Every year, millions of Chinese welcome the New Lunar Year in front of their television sets, seeing the same old stars and hearing the same old tunes in the China Central Television New Year variety show. But this year, it might just be a little different.

CCTV's Spring Festival Gala rehearsal

Common people gifted for the arts might be able to share their talent with the audience of a grassroots Shanzhai version of CCTV's show, which could help Chinese start the lunar year 2009 with a bit of fresh air by bringing new faces to the screen.

One of those faces will be Han Zhurong, 29, a migrant worker in Beijing and amateur singer that had always dreamed of making it to the entertainment world.

A rural dropout from junior high school, he can't even read a stave. Over the past decades, however, he's composed some 20 songs.

When he submitted a few tunes to the China Central Television (CCTV) preparation committee for the annual Lunar New Year's Eve variety show and followed up with a letter last month asking for a slot on the program, he got no reply.

But then Han came across a newspaper article about a man who planned to stage a grassroot version of the CCTV show, and he decided to give it a try.

At the audition, he met a man that patted his shoulder and said, laughingly: "Not bad, young man". He turned out to be Lao Meng, the brains behind the grassroots show. A couple of days later, Han had a deal.

Escaping from old formula

Over the past decade, audiences have heavily criticized the CCTV Lunar New Year's show, which has become less attractive but more conservative since its debut in 1983. Its strong commercial flavor and rigid format have provoked much eye-rolling among the Chinese public.

Competitors like Hunan Satellite TV based in Central China have tried to stage their own New Year shows but have failed because of the monopoly the state-backed CCTV has on that particular slot.

The prospect of something that represented a challenge to CCTV, however small it might be, was welcome news to many viewers, especially netizens.

Numerous postings backed the idea and expressed the wish for a show that would be "true to life."

"Even if the production values are a bit amateurish, it would still be a refreshing change from the familiar stuff on CCTV. It's worth a try," a web surfer named Za Jun wrote.

Shi Mengqi, Lao Meng (old Meng) for his friends, was also a migrant worker. He came to Beijing seven years ago from Sichuan Province in western China. He tried his hand at many jobs before settling on his current business: wedding photography and event planning.

He had been thinking of organizing a New Year's Eve show for years, but it's only this year that he has decided to make it a reality. "It's just time," he explained. "The year 2008, though eventful, wasn't a big one for entertainment celebrities. And people need an opportunity to freely express their sentiments".

"I like to try new things. With this program, I'm hoping to help some presenters and performers become household names", added Shi.

One day in late November, Lao Meng had his minivan painted with a red slogan that read: "In defiance of the CCTV New Year's Eve Show, and a Happy New Year to people across the country."

As he drove the vehicle through the streets and alleys of the capital, it caught the media's attention. Meng also announced his plan on his blog, and he soon had a website for the program.

The URL, www.ccstv.net, bore more than a little resemblance to CCTV's homepage address, but Meng was quick to point out that the letters "CS" stood for "countryside."

The response was very positive. His organizing team grew to more than 30 people, many of them were prepared for no payment. More than 700 audition items were submitted from all around the country over just a few weeks.

"So much good work," Lao Meng said. It was tough to choose only 35. A resort in the Beijing suburbs agreed to house out-of-town performers and provided a venue of 500 square meters, large enough for an audience of 100 people.