Yi Qin'e is taken to the cultural troupe by her uncle Hu Sanyuan to learn to sing Qinqiang Opera. From then on, her life unfolds with ups and downs. She achieves glorious artistic accomplishments, yet also experiences a profound sense of loneliness beyond ordinary people's comprehension.
Creator: Zhang Yimou, Li Shaofei, Chen Yan · Writers: Ma XiaoYong, Zheng Hua
Yi Qin'e is taken to the cultural troupe by her uncle Hu Sanyuan to learn to sing Qinqiang Opera. From then on, her life unfolds with ups and downs. She achieves glorious artistic accomplishments, yet also experiences a profound sense of loneliness beyond ordinary people's comprehension.
The Lead is a 2026 drama TV series from China created by Zhang Yimou and Li Shaofei, starring Zhang Jiayi, Liu Haocun and Qin Hailu. It first aired on May 10, 2026. The series has 1 season and 48 episodes on CCTV-1. Audiences rate it 9.0/10 from 5 votes — very well received.
The Lead premiered on May 10, 2026.
The Lead was created by Zhang Yimou, Li Shaofei and Chen Yan.
The main cast includes Zhang Jiayi, Liu Haocun, Qin Hailu, Shawn Dou Xiao and Zhai Zilu.
The Lead has 1 season (48 episodes). Status: Ended.
No streaming service lists it for US yet. Add it to your watchlist and check back — availability updates regularly.
It holds an audience score of 9.0/10 from 5 ratings, so fans of drama titles are its best audience. Read member reviews below or add your own.
🏆 Awards: 1 win total
Every episode's audience rating at a glance — find the best (and worst) episodes before you binge.
| E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | E17 | E18 | E19 | E20 | E21 | E22 | E23 | E24 | E25 | E26 | E27 | E28 | E29 | E30 | E31 | E32 | E33 | E34 | E35 | E36 | E37 | E38 | E39 | E40 | |
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| S1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
9+ Awesome8+ Great7+ Good6+ Regular<6 Bad
based on novel or bookchinese operachinese culture
Zhang Yimou
Li Shaofei
Chen Yan
Zhang Jiayi
Liu Haocun
Qin Hailu
Shawn Dou Xiao
Zhai Zilu
Wang Xiaochen