iQIYI The Lead
Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan · 2026 ·
The Lead (2026) earns a 91% Celluloid Score — Celluloid Pick. Recommended overall. Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan; stream on iQIYI.
Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, IMDb, fan). See how we calculate scores.
Averaged from 5 sources
Where to watch The Lead
The Lead is catalogued under iQIYI — confirm current regional rights on the platform.
Is The Lead worth watching?
Yes — The Lead earns a 91% Celluloid Score. Celluloid Pick, created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan and streaming on iQIYI.
Critics Consensus
The Lead — a notable Celluloid catalog credit with strong audience discovery.
Celluloid Critics Consensus
What is The Lead about?
Yi Qin'e is taken to the cultural troupe by her uncle Hu Sanyuan to learn to sing Qinqiang Opera. From then on, her life unfolds with ups and downs. She achieves glorious artistic accomplishments, yet also experiences a profound sense of loneliness beyond ordinary people's comprehension.
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Most searched questions about The Lead
High-intent answers for seasons, streaming, cast, and whether The Lead is worth watching — built for search and AI overviews.
Yes — The Lead scores 91% on Celluloid. The Lead — a notable Celluloid catalog credit with strong audience discovery. Stream on iQIYI.
The Lead has 1 season and 48 episodes (2026). It is currently marked ended on Celluloid.
The Lead is catalogued under iQIYI and commonly streams on iQIYI. Availability varies by country — open the platform app or the Celluloid series page for regional notes.
The Lead stars Liu Haocun, Zhang Jiayi, Qin Hailu, Shawn Dou, and others. Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan.
Yes — The Lead has ended (2026). You can watch the complete 1-season run without waiting on renewals.
The Lead is primarily in Mandarin (China). Subtitles/dubs depend on your streaming platform.
About 36 hours at ~45 minutes per episode across 48 episodes — a focused weekend binge for many viewers.
The Lead scores 91% because all five independent sources agree: critics 92%, audiences 96%, Metacritic 81/100, IMDb 9/10 and fan ratings 96%. The Lead — a notable Celluloid catalog credit with strong audience discovery. See the full breakdown on the The Lead series page.
No — The Lead is not on Netflix. It streams on iQIYI, and on Celluloid it is catalogued under iQIYI. Streaming rights rotate by country, so confirm in your region before subscribing.
The Lead first aired in 2026 (2026). Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan; it streams on iQIYI today.
The Lead stars Liu Haocun, Zhang Jiayi, Qin Hailu, Shawn Dou, Zhai Zilu, and others. Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan.
The Lead has 48 episodes across 1 season (2026).