Dark Tales

Dark Tales
Genre	Period drama Supernatural drama Horror Romance
Written by	Ting Shan-si (I) Leung Wing-mui (II) Leung Kim-ho (II) Based on the works of Pu Songling
Theme music composer	William Wu (I) Mahmood Rumjahn (II)
Opening theme	I: Kak Sai Ching (隔世情) by Cass Phang II: Ji Dong Si Gor Mung (只當是個夢) by Cass Phang
Country of origin	Hong Kong
Original language	Cantonese
No. of episodes	75 (I–II)
Production
Producers	Lau Sze-yu (I–II) Chou Ling-kang (I)
Production locations	Hong Kong Taiwan
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	45 mins. (each)
Production company	TVB
Original release
Network	Jade
Release	18 March 1996 – 1 May 1998

Dark Tales
Traditional Chinese	聊齋
Simplified Chinese	聊斋
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liáo Zhāi Wade–Giles Liao2 Chai1 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Liu4 Jaai1 Jyutping Liu4 Zaai1

The Dark Tales is a series of Hong Kong television period supernatural dramas that originally aired on Jade from 18 March 1996 to 1 May 1998, consisting of two installments with 75 episodes. Based on Qing Dynasty writer Pu Songling's series of supernatural tales called Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Dark Tales is produced by TVB and stars a cast of mainly Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors.

Dark Tales I

Dark Tales I (聊齋) originally aired on Jade every weekday evening from 18 March to 5 May 1996, and is produced by Lau Sze-yu and Chou Ling-kang, consisting of 35 episodes. It features six independent stories, adapted from the first ten books of Pu's novel.

Part I (Episodes 1–5)

Part I (流光情劫; lit. "Stealing Love Through Time") is adapted from the tale Mr. Lu's Daughter (魯公女).

• Jamie Weng as Chang Yu-dan (張於旦)
• Cynthia Khan as Lu Chin-tsai / Lu Han-chu (魯金采／盧含珠)
• Chao Chung as You Feng-wen (游鳳紋)
• Gary Chan as Crown Prince (鹿王三太子)
• Jessie Chan as Siao Chui (小翠)
• Hsieh Han as Master Hui-tong (慧通大師)
• Chen Hung-lieh as Uncle Shen (沈叔)
• Suen Kwai-hing as Tien Tor Chi
• Chan Chung-gin as Emperor Crown (鹿王)
• Suen Dalong as Young Chang Yu-dan (十八歲張於旦)
• Kwok Tak-shun as Governor (戶部)
• Lily Liew as Governor's wife (戶部夫人)
• Cho Chai as Lu An (盧安)
• Wong Te-fen as Hong Er (紅兒)
• Shi Yun as Magistrate (縣令)
• Howie Huang as General (少將軍)
• Yip Jan-wa as Ming (阿明)
• Yip Yung as Cheng (阿政)

Part II (Episodes 5–10)

Part II (俠女田郎; lit. Heroine Tian) is adapted from the tale Tian Chi-lang (田七郎).

• Cheung Siu-fai as Wu Cheng-hsiu (武承休)
• Chin Siu-ho as Tian Chi-lang (田七郎)
• Cynthia Khan as Liu Mu-lian (劉木蓮)
• Josephine Lam as Wu Cheng-hsiu's wife (武承休夫人)
• Chao Chung as Su Yue (素月)
• Fung Hiu-man as Cheng Chu (程菊)
• Wilson Tsui as Li Ying (李應)
• Joseph Lee as Lin Er (林二)
• Wong Siu-lung as Siao Wu (小五)
• Leung Yuk-gan as Su Su (蘇蘇)
• Chen Sha-li as Tian's Mother (田母)
• Chen Hung-lieh as Yan Tao-sheng (嚴道生)
• Derek Kok as Yan Hou (嚴候)
• Hui Man-chuen as Yan Yung (嚴用)
• Chan Wing-chun as Wei Ming (魏明)
• Jack Wong as the Emperor (皇帝)
• Ho Bik-kin as Manager Wang (王掌櫃)
• Sun Dalong as Chiang Chiu (蔣九)
• Shiu Cheuk-hiu as Bali (巴利)
• Yip Yung as Balu (巴魯)
• Tie Meng-qiu as Eunuch Yu

Part III (Episodes 11–15)

Part III (古劍幽靈; lit. "Ancient Ghost Sword") is adapted from the tale Chin Sheng-se (金生色).

