TV by the book

"The acting is more visual and thus more interesting than text. For both the performers and the audience, it is a fast and efficient reading process," Zhao says.

"The show has very limited time for rehearsals and allows actors to improvise within their performances. It is a big challenge for us, but also ignites our passion for the craft," adds the actor, who rose to prominence in the 2003 TV series, For the Sake of the Republic of China.

Guan, a veteran specializing in producing cultural shows, says The Wonderful Read is an innovative way to raise public interest in reading.

"Our criteria for selecting the books is based on the recommendations from top libraries and universities in China and abroad," he explains. "We have selected books that have had some sort of impact on the progress of human civilization during the past 40 years."

He also reveals that actress Xu Fan has been invited to perform in the adaptation of Red Poppies, the novel by ethnic Tibetan writer Alai, while actor Wang Luoyong is set to star in the show's version of Love in the Time of Cholera by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.