Upcoming TVB series Line Walker: An interview with the producer

This article from TVB Weekly was from a few months ago (April I think) but I haven’t had a chance to post about it until now! Given that Line Walker (使徒行者) will be premiering on 25 August, I figured it’s about time to dig this up again. 🙂

I guess the only reason I’m keeping an eye on Line Walker is of course – Raymond Lam. Given that he only films one TVB series per year (if he feels like it I suppose) and the cast looks OK (although I’m not all that interested in the Raymond/Charmaine pairing, but I would like to see Michael Miu/Raymond Lam because their bromance ???  kinda got bogged down by other things in Highs and Lows), plus I watch TVB for mostly the police / investigative type dramas these days… although I am worried because producer Man Wai Hung’s previous works are Friendly Fire and Bounty Lady – both of which I’m not  a fan of. Bounty Lady was okay but Friendly Fire got on my nerves, big time.

Have to at least give it a go I suppose, I need a break from the romance-heavy Taiwanese dramas.

Line Walker: When an undercover falls in love with an undercover

Line Walker reunites Raymond Lam and Charmaine Sheh, who had not collaborated for a long time. Their characters are both undercover police in the triad world. Even though they don’t know each other’s true identities, they fell in love. As CIB (Criminal Investigation Bureau)’s Chief Inspector, Michael Miu will also be romantically involved with Elena Kong’s character. In contrast to other police dramas, the story also has comedic elements.

Producer Man Wai Hung joined TVB in the early 90s and worked as a Production Assistant, Director (?) and then promoted to Producer in 2012. His previous works include Friendly Fire and Bounty Lady.

TVB Weekly (T): What type of series is Line Walker?

Man Wai Hung (M): It’s a police drama but with many other elements incorporated including comedy, light hearted moments, life and death plus many exciting scenes. You can view it as an intense, commercial series. The story talks about a conspiracy, where five police undercovers lost their identity. How can they save themselves? As CIB’s Chief Inspector, Michael Miu’s character will use every effort to find the five undercovers, save them and solve crimes together.

T: Will the story focus on Raymond Lam and Charmaine Sheh?

M: Raymond Lam and Charmaine Sheh, Michael Miu and Elena Kong, Sammy Shum and Sharon Chan are the three main storylines of the series. Their performances in every episode will be very touching. After many obstacles, Michael Miu will locate the five undercover officers. Raymond and Charmaine will be the two of them. They will have some romantic involvements as well.

Relationship entanglements with many sparks

T: Will Raymond and Charmaine’s romance develop when they didn’t know the other is an undercover police officer?

M: Both of them live in the world of triads. When their relationship first developed, they didn’t know each other’s true identities. There’ll be many romantic, passionate, comedic and silly happenings which differ from other grim dramas about undercover officers. Charmaine plays a smart, active girl, like a modern version of Wai Siu Bo (a character from The Duke of Mount Deer series). On the surface, Raymond Lam is a gangster but he’s very brave and strategic. When a smart female undercover meets a brave guy who knows how to fight, you can imagine there will be many sparks between them.

T: What type of character does Michael Miu play? Will Sharon Chan and Sammy Shum portray a couple?

M: This time, Michael will portray a very scholarly police officer. He reads many books, acts very calmly with a high EQ. He will develop a special kind of romance with Elena Kong, who plays a prosecutor. Although Elena is married, she has an unfortunate marriage. The story will talk about how Michael saves Elena from this unhappy marriage. As for Sharon and Sammy, their relationship is quite torturing. Sharon is a righteous person who works at the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) while Sammy is a key member of a triad. They were a couple before he went to jail for embezzlement.  Due to this event, Sharon thinks they’re from different worlds, but Sammy had never forgotten Sharon…

Other tadbits about the series from the captions of this article…

• Sammy Leung was originally cast but had to quit because of an illness. Sammy Shum (confusion!) took the role instead.
• Sharon Chan revealed her character will secretly investigate Michael Miu because she thinks he is hiding something. She will be involved in a love triangle with Sammy Shum and Patrick Tang.
• Ankie Beike will interfere with Charmaine and Raymond’s relationship.
• Oscar Leung will portray a gang member. His job is to protect his ‘brother’ / leader, Raymond Lam.

This was the trailer from the 2014 Sales Presentation last year, but then what appears in the sales presentations can differ A LOT from the actual series!

I see potential in this trio, but gosh Raymond’s haircut is so distracting!!! ><