• Jamie Weng as Chin Sheng-se (金生色)
• Nana Chiang as Siao Wen (小雯)
• Elizabeth Lee as Mu Yue-chin (木月琴)
• Derek Kok as Mu Ma-biao (木麻彪)
• Fung So-bor as Mrs. Mu (木夫人)
• Tam Yat-ching as Mu Ying-hao (木英豪)
• Kwong Wing-fai as Mu Hsing (木興)
• Yip Yung as Mu Long (木隆)
• Joseph Lee as Tung Kwai (董貴)
• Cheng Zhuan as Tung Wu (董五)
• Hsieh Han as Tung Bi-cheng (董必成)
• Kwan Yi as Grandma Chin (金姥姥)
• Wilson Tsui as Chin Sheng-kwang (金生光)
• Lily Lieu as Mother Bo (鴇母)
• Chan Pui-shan as Tao Hung (桃紅)
• Ho Sam as Prostitute
• Chan Heung-ying as Prostitute
• Chan Wing-chun as Wang Hsiung (王雄)
• Brian Wong as Liu Shi-hu (劉仕虎)
• Tie Meng-chiu as Yu Chi-yung (俞繼榮)

Part IV (Episodes 16–20)

Part IV (狐仙報恩; lit. "Fox Spirit Repays Debt") is adapted from the tale Siao Chui (小翠).

• Gallen Lo as Wang Yuan-feng (王元豐)
• Grace Yu as Siao Chui (小翠)
• Howie Huang as Wang Kuo-ying (王國英)
• Chen Hung-lieh as Wang Tai-cheng (王太常)
• Chen Sha-li as Mrs. Wang (王夫人)
• Chau Ching as Wang Yu-chi (王玉芝)
• Lily Lieu as Yu (虞氏)
• Kwan Yi as Liu (劉媒婆)
• Kwong Ming-fai as Chi Er (喜兒)
• Gary Chan as the Emperor (皇帝)
• Lee Lung-kee as Mao Song-nian (毛松年)
• Kwan Ching as Yu Hsu (玉虛道長)
• Law Suet-ling as Pang Er (胖兒)
• Hui Man-chuen as Wang Fei (王非)
• Fung So-bor as Madam Wang Chao (王曹氏)
• Josephine Lam as Fifth Aunt (五姨太)
• Cheng Pak-lun as Yuan Chung (袁忠)
• Chan Wing-chun as Chi He (祈和)
• Wan Sheung-yin as Empress Dowager (太后)

Part V (Episodes 21–25)

Part V (翁婿鬥法; lit. "Fight of the In-Laws") is adapted from the tale Chang-ting (長亭).

• Howie Huang as Shi Da-bu / Fifth Brother (石大璞／五師兄)
• Grace Yu as Weng Chang-ting (翁長亭)
• Chen Hung-lieh as Old Weng (翁老兒)
• Lily Lieu as Mrs. Weng (翁妻)
• Lee Lung-kee as a Taoist abbot
• Yip Jan-wa as Big Brother (大師兄)
• Yip Yung as Second Brother (二師兄)
• Suen Dalong as Third Brother (三師兄)
• Brian Wong as Fourth Brother (四師兄)
• Cheng Zhuan as Sixth Brother (六師兄)
• Hsieh Han as Old Mr. Shi (石老爹)
• Kwan Yi as Old Mrs. Shi (石老娘)
• Wong Siu-lung as Shi Da-kwai (石大珪)
• Amy Fan as Shi Siao-ying (石小英)
• Wong Chun-kam as Kao Kwai-chi (高桂枝)
• Ling Lai-man as Mr. Kao (高員外)
• Lau Kwai-fong as Mrs. Kao (高夫人)
• Wa Chung-nam as Kao's housekeeper (高管家)
• Fung Hiu-man as Weng Hung-ting (翁紅亭)
• Chan Pui-shan as Siao Yan (小燕)
• Wilson Tsui as Hua Hua Tai Sui (花花太歲)

Part VI (Episodes 26–35)

Part VI (秋月還陽; lit. "Chiu-yue Returns from Death") is adapted from the tale Wu Chiu-yue (伍秋月).

• Gallen Lo as Wang Ting (王鼎)
• Grace Yu as Wu Chiu-yue (伍秋月)
• Chen Hung-lieh as Wang Nai (王鼐)
• Josephine Lam as Wang Nai's wife, Liu (柳氏)
• Dai Siu-man as Wang Cheng (王誠)
• Hui Man-chuen as Wang An (王安)
• Amy Fans as Yuan Yuan-yuan (袁圓圓)
• Wilson Tsui as Octopus (八爪魚)
• Joseph Lee as Magistrate Peng (彭縣令)
• Cheng Fan-sang as King Yan
• Lau Dan as Chiu-yue's father, Wu Yuan (伍員)
• Derek Kok as Big Head Ghost (大頭鬼)
• Brian Wong as Three-eyed Ghost (三眼鬼)

Dark Tales II

Dark Tales II (聊齋貳) originally aired on Jade every weekday evening from 9 March to 1 May 1998, and is produced by Lau Sze-yu, consisting of 40 episodes. It features eight independent stories, adapted from the first fifteen books of Pu's novel.

