A new drama series, said to be the first Chinese dialect series here since 1979, will premiere next Friday, with an aim of conveying government policies to seniors.
The 10-episode series, Eat Already?, will premiere on Sept 9 at noon on Mediacorp’s Channel 8. Each episode is 30 minutes long.
Directed by award-winning director Royston Tan and featuring actors seniors are familiar with, the series is a collaboration between Mediacorp and the Ministry of Communications and Information.
Tan, of box-office getai hit 881 fame, told Shin Min Daily News in a report yesterday that the pressure was great but he felt acutely the intimacy and warmth of dialects while shooting, “as if grandma is talking to you”.
The story follows the life of a widow, Ah Niu Sao (Aileen Tan), her sons, friends and neighbours.
Other cast members include Wang Lei and Marcus Chin, with cameos by stars such as Zoe Tay and Kym Ng.
The show features themes like active ageing and explains policies such as MediShield Life.
It is shot mainly in Hokkien. Said director Tan: “The team put a lot of heart into it to ensure it is full of humour, and there are mystery guests in every episode that we hope will surprise viewers.”
Shin Min understands that Eat Already? is the first dialect series since 1979 when Singapore launched its Speak Mandarin Campaign.
Minister of State for Health, Communications and Information Chee Hong Tat told Shin Min that the theme song of the show has many tips for daily living.
He added that the Government has found in studies it conducted that many seniors do not fully understand certain policies.
“So, we’re trying a more effective method to explain government policies and messages to the seniors,” he said.
myp@sph.com.sg
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