Premiering in 2001 and 2004, Laughing in the Wind and Amazing Detective Di Renjie are among CCTV-8’s most celebrated shows. From 2001 through to 2025, CCTV-8 has accumulated a diverse collection of over 20 television shows. As of January 2026, we’ve curated over 20 of CCTV-8’s premier shows for your viewing pleasure.

Di Renjie is Tang dynasty magistrate and statesman, who investigates mysterious murders.

A comedy about some friends and their stories in Qixia Town.

Set against the backdrop of massive economic growth in the 1990s, the story follows A Bao, a self-made millionaire and his journey from being a young opportunist with a troubled past to accumulating dazzling wealth in the city of Shanghai. It also follows his entanglement with four women who represent the pursuits of his life: adventure, honour, love and innocence.

20 years of perseverance, hot-blooded teenagers finally become the people's hero.

After his wife’s death, retired professor Shen Zhuoran reluctantly returns to dating. He meets four very different women: a compassionate nurse, a brilliant but ill scientist, a strong-willed union leader, and a woman who reminds him of his late wife. Through these encounters, he faces love, loss, and personal growth, ultimately transforming his perspective on life and deeply affecting his family.

Laughing in the Wind is a 2001 Chinese television series produced by Zhang Jizhong, starring Li Yapeng and Xu Qing in the leading roles. The series is an adaptation of Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was first broadcast on CCTV in China in 2001.

Zhang Qing, a present-day college student in culture and history major wants to study in professor Ye's postgraduate class, so he decides to write a historical fiction to elaborate his perspective of analyzing ancient literature history with modern concept. In the fiction, Zhang himself acts as a young man Fan Xian with mysterious life who lives in a remote seaside town of Kingdom Qing in his childhood, under the help of a mysterious mentor and a blindfolded watchman. Fan goes to the capital when he grows up, where he experiences plenty of ordeal and temper. Fan persists in adhering the rule of justice and goodness and lives his own glorious life.

For centuries, humans and demons have battled over the legendary Yuli Spring, a symbol of desire. Free-spirited Xiao Yao unexpectedly enters Ten Thousand Demons Valley, disrupting the demon world. There, she meets the powerful Demon King Hong Ye, who grows to admire her pure heart. Together, they face mysterious cases and formidable enemies, uncovering hidden truths along the way.

Nanotechnology researcher Wang Miao is taken to the Joint Operations Center by police officer Shi Qiang, who's investigating the mysterious suicide wave among scientists worldwide. He is recruited to sneak into an organization called the Frontiers of Science to help the investigation. When Wang Miao is contacted by the leader of the organization, Shen Yufei, she introduces him to a sophisticated VR video game called Three-Body, but soon he discovers that it's more than just a game.

Li Lian Hua is a countryside doctor who travels dragging around a lotus tower. He accidentally becomes "famous" and gets pulled into the pugilistic world that he no longer wants to have any connections with.

Set in 1928, it tells the story of Wei Ruolai and his determination to courageously pursue his strong aspirations in serving his country. He regarded Shen Tunan, a senior adviser, as his mentor when he was a low-level employee at a financial institution. Through the excellence of his memory and data analysis ability, Wei Ruolai has been favored by Shen Tunan. However, his line of work made him witness the blatant corruption and darkness in the financial field unleashed by the Kuomintang with his own eyes.

Mai Chenghuan, a post-95 girl born into an ordinary family in Shanghai, agrees to marry her boyfriend, Xin Jialiang, under her mother’s urging. However, the economic gap between them creates an imbalance in their relationship, ultimately leading to its end. Mai Chenghuan then gains her grandmother's approval and is entrusted with the heavy responsibility of managing a hotel. Through cooperation, Mai Chenghuan and the professional hotel manager Yao Zhiming become working partners and go hand in hand. Mai Chenghuan transitions from being under her family's control to achieving self-fulfillment, forging her own path.

What happens when a time blip brings an all-purpose, ultra-tech mobile phone from 2060 and Journey to the West characters from ancient China to 2006? Loopy adventures abound in the new Mainland drama Magic Mobile Phone starring swordsman regular Vincent Jiao Enjun (The Tearful Sword) in his first modern drama. Trading in his sword for a superhero cape, Jiao has to save earth from being destroyed by the Bull Demon in this CGI-laden roly-poly mix of fantasy, adventure, sci-fi, and comedy. Joining in the good-natured silliness is Shu Chang (Lotus Lantern) and Li Bin (Shanghai Dream)

Cui Ye is an ordinary Go teacher whose life spirals into chaos after an accidental entanglement in a crime. As he gradually descends into illegality, his police officer brother, Cui Wei, relentlessly pursues him.

Born into a scholarly family, Huang Yimei grows up surrounded by care and affection, displaying artistic talent from a young age. Early in her career, she quickly gains recognition and meets her partner, Zhuang Guodong. They fall in love but eventually drift apart. This period of professional growth gives her a clearer vision for her future, leading her to return to school for further education. After graduation, she marries her senior, Fang Xiewen. However, their divergent career paths lead to a divorce. Huang Yimei then starts her own business and makes a name for herself in the planning for art exhibitions. During this time, she meets her soulmate, Fu Jiaming, but their love story ends tragically with his passing just a few months later. Despite this, Huang Yimei remains resilient, continuing to strive for a more fulfilling life.

Xu Qi’an, a recent police academy graduate, awakens in a strange world filled with Confucians, Taoists, Buddhists, demons, and warlocks. Facing imminent exile to a remote frontier town, he seizes the chance to change his fate by joining a powerful organization of guardians.


The story follows Li Shande, a man deceived by his colleagues and demoted from his supervisory role. Now forced to become the “Lychee Envoy,” he faces a near-impossible mission to deliver fresh lychees from Lingnan to Chang’an as a birthday gift for the Noble Consort. The saying goes that lychees change color in one day, lose their fragrance in two, and their flavor in three days. With more than 5,000 li between Lingnan and Chang’an, and under tight deadlines with limited resources, how can he possibly pull it off?

Five independent career women living in the Ode to Joy apartment building navigate love, ambition, and personal growth as they chase fulfillment on their own terms. From a successful businesswoman returning from New York to a small-town girl trying to make it in the big city, each faces unique challenges and romantic entanglements while discovering who they truly want to be.

"Legend of Zang Hai" follows the son of Imperial Astronomer Kuai Duo. Consumed by vengeance, he spends a decade honing his skills. Assuming the name Zang Hai, he ventures into the capital to uncover the truth, avenge his family, and restore justice.