Update: Latest Chinese Variety Franchise in 2023 can be found here.
Many Chinese citizens tied down at home with the epidemic, while their requirement for entertaining programs is still on the rise. Let’s see what are the 4 categories of most expected Chinese Variety shows in 2020.
1. Famous Franchise： Chinese Variety Shows Season N(2020)
With great content and creativity, there are many variety shows that have been held for several seasons and have a large number of faithful fans. These shows are to be expected:
Singer: Year of the Hits
Singer：Year of the Hits (歌手:当打之年）
Broadcast Time：
From Feb.7 2020. – around Apr. 2020. Every Friday night at 20:10
Host:
Jam Hsiao(萧敬腾)
Initial Singer：
Mao Buyi(毛不易), Lala Hsu(徐佳莹), Jam Hsiao(萧敬腾), Hua Chenyu（华晨宇）, Misia, Tia Ray(袁娅维), Zhou Shen(周深)
Broadcaster:
Hunan Satellite TV
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Mango TV Singer：Year of the Hits Episode 1
Tencent Video Singer：Year of the Hits Episode 1
iQIYI Singer：Year of the Hits Episode 1
Youku Singer：Year of the Hits Episode 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Link: @Hunan TV Singer (@湖南卫视歌手) Followers：4166k
Douban Official Link: Singer Year of Hits 2020 (歌手·当打之年 (2020))
Rating: 6.1
Gaining huge success from the previous seasons, Singer 2020 must be one of the most expected Chinese Variety show in 2020.
With a new competition rule of surprising challengers and 7 talented initial singers, the audience rating of the released episodes were all listed as the first place in China.
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak in China, Hunan TV had to explore new ways of production, which called “cloud production.” Instead of recording on the live stage, the singers were recorded on separate locations, while the selected 500 audiences would cast their vote via the Mango TV app.
The show went on without the live audience since episode 3, some reviewers think it might lose audiences because the 500 audience judges have been a highlight of this show, however, the result of episode 3 turned out to be great, the audience rating continued to be ranking 1.
The first 3 episodes of Singer have already aired and got a high audience rating. Although there’s not much-confirmed information, I believe the following famous Variety Shows will be recorded after the epidemic is over and please more Chinese citizens’ life.
Keep Running Season 4(Running Man China Season 8)
Keep Running Season 4(Running Man China Season 8)
Weibo Official Link: @Keep Running (@奔跑吧 ) Followers： 6559k
Go Fighting Season 6
Go Fighting Season 6(极限挑战6)
Weibo Official Link: @Go Fighting (@东方卫视极限挑战 )Followers：3394k
Back to Field Season 4
Back to field Season 4 (向往的生活4)
Weibo Official Site: @Back to Field (@向往的生活) Followers： 2911k
Chinese Restaurant Season 4
Chinese Restaurant Season 4(中餐厅4)
Weibo Official Link: @ Hunan TV Chinese Restaurant (@湖南卫视中餐厅) Followers: 959k
Who’s the Murderer Season 6
Who’s the Murderer Season 6 (明星大侦探6)
Weibo Official Link: @ Who’s the Murderer (@明星大侦探官微 ) Followers：4064k
I Can I BB Season 7
I Can I BB Season 7(奇葩说7)
Weibo Official Link: @ I Can I BB (@奇葩说官方微博) Followers： 3064k
2. Rising Star: Chinese Variety Shows Season 2 (2020)
There were many qualified variety shows that did great jobs in 2019 and I believe in 2020 these variety shows will continue to ignite the enthusiasm of the audience.
The Big Band Season 2
The Big Band Season 2(乐队的夏天2)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
iQIYI The Big Band
Social Media:
Weibo Official Link: @ The Big Band (@乐队的夏天) Followers：1914k
Douban Official Link: The Big Band 1 (乐队的夏天 第一季(2019) )
Rating: 8.8
Exciting Offer Season 2
Exciting Offer Season 2 (令人心动的offer 2)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Tencent Video Exciting Offer Season 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Link: @Tencent Video Exciting Offer (@腾讯视频令人心动的offer) Followers：455k
Douban Official Link: Exciting Offer (令人心动的offer )
Rating: 8.2
Fourtry 2
Fourtry 2(潮流合伙人2)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
iQIYI Fourtry Season 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Link: @Fourtry (@潮流合伙人 ) Followers：571k
Douban Official Link: Fourtry2019 (潮流合伙人 (2019) )
Rating: 6.8
Ice Hockey Hero Season 2
Ice Hockey Hero Season 2 (大冰小将2)
Broadcaster:
Zhejiang Satellite TV
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Tencent Video Ice Hockey Hero Season 1
iQIYI Ice Hockey Hero Season 1
Youku Ice Hockey Hero Season 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Link: @Zhejiang TV Ice Hockey Hero (@浙江卫视大冰小将) Followers：481k
Douban Official Link: Ice Hockey Hero 2019 (大冰小将 (2019) )
Rating: 9.0
Dance Smash Season 2
Dance Smash Season 2 (舞蹈风暴2)
Broadcaster:
Hunan Satellite TV
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Mango TV Dance Smash Season 1
Tencent Video Dance Smash Season 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @Hunan TV Dance Smash (@湖南卫视舞蹈风暴) Followers：430k
Douban Official SIte: Dance Smash 2019 (舞蹈风暴 (2019) )
Rating: 9.2
We Are True Friends Season 2
We Are True Friends Season 2 (我们是真正的朋友 2)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Tencent Video We Are True Friends Season 1
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: Tencent Video We are True Friends (@腾讯视频我们是真正的朋友) Followers：80k
Douban Official Site: We are True Friends (我们是真正的朋友 第一季 (2019) )
Rating: 8.4
3. New and Original: Chinese Variety Shows Season 1 (2020)
Everything changes rapidly especially in the entertainment industry, it needs new blood. With good ideas and content, original and new variety shows will attract people’s attention.
