Every month, we’ll tell you about new TV shows to hit terrestrial and cable channels, as well as streaming sites in Singapore. We’ll also highlight the television shows that you’ve got to be home (or on your phone) to catch every month.
Overview of new TV shows in September
If you have a Netflix subscription, this is the month which gives you maximum value. With the return of Iron Fist and Bojack Horseman, the debut of live-action anime adaptation Bleach, and interesting series like Maniac hitting the streaming service, it doesn’t fill like you have to look for filler series to occupy your time (or justify your subscription fees) anymore! The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon return on Warner TV this month, although it’s the last season for the former. On the Korean drama front, we have more interesting fare than the usual romantic melodrama, with tvN’s Reply 1997 and Viu’s The Guest and Terius Behind Me to engage viewers.
Iron Fist (Season 2) (7 Sep)
Netflix
Season 2 of Iron Fist features Danny Rand (Finn Jones) as he fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery Iron Fist. It furthers the transformation of Danny, a character with a fish out of water coming of age story making his way in a harsh new world, battling to work out who he is. This season, Danny has promised that with a certain protector gone, he will step up and protect his city. But a sinister plot twist threatens his very identity and he must conquers his villains to protect the town and people he holds close to his heart.
It’s been a year since we saw the shock ending of The Defenders (well, it was a shock to the characters in the universe, at least) and the second season of Iron Fist builds on that. With the odd setups of the inaugural season out of the way, here’s hoping that the second season features more martial arts action, better storylines and less random angst going around. Looking forward to more creative uses of the titular Iron Fist that he wields and less contrived nerfing (like the final battle in Season 1) in the upcoming season!
The Guest (13 Sep)
Viu
Yoon Hwa-Pyung is a psychic. He was born to a shaman family. Yoon Hwa-Pyung seeks out those possessed by evil spirits and attempts to expel the evil spirits. Choi Yoon is a Catholic priest. He is cynical and cool-headed. He doesn’t like having relationships with others. He is recognized for his abilities as an exorcist. Kang Kil-Young is a detective. She doesn’t believe in evil spirts or exorcisms, but her views change because of Choi Yoon and Yoon Hwa-Pyung.
The premise of The Guest sounds like a more extreme version of the Mulder-Scully dynamic in The X-Files, but with a Korean twist and a possible love triangle in the mix. We might actually get some interesting perspectives given that there’s a shaman and a Catholic priest who are both out ghostbusting. Let’s hope that the female skeptic character, Kil-Young, is able to pull off that cynical outlook well in the show.
Bleach (live-action movie) (14 Sep)
Netflix
When high schooler Ichigo is suddenly given reaper abilities, he really wants to give the powers back. But he’ll have to reap some souls first.
The cinematic, stylised aesthetic of the live-action film version of Bleach looks pretty amazing — given that most people think of it as “just” an anime. If this Bleach film is successful, it could open up opportunities for even more (good) live-action film adaptions of popular anime series. Like Crazy Rich Asians, this could be the watershed film that decides the future of anime adaptations.
Maniac (21 Sep)
Netflix
Maniac tells the stories of Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill), two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. Things do not go as planned.
Admittedly, Emma Stone is a huge draw for Maniac. It feels like it has the epic sci-fi feel of Black Mirror or Westworld, but with a firm focus on character and drama with its two leads. Maniac could possibly be the perfect blend between drama and fantasy that doesn’t require you to constantly refer to Wikipedia to update yourself on an increasingly sprawling cast, and in today’s television landscape— that’s actually a good thing!
The Big Bang Theory (Season 12) (Premieres 25 Sep Tuesday, 8.10pm; subsequent episodes from 28 Sep, Fridays, 8.10pm)
Warner TV (StarHub TV Ch 515, Singtel TV Ch 306)
Despite their on-again, off-again relationship in the past, Leonard and Penny have finally gotten married. Even Sheldon has found a female companion – entering into a “Relationship Agreement” with neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), and he recently took their relationship to the next level by proposing marriage. In their free time, Leonard and Sheldon enjoy fantasy role-playing games with their ever-expanding universe of friends, including fellow scientists Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Howard’s adorable microbiologist wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), who is now adjusting to life with their two new children.
Are you one of those people who hate on The Big Bang Theory? You’ll probably be glad to hear that this is the last season — but you’re a terrible person to wish that any television show will end. It’ll be a bittersweet season given that we all know that it’s the final one. It also sounds like the producers will try their best to provide fan service in their scenes by ticking off storylines that always have been on the backburner. Then again, there’s always Young Sheldon if you’re missing that socially awkward genius.
Terrestrial
Suria
My Sweet Lavender (2 Sep, Mondays 9.30pm)
Tak Ada Cinta Sepertimu (13 Sep, Thursdays 9.30pm)
Cable
Warner TV (StarHub TV Ch 515, Singtel TV Ch 306)
The Last Ship (Season 5) (10 sep, Mondays, 9pm)
The Big Bang Theory (Season 12) (Premieres 25 Sep Tuesday, 8.10pm; subsequent episodes from 28 Sep, Fridays, 8.10pm)
Young Sheldon (Season 2) (Premieres 25 Sep, Tuesday, 8.35pm; subsequent episodes from 28 Sep, Fridays, 8.35pm)
Lethal Weapon (Season 3) (28 Sep, Wednesdays, 9pm)
tvN (Starhub TV Ch Ch 824, Singtel Ch 518)
Reply 1997 (4 Sep, Mondays – Thursdays, 7 pm)
Lifetime (Singtel TV Ch 302 StarHub TV Ch 514)
Big Driver (movie) (29 September, Saturday 9pm)
Streaming
Netflix
La Catedral De Mar (1 Sep)
Iron Fist (Season 2) (7 Sep)
Sierra Burgess Is A Loser (movie) (7 Sep)
A Prayer Before Dawn (7 Sep)
Atypical (Season 2) (7 Sep)
Cable Girls (Season 3) (7 Sep)
Next Gen (9 Sep)
The Rise of Phoenixes (14 Sep)
Bojack Horseman (Season 5) (14 Sep)
American Vandal (Season 2) (14 Sep)
Bleach (movie) (14 Sep)
The Good Cop (21 Sep)
Maniac (21 Sep)
Nappily Ever After (21 Sep)
Hold The Dark (movie) (28 Sep)
Viu
The Ghost Detective (6 Sep)
The Guest (13 Sep)
My Only One (16 Sep)
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (27 Sep)
Terius Behind Me (27 Sep)
The Third Charm (29 Sep)
The Player (30 Sep)
This article was first written for and published on Yahoo Singapore.
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I’m a television scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
Send me an email if you want to get in touch!
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