A Chinese TV drama series based on the country's fight against corruption and on other political developments is poised to challenge the popularity of the US hit House of Cards.

The new series, In the Name of the People, is produced by the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Film and Television Center. It features about 100 roles and is being filmed with a budget of 120 million yuan ($18.46 million).

Fan Ziwen, deputy director of the center, said it is the first domestic production to portray a State-level government official as a villain, making it a topic of heated debate.