A still image of the hit TV drama "I Will Find You a Better Home". (PHOTO / MTIME VIA CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

BEIJING - Reality-themed TV series remain popular with Chinese audiences in the first quarter this year, according to the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA).

TV dramas with realistic subjects help warm people's hearts and soothe their anxieties during the coronavirus epidemic, said an official with the NRTA

Episodes with high ratings included I Will Find You a Better Home, which features house purchasing and selling, and Wait in Beijing, a story about enterprising young elites fighting for their dreams.

TV dramas with realistic subjects help warm people's hearts and soothe their anxieties during the coronavirus epidemic, said an official with the NRTA.

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"Teleplays that are based on real life will surely dominate prime-time slots as this year will see the completion of the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the victory in the battle against poverty," the official said in an interview on Thursday.

According to the NRTA audience rating statistics among about 140 million cable TV and online TV viewers in China, the viewers' average daily TV watching time rose by 22.7 percent in the first quarter from the previous quarter.

On average, each household spent half an hour more on watching TV daily, the NRTA data show.