TVB generally fares well in ratings and quality when it comes to modern dramas revolving around professional fields like law, medicine, and forensics, so in retrospect it's not surprising that Survivor's Law, a work-meets-romance series about young ambitious lawyers, became a hit when it aired in Hong Kong in summer 2003. Headlined by a new-generation cast of TVB's future A-list, Survivor's Law was one of the first post-2000 dramas to rely completely on young actors to carry the show, and even more importantly, one of the first to prove that young actors could carry a drama to high ratings.

Survivor's Law came during a crucial turning point period when TVB was pushing its new class to the forefront. 2003 was also the year the station pitched Find the Light and Triumph in the Skies, not to mention the youth idol dramas Aqua Heroes and Hearts of Fencing. After 2003, most of TVB's tapped proteges like Ron Ng, Bosco Wong, Myolie Wu, Bernice Liu, Sammul Chan, and Tavia Yeung transitioned into leading role status, joining the trend that began with Michelle Yip and Raymond Lam.

TVB context aside though, the reason Survivor's Law succeeded is simple enough. Though the cast is green, the premise of headstrong lawyers of different personalities crossing professional and romantic paths in the courtroom and afterhours is tried-and-true genre fodder well tested in previous hits like Legal Entanglement and the classic File of Justice series. Survivor's Law just lowers the average age of its protagonists, banking wisely on safe storylines that never grow old and an attractive and likable cast with good chemistry.

Though they're now seen in every other TVB drama, Survivor's Law's combination of young actors really felt fresh at the time. Returning to a modern drama after Eternal Happiness and Lofty Water Verdant Bows, Raymond Lam fits perfectly the role of an easygoing, quick-witted, and casually attired roguish lawyer dedicated to helping the poor and weak. His character feels like a slightly more mature, but equally lovable version of his role in A Taste of Love. Myolie Wu, who had impressed in a string of major supporting roles, also finally gets to grow up and play a career woman, complete with a short hairstyle. Wu's acting has always been on the side of overemoting, but that works well in Survivor's Law for her turn as a prickly but warm-hearted lawyer who acts on her emotions.

Bernice Liu, in her first real drama after Virtues of Harmony, takes on a softer role quite different from her previous memorable image as a spoiled princess. Though she leaves less of an impression than the other three main leads, she is also the one who has most clearly grown and improved (if only because her Chinese has improved). Sammul Chan gives something of a breakout performance as a polished, confident, and well-spoken ace whose greatest flaw is his own ambition. Though the focus is on the young, the older cast members are also quite memorable, particularly Ruby Wong who sheds her serious shell for a rare and thoroughly entertaining comedic performance as a proud and brassy attorney locked in endless love-hate feuding with the always-wonderful Felix Lok.

Just Survivor's Law's mix of distinctive personalities clashing and bonding over court cases is interesting and amusing enough to make the series worth watching. Throw in some romantic triangles, crime suspense, and family and friendship drama to seal the package, and you get 25 episodes of solid entertainment from four of TVB's hottest young stars.