The Jade Emperor was hailed as the heartthrob in the 2016 Tet Comedy Show.

The 2016 Táo (Vietnamese New Year's Eve comedy show) featured only four characters, but it offered sharp satire on pressing issues that stirred public opinion over the past year.

After several years of being criticized by many viewers for "not being as good as the previous year," the Year-End Meeting, also known as Táo Quân, has returned with its characteristic wit. Through a humorous lens, a series of prominent social issues from the past year have been addressed in depth and from multiple perspectives.

4 Apples with many new characters

In previous years, the number of "Táo" (characters representing government officials) appearing in the "Meeting at the End of the Year" program was usually 5-6. However, this year only 4 "Táo" appeared.

The cast still features familiar faces like Chi Trung, Quang Thang, Tu Long, and Van Dung, but the names of the "Tao" characters have been changed to better reflect the general situation over the past year. Only Quang Thang and Van Dung's characters retain their familiar names. Chi Trung and Tu Long both have new names that are quite interesting and surprising.

The Kitchen Gods will be appearing in the "Meeting at the End of the Year" program. Photo: VFC

Unsafe food and bribery are both featured in the Táo Quân (Vietnamese New Year's Eve comedy show).

Besides directly addressing issues of public concern in various ministries and departments over the past year, the Year-End Meeting also sounded an alarm to the public about food safety and hygiene. Xuan Bac's character, Nam Tao, stated that people in the mortal world still pass around the saying: "Never before has the road to the cemetery been so close," after describing the situation of people "eating fish contaminated with urea and vegetables contaminated with motor oil." Meanwhile, the Social Affairs God showed a nonchalant attitude in response to the Jade Emperor's questioning. This partly reflects the public's awareness and the lack of strong enforcement against this "national scourge."

Another highlight of the program was its use of humor as a weapon to condemn the reality of bribery and corruption in society. The 2016 year-end meeting also did not "ignore" the difficulties businesses face when competing with foreign rivals while also struggling with bureaucratic "greasing" procedures domestically.

From romance novels to pyramid schemes

Lately, "prince charming" and romantic love stories have frequently appeared in everyday life. And the Táo Quân (Kitchen Gods) show is no exception. Even the Jade Emperor is honored by the Social Affairs God as the "prince charming of heaven."

The story of the young multi-level marketing salespeople, constantly chanting slogans about becoming dragons or relentlessly recruiting people, is a highlight that brings much laughter to the viewers.

The Big Dipper, the Jade Emperor, and the Southern Star. Photo: VFC

Tu Long's version of "Someone Else's Wife"

Many viewers commented that People's Artist Tu Long sings the most in the Táo Quân (Year-End Meeting) show. This is absolutely true! Even MC Thao Van – who has been with the show since its first episode – admitted that his singing voice is an advantage that helps Tu Long stand out from the other artists. In the program airing on the 30th of Tet (Lunar New Year), the youngest People's Artist in a military uniform in Vietnam has quite a lot of opportunities to sing. He sings everything from pop music to cải lương (traditional Vietnamese opera) and even his forte, chèo (traditional Vietnamese folk opera). However, the most captivating performance for viewers is undoubtedly the new version of "Vợ người ta" (The Other Man's Wife).

Besides Phan Manh Quynh's composition, another familiar song to many television viewers, "Dad, Where Are We Going?", also appeared in the 2016 Tet Comedy Show with a performance by the four "Táo" (characters representing government officials).

The recording of the songs featured in the "Meeting at the End of the Year" show was done at singer Minh Quân's studio. He said that a few days earlier, Tự Long had recorded until his voice was hoarse, but because he wanted it to sound even better, he kept recording and re-recording to bring out the character's meaning.

According to a source from the production team, this year's program has been meticulously invested in terms of music. Many renowned composers such as Do Bao, Xuan Phuong, Le Anh Dung, etc., have also participated in supporting the team.

The Tet Comedy Show (Tao Quan) will be broadcast on VTV at 8 PM on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year (February 7th). Readers should tune in and remember to activate 3G/Wi-Fi on their phones to receive surprise gifts from VTVGo. Details will be provided below.

According to Zing.vn