Shi Mengqi, the brains behind it, recently received 1 million yuan (US$146,391) in sponsorship. He is now looking for veteran directors around the nation for next year's knock-off version.

In addition to televised entertainment shows, some classic TV dramas also serve as an inspiration for knock-off ones.

Hunan Satellite TV's latest idol drama "Meteor Shower" is considered a funny copy of the Taiwan series smash hit "Meteor Garden" (2000), which revolves around the romance of a poor girl and the rich group F4.

The mainland version, which stars "Super Boys" Yu Haoming and Wei Chen as F4, has received lots of buzz for its rambling plot, too many advertisements and clumsy acting to depict the "aristocratic temperament" of F4.

"The new version has many ridiculous scenes such as substituting Internet surfing for snooker as F4's favorite leisure entertainment," says Huo Yanni, a local TV fan. "The flowery costumes of F4 look like cheap rip-offs."

According to famous TV hostess Xu Chunni, shanzhai parodies can be identified at first sight by their coarse imitation, cheaper settings and second-hand originality.

Dragon TV's weekly dancing competition show "Let's Shake It" has become a hit since it was launched. Though some shanzhai versions of the dancing show have already been found on other TV channels, it is impossible for the knock-offs to exceed what the original one has achieved.

"The reason is quite simple," Xu says. "The original one is usually the classic one. Even though some of its elements and concepts are transplanted to the parodies, it still has a mature structure and platform for further innovation and breakthrough."

The Chinese version of "The Prince of Tennis" hopes to break such a stereotype about knock-offs with a more star-studded cast and glamorous settings.

From Friday, the second season of the serial based on famous Japanese manga will start on Dragon TV.

The major characters of the series are played by the grassroots idols of the talent shows "My Hero" and "My Show." Well-known tennis player Michael Cheung also made his acting debut in the sequel as a tennis coach.

Another bid to change the traditional view of knock-offs is the ongoing popular Chinese folk singing TV contest.

Classic folk songs of the world are performed by domestic and foreign celebrities in an innovative way.

Fashionable modern elements such as R&B, rock 'n' roll and jazz are also included in their singing.

Tang Ping, a veteran TV producer and director of the show notes that it's virtually mission impossible for a show or a TV drama to satisfy a diverse audience with different cultural backgrounds and tastes.

In her eyes, shanzhai has been misunderstood for a long time. Knock-off is not such a bad thing and its production process also requires courage and innovation.

"For sure, originality is always what we pursue in TV production," Tang adds. "However, sometimes it is inevitable to borrow some good ideas from really wonderful shows. If they have their own creative changes and adjustments, the process should also be respected. What we reject is a mere imitation."

(Shanghai Daily August 27, 2009)