Netflix Greenlights Asian-American Series ‘A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities’

In the past decade, Netflix has transcended its roots as a DVD rental and become a titan in both the industries of television streaming and production, regularly churning out original content, including the show Midnight Diner from Japan; and the TV series Kingdom and Love Alarm from South Korea.

Recently, in an official announcement, Netflix announced that it would be collaborating with Taiwan’s Kbro Media and Good Image Production to bring viewers a new Asian-American series, A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities, an alliterative title that is still subject to change in these early stages of development.

According to the statement, “The series features cross-cultural differences and similarities between Taipei and the close-knit Taiwanese-American community in San Francisco.”

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Netflix also included a short summary of the plot of the show:

“The series features two women, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Taipei and a Taiwanese-American programmer in San Francisco, who swap homes and then follow their respective cultural odysseys in each city.”

The series will be directed by accomplished Taiwanese director Nelson (also known as Tien-Lun) Yeh. His many awards and accolades include being nominated for Best Director at the 2016 Asian Television Awards for La Grande Chaumiere Violette, directing Mad King of Taipei, which was featured in the Busan International Film Festival, and multiple Golden Bell awards for his work in Taiwanese television.

Yeh expressed enthusiasm for the project,  saying “A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities with its universal appeal is more than just a collaboration with Netflix, it’s an opportunity for Taiwan content creators on the world stage.”

John Derderian, Director of International Originals at Netflix added, “We are excited about A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities bringing the multi-cultural worlds of Taiwan and America to our 104 million members across 190 countries. This is a testament to how great stories travel.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture has already reacted positively to the series, giving it a grant for its promotion of Taiwanese culture.

 

— This article originally appeared on Asian Crush.