Actress Han Xue, winner of I Am the Actor. [Photo/Official weibo account of I Am the Actor]

Playing to win

Season two of Zhejiang Satellite TV's acting competition show Birth of Performers drew a lot of attention this year. Changing its name to I am the Actor, the new season brought together judge and A-list actress Zhang Ziyi with award-winning actor-director Xu Zheng and actor Wu Xiubo.

Each episode gathered both veteran and new performers to stage excerpts from films or TV dramas. Their performances were then ranked by a panel of judges.

In November, Zhejiang TV announced a partnership with US company IOI (Is or Isn't Entertainment) to coproduce a global version for the English-speaking market.

Also in the spotlight was Hunan Satellite TV's The Sound, which tested the dubbing and performance abilities of Chinese artists.