BBC Journalists SHOCKED By ADDICTIVE And SEXY Chinese TikTok Dramas

What in the World

• Episode: BBC Journalists SHOCKED By ADDICTIVE And SEXY Chinese TikTok Dramas
• Website: What in the World
• Feed URL: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/w13xtvrv.rss
• Duration: 00:13:39
• Published: 2025-06-26 15:30

You might have come across ads on your TikTok or Instagram feed for Chinese micro-dramas: short episodes lasting only a few minutes with highly addictive plots. Think scandalous affairs, hot vampires and over the top acting (and lots of slapping). They might be a little cheesy, but they’re big business, with China’s micro-drama market expected to be worth $14bn by 2027. The apps like ReelShort or DramaBox, that produce the dramas are racking up downloads around the world - but what does this mean for the TV and film industry as a whole? And what does it say about the effect our phones are having on our attention spans?

BBC Global China Unit journalist Mengchen Zhang joins us for a special micro-drama screening - and explains how they’re behind a growing multi-billion dollar industry.

Get out the popcorn and put up your feet!

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde