Big White Duel (Chinese: 白色強人; Cantonese Yale: baahk sīk kèuhng yàhn) is a 2019 Hong Kong television medical drama produced by Marco Law and TVB. It stars Roger Kwok, Kenneth Ma, Natalie Tong, Ali Lee and Kelly Cheung as the main leads. The series follows a team of medical practitioners at the fictional Marshall Paxton Hospital, Hong Kong's leading public hospital, with its central plot structuring around the hospital's Deputy C.E., Dr. YT Yeung's (Roger Kwok) attempts in rallying support for a new healthcare plan that would change the landscape of Hong Kong's healthcare system. Big White Duel premiered on TVB Jade in Hong Kong on 10 June 2019, and aired its final episode on 12 July 2019. It aired on Mediacorp's Channel 8 on 18 March 2020 and concluded on 25 May 2020. A second season was released in 2022.

Big White Duel
Official poster
Chinese白色強人
Literal meaningWhite Strongmen
Hanyu Pinyinbái sè qiáng rén
Jyutpingbaak6 sik1 koeng4 jan4
GenreMedical drama
Created byMarco Law Wing-yin
Written byWong Wai-keung
Starring
Theme music composerAlan Cheung
Opening theme"Choice" (選擇善良) by Fred Cheng
Ending theme"Without You" (沒有你開始) by Hana Kuk
ComposerAlan Cheung
Country of originHong Kong
Original languagesCantonese
Mandarin
No. of episodes25
Production
Executive producerMarco Law
Production locations
Running time45 minutes
Production companyTVB
Original release
NetworkTVB Jade
Release10 June (2019-06-10) –
12 July 2019 (2019-07-12)

Big White Duel received critical acclaim throughout its broadcast period. It is currently sitting as Hong Kong's second highest-rated television drama of 2019, and garnered multiple awards and nominations at the StarHub Night of Star Awards and TVB Anniversary Awards, including Best Actor and Best TVB Male Artiste for Kenneth Ma, Best TVB Female Artiste for Natalie Tong, Most Improved Female Artiste for Kelly Cheung and Best Drama.

Series overview

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Hong Kong's leading public hospital, Marshall Paxton, is being used as a trial ground for a radical reform project that could potentially change the future of Hong Kong's healthcare system. As medical practitioners at Marshall Paxton regularly face ethical dilemmas that challenge their professionalism, they are also being put in the middle of a power struggle between Deputy C.E. Dr. YT Yeung, who seeks for healthcare reform and for the spot of C.E., and the hospital's current C.E. Dr. Lui Chung-hok, who wants to keep the status quo. Fictional depictions of the Hospital Authority (known in the series as the Medical Development Authority), the Department of Health, and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) are prominent entities that drive the plot.

Plot

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It centers on Dr. YT Yeung (Roger Kwok), the Deputy Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton Hospital and his radical proposal to completely change the hospital's bureaucratic model by privatizing the public hospitals and raise capital by the means of public listing to maintain hospital operations, but is met with opposition from Dr. Tong Ming (Kenneth Ma), who was placed by the Chief Executive of Marshal Paxton to be the head of the hospital's cardiology department. Tong Ming believed that YT Yeung's proposed changes could affect the poor's accessibility to healthcare has a totally different ideology compared to YT's. He has fought alongside his apprentice Dr. Max Poon (Matthew Ho) in accordance with the life-saving principle that is to hold human life above the healthcare system, but they are instead dragged into the power struggle initiated by Dr. Lui Chung-hok, CE of Marshal Paxton. In Marshall Paxton Hospital, Tong Ming is reunited with A&E's Dr. Zoe So (Natalie Tong) who is his ex-wife.

Production

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Big White Duel was first announced in late 2017 as a new installment to Marco Law's Strongmen series, which started with the legal drama Law dis-Order in 2016. Initially produced with the working title White Giants (白色巨人), the new series would follow a similar to theme to Law dis-Order, in which career professionals engage in political games to consolidate power. Law employed the same team behind Law dis-Order for Big White Duel, including scriptwriter Wong Wai-keung.

Moses Chan and Ruco Chan were initially sought out to respectively star as Dr. YT Yeung and Dr. Tong Ming.[1] After turning down the roles, TVB cast Roger Kwok and Kenneth Ma in December 2017.[1] Big White Duel became Kwok's last TVB drama in his management contract. The role of Dr. Patrick Lam was first offered to Jason Chan, and then to Oscar Leung, but both turned down the role due to schedule conflicts. The role ultimately went to Stephen Wong.

In February 2018, Big White Duel held its first costume fitting press conference. Filming commenced that same month in Tuen Mun, and later in Shenzhen, China. Principal photography focused on locations in Tuen Mun's T PARK, Shenzhen's Horizontal Skyscraper, and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, which were used as backdrops for Marshall Paxton Hospital.[2] Principal photography ended in July 2018 with a wrap-up party held on 2 July 2018.

Cast and characters

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Marshall Paxton Hospital

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Name Portrayed by Occupation
Dr. Lui Chung-hok David Chiang Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton, Cardiothoracic surgeon and consultant. Appointed as Honorary Advisor of Marshall Paxton after recover from his surgery.
Dr. "YT" Yeung Yat-to Roger Kwok Deputy Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton, Head of Surgery Department, Chief of Service (C.O.S.) for the Neuroendovascular Surgery (NES) Department, Neurosurgeon. Become Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton after Dr. Lui's retirement.
Dr. Tong Ming Kenneth Ma C.O.S. for the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS), Cardiothoracic surgeon. Become Deputy Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton after Dr. Lui's retirement.
Dr. "Samuel" Yu Cham-sum Ram Chiang C.O.S. for the Department of Accident & Emergency (A&E)
Dr. "Zoe" So Yee Natalie Tong A&E Associate Consultant
Dr. "Kennis" Ching Lok-man Ali Lee CTS Associate Consultant and Cardiothoracic surgeon, later promoted as Cardiothoracic Consultant
Dr. "Yan" Lui Ngoi-ling Kelly Cheung NES Resident Specialist and Neurosurgeon, later promoted as NES Associate Consultant
Dr. "Max" Poon Wai-tak Matthew Ho CTS Resident Specialist and Cardiothoracic surgeon, later promoted as CTS Associate Consultant
Dr. "Ceci" Fong Shu-ting Crystal Fung CTS Resident Specialist
Dr. "Patrick" Lam Hok-kei Stephen Wong NES Associate Consultant, Neurosurgeon
Dr. "Hugo" Ho Bing-kwong Willie Wai CTS Associate Consultant, Cardiothoracic surgeon
Wong Ching, RN Lily Poon A&E Nurse Consultant
"Macy" Wai Man-yi, RN Moss Wu A&E Associate Nurse Consultant

Government officials

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Name Portrayed by Occupation
Kwok Yat-choi Keith Ng Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Chung Kin-sing English Tang LegCo President
Dr. Cheung Sat-chau Willie Lau Department of Health Secretary
Dr. "Ivan" Yau Kwok-tung Timothy Cheng Deputy Health Secretary, Gastroenterologist
Dr. "Martin" Wan Ming-cheung Max Cheung Chairman for the Medical Development Authority
Lam Hoi-sang Chan Wing-chun LegCo Party chairman
Ng Wing-yip Gary Tam LegCo legislator

Senior Management

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Cast Role Description
David Chiang
姜大衞
Lui Chung-hok
呂仲學

Dr. Lui

  • Marshall Paxton Chief Executive → Honorary Adviser → Health Secretary
  • Father of Lui Ngoi-ling
  • Opposed to the healthcare reform bill
Roger Kwok
郭晉安
Yeung Yat-to
楊逸滔

YT, YT Yeung

  • Marshall Paxton Deputy Chief Executive → Acting Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton → Chief Executive of Marshall Paxton
  • Supporter of the healthcare reform bill, later opposed after found out healthcare reform bill change its ideology.
Kenneth Ma
馬國明[3]
Tong Ming
唐明
  • Marshall Paxton Deputy Chief Executive
  • Opposed to the healthcare reform bill