Part I (Episodes 1–5)

Part I (陸判奇談; lit. "Interesting Tales of Judge Lu") is adapted from the tale Judge Lu (陸判).

• Evergreen Mak as Chu Er-dan (朱爾旦)
• Celine Ma as Madam Chiao (嬌娘)
• Angie Cheong as Chang Yun-luo (章雲蘿)
• Felix Lok as Judge Lu (陸判)
• Marco Lo as Li Chi-chiao (黎子喬)

Part II (Episodes 5–10)

Part II (綠野飛仙; lit. "Flying Immortal in the Wilderness") is adapted from the tale Ying (阿英).

• Jackie Lui as Kan Yu (甘鈺)
• Noel Leung as Ah Ying (亞英)
• May Kwong as Chin Chi-niao (秦吉鳥)
• Derek Kok as Lang Wen-hsien (郎文軒)
• Elvina Kong as Rouge (胭脂)
• Chan Chung-kin as Father Hao (郝老爹)
• Samuel Yau as Chao Da-shan (趙大山)
• Wilson Tsui as Prince Ying (鷹王)
• Kwan Ching as Mountain Spirit (山妖)
• Suen Kwai-hing as Senior (長老)

Part III (Episodes 11–15)

Part III (鬼母痴兒; lit. "Ghostly Mother, Devoted Son") is adapted from the tale Siang-chun (湘裙).

• Derek Kok as Shi Yun-ting (石雲庭)
• Louisa So as Siang-chun (湘裙)
• Benny Chan as Shi Tian-sheng (石天生)
• Joyce Chan as Hsia Sue (夏雪)
• Chan Dik-hak as Shi Yun-hsien (石雲軒)
• So Yan-chi as Hsien's wife
• Chan On-ying as Mute Chuan (啞娟)

Part IV (Episodes 16–20)

Part IV (陰差陽錯; lit. "Accidental Mistake") is adapted from the tale Wang Lu-lang (王六郎).

• Evergreen Mak as Wang Lu-lang (王六郎)
• Rain Lau as Hsu Dan-feng (許丹鳳)
• Chan Wing-chun as Underworld guardian (鬼差)
• Felix Lok as Hsu Ban-hsian (許半仙)

Part V (Episodes 21–25)

Part V (花醉紅塵; lit. "World of Drunk Flowers") is adapted from the tale Madam Hsin Shi-si (辛十四娘).

• Patrick Tam as Feng Shao-you (馮少游)
• Noel Leung as Madam Hsin Shi-si (辛十四娘)
• Dickson Li as King Bee (蜂王)
• Melissa Ng as Flower Spirit (花妖)

Part VI (Episodes 26–30)

Part VI (隔世追情; lit. "Chasing Love Across Time") is adapted from the tale Chin-se (錦瑟).

• Joey Leung as Yang Da-yung (楊大勇)
• Louisa So as Sue Chin-se (薛錦瑟)
• Dickson Li as Yi Dao Sheng (一道生)
• Gordon Liu as Kao Ni (高聻)
• Akina Hong as Siao Siang (小香)
• Wilson Tsui as Chuang Tie-niu (莊鐵牛)
• Chan On-ying as Chiao Lan (嬌蘭)
• Celine Ma as Toad Spirit (蛤蟆)
• Ng Man-sang as Gecko Spirit (壁虎)
• Andy Tai as Monk Huo-yun (火雲僧人)
• Helen Ma as Ms. Hsu (徐氏)
• Felix Lok as Sue Po-ling (薛柏齡)

Part VII (Episodes 31–35)

Part VII (魅影靈狐; lit. "Phantom Fox Spirit") is adapted from the tale Lian Siang (蓮香).

• Benny Chan as Sang Siao (桑曉)
• Rain Lau as Lian Siang (蓮香)
• Florence Kwok as Li Chiu-rong (李秋蓉)
• Joyce Chan as Miao Ah-hsiu (苗阿秀)

Part VIII (Episodes 36–40)

Part VIII (斬妖神劍; lit. "Demon Sword") is adapted from the tale Lady Hua (花姑子).

• Jackie Lui as An Chun-yang (安君陽)
• Angie Cheong as Lady Hua (花姑子)
• Cheng Pak-lun as the Thunder God (雷神)
• Lily Lieu as Lady Hua's mother
• Florence Kwok as Po Ching-ching (白晶晶)
• Derek Kok as Chian Chi-liang (錢七兩)

See also

• Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

External links

Dark Tales I Unofficial Facebook