KATHY Huang, a human resources worker in her 30s, said she had grown bored with the endless family dramas and war sagas shown on television when a friend shared with her an online thriller series.

Huang said she watched “Evil Minds” on the video sharing website iQIYI and became hooked. She spent dozens of yuan to get an iQIYI VIP membership account so she could watch the full episodes in the series.

“Evil Minds” is based on Lei Mi’s popular suspense and crime online novel of the same name.

“It was a big surprise to me that the artistry and cinematography of the series were so much better than the usual TV dramas with A-list casts,” said Huang. “I think the series has raised the quality of Chinese original online dramas to new heights.”

Huang is just one among millions of people who are enthusiastic about the series. Since it premiered in May, the first season has been viewed around 600 million times on the website.

It has changed public perceptions about domestic online entertainment shows, which used to be considered cheap and poorly made.

Even netizens who are fans of high-quality American and British series are being drawn into the newfound attraction of domestic productions.

“It has filled the void of impressive suspense and crime series in China,” said a netizen called “Yimi Flower.” “Now domestic producers are encouraged enough to think they can equal popular foreign series like ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Criminal Minds’.”

“Evil Minds” has a budget of around 80 million yuan (US$12.9 million). More than 500 million yuan is expected to be spent on production of the entire five seasons planned for the series.

Wu Bai, director of the drama, told Chinese media that veteran film production crews have been recruited to shoot the series at a top filmmaking site. That promises continued enhancement of cinematography techniques and special effects.

The cast of “Evil Minds” is largely unknown actors who have delivered performances that are the talk of the town.

Gu Xiaobai, who used to write scripts for Zhang Yimou movies like “Under the Hawthorn Tree” and “The Flowers of War,” is scriptwriter and producer of “Evil Minds.”

It took Gu more than eight months to write the script. He said the series opens up a promising new genre in China online entertainment.

“Compared with standard TV dramas, online series usually have more freedom, flexibility and pizzazz,” Gu said. “However, management and production of online series still need improvement.”

Other talked-about online series on iQIYI this year include “The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles” and “Ghost Blows Out the Light.” Both are based on hit tomb-raiding Internet novels.

Viewing tastes among young Chinese audiences are changing with the digital revolution. Experimental production of more original online series and variety shows are airing on video-sharing websites.

With success comes financing. Production budgets for some online series are rapidly rising. Some are approaching up to 5 million yuan per episode. That surpasses some spending on traditional TV series.

In addition to iQIYI, almost all major Internet video-sharing websites are now venturing into online dramas. That expands the need for more scriptwriters, casts, production crews and marketing experts.

“Every day we receive pitches for potential drama and film scripts,” said Wang Juan, deputy general manager of Tencent Online Video. “Candidates who are well-known or who have good original stories are at the front of the line.”

Tencent Online Video has invested and produced the first two seasons of the online thriller series “Darker,” which is adapted from the Internet novel “The Death Notice.”

Bai Yicong, producer of “Darker,” hailed the start of a golden era for online series. He noted that more Internet users are willing to pay for creative and tailor-made online content. Revenue also comes from advertising and copyright sales.

“We are also considering tying in with big brand names to produce special sponsored episodes for the series,” Bai added. “To emphasize interactivity with audiences, feedback from viewers is solicited about future storylines. Netizens may also vie to play bit parts in series.”

Popular online novels are still the main source of material for digital entertainment.

“With the loyal fan base of the original online novels, such series are more likely to be well-received among young viewers,” said veteran producer Karen Tsai, president of Chinese Entertainment Shanghai.

“But as copyright prices for novels rise, producers need to be very careful in making selections,” she added. “Not all the stories are appropriate for a film or a series.”

For now, the scramble is on to fill the huge hunger for creative online entertainment.

Youku recently released the online comedy sitcom “Inn of the Chinese Paladin.” It features main characters from the hit TV drama “The Story of the Chinese Paladin,” combining elements of animation, fantasy and comedy.

Youku is also producing a new youth series called “Pains of a 17-Year-Old,” which is adapted from an online novel by Rao Xueman. The series, by veteran Taiwan filmmaker Chiang Chin-lin, explores the lives and emotions of teenagers. It will be aired by the end of this year.

Sohu is now airing its fantasy thriller series “Wuxin: The Monster Killer,” the story about a monster-hunting journey. The website is also shooting a series based on popular online novels “The Bell Rung by Grievance” and “He Has Come, Close Your Eyes.”

Industry experts said the boundary between online and traditional TV series is rapidly blurring.

Li Tian, a film and TV critic and former adviser to the Shanghai TV Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival, said that Internet magnates are being irrevocably drawn to entertainment production.

It’s a global trend, he noted, pointing to Netflix’s “House of Cards,” Amazon Studio’s comedy series “Mozart in the Jungle” and the alternate history series “The Man in the High Castle.”

“Scripting and production are still weakness in many Chinese online series,” said Li. “Hit online novels are no guarantee of a successful series. Websites need to spend more time and money on scripts. And they need to think beyond just teens and young adults. Creative, thought-provoking and diversified online series can draw larger audiences.”