Even if the outcomes of these reality TV shows are hard to forecast, you can be sure that they will always keep social media's chatting classes ungainfully employed for months on end, as these two shows have once again proved. According to Sina Weibo figures, The Sound alone occupied the top two places of the Weibo top searches list when its third episode was broadcast in January, ranking first in both the Weibo variety show and comprehensive rankings.

However, it was a biting comment about these shows, on China's major fan reviews website Douban, by a reviewer going by the name Yangzhazha, that attracted the most "likes" on the I am the Actor page. He or she said: "I have a hunch that the more popular these programs are, the bleaker the prospects are for young actors who pin their hopes on a band of faithful fans. Audience tastes are undoubtedly becoming more sophisticated."

As these reality shows have raised the craft's public profile, several professionals have thrown themselves into the mission of advancing its cause. A little more than a year ago the mainland actors Chen Kun and Zhou Xun and the Taiwan film director Chen Kuo-fu set up an acting training school, the Dome Studio, in Beijing.