“Holding The One in Front Tightly” [抱緊眼前人] – Anita Mui
(Themesong from TVB series Time Before Time)


Time Before Time was a hit series when it was aired on TVB back in 1997 with lots of praises and an average rating of 36 pts and peaking at an impressive 45 pts in its final week. It propelled the status of Gordon Lam as a lead actor and re-launched Kathy Chow’s brief comeback at TVB. In many people’s mind [at least those who have seen it], Time is a “timeless” classic – a beautiful, romantic, and memorable story that was well-produced.

Going into Time, I had a lot of expectations and hoped that it would live up to its title as a “classic”. I am happy to say that it deserves its reputation. Often times, some series can be overrated. However, Time is a remarkable TVB series and definitely a highlight work in TVB’s many years.




About the story
Time tells the story of a romance that breaks through time and space. The main couple faced many difficulties before getting together, but then they were mysteriously poisoned. This led to the death of the female protagonist, who became a ghost. 20 years later, she is released [from her residence in a haunted umbrella] and wants to find the whereabouts of her lover. It turns out he has been reincarnated and is already in love with another woman… Gradually, this man begins to recall the past and falls in love with her again. Through the course of the series, we learn the truth behind the mystery that caused the tragic deaths of the couple, which led to them being separated – with one in the ghost and the other in the mortal realm. We also see the heartbreaking ache the main couple feels for one another, as well as the tricky love triangle between two humans and a ghost…



I was hooked on Time’s story from the beginning to end. It was very interesting listening to Kathy tell the story of how she and Gordon met, fell in love, got together, and struggled to be together in the past. Despite the back-story being rather typical and even clichéd [a maid falling in love with a rich young master], I was still entertained watching the flashback scenes.



For once, the love triangle was not annoying. I felt for all parties involved and it was truly inevitable. Of course, the romance between Gordon and Kathy [being the main couple] was more touching and romantic. I was very satisfied with the ending of the love triangle. Things were handled well and realistically. As much as I would have liked to see Gordon be with Kathy, it’s physically infeasible and unrealistic since she was a ghost. Also, he was married with Florence Kwok already and he also loves her.


In that lifetime, he could only be with Florence. I was happy to see them grow old together and have a happy family. Of course, everyone – meaning the audience – wants to see Gordon and Kathy together. TVB did not let us down and we got our wish. The ending was so touching with Gordon and Kathy finally being able to be together in modern times. After so many struggles and so many years, true love is reunited. I loved the touch with the umbrella at the end. It really brings everything together; the umbrella is the single most defining image/symbol from Time.




I enjoyed Time very much because it had a great balance and mix. It was funny, sweet, romantic, endearing, and touching all at once. All of the characters were enjoyable to watch [besides the antagonists of course]. I felt the storyline was well-structured and paced. The series is entertaining from beginning to end and does a great job sustaining the audience’s interest. It is an excellent and very special series – different from other ones that TVB has produced.


About the performances
Gordon Lam – Gordon is not your typical leading actor, but his acting is great and I really like watching him. His performance in Time did not disappoint – not that I was expecting it to. He was hilarious and very likable. I cracked up because of his antics and laziness at the beginning. I was later touched by how devoted he was to Kathy’s character. It was so enjoyable watching his character grow during the course of the series. He effectively portrayed his two roles distinctly and he had great chemistry with both Kathy and Florence.




Kathy Chow – I’m not a fan of Kathy, but I quite liked her in this series. I thought she was pretty in her various costumes and she did her character justice. At times, her acting was dull and weak, but “Siu Foo Yung” is such a fool-proof character that people just adore because of her kind heart and innocence. She matched very well with Gordon. She was so funny as the naive ghost at the beginning of the series. Her history is heart-breaking and it’s really sad to see her try so hard to repress her feelings for Gordon’s character. I was moved by her love and dedication to Gordon.


Florence Kwok – I really like Florence and it was good to see her in a meaty role. Her character had a good heart, had spunk, and was at times funny. I was so scared that they were going to make her character turn “evil” later on in the series because TVB writers have the tendency to do that with roles that are “in the way” of the main couple. Although Florence’s character did some not-so-nice things, her actions were understandable. She was worried about losing her husband. I was touched by her love for Gordon; they had really good chemistry.

Kenneth Chan – “Che Daat Fu” is a perfectly nice guy with no flaws. He stands by and helps “Siu Foo Yung” in any way that he can. He knows that she doesn’t love him, but this doesn’t stop him from loving her. It should be touching and I should root for his character, but I couldn’t feel anything for him. I thought Kenneth was wooden and failed the character. Also, call me biased but I have a negative impression of him because he [as in the character he played] raped “Siu Lung Lui” in Return of Condor Heroes 1995.




The supporting cast was really good. They all contributed something – often comedy – to the scenes. I loved Law Lok Lam; I think this is my favorite performance from him. He is so hilarious! I loved how his character was a spoof on the triad bosses and how he was so scared of ghosts. I enjoyed Johnny Tang’s romance with “Luk Hiu Tung”. He was funny and it was entertaining watching him grow. All in all, the cast of Time was perfectly cast and everyone effectively carried out their roles (with the exception of Kenneth).


Final thoughts
From the moment you hear the haunting themesong sung by the late Anita Mui, you know you are watching a classic. Seriously, the themesong sets the mood perfectly for the series and is such a beautiful song. Time Before Time is one of the most deeply romantic and memorable series that I have ever seen from TVB. I highly recommend this classic. It is the best romantic ghost story that TVB has produced.

The relationship between Gordon and Kathy will pull at your heartstrings. They have to go through so many struggles and you can truly feel their love through the screen. You know a love story is effective when you can feel the love between an actor and a dog. In one part of the series, Kathy wants Gordon to move on with his “real life” rather than being stuck in the past and loving her, so she tricks him into thinking she has reincarnated into a dog. Gordon takes the dog as Kathy. The way he interacts with the dog is just so touching! You can feel how deep their relationship is in those scenes. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see what happens to him when he loses this dog.

Watch Time for its wonderful and unique storyline that will capture your heart and attention. It is all you could ask for in a series and more. If you’re looking for drama, romance, comedy, supernatural, mystery and/or all the above, then look no further than Time. It is a solid and thoroughly enjoyable series that leaves a lasting impression and keeps you at the edge of your seat wanting to watch the next episode. The touching ending will just put a smile on your face. Despite a low budget, it proves that glitz and glamour mean nothing without a meaningful and excellent script. It is a top-notch and rare production by TVB.




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