Welcome Back To Sound
Welcome Back To Sound (朋友请听好)
Broadcast Time：
From Feb.19 2020. – ?
Mango VIP can watch it every Wednesday at 12:00 pm.
The non-vip audience can watch it every Thursday at 00:00 am.
Regular Members:
He Jiong(何炅), Xie Na(谢娜), Jackson Yee(易烊千玺)
Guests：
Vin Zhou(周震南), and to be updated.
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Mango TV Friends Please Listen (Trailer)
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @Friends Please Listen (@朋友请听好) Followers： 1160k
Douban Official Site: Friends Please Listen (朋友请听好 )
Rating: 9.0
Thanks to the creativity of directors, Friends Please Listen seems to be the best original TV Reality Show in 2020,
The keyword of this program is “warm”, with 3 of the most popular stars and hosts He Jiong, Xie Na and Jackson Yee, this show will attract a huge amount of audiences. The qualified content of the recently released 37-min trailer had already got a Douban Rating of 9.0.
In this reality show, He Jiong, Xie Na, and Jackson Yee will share and listen to stories from all over the country through calls, phone calls, and letters. Every audience who calls in the hotline to participate in the live broadcast or sends a letter to throw out doubts in their hearts is the most ordinary people, and the three anchors give suggestions to the audience based on their life experience and life perception.
The members sitting around the table and having dinner as a family.
He Jiong and Jackson Yee are playing with these 2 cute cats named Dian and Tai. (“DianTai” means radio in Chinese.)
Me to us
Broadcast Time：Mar, 14 2020 -?
Mentors:
Nicholas Tse Ting-Fung(谢霆锋);
Jam Hsiao(萧敬腾) ;
Wang Junkai(王俊凯)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Mongo TV
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @Me To Us-Band Infinity Company (@我们的乐队-乐队无限公司) 95k Followers
4. Talent Show (2020)
Talent Shows have met great success in recent years, and have made so many popular idols and groups such as Mao Buyi, Cai Xu Kun, Produce 101, R1SE.
This year, talent shows will continue to catch audiences’ eyes, let’s expect what’s new about those successful formats.
Youth With You: Season 2
Youth With You: Season 2 (青春有你2)
Broadcast Time：Mar, 12 2020 -?
Episodes: 12
Main Hosts:
August Cai(蔡徐坤)–National Producer
Lisa–Dance Instructor
Jony J–Rap Instructor
Elle Chen(陈嘉桦)–Vocal Instructor
X Mentors(unknown)
Trainee：
109 trainees from different entertainments.
Online Broadcasting Platform:
iQIYI Youth With You Season 2
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @iQIYI Youth With You (@爱奇艺青春有你) Followers：763k
Douban Official Site: Youth With You Season 2(青春有你第二季(2020) )
There will be 109 trainees from different entertainments participating in this show and only nine of them will be selected through viewers’ votes and debut as a brand new girl group.
Although the premiere was postponed, Youth With You has been in the most searched hashtags for several times these days. Most of the girls are singers, dancers, and actors, some of them already have a huge amount of fans, every girl has recorded one creative self-introduction video which brought many discussions.
Popular stars support trainees.
Screenshot of some of the trainees’ self-introduction video.
Produce Camp 2020
Produce Camp 2020 (创造营2020)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Tencent Video
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @Tencent Video Produce Camp2019 (@腾讯视频创造营2019) Followers：1518k
Douban Official Site: (创造营2020)
Name of Youth
Name of Youth (少年之名)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Youku
The Coming One Season 4
The Coming One Season 4 (明日之子第四季)
Online Broadcasting Platform:
Tencent Video
Social Media:
Weibo Official Site: @Tencent Video The Comming One (@腾讯视频明日之子) Followers：1976k
Conclusion
In this article, I list 4 types of Chinese Variety Shows that Chinese people really expected, they are famous franchises with several seasons, rising stars that have a great reputation in the first season, brand new shows with great quality and popular stars, and talent shows.
Is there any show listed above that attracts you? What other Chinese variety shows in 2020 would you willing to watch? Please feel free to leave a comment to talk about this.
