Justice Pao (1993 TV series)
236-episode Taiwanese series starring Jin Chao-chun as Bao Zheng.
Justice Pao is a Taiwanese television series consisting of 236 episodes. It originally aired on the Chinese Television System (CTS) from February 1993 to January 1994. The series stars Jin Chao-chun as Bao Zheng, a legendary official from the Song dynasty. It achieved widespread popularity across many countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
The series was initially planned for only 15 episodes, but high ratings after the first episodes aired led CTS to extend it to 236 episodes. In Hong Kong, rival networks TVB and ATV Home both purchased the series to attract viewers. Competition between the two was so fierce that identical episodes aired on both channels the same night. It was also one of the first dramas to use NICAM technology for dual sound switching between Cantonese and Mandarin.
The show features a list of cases. Some cast members played multiple roles.
At the 30th Golden Bell Awards in 1995, Jin Chao-chun won Best Actor. Tai Chih-yuan won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Guo Huai in Case 3. Liu Ming won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Bao Mian's mother in Case 8.
The opening theme, performed by Hu Kua, shares the series' title. It was originally performed by the late Chiang Kuang-Chao for an earlier 1974 CTS series of the same name. The ending credits song in Stephen Chow's Hong Kong comedy film *Hail the Judge* was based on this opening theme. A Cantonese cover titled "願世間有青天" by George Lam, with lyrics by Wong Jim, served as the opening theme for the series on TVB in Hong Kong and also for the 1995 TVB series *Justice Bao*. Another Cantonese cover by Ray Lui was the opening theme for the 1995 ATV series *Justice Bao*. A Tagalog cover, "Katarungan Ay Si Judge Bao," was the opening theme for the series on ABC-5 in the Philippines, produced by 20 Plus Entertainment. Andy Lau covered the song in the 2003 Bao Zheng-related film *Cat and Mouse*. A Cambodian version was performed by Nou Sib, airing on CTV9 in 1994, and by Neay Koy, airing on CTN in 2020 (as he performed it in 2001).
The ending theme was "New Dream of the Butterfly Lovers" (Chinese: 新鴛鴦蝴蝶夢; pinyin: Xīn Yuānyāng Húdié Mèng), written and performed by Huang An. This song became a major hit in the Chinese-speaking world, and Huang's album of the same name became one of Taiwan's best-selling albums, selling over a million copies. Many cover versions exist in vari
- field
- Television drama
- country_of_origin
- Taiwan
- network
- Chinese Television System (CTS)
- episodes
- 236
- original_run
- February 1993 – January 1994
- star
- Jin Chao-chun
Lore & Background
The series was originally planned to have just 15 episodes. However, the show had high ratings when the initial episodes aired. Due to its popularity, CTS extended the show to 236 episodes. The rival TVB and ATV Home networks in Hong Kong both bought the series in an attempt to gain viewers. Competition between the two networks during the series’ run was so intense that identical episodes were shown on both channels on the same night. It was also one of the first dramas that used NICAM technology (Dual Sound Switch Cantonese/Mandarin).
Reader's Guide
Justice Pao became a cultural phenomenon across East Asia and Southeast Asia, influencing television and music. Its opening theme, performed by Hu Kua, was originally performed by Chiang Kuang-Chao for the earlier 1974 CTS series. The ending theme, 'New Dream of the Butterfly Lovers' by Huang An, became a huge hit in the Chinese-speaking world, selling over a million copies. Cover versions in many languages exist due to the show's influence. The series also spawned at least three video game adaptations in Asia, though it is unknown if any were licensed by CTS. At the 1995 Golden Bell Awards, Jin Chao-chun won Best Actor, Tai Chih-yuan won Best Supporting Actor, and Liu Ming won Best Supporting Actress.
Did You Know?
- The series was originally planned to have only 15 episodes but was extended to 236 due to high ratings.
- Rival Hong Kong networks TVB and ATV Home both aired the series, sometimes showing identical episodes on the same night.
- The ending theme 'New Dream of the Butterfly Lovers' sold over a million copies in Taiwan.
- At least three video game adaptations were published, including a beat 'em up for the Gamate handheld and two NES games.
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