The charm and sex appeal of a group of young men are making reality television viewers go wild. Shanghai Dragon TV's "My Hero" has now replaced Hunan TV's "Super Girl" as China's most-watched reality TV show.

The handsome contestants sing, dance and even carry out push-ups to impress the judges. Then comes a question and answer session. "Why do you think you are a good man?" or "What will you do if someone says your girlfriend is not pretty?" Their female fans are hanging on every word.

Readers of a mass-selling lifestyle and entertainment magazine in Guangzhou started a bidding frenzy for the male contestants. The postings read: "50 yuan for inviting Xiang Ding to dinner;" "500 yuan for a date with the handsome Tibetan contestant Pubagya." The postings created protests from the contestants, but they reflect the craze for the all-male show.

"The Women's era has come and gone. Now it is the time to enjoy the charms of the men," said popular Taiwan singer and TV actress Yi Nengjing in her blog. She is one of the "My Hero" judges.

"My Hero" ratings in Shanghai reached 5.3 percent last weekend, while "Super Girl" slipped to 0.2 percent, according to AC Nielsen Company. National statistics from CSM Media Research showed a rating of 1.4 percent for "My Hero" while less than 1 percent of viewers were watching the once all-surpassing "Super Girl" last weekend.

"My Hero" fans reveal why.

"My colleagues are talking about 'My Hero' every day, though I haven't seen it myself," Li Lin, 40 and a government employee said. "What I know so far is it's just a male beauty contest. I cannot help asking why it has swept through so many people. "

Formula of success

"My Hero" relies on a simple format according to entertainment journalist Guo Gang.

"It is simply amateurs providing the entertainment and has-beens dominating the panels of judges who rule on who stays and who is jettisoned into the horrific void of anonymity," he said.

However, "a stereotyped plot often turns out to be a good story, depending on which group of characters and which group of audience," movie critic Tang Li told China Daily.

Dragon TV's deputy director of the editor-in-chief office Xiang Haiqi says the show aims to create a new male idol for female fans. Judges look for charming men with courage, versatility and sense of responsibility.

"On one hand, the influence of the 'Super Girl' is too huge. The space for another women-themed reality show would be very limited. On the other hand, many females like male stars. Before 'My Hero,' there was very few male-themed reality shows," Xiang explained.

Fans say the formula works. "These 'Flower Boys' (young men) have enchanting appeal: sturdy build, radiant smile and a fair face. It is normal for people to get involved with them," Qi Qi, a 21-year-old university student said.

Frogs into princes

The main competition takes place in six major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Dalian.

The overall champion will win a 300,000-yuan (US$37,500) award for business development plus a brand new Mazda Familla sedan car. There are other awards such as Best Teamwork Spirit, Best Body and Best Ability.

The show's motto ("how many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man") is taken from the Bob Dylan song "Blowing in the Wind," and is a hit with viewers. The TV ad says, "'My Hero' shows how frogs can become princes."

"At first, our group had a debate about the standard of the competition. What to compete? We want to select the idol-typed boys, but there were no specific forms," Xiang was quoted as saying.

"I thought it should be about a feeling instead of just singing and dancing Simply put, the audience should shriek for one guy, and this is not necessarily linked to how well he sings or dances."

The show has proceeded as Xiang had expected.

"The survivors indeed make the viewers shriek," Tang Li remarked.

Wang Huan, a 43-year-old foreign company employee, loves the show. "It is a show I can tune to after a long day in order to rest my tired brain. The guys there are attractive, a good rest for my eyes. I really get bored with the endless singing in 'Super Girl'."

And the show's appeal crosses all generations. The eyes of Shanghai resident Luo Qiaodi, who is in her 80s, fill with excitement when she talks about "My Hero." "This is the type of show that can bring me into the fold," she said. "These guys are about the same age as my grandson and, admittedly, they look cuter than my grandson. It is not easy for them to stand on the stage. I have always been moved by their grown-up stories. We should give a big hand to them."

(China Daily August 3, 2006)