China News Service, Beijing, November 11 (Reporter Gao Kai) A seminar on the TV series "Heavy Weapons" sponsored by the China Television Arts Committee and the Beijing Municipal Radio, Film and Television Bureau was recently held in Beijing. The seminar focused on the creative experience, artistic value, professional connotation and contemporary significance of the drama series, and summarized the practical results of realistic creation of rule of law themes, providing reference for innovative development and high-quality creation of similar themes.
"Heavy Weapon" is a key support project of the State Administration of Radio and Television. It is directed by Shen Yan, co-directed by Li Jiangming, and written by Zhao Dongling. It takes the development of China's legal construction since the reform and opening up as the background of the times, and shows the historical process of the continuous development and improvement of China's judicial cause through the career choices and life experiences of a group of young lawyers. The drama will be broadcast simultaneously on eight prime time slots on iQiyi and CCTV on August 10, 2026. With its solid professional quality and vivid characters, it has achieved a double harvest in ratings and reputation. According to statistics from the State Administration of Radio and Television, the first broadcast of the series had 370 million viewers, with an average ratings of 1.483% per episode; the highest popularity on the iQiyi site reached 9184.
Zhu Zhengwen, deputy director of the TV Drama Department of the State Administration of Radio and Television, said that "Heavy Weapon" has very special value and significance, showing a dual temperament of "dazzling" and "dazzling". It is dazzling because it is true and heavy. It does not avoid or whitewash the problems that have existed in the process of China's rule of law and even unjust, false and wrongful convictions, but dares to face them directly and dares to show them; it is dazzling because of its courage and strength. Chinese legal practitioners have the courage to move forward. There are always people who adhere to the bottom line of legal conscience and morality, turn the blade inward and revolutionize themselves, which fully demonstrates China's historical initiative and responsibility in promoting the process of rule of law.
Shen Yan, the director of "Heavy Weapon", said that what first impressed him was the group of fresh legal professionals with ideals and struggles in the tide of the times. He sets "authenticity" as the core bottom line of his creation: not only to restore the texture of the era through details such as costumes, props, scenes, etc., but also to realistically present the twists and turns and tests in the process of building the rule of law. In terms of character creation, the team deliberately avoided perfect heroes, making the character's weakness, confusion and self-reshaping a microcosm of the judicial practice of the era.
Zhao Dongling, the screenwriter of the play, shared her creative views, "When doing realistic creations, you must dare to touch the negative and imperfect places, but you must do so with great kindness." She also revealed that the script of "Heavy Instruments 2" has been written, and she hopes to continue to write the subsequent development of China's rule of law.
Seminar site. Photo provided by the organizer
Specially invited expert Zhang Jianwei, a professor at Tsinghua University School of Law, believes that the work restores the judicial status and social concepts of a specific era, leaving a vivid video record of those difficult years.
Wang Yichuan, a distinguished professor at Beijing Language and Culture University, said that the drama not only reproduces the background of the changes in the judicial system, but also depicts the growth process of legal talents' mental tempering. The different growth paths of the five protagonists and the leadership inheritance of their predecessors jointly present the connection between the construction of the rule of law and the growth of talents, and also provide an empathetic mirror of life for audiences of different ages.
Kang Wei, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Chinese Literary Critics Association, believes that "Heavy Instruments" has created a new paradigm for rule of law dramas. The core feature is the nested narrative of "the history of the development of the rule of law + the growth history of five people", which concretely transforms the grand progress of the rule of law into the fate of the characters.
Zhang Long, a professor at the School of Television of Communication University of China, proposed from the perspective of news communication that the sense of age in the series is not for nostalgia, "but to allow the life experience of generations and the growth of China's rule of law to illuminate each other." From this, the audience can understand the cost of progress in the rule of law and understand the value of procedural justice and respect for individual rights.
Li Jingsheng, an expert on the review team of the State Administration of Radio and Television, emphasized that the creation of related themes requires a deep understanding of the society of the times and a compassion for the fate of the people at the bottom. This is the most precious revelation left to the industry by "Heavy Weapons".
At the end of the seminar, Yi Kai, Secretary General of China Television Arts Committee, made a concluding speech. He believes that "Heavy Weapons" is a vivid presentation of the process of building the rule of law through film and television creation. By looking back at history and portraying ordinary legal workers, the work allows the spirit of the rule of law to be effectively conveyed in specific characters and stories.