Neuroendovascular Surgery (NES)

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Cast Role Description
Roger Kwok
郭晉安
Yeung Yat-to
楊逸滔

YT, YT Yeung, Dr. Yeung

  • Department Chief of Service & Consultant
Stephen Wong
黃嘉樂
Lam Hok-kei
林學祈

Patrick, Dr. Lam

  • Associate Consultant → Consultant
  • Son of Lam Hoi-sang
Kelly Cheung
張曦雯
Lui Ngoi-ling
呂靄寧

Yan, Dr. Lui

  • Resident Specialist → Associate Consultant
  • Daughter of Lui Chung-hok
  • Best friends with Zoe and Kennis
  • Has a crush on YT

Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS)

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Cast Role Description
Kenneth Ma
馬國明
Tong Ming
唐明

Dr. Tong

  • Department Chief of Service & Consultant
  • Former Consultant of Chak On Hospital
  • Best friend with Samuel
  • Has a love triangle with Zoe and Kennis
  • Ex-husband of Zoe, later remarried
  • Mentor of Poon Wai-tak
Ali Lee
李佳芯
Ching Lok-man
程洛雯

Kennis, Dr. Ching

  • Associate Consultant → Consultant → Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
  • Best friends with Zoe and Yan
  • Has a crush on Tong Ming
  • Underwent Cardiac Auto-transplantation by Tong Ming in episode 24
  • Became a Doctor Without Borders in episode 25
  • Shot in episode 25, fate unknown
Willie Wai
韋家雄
Ho Bing-kwong
何秉光

Hugo, Dr. Ho

  • Associate Consultant
  • Mean to everyone in the Cardiothoracic Surgery department
  • Jealous of Kennis’ skills and admiration by YT
  • Wife involved in accident and later dies with organs donated
  • Hard working doctor after the death of his wife
Matthew Ho
何廣沛
Poon Wai-tak
潘懷德

Max, Dr. Poon

  • Resident Specialist → Associate Consultant
  • Boyfriend of Fong Shu-ting
Crystal Fung
馮盈盈
Fong Shu-ting
方書婷

Ceci, Dr. Fong

  • Resident Specialist
  • Girlfriend of Poon Wai-tak

Accident & Emergency (A & E)

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Cast Role Description
Ram Chiang
蔣志光
Yu Cham-sum
余湛琛

Samuel, Dr. Yu

  • Department Chief of Service & Consultant
  • Best friend with Tong Ming
  • Has a crush on Zoe
Natalie Tong
唐詩詠
So Yee
蘇怡

Zoe, Dr. So

  • Associate Consultant
  • Best friends with Kennis and Yan
  • Ex-wife of Tong Ming, later remarried

Nursing

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Cast Role Description
Lily Poon
潘芳芳
Wong Ching
汪澄
  • Deputy Head nurse
  • Advanced Practice Nurse
  • A & E Nurse
Moss Wu
吳沚默
Wai Man-yi
韋文意

Macy

  • Registered Nurse
  • A & E Nurse
  • Has a crush on Poon Wai-tak

Other cast

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Cast Role Description
Ashley Chu
朱智賢
Hong Kiu
康橋

Eugene

  • TNN producer
  • Wife of Martin, later divorced
  • Has a crush on YT
  • Supporter of the healthcare reform bill, later opposed
Max Cheung
張達倫
Wan Ming-cheung
溫銘章

Martin, Dr. Wan

  • Medical Development Authority Chairman
  • Husband of Eugene, later divorced
  • Supporter of the healthcare reform bill, later opposed
Timothy Cheng
鄭子誠
Yau Kwok-tung
游國棟

Ivan, Dr. Yau

  • Deputy Health Secretary → Health Secretary → Resigned after healthcare reform bill did not pass
  • Supporter of the healthcare reform bill
  • Threatened Kennis using her cardiac health history
Chan Wing-chun
陳榮峻
Lam Hoi-sang
林海生
  • Ruling Legislative Council Party Chairman
  • Father of Lam Hok-kei
  • Supporter of the healthcare reform bill for business gain.
Gary Tam
譚偉權
Ng Wing-yip
吳榮業

