Taiwan Today

"Spectacular!" exclaimed Linda Day George, the imperturbable blonde who rose to fame in Mission Impossible. "Just look at this theater!" added the invincible stalker of the Night Stalker series, Darren McGavin. The two Americans and a host of other foreign guests, here for the 1982 Golden Bell (TV) Awards ceremony, were commenting on Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Said one local technician: "If the Taiwan producers wanted to show the foreign guests our stuff, they sure did one heck of a job tonight. But that's the idea; it's television's salute to television. Some of the trappings of radio-T.V. progress shown here tonight even took a lot of Chinese viewers by surprise."

Futuristic lighting and sound arrangements and wide screen television monitors for the audience were among the facilities for the March 13 extravaganza. The crowd gasped in amused surprise when a five foot tall microphone jumped robot-like out of the stage floor as emcee Pao Kuo-liang, a television show host, entered center stage. Split screen coverage, slow and stop motion takes and other special effects presented the message of television's technological progress in the Republic of China.

The awards covered 10 categories of radio and T.V. performing and programming. As in years past, three persons were nominated for each award. Winners were picked by a panel of 45 judges who spent the last three months viewing shows and making spot visits to studios to examine technical operations.

This year China Television Service (with China Television and Taiwan Television, the three TV studios on Taiwan) dominated the awards, winning a total of 15.

CTS's Chang Hsiao-yen brought home three individual awards, one for her weekly variety show "Variety 100," one for best actress for her performance in "Reaching for the Stars Tonight" and another for variety show "Hostess of the Year:' Chang noted that the challenge, always multiple, is "trying at the same time to be the best daughter, wife and mother possible."

Actor of the year award went to Koo Pao-min for his moving performance in the made-for television movie, "He's My Brother." Koo played a mentally and physically retarded boy who is well looked after by his older brother. But the older brother contemplates marriage and attempts to keep his fiancée from meeting his little brother. One day, the fiancée encounters the deformed boy. When the older brother finds she is not upset, some very moving scenes occur. People are left with the piercing memory of a truly outstanding performance by Koo.

Surprising no one, "He's My Brother" won the Best Television Movie award.

The television series "Spring Anticipation," a story about a Communist cadre and his confrontation with underground papers on mainland China, won four awards, including Television Series of the Year Award. The series also won the Editing Award, Producer Award (Chang Yung-hsiang) and Director Award (Lee Ying).

In other major categories, Best Child Actor went to Yu Shih-keng for his performance in "Eleven Women - the Ah Kwei Story;" Rookie Actor of the Year Award, to Li Kuo-hsiu who starred in "Adventures of the Monkey," one of China's oldest fairy tales; Male Singer of the Year, to Liu Wen-cheng.

Teresa Teng, last year's "Songstress of the Year," presented this year's award to Fong Fei-fei, for her outstanding performance on her own TV special The Songs of Fong Fei-fei. After presenting the award, Teresa delighted the packed house by singing the theme song of her recent visit to the troops on Kinmen Island, A Visit to the Front. Later on, Fei-fei reappeared and sang her smash hit Hao Hao Ai Wo (Love Me Well). In many ways, this year was a golden one for Miss Fong. In October, she donated the proceeds of a sell-out solo performance at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall for the purchase of 1 million copies of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People. The copies of the governing principles of the Republic of China she funded were sent by balloon from Kinmen Island across the Taiwan Straits to the China mainland.

Other winners were: Taiwan Television's "The Year 808," the Peking Opera Award; China Broadcasting Co.'s "Historical Persons Drama," Best Radio Drama; China Broadcasting Co.'s coverage of the 1981 Taiwan Area Games, the Best News Program Award; and TV News Program of the Year Award went to China Television Service's "News Magazine."
Awards went to TV-radio writers, producers and directors, as well as to film editors, art directors, and sound and lighting personnel. Annual awards were presented for news collection and news reporting and announcing.

The Golden Bell Awards is an international media affair. Among American guests were Christopher and Linda Day George, Darren McGavin and his wife, former Tarzan (and current Miss America Pageant host) Ron Ely, producer James Becon, and actors Keye Luke and Robert Morgan.

Foreign guests who also performed during the ceremony included the Hong Kong duets Liu Chi-rong and Liu Ying-hong, and Chia Sze-le and Chen Chie-ling; Malaysia's Chik Soon Come and Rohana Talil; Japan's noted folk dancer Chiao Chiu Hsueh-lu; Indonesia's Grace Simon and Bob Tutupoli; Korea's Hsu Jen-hsi and Chin Cheng-zi; and Thailand's Meesak Nakaratana, Sakarin Poonyarit and Tipfularn Pinphiban.

Local dignitaries in the audience included former President Yen Chia-kan, Dr. James Soong, Director General of the Government Information Office, organizational sponsor of the Golden Bell Awards, and noted Chinese photographer Lang Chin-shan (who celebrated his 91st birthday this year).

In an opening address, Dr. Soong summed up the meaning behind the Golden Bell Awards: "That radio and TV... represent major contributions to human wisdom and wealth. They have played a major role in the enhancement and replenishment of man's cultural life. In this regard, the furtherance of the art and social functioning of radio and television has become the concern of all the people."