Three Kingdoms is a 2010 Chinese television series based on the events in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The plot is adapted from the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other stories about the Three Kingdoms period. Directed by Gao Xixi, the series had a budget of over 160 million RMB (US$30 million) and took five years of pre-production work. Shooting of the series commenced in October 2008, and it was released in China in May 2010. Three Kingdoms set a record as the most expensive small screen series in China's television history at the time, having been sold to four regional TV broadcasters at the price of 160 million yuan. It was sold to over 20 countries, earning an estimated 800 million RMB (US$133.3 million) in total as of May 2012.

List of episodes

Cast

Main

Supporting

Replaced cast

Critical reception

The series was a commercial success in China and dominated ratings, but has received a mixed reception and caused controversy among critics and fans, with many commenting that the series deviated significantly not only from Romance of the Three Kingdoms but also historical records. The series was criticized for prioritizing commercial entertainment over research and understanding of the novel and history and creating plot holes in its reinterpretation. While some publications praised the producers' willingness to rewrite the events of the novel and reinterpret familiar characters, others criticize the writing and editing for being sluggish, superfluous and puerile, questioning some of the character and story reinterpretations, and using clichés from other Chinese gongdou (palace intrigue) and romantic dramas to be eye-catching while losing the solemnity and dignity of the original source material.

Soundtrack

Awards

International broadcast