Hit TV series are becoming a social phenomenon, as some dramas seem to be played and replayed all day long and to occupy all channels, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

Some netizens even joke that it's cruel to watch a character in Legend of Zhenhuan, the most popular TV series at the moment, die three times a day. And it's not just the characters of this particular drama series that suffer this fate, as many other popular drama series are broadcast almost repeatedly. The 1986 version of Journey to the West , for instance, has been screened more than 2,000 times. Drawing Sword has been broadcast more than 3,000 times in the last five years, and Hunan TV once played its drama Princess Huanzhu 13 times in one year.

This endless replaying of hit series has raised concerns about viewer fatigue and underlines the lack of creativity and inspiration in the TV drama market.

However, the reason why TV stations choose to play and replay these popular series is simply because of audience demand. Today, few people have enough time to watch a drama series without missing a single episode, so replays ensure viewers catch the entire drama. Moreover, some are high quality entertainment and have become classics that bear the memory of an era, so replaying them is good for our historical and cultural heritage.

Research in other countries has found that rewatching favorite TV series helps people strengthen their personal will and enhance their self-control. Putting aside how scientific such research is, it's an undeniable fact that people can relax watching these popular dramas after a busy day.

So the key point is not why these hit series are being replayed, but why their number is so limited. There is still a long way to go for the TV drama industry to create enough classics and thus make viewing more diversified.