@ Sambowden

You can check out this independent movie label based right here in Beijing. They are called Dgenerate films, and focus a lot on documentaries. Their movies are a little hard to get a hold of, but many of their titles garner rave reviews such as this one called "Ghost Town"

http://dgeneratefilms.com/catalog/ghost-town-fei-cheng

Another film that I saw recently that was above average for Chinese Cinema is 全城热恋. There's some Cantonese thrown in here and there, but the story is dynamic enough to hold your interest.

Also there are two television shows that I'd like to recommend. The first one being 康熙来了 which is a Taiwanese variety show. I tune in due to the attractiveness of the female guests. The language is also colorful.

Also for a "Friends" meets "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" you can catch 武林外传. This series has 80 episodes, and a treasure trove of colloquialisms, and Chinese humor.

You can do a simple tudou search for both of these television shows.