Xiao Zhan's Small Town Remedy (小城良方) Confirms October 21 Premiere on CCTV-8 and iQIYI

Chinese Drama News | October 16, 2026

Xiao Zhan (肖战) is returning to television with Small Town Remedy (小城良方), a contemporary Chinese medical drama officially scheduled to premiere on October 21, 2026, on CCTV-8 and iQIYI.

The release date was confirmed on October 16 through announcements from CCTV, iQIYI, and production company Linmon Pictures. The announcement was accompanied by new promotional posters introducing the drama's central character and its small-town setting.

Directed by Zhang Xiaobo (张晓波), the series stars Xiao Zhan as Liu Zhengliang, a talented neurosurgeon whose promising medical career takes an unexpected turn.

Forced to leave a prestigious hospital in Beijing, he returns to his hometown in northeastern China, where an entirely different kind of medical practice awaits him.

Rather than focusing exclusively on high-pressure hospital procedures, Small Town Remedy explores the relationships between doctors, patients, families, and the communities that depend on them.

The drama combines medical storytelling, everyday humor, personal setbacks, and emotional healing.

When Does Small Town Remedy Premiere?

Small Town Remedy will officially premiere on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

The confirmed Chinese broadcast arrangements are:

• CCTV-8: Prime-time television premiere.
• iQIYI: Exclusive online streaming in mainland China.

The October 16 announcement confirms the premiere date and primary distribution platforms.

The Chinese episode-release timetable was announced on October 20; the full schedule appears below. International streaming schedules and U.S. playback remain unverified.

Viewers outside mainland China should check regional availability before assuming the series will be released internationally on the same day.

Small Town Remedy Reveals Official Episode Release Schedule — October 20 Update

Updated October 20, 2026

With the premiere just one day away, Small Town Remedy (小城良方) has released its official first-week broadcast schedule.

And for viewers eager to see Xiao Zhan return to television, there's some good news: iQIYI VIP subscribers will receive four episodes on premiere day instead of the usual two.

The drama's official account, iQIYI, and Xiao Zhan's studio shared the release calendar on October 20, confirming the following schedule.

When Do New Episodes of Small Town Remedy Come Out?

October 21, 2026 — Premiere Day

• iQIYI VIP: Episodes 1–4 released at 7:30 p.m. China Standard Time.
• CCTV-8: Two episodes during the evening prime-time broadcast.

October 22 Onward

• iQIYI VIP: Two new episodes daily at 7:30 p.m. China Standard Time.
• CCTV-8: Two episodes nightly, according to the announced broadcast schedule.

For viewers in California, the 7:30 p.m. China release corresponds to 4:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, while daylight saving time remains in effect.

The announced timetable applies to the Chinese broadcast and iQIYI VIP distribution. International releases may follow different schedules.

What About International Viewers?

Although iQIYI has an international platform, the October 20 release calendar does not independently confirm that U.S. viewers will receive the same episodes at the same time.

English-subtitle availability and actual U.S. playback remain unverified.

We will update this information once authorized international playback and subtitle options can be confirmed.

What This Means for the Premiere

The four-episode opening gives viewers an opportunity to spend more time with Liu Zhengliang, the talented neurosurgeon played by Xiao Zhan, as he begins rebuilding his life in his hometown.

Rather than judging the series from a single introductory episode, viewers will have a larger opening batch to establish the setting, supporting characters, and central conflicts.

Whether the drama succeeds in balancing medical storytelling, northeastern Chinese humor, and emotional healing remains to be seen.

For now, the official schedule is clear: four episodes on October 21 for iQIYI VIP subscribers, followed by two episodes daily beginning October 22.

Source

Official October 20 release-calendar announcements from the Small Town Remedy production account and iQIYI, reproduced in Sina's coverage.

What Is Small Town Remedy About?

The story follows Liu Zhengliang, portrayed by Xiao Zhan, a gifted neurosurgeon whose professional life has been built around the demanding environment of a leading Beijing hospital.

After a serious medical incident disrupts his career, he finds himself returning to his hometown in northeastern China.

The move represents a major change.

Instead of working within a prestigious medical institution with extensive resources, Liu Zhengliang must adjust to the realities of a much smaller healthcare setting.

The patients he encounters have different needs, and their problems cannot always be solved through medical knowledge alone.

Everyday disagreements, family responsibilities, financial pressures, and the challenges of accessing healthcare become part of his new working environment.

At first, Liu Zhengliang's return appears to be a professional setback.

However, the people he meets gradually change his perspective.

He finds himself working alongside a group of unconventional colleagues who may not always appear especially organized or reliable, but share a determination to help their community.

Together, they face the difficulties of delivering medical care while navigating the complicated lives of the people around them.

As Liu Zhengliang helps his patients, their resilience and humanity begin helping him confront his own disappointments.

The official synopsis presents this as a story of mutual healing, where the doctor is not necessarily the only person capable of offering a remedy.

