Bo tu 10A8 (The foursome of class 10A8), screening for only eight minutes at a time on VTV3, takes a new approach to teen life at school

Relationships, fun and friendship at school are more important than education for the teens in a new TV series.

Bo Tu 10A8 (The foursome of class 10A8), produced by Smart Media and MediaOne, looks at relationships between children and parents, teachers and students and friends.

The show’s perspective is that of a teenager rather than an adult and it takes about three or five episodes to complete each story. Nearly everyone on the crew, from director to actors to musicians, are all fresh faces.

The four main characters are Phan Linh, La La, Mai Lam and Do Do. Phan Linh, a beautiful and awkward girl, has an excellent singing voice that can melt the hearts of the coldest people. Do Do, her older brother, is very greedy. He often uses his sister to test out his crazy business ideas.

Phan Linh is new at the school and meets Mai Lam, who is a Youth Union secretary and La La, a future fashion designer with eccentric ideas.

Phan Linh then meets the sour-faced Hong My, the daughter of rich parents, and they compete to win the heart of a young man named Minh Hoang.

School without study

There is almost no mention of studying in the show and parents are concerned that their children will imitate the characters in the series.

For instance, what type of behavior is encouraged when Mai Lan flips her hand instead of standing up for the principal and students when La La brings her sewing machine to class instead of studying?

The way the students dress for school is more like in Japan or South Korea than in Vietnam with the young female characters wearing seven different color bows in their hair and short Japanesque school skirts.

It also shows a distinct American influence with the good looking schoolgirls always trying to charm the schoolboys.

Thanh Loan, mother of a 15-yearold daughter in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Distict, said, “It seems like the series is made just for rich people. But the wealthy are just a minority compared to the middle-class and poor majority. Our children are not in this show.”

In reply to such complaints, twenty-seven-year-old director Hoang Diep said “Those who want shows about poor students working hard for their success can watch many other programs. We might not have made a show that represents these people, but instead a show about what everyone dreams about and wishes for.”

She said that just because her characters looked a certain way didn’t mean they were spoiled or shallow.

“The clothes our characters wear and the way they do their make-up do not reveal their souls and thoughts. We want to make the teenagers’ lives more colorful and full of dreams and aspirations,” said Diep.

The series began June 8 and shows on Vietnam Television’s VTV3 at 10:10 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Reported by Hoang Oanh