HONG KONG – Veteran Cantopop star Hacken Lee reunited with the cast and crew of the 1999 TVB drama “Temple Street Ma’s Family” this week, sparking a wave of nostalgia among fans across social media.
Lee, 57, posted a series of group photos from a dinner gathering on his social media accounts Tuesday, showing the ensemble from the classic series together for the first time in over two decades. The dinner was attended by actor and singer Edmond Leung, veteran actress Gigi Wong, producer Ricky Poon, and Lee’s wife, Emily Lo. The mood, Lee wrote, was “warm and joyful.”
“I had to check online to remember the year—1999,” Lee wrote in his post. “More than 20 years later, we managed to get together for a meal. What a happy dinner, and what a precious thing to treasure.”
The 30-episode series, which aired on TVB in 2000, centered on a group of street-level characters living and working in Hong Kong’s gritty Temple Street night market district. Alongside Lee, the main cast included Gigi Wong, Edmond Leung, Michelle Yip, and Andrea Cheng. Only Wong and Leung joined the reunion; Cheng and Yip were absent, a fact that did not escape the sharp eyes of fans.
“Where are the leading ladies?” one user asked in the comments, echoing a common sentiment among those who grew up watching the show. Others heaped praise on the series, calling it a “classic” and reminiscing about its theme songs.
Nostalgia as a Cultural Force in Hong Kong
The reunion comes at a time of growing public appetite in Hong Kong for revisiting the entertainment of the late 1990s and early 2000s, widely regarded as a golden era for TVB and Cantopop. Social media platforms have become hotbeds for fan-led revivals of classic series, with reunion posts routinely drawing tens of thousands of likes.
Lee, who rose to fame in the 1980s and remains one of Hong Kong’s most enduring music stars, has been increasingly active on social media in recent years, sharing behind-the-scenes memories and interacting with fans. His post from the “Temple Street Ma’s Family” dinner has amassed over 10,000 reactions within hours.
Implications for the Entertainment Industry
The spontaneous reunion demonstrates the enduring commercial value of legacy TVB properties. With streaming platforms aggressively acquiring catalog titles and production houses exploring spin-offs and revivals, such gatherings serve as informal focus groups for gauging audience interest.
Industry observers note that while TVB has struggled in recent years to replicate the ratings dominance of the 1990s, the emotional connection that audiences maintain with past hits represents a powerful, untapped asset. A planned reboot or special episode could attract both nostalgic viewers and younger audiences curious about Hong Kong’s pop culture history.
For now, Lee and his castmates are savoring the moment without immediate plans for a professional reunion. “We just wanted to catch up, share stories, and laugh,” Lee said. “The show was a special time in all our lives. It’s wonderful to see how many people still remember it.”
