Searches for Iconic ‘Tao Quan’ Surge as Viewers Pan New Year TV Special

HANOI — A new television program that replaced the iconic "Táo Quân" on Lunar New Year's Eve 2026 has drawn mixed reviews and triggered a massive surge in online searches for the original show.

The new program, titled "Gặp nhau cuối năm - Quảng trường mùa xuân" (Year-End Gathering - Spring Square), debuted during the prime-time slot traditionally reserved for the long-running satirical comedy. Public reaction was divided immediately following the broadcast.

Data from Google Trends revealed that interest in the missing program skyrocketed during the time slot. Searches for "live Táo Quân" jumped 2,100%, while queries for "Táo Quân 2026" and "VTVgo Táo Quân" increased by 600% and 550%, respectively.

The search data reflects a strong public attachment to the original show. On social media, many viewers expressed nostalgia for "Táo Quân," describing it as an indispensable part of the Vietnamese New Year tradition.

Some viewers reported that they chose to watch archives of previous "Táo Quân" seasons instead of tuning into the new replacement program.

The backlash surrounding the replacement of "Tao Quan"—Vietnam’s long-standing Lunar New Year satirical broadcast—transcends mere television criticism, signaling instead the fracturing of a cornerstone mass-culture ritual. For decades, the program served as a rare unifying fixture in an increasingly fragmented digital media landscape. Its absence has created a cultural vacuum that state-driven alternatives have struggled to fill, highlighting the deep-seated role the show played in the national consciousness.

The strategic value of "Tao Quan" lay in its function as a state-sanctioned "social pressure valve." By utilizing satire to address bureaucratic inefficiencies and systemic social grievances within an officially permitted framework, the program provided a rare public forum for institutional accountability. Although analysts have noted a dilution of its editorial sharpness in recent years, the show’s symbolic importance remained a vital link between the state broadcaster and public sentiment.

The current public outcry serves as a reminder that cultural institutions cannot be overhauled through top-down administrative decrees. Audience trust and communal traditions are forged over decades; they are organic developments that resist manufactured replacement. The surge in market data and search trends for the program—even for non-existent future iterations—underscores a significant disconnect between institutional programming shifts and actual consumer demand. For policymakers and media executives, the lesson is clear: in the realm of national tradition, administrative fiat is no substitute for historical continuity.

For many in the Vietnamese-American community, from the hubs of Little Saigon to the local nail salon, Táo Quân has long served as a vital cultural bridge, keeping the diaspora in the loop with the social pulse and witty satire of the homeland every Tet. Its absence leaves a void for many who relied on the show as a familiar ritual to stay connected to their roots. For those navigating life abroad—whether settled for decades or recently arrived on an H-1B or F2B visa—the program was more than just entertainment; it was a shared tradition that bridged the distance between family and friends across borders.