The pilot of Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai's TV drama directorial debut "Blossoms" will air on China Central Television's Channel 8 and Tencent Video on Wednesday evening.

The 30-episode Shanghai-produced series based on Jin Yucheng's award-winning novel of the same name has both Mandarin and Shanghai dialect versions. It centers on the growth and entrepreneurship of common man Ah Bao, amid changing times in Shanghai.

The big changes of the city over the passing decades are narrated in the series from Ah Bao's perspective.

Starring Shanghai actors Hu Ge, Ma Yili, and Tang Yan, the urban drama features heartwarming scenes and iconic landmarks of Shanghai.

After reading the original novel, director Wong had the idea of adapting the Shanghai story into a TV drama. Wong and the writer Jin had their first discussion in Shanghai in 2013.

The series took around 10 years from preparation to launch. With many abundant sequences and a fast-paced storytelling, the realistic TV drama presents a new cinematography and artistic style from the director's film productions.