Island Nation
| Island Nation | |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 國際橋牌社 | 
| Hanyu Pinyin | Guójì Qiáopái Shè | 
| Tâi-lô | Kok‑tsè Kiâu-pâi Siā | 
| Genre | Historical drama Political drama  | 
| Directed by | Lin Shi-zhang, Lin Long-yin | 
| Starring | Akira Chen Chia-Kuei Chen Chen Yu Hsia Teng-hung Kurt Chou Johnny Lu Ricie Fun Yang Lie Mario Pu Chen Jia-kui An Jun-peng  | 
| Country of origin | Taiwan | 
| Original languages | Mandarin Taiwanese Hokkien English  | 
| No. of episodes | 20 | 
| Production | |
| Producers | Wang Yi-xin, Xiong Jiu-shan | 
| Production location | Taipei | 
| Production company | Marktwain Production | 
| Original release | |
| Network | Far EasTone Public Television Service  | 
| Release | 20 January 2020 | 
Island Nation (Chinese: 國際橋牌社) is a Taiwanese political drama based on Taiwan's transition from an authoritarian state to a democracy in the 1990s.[1] The series will include 80 episodes over 8 seasons,[2] with the first season premiering on January 20, 2020.[3] The second season, Island Nation 2, debuted on September 12, 2021.[4]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 10 | January 20, 2020 | January 20, 2020 | |
| 2 | 10 | September 12, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | |
Production
US$2.46 million was spent on the first season, with the Ministry of Culture subsidizing US$0.98 million in production costs.[2] A replica of the Presidential Office Building was built at a Republic of China Navy base in Taoyuan, while the presidential inauguration scene was filmed in the building itself.[2][5]
Casting was a challenge, as several local actors and actresses declined roles in the series, for fear of compromising their ability to work in China.[3]
Critical reception
Cinema Escapist described Island Nation as "one of the most compelling series in Taiwanese entertainment history thus far", noting the contrast to the apolitical stance and self-censorship undertaken by many Taiwanese entertainers in order to access China's media market.[6] The second season of the series was promoted by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen on an Instagram post.[4]
References
- ^ Yeh, Chieh-Ting (2021-09-24). "Weaving Fiction With Reality: Interview with Island Nation Producer Isaac Wang". Ketagalan Media. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 - ^ a b c Yang, Sophia (2019-11-27). "Netflix undecided on whether to air Taiwan's 'House of Cards'". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 - ^ a b Cole, J. Michael (2020-01-17). "Taiwan's Highly Anticipated Historical TV Drama 'Island Nation' to Premiere on 20 January". Taiwan Insight. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 - ^ a b Chiang, Stephanie (2021-09-19). "Taiwan president promotes 2nd season of 'Island Nation' series". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 - ^ Strong, Matthew (2019-04-20). "Taiwanese 'House of Cards' shoots inside Presidential Office Building". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 - ^ Kao, Anthony (2020-03-19). "With "Island Nation," Taiwan Finally Has A Political Drama". Cinema Escapist. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
 
External links
- www
.islandnation .tw  - Island Nation at IMDb
 - Island Nation on Facebook
 - in
.asiania - Season 2 English subtitled episodes.me