What in the World, What in the World, BBC Journalists SHOCKED By ADDICTIVE And SEXY Chinese TikTok Dramas

What in the World

What in the World

BBC Journalists SHOCKED By ADDICTIVE And SEXY Chinese TikTok Dramas

June 26, 2025

14 minutes

Available for over a year

You might have come across ads on your TikTok or Instagram feed for Chinese micro-dramas: short episodes lasting only a few minutes with highly addictive plots. Think scandalous affairs, hot vampires and over the top acting (and lots of slapping). They might be a little cheesy, but they’re big business, with China’s micro-drama market expected to be worth $14bn by 2027. The apps like ReelShort or DramaBox, that produce the dramas are racking up downloads around the world - but what does this mean for the TV and film industry as a whole? And what does it say about the effect our phones are having on our attention spans?

BBC Global China Unit journalist Mengchen Zhang joins us for a special micro-drama screening - and explains how they’re behind a growing multi-billion dollar industry.

Get out the popcorn and put up your feet!

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart

Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates

Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal

Editor: Verity Wilde