Xiao Zhan Plays Neurosurgeon Liu Zhengliang

Xiao Zhan plays Liu Zhengliang (刘铮亮), a highly skilled doctor whose career no longer follows the path he expected.

The character's background introduces an interesting contrast.

Liu Zhengliang has the medical training and professional experience associated with a major hospital, but his return home places him in a setting where technical expertise is only one part of being a good doctor.

He must learn to work with fewer resources, communicate with patients from different backgrounds, and understand the personal circumstances surrounding their medical needs.

The promotional material emphasizes his gradual adjustment to small-town life.

Instead of presenting him as someone who arrives with all the answers, the official premise suggests that he has lessons to learn from the people around him.

For Xiao Zhan, the project offers a different kind of contemporary role.

He has previously starred in historical dramas including The Untamed (陈情令), The Longest Promise (玉骨遥), and The Legend of Zang Hai (藏海传), along with modern productions such as Sunshine by My Side (骄阳伴我).

Small Town Remedy moves away from elaborate historical conflicts and places him in a story shaped by ordinary people, professional responsibility, and personal recovery.

The role gives him an opportunity to portray a character whose central challenge is not defeating an opponent, but rebuilding his confidence and finding a renewed sense of purpose.

Who Stars in Small Town Remedy?

The officially announced cast includes:

• Xiao Zhan (肖战) as Liu Zhengliang (刘铮亮).
• Ni Dahong (倪大红) — Ensemble cast.
• Jiang Yan (姜妍) — Ensemble cast.
• Shi Pengyuan (史彭元) — Ensemble cast.
• Jian Renzi (菅韧姿) — Ensemble cast.
• Zhang Guoqiang (张国强) — Ensemble cast.
• Wang Yanlin (王彦霖) — Special appearance.
• Chen Jin (陈瑾) — Special starring appearance.

Additional performers include Ding Jiali, Ren Chengwei, Liu Hua, Jiang Hongbo, Fang Zibin, and Chen Yongsheng.

The ensemble brings together established actors and younger performers, allowing the drama to explore different generations within the town.

Although the central story follows Liu Zhengliang, the official synopsis suggests that patients, coworkers, and local residents will play important roles in shaping his experiences.

Detailed character relationships should be verified against official production information as additional promotional material becomes available.

Who Is Behind the Production?

Small Town Remedy is directed by Zhang Xiaobo (张晓波), with the screenplay written by Nie Chengshuai (聂成帅).

The production team includes:

• Chief producer: Su Xiao (苏晓).
• Producer: Xia Jie (夏杰).
• Production companies: China Central Television and Linmon Pictures.
• Co-production: iQIYI.

Zhang Xiaobo previously directed contemporary dramas including Nothing But Thirty (三十而已), known for its focus on relationships, social expectations, and the challenges of everyday life.

His involvement is noteworthy because Small Town Remedy approaches the medical genre through a similar interest in ordinary people's experiences.

The production is not simply about what happens inside a hospital.

It is also about how a community responds when someone needs help, how people deal with personal setbacks, and how relationships develop through everyday interactions.

A Medical Drama With a Different Approach

Chinese medical dramas often center on major hospitals, difficult procedures, and conflicts between professional responsibilities and personal relationships.

Small Town Remedy takes a somewhat different approach.

Its setting is a northeastern Chinese town where local personalities, neighborhood relationships, and everyday routines become part of the story.

The production's promotional materials emphasize the region's distinctive humor and social atmosphere.

That suggests the drama may balance emotionally difficult medical situations with lighter moments involving patients, colleagues, and residents.

Medical work can involve serious consequences, but the people receiving care still have ordinary lives filled with family disagreements, friendships, ambitions, and unexpected problems.

The official premise places those experiences alongside Liu Zhengliang's professional journey.

It also raises an important question: what makes someone a good doctor?

Technical ability is essential, but medical care also requires communication, patience, trust, and an understanding of the circumstances affecting each patient.

Liu Zhengliang's return to a smaller healthcare environment may force him to reconsider what successful medical practice means.

New Official Posters Released October 16

The October 16 premiere announcement included new promotional artwork from the drama's official accounts, Linmon Pictures, CCTV, and iQIYI.

The campaign highlights Xiao Zhan's character against the snowy atmosphere of northeastern China.

The imagery emphasizes a man confronting uncertainty while gradually finding warmth and belonging within his hometown.

Other promotional material introduces the wider ensemble and the everyday relationships that shape the town.

Rather than presenting the drama exclusively through hospital procedures, the campaign focuses on human connection, resilience, and the possibility of finding a new direction after disappointment.

The official artwork provides a closer look at the production's visual tone, but it does not reveal the final outcome of Liu Zhengliang's personal journey.

Small Town Remedy Surpasses One Million Advance Reservations

The premiere announcement was accompanied by another promotional milestone.

On October 16, iQIYI and Linmon Pictures announced that combined advance reservations across iQIYI and Weibo had surpassed one million.

The milestone reflects significant interest in the drama before its scheduled premiere.

