I like Morgan Spurlock's reality TV series "30 Days," in which he and other subjects live for a month in a way that's outside their comfort zones, such as living on minimum wages. If I had the resources, I'd tweak this concept and produce a TV program to showcase people's lives in China. Here's a brainstorm of possible episodes including the fictitious Mr. Wang:

1. Viewers get to watch Mr. Wang as he parts with his wife and son in a small village in Sichuan province and tries to find an entry-level laborer job in the plastics manufacturing industry in a big city. Since China's labor demand is outstripping supply, 30-something Mr. Wang with a high school diploma and no factory experience may still get offers. He decides to travel to different regions -- like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin -- and evaluate the job markets in different parts of the country. He compares pay packages, tries to get around the middleman, negotiates with big enterprises and small workshops, and insists on a legal employment contract. Trust me. It'll turn out to be eye-opener for both Western and Chinese readers. He may get tricked by the hirer on the contract terms. He may be asked to pay a job application fee for a bogus position. He may find out that Guanxi (connection) is crucial for landing a good job, and the connection can be made on the spot with a red envelop (containing cash of course).

2. In this episode, Mr. Wang takes a job. He starts a busy but simple life between his work station, factory dining hall and dorm. He gets basic training, tries to get along with his boss, coworkers and dorm mates, and observes the work environment: how safety measures are implemented, how overtime is tracked and compensated, how workers from the same province form cliques, etc. Since the free food provided by the factory is not great at all, he befriends the dining hall cooks for some perks. Since there's no TV or other entertainment options, every night, he and his seven dorm mates lie on their bunks telling stories about their families back home. When finally he has a day off, he gets out of the industrial park and explores the city, probably getting a taste of how expensive city life is and how he doesn't belong there. He inevitably encounters some cold faces and bad attitude from department store sales associates and restaurant waiters, who judge people on their appearance and accent... Back to the factory, he gets tired of waiting in line for the public phone in the dorm building and discovers that cell phone text-messages are more affordable than long-distance calls. He spends half of his first monthly paycheck, buys a pair of low-end, used cell phones and mails one to his wife.

3. In this episode, Mr. Wang quits his molding job and gets into the plastics machinery sales business. Viewers get to see how he prepares the first formal outfit of his life, learns to use the Internet, finds sales leads, and then hangs out with potential customers. Viewers will also see how he closes deals, and how kickbacks and other tricks work in China. He is lucky and successful, but not happy. As a salesman, he is expected to socialize everyday with customers, drink bottle after bottle of Chinese beer and shot after shot of liquor, and stay up all night in night clubs. He now sends more money home, but he doesn't want to tell his wife what his work is like. Over time, he finds himself making up things on the phone and subtle tensions arise between the couple.

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Ideas and characters welcome!