Airing to 995 episodes from 2012 to 2016, Come Home Love <愛·回家> became TVB’s third longest-running sitcom, after the Hong Kong ’81 to ’86 series <香港八一至香港八六系列> and the 90s sitcom, A Kindred Spirit <真情>. For the viewers who grew up watching Come Home Love, having to say goodbye to their favorite dinner time show was bittersweet. In a gesture to continue the spirit of Come Home Love, TVB renamed their channel’s 8:00 to 8:30 pm timeslot after the show. The first sitcom to occupy the new Come Home Love block is Come Home Love: Dinner at 8 <愛．回家之八時入席>, which premiered on April 4. Dinner at 8, slated for 120 episodes, stars the golden duo Teresa Mo (毛舜筠) and Wayne Lai (黎耀祥) in their third sitcom collaboration after 2008’s Off Pedder <畢打自己人> and 2010’s Some Day <天天天晴>. It also features a strong supporting cast consisting of Power Chan (陳國邦), Chung King-fai (鍾景輝), Florence Kwok (郭少芸), Angela Tong (湯盈盈), William Hu (胡渭康), and Eric Li (李天翔). It is produced by Law Chun-ngok (羅鎮岳) and Sandy Shaw (邵麗瓊), also the head scriptwriter. “Dinner at 8” to Feature Numerous Guest Stars Dinner at 8 revolves around the employees working for the broadcaster, TVI. After inducting a new general manager Wan Fei-fei (Florence Kwok), the television station embarks on a period of new admin adjustments, and Koo Hiu-san’s (Wayne Lai) new show, a cooking program for housewives, is on the brink of cancellation. Desperately, he calls for the help of Lam Siu-siu (Teresa Mo), an accountant, to replace the host of his show. The show explodes to popularity, thanks to Siu-siu’s oral ability and cooking talent. Hiu-san wants Siu-siu to stay on the show as a regular host, but Siu-siu is hesitant about having an on-screen career. Siu-siu then negotiates, telling Hiu-san that she would only stay on the show if she gets to have regular work hours. Living with her younger uncle Lam Yi-mak (Power Chan) and younger half-brother Lam Wo (Ricco Ng), Siu-siu wants to be home in time to cook dinner for them every day. As Dinner at 8 mainly takes place in a television station, the show plans to feature famous guest stars. The first confirmed guest is Anthony Wong (黃秋生), who will be playing himself on the show. Anthony’s role in the series is to encourage Power to pursue his dream of being a makeup artist. Veteran Supporting Cast The cast of Dinner at 8 is led by a strong supporting cast. Florence Kwok, star of Come Home Love, returns in a strong businesswoman role. Her character arc focuses on her relationship with William Hu, who portrays a has-been idol, and Eric Li, who portrays her assistant. Angela Tong portrays a makeup stylist and Teresa Mo’s close friend. Dinner at 8 is Angela’s first drama since giving birth to her second daughter Kassidy in September 2015. Veteran actor Chung King-fai makes a comeback to star as Wayne Lai’s elderly father. His close relationship with Teresa is what brings her closer to Wayne. With a strong supporting cast headed by Wayne and Teresa, ratings for Dinner at 8 are expected to come off strong and steady. Creds: Ming Pao
