On November 27, 35-year-old Godfrey Gao died of cardiac arrest while filming Zhejiang (SHE: 300133) Television's reality show Chase Me. This incident has rocked the entire Chinese entertainment industry beyond the influence of this extreme sports challenge reality show.
The show was schedule to air earlier this month.
The death of Gao has drawn enormous scrutiny to the harsh production practices of Chinese reality shows, which often include round-the-clock schedules, and, in the case of sports shows, increasingly dangerous stunts.
Zhejiang Television offered the apology in an interview with the show's director, Lin Yong, posted online last Thursday, about a week after Gao, also known as Yixiang in Mandarin, collapsed while shooting an episode of Chase Me.
In the post, titled "Sorry, we didn't protect Gao in his prime", Lin said the network had been "immersed in grief and remorse since the accident happened".
The interview attracted more than 71,000 comments within an hour of going online, most of them critical.
"I can't do much, but boycotting Zhejiang TV is the least I can do," one commenter said.
Another said: "Do you want to calm the anger with an interview? You must release the details or technical log of the defibrillator or even release the television footage."
As of the first week in December, filming on the series has been indefinitely suspended in the wake of Gao's death. The entire Chinese entertainment industry may also face a broader crackdown on this genre of live show programming.
Gao's death has put the spotlight on the dangers of reality TV shows that not only push the participants to the limits of their physical and mental health but also put their lives at risk by ignoring the necessary safety precautions and failing to provide on-site medical treatment facilities.
Zhejiang TV has come under fire for its history of safety issues, including the 2013 drowning death of an assistant on "Splash!" , frequent accidents on the set of the popular "Keep Running" over the years, and reports of celebrity exhaustion on the set of "Chase Me."
A few Chinese entertainment industry veterans attributed the dangerous conditions in part to market demands from brands seeking to reach millennial and Gen Z audiences that are drawn to celebrity adventure shows, and the high demand for celebrity participation means that many stars are overbooked on various projects, requiring producers to film 24/7.