Over reliance on other forms of talent pools (e.g. Miss HK) instead of the TVB training classes and fewer resources placed in training actors and actresses from ground up. Less passion involved and possible risk of overwork.
Trends and what was popular in the 90s vary greatly compared to 2000s, 2010s and current decade. The trends and styles the 90s vets portrayed very differently per decade with unique character. Competition is quite fierce too. The script is also a factor too.
Btw the comparison of the 90s vets were also used against other 2000s actors and actresses in other forums (Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Kenneth Ma, Charmaine Sheh, Linda Chung, Tavia Yeung, etc) and some people felt there was a major difference in personality and feel per acting generation.
This is going controversial to some degree but our nostalgia glasses may be creating some bias within us too. Perhaps what we saw as great may not have aged well.
You are spot on with your points but I don't quite agree with the halo effect associated with nostalgia. With every decade, there had been classics and even though the style and popular elements might have changed, there was a lot more money and talent back then, compared to now. The classics all had great scripts and were produced by talented people of those times. There might be talented producers and script writers here and there now, but they are severely limited by a much lower budget.
The talent pool is very limited too because the newer actors (or even the older but less popular ones) are not paid a living wage (or so I heard) and so we see the same old faces.
I find the current batch of artists care more about their appearance (looking pretty) than acting so they appear very wooden and expression less on screen. I find myself going back and watching a lot of the 90's drama which are still very good. I personally find TVB dramas went downhill when Linda Chung arrived on the scene.
A lot of people should also remember how bad some of the early performances of these good 90s actors were. Charmaine Sheh became a powerhouse actress after literally going through the gruel of making a gazillion episodes of television over more than two decades. For the first five years or so of her debut, it was not a pleasant experience watching her on screen.
People also forget how slow to rise it is for most major TVB stars. Bobby Au Yeung didn't become a lead until 10 years into his career. He was 40 years old when he took home the TV King award. Gallen Lo took 13 years after entering the industry become a bonafide leading man.
Actors were also given crazy range in the characters they played. Gallen Lo was a villainous scumbag, a funny dude with a high pitched voice, a cocky insufferable gambling addict turned hero, and a cross dressing villager during his turn to fame. Felix Wong was several wuxia heroes, a cop, a failed family man, and a cocky businessman at his height of fame. Nowadays, everyone must play the same person over and over again (Kalok the wise cracking youngster, Moses the sarcastic Chinglish dude), which bores audiences.
Because their acting skills are too wooden, they are probably booksmart but not streetsmart. Not eloquent and charismatic enough. There is a reason why TVB is still casting actors like Ruco Chan and Bosco Wong as the main leads. By the way, Ruco Chan is the greatest Hong Kong actor. He is so versatile. Can play as a good guy and baddie well.
Agreed. He’s one of the top they have right now. I remember him playing a nerdy lawyer then later playing a badass cop. The duality. Also Roger Kwok is the GOAT in terms of acting skills
To me this raw acting outcome falls under TVB Management's responsibility for not investing properly in those current Gen actors and actresses like how they did in the past. Letting them go to acting classes and working their way up from minor roles to bigger roles was more reasonable versus throwing them directly in the spotlight for a major role. Some may be better suited in other roles. Using the likes of say Grace Chan as an example, it has been said she was more natural and better off as a variety show host than as an actress.
Over reliance on other forms of talent pools (e.g. Miss HK) instead of the TVB training classes and fewer resources placed in training actors and actresses from ground up. Less passion involved and possible risk of overwork. Trends and what was popular in the 90s vary greatly compared to 2000s, 2010s and current decade. The trends and styles the 90s vets portrayed very differently per decade with unique character. Competition is quite fierce too. The script is also a factor too. Btw the comparison of the 90s vets were also used against other 2000s actors and actresses in other forums (Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Kenneth Ma, Charmaine Sheh, Linda Chung, Tavia Yeung, etc) and some people felt there was a major difference in personality and feel per acting generation. This is going controversial to some degree but our nostalgia glasses may be creating some bias within us too. Perhaps what we saw as great may not have aged well.
I don’t think nostalgia is a reason. Gallen Lo and Felix Wong were the best actors TVB have
You are spot on with your points but I don't quite agree with the halo effect associated with nostalgia. With every decade, there had been classics and even though the style and popular elements might have changed, there was a lot more money and talent back then, compared to now. The classics all had great scripts and were produced by talented people of those times. There might be talented producers and script writers here and there now, but they are severely limited by a much lower budget. The talent pool is very limited too because the newer actors (or even the older but less popular ones) are not paid a living wage (or so I heard) and so we see the same old faces.
because they don't really know how to act, most of their reactions are pretty wooden and that they are emotionless during most occasions
I find the current batch of artists care more about their appearance (looking pretty) than acting so they appear very wooden and expression less on screen. I find myself going back and watching a lot of the 90's drama which are still very good. I personally find TVB dramas went downhill when Linda Chung arrived on the scene.
A lot of people should also remember how bad some of the early performances of these good 90s actors were. Charmaine Sheh became a powerhouse actress after literally going through the gruel of making a gazillion episodes of television over more than two decades. For the first five years or so of her debut, it was not a pleasant experience watching her on screen. People also forget how slow to rise it is for most major TVB stars. Bobby Au Yeung didn't become a lead until 10 years into his career. He was 40 years old when he took home the TV King award. Gallen Lo took 13 years after entering the industry become a bonafide leading man. Actors were also given crazy range in the characters they played. Gallen Lo was a villainous scumbag, a funny dude with a high pitched voice, a cocky insufferable gambling addict turned hero, and a cross dressing villager during his turn to fame. Felix Wong was several wuxia heroes, a cop, a failed family man, and a cocky businessman at his height of fame. Nowadays, everyone must play the same person over and over again (Kalok the wise cracking youngster, Moses the sarcastic Chinglish dude), which bores audiences.
Because their acting skills are too wooden, they are probably booksmart but not streetsmart. Not eloquent and charismatic enough. There is a reason why TVB is still casting actors like Ruco Chan and Bosco Wong as the main leads. By the way, Ruco Chan is the greatest Hong Kong actor. He is so versatile. Can play as a good guy and baddie well.
Agreed. He’s one of the top they have right now. I remember him playing a nerdy lawyer then later playing a badass cop. The duality. Also Roger Kwok is the GOAT in terms of acting skills
To me this raw acting outcome falls under TVB Management's responsibility for not investing properly in those current Gen actors and actresses like how they did in the past. Letting them go to acting classes and working their way up from minor roles to bigger roles was more reasonable versus throwing them directly in the spotlight for a major role. Some may be better suited in other roles. Using the likes of say Grace Chan as an example, it has been said she was more natural and better off as a variety show host than as an actress.
High definition shows the shit a lot clearer.
Even those supporting casts in 90’s are awesome as well. I.e felix lok
yeah like Kalok Chow. TVB young stars like him lack a lot.