Taiwanese TV show to shoot on Saipan

A Taiwanese television producer and a media executive flew to Saipan this week for onsite inspection in preparation for a three-day filming here later this month.

Ed Ho, TTV producer, and James Lin, managing director of IDSON Communication Co. Ltd., said they found Saipan to be “an ideal place” for filming for a prime-time TV game show, which they translated as “Happy Go, Go.”

“Taiwanese people really love the ocean, the sea, the beach. They would enjoy watching the show. I’m sure they’d discover Saipan as a better destination,” said Lin.

As a producer, Ho said that Saipan “is an easy place for filming.” He said that the show’s hosts, contestants, and staff, who love to travel, would enjoy Saipan.

Amy Lu, Dai-Ichi Kids Club manager, who served as interpreter for the two guests, said that the TV game show team would come on Oct. 26 to film in 20 different locations. The group is expected to leave on Oct. 28.

“They’ll try their best to finish everything in three days,” said Lu.

She said the show will be aired immediately in the first week of November over TTV, one of the four major television networks in Taiwan.

Lu said the show will be aired on Fridays from 930pm to 11pm.

“It’s prime-time. It’s broadcast when people are in their houses watching TV,” she said.

She said the show consists of two 90-minute presentations. The first portion would focus on Saipan as a destination while the other 90 minutes will feature the game show.

Lu said Lin and Ho, who arrived last Thursday and left yesterday, had visited all the major tourist attractions on island, including the Chamolinian center. They also went to different bars and restaurants.

“This is a big promotion for Saipan, definitely,” she said.

She said Dai-Ichi Hotel is coordinating the project with the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Lu said it is sad that Continental Micronesia will end its Saipan-Taiwan-Guam flights by November when the Taiwan market is just being developed.

“We need charter flights. We hope to find ways how to bring tourists from Taiwan here,” said Lu.

Continental Micronesia had earlier announced its decision to stop its Guam–Saipan–Taipei flights by Nov. 1. Continental cited weak market demand, declining fares, and increasing fuel costs.

August arrival statistics showed that among its markets, the CNMI gets the lowest number of visitors from Taipei.

Saipan received 497 visitors from Taiwan in FY 2004 and 2,557 in FY 2005.

Lu said Taiwanese tourists only need to learn more about Saipan. “There’s limited information for the people. Through this TV show, we hope to attract more of them,” she said.