Posts Tagged Television
Old is Gold by DR
Being the ultimate bummer meant one good thing - I check out really cool videos on YouTube. I have found the opening titles to my top 3 favourite Channel 8 series all time.
Number 3.
Granted. The opening song truly sucked as they were banking on Chew Chor Meng’s uprising fame at that moment but I digged the Immortal Love series. He was a righteous vampire working as a police detective who lived through three lifetimes of love. It would have been MediaCorp’s first Sci-Fi attempt and the efforts in set-building, cgi effects and ridiculous storyline combined well to win my 12 year old heart over. I also bought my first bottle of tomato juice at 7 Eleven that year.
Number 2.
Chew Chor Meng followed his good work two years later with Wok of Life. This series had all the ingredients of success. Chinese family restaurant with strong traditions; brotherhood among disciples; various food dishes with stories to tell; danceable opening intro; time travel via a cooking pot. It was also the breakthrough series for Evelyn Tan and Ann Kok.
Number 1.
Number 1 on my list has got to be The Unbeatables. Brilliant storyline of two talented lovetorn gamblers with a strong family feud. Amazing storyline, great script, memorable characters. I can remember them to this day, 16 years on. Characters etched in the back of my mind- Li Nan Xing as Yan Fei, legend gambler dad Yan Kun who was blinded by legend conman Long Ting Guang. This series also founded MediaCorp’s best on screen couple Li Nanxing and Zoe Tay. I finally know why I have 60 decks of poker cards at home.
I had this debate with a few friends. Has MediaCorp always been showing trash and we grew out of it, or they have only started showing trash lately. I’m leaning towards the latter. They had challenging storylines bordering on the line of ridicule and fantasy, but they pulled them off. There were also many classics produced (Price of Peace, Stepping Out, Don’t Worry Be Happy, just to name a few), I could sing every single line of the opening theme. Now, we have heartland series with Fishball noodles or Nasi Lemak; family, affairs and betrayal; next big things of television exposing their big things at scenes supposedly necessary for telling stories.
Bagus Tak Made in Singapore.
Add comment February 21, 2009
Watching Movie by DR
I caught 58 movies in the cinemas in 2008. This comes off to an average figure of one movie watched in cinemas every 6.3 days. If I paid an approximate figure of 16 dollars for two tickets (plus minus weekday and weekend) each time, I spent 928 dollars on the cinemas last year alone. I am also a heavy eater of sweet 
popcorn and I habitually throw the popcorn kernels under the cinema seats when I think no one is looking. Already, I have contributed to the flourishing cinema employment for ticketing, food and beverage, and cleaning services.
When it comes to supporting original movies, I guess I am right up there. However I have excluded movies that I have watched at home or on my laptop which could come to an impressive average of one movie every two days. If I include the educational (pornographic) content as well, I’m guessing the average will be two movies every day. I watch a lot of shit.
I’m not critical when it comes to movies. A good comedy just needs to make me laugh instead of rolling my eyes. Romantic movies should give me the chills and goosebumps. Action thrillers make me lose bladder control in the cinema seat. Anything animated makes me sleep. Horror should shrink my balls. And a local movie should bring tears to my eyes.
Unfortunately, the closest thing that brought tears to my eyes was a combination of a few local productions on television. Forget about identity and original content. Just copy proven mindless hits like Desperate Housewives or OC from America 
like we have always done so. Why not just cast Wong Li Lin, Diana Ser and Lisa Ang in a series and call it “Hey Singapore, Triple 9 Housewives Get Real”. These three were probably my favourite local infotainment, drama series and documentary. Perhaps cast Fiona Xie, Felicia Chin, and Michelle Chia in “SOC’ where they tackle one station of the SOC each episode every week in swimwear.
If I were to direct my own educational content, I would suggest for the cast to use Little bottles of Nonya kaya as a lubricant.
2 comments February 7, 2009
