TV gaokao drama earns high marks

Finely-honed details

Another key ingredient for the success of this realistic series lies in its specific details, which many audience members hailed as "authentic".

To present a warts-and-all portrayal of how three families brace their children for the all-important exam, chief scriptwriter Huang Lei said he mainly used the stories of his friends, relatives and neighbors.

Scriptwriters also visited and interviewed many families with children who have sat or are preparing for gaokao to learn their stories, which the scriptwriters later used to enrich the plot and enhance authenticity.

Many audience members took to social media, saying they also suffered from insomnia ahead of gaokao like the character Yingzi did in the show, and confessing their mothers are also "control freaks" like Song Qian, Yingzi's mother.

Lines in the show are also highly praised as down-to-earth. For example, in the first episode, when Tong Wenjie scolded her son after he made trouble at school, her line – "Don't call me mom. I'm not your mom," – went viral on the internet as many viewers commented that was exactly what they heard their mothers say in anger.

Moreover, important news in the past year such as martial arts novelist Louis Cha's death and the downward pressure on China's economy are ingeniously woven into the plot, making the plot much livelier.

Discerning audiences also point out all the dates in show are in strict accordance with the calendar, and there are textbooks and reference materials stacked on students' desks.

"There is no secret to producing a fine realistic series; the most important thing is to present as much reality as possible. Otherwise, the audience would find our show far-fetched," the director said.

Yang Xiaoyu contributed to this story.