4. The US TV drama House of Cards wins applause among Chinese viewers

A still from House of Cards

Season 2 of House of Cards, which debuted simultaneously in China and its home country, created waves in the form of discussions about US politics, among other things.

The second season of the political drama premiered on Feb 14 on Netflix in the United States and on Sohu.com in China. It is the most-watched US television show on Sohu, with more than 19 million views as of Feb 22.

But compared with domestic or South Korean soap operas, this melodrama of American-style deceit and dense plotting is perceived as a niche product on the high-end of viewership, thus bringing in an audience of quality rather than quantity.