Councillor Ng

  • Legislative Council Opposition Member
  • Opposed to the healthcare reform bill
Keith Ng
吳瑞庭
Kwok Yat-choi
郭逸材
  • Hong Kong Chief Executive
Leo Lo
盧海鷹
Chui Tse-go
徐子高
  • Trading company salesman
  • Mental Patient
  • Gunman

Viewership ratings

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TVB Jade

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# Timeslot (HKT) Week Episode(s) Average points Peaking points
1 Mon – Fri 21:30 10 — 14 June 2019 1 — 5 28 29
2 17 — 21 June 2019 6 — 10 28 29
3 24 — 28 June 2019 11 — 15 28 ⁠—
4 1 — 5 July 2019 16 — 20 28 ⁠—
5 8 — 12 July 2019 21 — 25 31 ⁠32
Total average ⁠29 ⁠30

International broadcast

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Region Network Notes
  Malaysia 8TV
  Singapore VV Drama & MediaCorp Channel 8 Dubbed With Mandarin
  Cambodia PNN TV Dubbed With Khmer
Network(s)/Station(s) Series premiere Title
  Hong Kong
  Macau
TVB Anywhere, TVB Jade June 10, 2019 – July 12, 2019 (Monday to Friday 21:30-22:30) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  Singapore
  Malaysia
TVB Jade June 10, 2019 – July 12, 2019 (Monday to Friday 21:30-22:30) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  Malaysia Astro AOD June 10, 2019 – July 12, 2019 (Monday to Friday 21:30-22:30) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
8TV December 9, 2020 – January 12, 2021 (The best of TVB Monday to Friday 19:00-19:58) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  Singapore Hub Drama First June 10, 2019 – July 12, 2019 (Monday to Friday 21:30-22:30) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
Hub VV Drama October 22, 2019 – November 25, 2019 (Episode premiere Monday to Friday 20:00-21:00) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
Channel 8 March 18, 2020 – May 26, 2020 (Monday to Friday 19:30-20:00 (A half episode of the original version is broadcast every time)) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  Australia TVBJ (Australia) June 11, 2019 – July 13, 2019 (Tuesday to Saturday 21:30-22:30) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  United States TVBe June 10, 2019 – July 12, 2019 (Monday to Friday Gold Drama Theater Hours 16:00-17:00) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
TVB1 December 2, 2019 – January 3, 2020 (Gold Drama Theater Monday to Friday 22:00-23:00 EDT) 白色強人 (Big White Duel; lit: )
  Cambodia PNN TV 2019 () Big White Duel ( ; lit: )
  Thailand Channel 3 (33) December 19, 2020 - January 00, 2021 (Every night Monday to Sunday afternoon 3:43-04.27) Big White Duel ทีมแพทย์หัวใจทระนง ( ; lit: )

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2019 2019 TVB Anniversary Awards Best Actor Kenneth Ma Won
Roger Kwok Nominated
Best Actress Ali Lee Nominated (Top 5)
Natalie Tong Nominated (Top 5)
Kelly Cheung Nominated
Best Supporting Actor David Chiang Nominated (Top 5)
Matthew Ho Nominated (Top 5)
Max Cheung Nominated
Ram Chiang Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Ashley Chu Nominated
Crystal Fung Nominated
Most Popular Male Character Kenneth Ma Nominated (Top 5)
Matthew Ho Nominated
Roger Kwok Nominated
Most Popular Female Character Natalie Tong Nominated (Top 5)
Kelly Cheung Nominated
Ali Lee Nominated
Best Drama Won
2020 New York Festivals TV & Films Awards Mini-Series (finalist) Itself Won [4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kenneth Ma replaces Moses Chan as the star of new TVB medical drama". KK News (in Chinese). 14 December 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Big White Duel's three major location spots". Sky Post (in Chinese). 28 June 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. ^ "馬國明食住《降魔的》氣勢 開新劇《白色強人》再演醫生". 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  4. ^ "Big White Duel - Winners Gallery Details". New York Festivals TV & Films Awards. 2022. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.