Genuine Heroes, an anthology crime drama adapted from real-life cases, topped the ratings of provincial broadcasters for 12 consecutive days, revealed the producers during a seminar in Beijing on Wednesday.

Consisting of eight stand-alone stories in five units, the 39-episode drama has received guidance from China's five top organs and government departments, namely the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, and the Ministry of Justice.

Yin Shuo, head of the movie and TV center of China Chang'an Publishing Media, one of the drama's production companies, said the project was launched in 2021 with the overall eight stand-alone stories shot in Beijing and five provinces including Hebei, Hunan and Jiangsu.

Zeng Qingjia, director of public affairs at the streaming platform Youku, said that the drama has garnered online popularity, amassing 300 million clicks on its related topics on Sina Weibo, 690 million views on related short videos on Douyin and 113 million clicks on Xiaohongshu.

Jin Chen, one of the directors, revealed that actor Fu Dalong, who portrays a criminal, wrote a poem to help him better understand the character's inner world. The criminal once aspired for a better life but found himself entangled in obstacles that led him into a life of crime.

Wu Yao, a scriptwriter for the series, said she interviewed officers who worked in a women's prison. This experience enabled her to uncover many lesser-known stories about female prisoners and their lives in jail.

The police officers organize artistic events, such as creating a musical where officers and prisoners participate in the cast. This initiative aims to provide activities for the prisoners and assist them in preparing to return to normal life after serving their sentences, explained Wu.

Actor Luo Yizhou, who plays a police officer tasked with hunting down drug traffickers, said that his six years of service in the People's Liberation Army have contributed to his understanding of the dedication and commitment required for his role.