The first television show to give Chinese audiences an inside look at Hollywood screened its first episode on Channel 6 of China Central Television last week.

The seven-minute entertainment news show Talking to Hollywood will air on Friday evenings with host Betty Zhou, a Chinese TV presenter known for her coverage of US movies and sports. Zhou is also the show's producer.

Zhou talks to A-list stars and presents behind-the-scene stories about Hollywood blockbusters.

"It's unlike any other show (about Hollywood) in China. I am thrilled to be bringing a little Hollywood glamour to Chinese audiences," says Zhou, who began her TV career in Singapore.

"I had some fun with the celebrities, which you probably don't see in other programs."

For example, she races cars with Tom Cruise, tours Pixar Animation Studios, chats up with Arnold Schwarzenegger and meets Marvel's newest big screen superhero, Antman.

"When you see her traveling to these places, you are in that environment," says Rob Moore, vice-chairman of Paramount Pictures, co-creator of the show. Moore says it is not enough to simply air US shows with Chinese subtitles. "We need someone from China, who speaks Mandarin and has the ability to connect with Western celebrities," Moore says.

"It delivers an inside look at the movie business to its most passionate and dedicated fans in China. My colleagues in Hollywood and I look forward to this exciting new venture."

The idea for Talking to Hollywood came about in March when Paramount Pictures noticed the huge popularity of the Academy Awards in China. The show is also in partnership with other major Hollywood film studios including Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the guest in the first episode last Friday. He opened a Sina Weibo (China's major micro blogging platform) account during the show. Chris Pratt, who stars in the latest dinosaur movie Jurassic World, will be the guest in Friday's episode.

Moore says 10 episodes have been recorded and the first season will run for six months. A decision on whether to continue will be made pending on the audience response to the show.

"We'll see how popular it is, and we want them (Chinese audiences) to get better and more personal experiences with Hollywood," Moore says. He says there is a possibility the show will release extended versions for online platforms.

China is now the world's second-largest film market in terms of box office revenue.

Last year, Paramount Pictures' Transformers: Age of Extinction raked in 1.97 billion yuan ($318 million) from the box office in China. The company is also working on co-producing a project with China Film Group Corporation bringing the story of Marco Polo to the silver screen.

"The market grows so fast," he says. "We hope to continue our successful business partnership here."

wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 06/04/2015 page8)