However, advance reservations are not the same as streaming views, completed episode plays, or television ratings.

The figure indicates pre-release audience interest rather than the drama's actual viewing performance.

Its reception will become clearer after episodes begin airing.

Is Small Town Remedy a Romance Drama?

Based on the official premise, Small Town Remedy is primarily a contemporary medical and slice-of-life drama.

Its main themes include professional setbacks, personal growth, friendship, community relationships, and emotional healing.

A central romantic relationship has not been established as the production's primary storyline.

Although Xiao Zhan has appeared in romance-focused productions, viewers should not assume that Small Town Remedy will follow a conventional romantic-drama structure.

Any significant romantic relationships, breakup timelines, or ending classifications will need to be verified through the actual episodes.

For now, the production is best approached as a character-driven medical drama rather than a confirmed romance.

Will Small Town Remedy Be Available in the United States?

iQIYI is the confirmed Chinese online streaming platform, while CCTV-8 will handle the domestic television premiere.

An official iQIYI International listing exists, but the listing checked before publication does not establish U.S. episode playback.

U.S. episode playback and English-subtitle quality have not been verified as of October 16, 2026.

An international platform listing does not guarantee that the complete drama will be available in every country.

Regional playback access and subtitle quality should be confirmed separately once the episodes are released.

Shen Zhiyi Writes Reviews will update this information when an authorized streaming platform verifies international distribution.

Why Small Town Remedy Is Worth Following

One of the most interesting aspects of Small Town Remedy is its focus on a doctor rebuilding his life in a place he once left behind.

The story begins with a professional setback, but it appears to develop into something broader.

Liu Zhengliang's experiences may challenge his assumptions about achievement, medical practice, and the relationships that make a community function.

The northeastern setting also gives the drama an opportunity to incorporate regional humor and local customs without losing sight of its medical themes.

For viewers who enjoy character-driven stories, workplace relationships, and dramas about personal recovery, the premise offers several reasons to pay attention.

Xiao Zhan's casting will undoubtedly attract interest, but the finished series will ultimately depend on how convincingly it develops the town's residents and their relationships with one another.

The strongest version of this story would make those characters feel like people with lives of their own, rather than simply individuals appearing to teach the protagonist a lesson.

Final Thoughts

With its October 21 premiere officially confirmed, Small Town Remedy is preparing to introduce viewers to a medical drama centered on second chances and everyday human connections.

Xiao Zhan's portrayal of Liu Zhengliang places a talented neurosurgeon in an unfamiliar professional environment, where the skills that once defined his success may not be enough to help him find his way forward.

The involvement of director Zhang Xiaobo, screenwriter Nie Chengshuai, and an established ensemble cast gives the production a strong foundation for its character-focused story.

The drama's most promising element is its central idea: sometimes rebuilding a life requires more than returning to familiar surroundings. It requires seeing those surroundings, and the people who live there, differently.

Whether Small Town Remedy successfully balances medical storytelling, regional humor, and emotional development will become clearer when the series premieres.

Shen Zhiyi Writes Reviews will continue following official release information and international streaming availability as new verified details become available.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Small Town Remedy premiere?

Small Town Remedy (小城良方) officially premieres October 21, 2026, on CCTV-8 and iQIYI in China.

When do new episodes of Small Town Remedy come out?

iQIYI VIP subscribers receive Episodes 1–4 on October 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. China Standard Time, followed by two new episodes daily at 7:30 p.m. beginning October 22. CCTV-8 broadcasts two episodes nightly. The China release time corresponds to 4:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. International schedules, U.S. playback and English-subtitle availability remain unverified.

What is the Chinese title?

The Chinese title is 小城良方, romanized as Xiao Cheng Liang Fang.

Is Small Town Remedy the official English title?

The official October 16 CCTV-8 premiere poster uses the English title Small Town Remedy. The iQIYI International listing currently displays the Chinese title 小城良方.

Who plays the main character?

Xiao Zhan plays Liu Zhengliang, a skilled neurosurgeon whose career setback forces him to return to his hometown.

What is Small Town Remedy about?

The drama follows a talented doctor who returns to a northeastern Chinese town after a professional setback. Working in a smaller healthcare environment, he gradually rebuilds his confidence through his relationships with patients, colleagues, and local residents.

Who directs the drama?

Zhang Xiaobo (张晓波).

Who wrote the screenplay?

Nie Chengshuai (聂成帅).

Where will Small Town Remedy stream?

iQIYI is the confirmed online streaming platform in China, with CCTV-8 broadcasting the drama on television.

Is Small Town Remedy available in the United States?

U.S. episode playback and English-subtitle quality remain unverified as of the publication date.

Is Small Town Remedy a romance drama?

The drama is primarily promoted as a contemporary medical and slice-of-life series. A central romance has not been confirmed as its principal storyline.

Does Small Town Remedy have a happy ending?

The series has not premiered as of this announcement, so its final outcome remains unknown.