'Back in Times' leads 4k streaming

When Netflix's original series House of Cards became a hit both in the US and China, it ushered in a wellspring of original programming.

At a time when multiple online streaming sites are coming out with their own original content, Sohu TV is setting a new trend with its newly released Back in Times.

Available on sohutv.com since August 4, the first four episodes of the drama have been viewed millions of times to date.

The show marks the first time that an original drama has been produced in 4k high definition in China, while productions costs have reached 1 million yuan ($160,000) per episode.

An adaptation of the once-popular online novel of the same name by online writer Jiuyehui, the show follows the romance between two people belonging to China's "post-1980 generation" and the lives of their peers.

Sohu TV representative Shang Na said that the company decided to produce the show in response to the lack of original programs about this generation in the last few years.