ever wanted Benedict Wong to play him.  As I know Benny from before, I was campaigning pretty hard for him, but happily he was everyone's first choice for the role.  Once cast, I had no official role with the actors, except to answer any questions they might have on their characters or storyline.  With the kids, mostly we all just hung out on set, talked Twilight and "Team Edward"! 

SC: The actors are a mix of experienced and new. How did they bond and work together from the beginning?

JH: They all bonded really well.  The five leads got on from day one and I know that they keep in regular contact and hang out still now.  With the rest of the cast, they had either already worked together before, or were friends, so most days it felt like a reunion.

SC: How much work did you have to do once the series went into production?

JH: We started shooting before all the scripts were finalised, so I was still writing into production, but once I had finished my scripts and had checked the other scripts (to ensure the cultural references were authentic), my job as writer was completed so then I just hung out on set like a lost puppy.

 SC: Describe a typical week with writing and filming for the show?

JH: There are no typical filming weeks.  Things change constantly and you have to be prepared to rewrite at a seconds' notice.  You have to think fast on your feet.  There were days, I didn't leave my house as I would be getting daily deadlines.

What would generally happen though is I would generate ideas for my episode along with our script editor, Andrew Clifford.  Then I'd write a scene by scene breakdown, which would go to Jon East (Executive Producer and Director) and Nick Pitt (Producer) for their notes.  Once I'd received those, I'd write a first draft script.  That would then go back to Nick and Jon. 

I'd incorporate whatever notes they would give and the script would then go to the heads of departments (e.g. art dept., stunts, costume, effects etc.) to get their take and to see if what I had written would be possible.  At around this point, Jude [Poyer - choreographer, stuntman and martial artist] would create the fight scenes and they would be worked into the draft.  Once they had given the all clear, I'd give the script a final polish and when it's all signed off, they distribute it to the crew.  I've simplified it somewhat here, but this is the general gist.

SC: Is it all hype, or is the show really different to everything we've seen on British children's TV?

JH: It really is different!  ...I guess for Dim Sum readers, one of the things that will be most relevant is how many East Asian actors we have.  Of our seven leads, four are of East Asian descent, and that goes for almost every guest actor we have.

SC: With Spirit Warriors about to be launched, what do you think of the final product?

JH: I'm very, very proud of the finished show.  I love it and hope that everyone else will too.  It's everything I'd hoped for and more, which is a real testament to the team who worked so hard on it, but especially Jon and Nick.  They were the ones who pulled all the fantastic crew together, found the cast, thought outside the box to get the very best for our production on our budget.  We had a real family vibe on set; people seemed to really care about making this show work and I think it's all reflected on screen.

SC: What do you ultimately want the audience to take away from Spirit Warriors?

JH: I want them to enjoy it and be entertained, first and foremost.  If it raises our [East Asian] profile too, reminding the UK that we do have a presence and would like to be counted, then that would be tremendous and all I could hope for.

SC: The Chinese community often doesn't voice visible support for projects, should they care and take interest in Spirit Warriors?

JH: I think the Chinese community will show visible support, but it has to be there to be supported in the first place. 

I grew up in the UK and hardly ever saw Chinese faces on screen.  I remember my mother always used to shout "Chinese people!" if we were ever shown on British television, it was such a rarity and sadly, it hasn't changed all that much in the thirty years that I've been alive.  I've worked very hard to get this show on screen in the hope that it will raise our profile in the UK and get the broadcasters thinking about creating roles for the many talented Chinese that live here, giving us a chance to be recognized and counted.

I hope the Chinese community will support our show, as it's a great milestone for this country. Change only happens through action.

SC: Are you concerned the martial-arts content may reinforce stereotypes, or will Spirit Warriors make breakthroughs for a wider audience?

JH: I think the martial-arts thing is only a problem if it's done badly and taken out of context.  Our martial-arts action is very much an extension of the show and is there in honour of the Chinese culture as opposed to a mockery. 

The martial arts was created by our brilliant choreographer, Jude Poyer, who is a member of the Hong Kong Stuntmen's Association and has worked on a number of both Asian and US action films, alongside Jet Li and Jean Claude Van Damme. 

He knows and has lived the Chinese culture, and gives the show's martial arts an authentic feel.  Jude also speaks wickedly good Cantonese.

I believe most people will like the martial arts in our show as it's both thrilling and funny; a throwback to the Chinese films and series I watched as a kid.  As for breakthroughs, we can only wait to see.

SC: Is your show the only one that has East Asian actors in the leads/cast on UK television currently and what does it still say about the situation of East Asians making breakthroughs in the media?

JH: I'm not 100 percent sure as I haven't seen every UK show, but I believe that Spirit Warriors is possibly the only UK television drama that currently has East Asian actors in so many recurring roles, in particular as leads.  As the third largest minority group in the UK, I think it's pretty shocking that we haven't been better represented to date.

SC: Wrapping up our conversation, can you share any goals for 2010 and beyond?

JH: Initially, I hope to find financing for my supernatural horror film and to get another season of Spirit Warriors (I have tons of ideas for a second series).  I would love to work on other projects, both for children and adults.  Spirit Warriors is my first real writing credit so I'm just hoping to establish myself as a contender.

I'm, also, a bit of a game geek and I'm looking at getting into the writing side of that too.  One of my aims is to create a Zelda like video game series.  I created Spirit Warriors with a game spin-off in the back of my mind.

Final Thoughts

The countdown is on for the first episode to be broadcast and, as excitement builds, I for one can't wait to watch Jo's first television series - the culmination of four years of hard work and perseverance with her writing and filmmaking.  And, maybe, Spirit Warriors will be the catalyst that finally lets the floodgates open for British Chinese on and off screen - I hope so, or is that wishful thinking?

Share Your Views

Questions, comments, or viewpoints?  Share your thoughts below, or email me direct at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

SUSAN S. CHEUNG

Spirit Warriors starts on Friday  22^nd January on CBBC at 5.45pm and spans ten weekly episodes. Viewers can also catch it on BBC HD on 27^th January at 5.30pm. Episodes will also be repeated on BBC2 at 9.30am on 24 Jan. Look out for a special behind the scenes episode after the series finishes.