Every month, we’ll tell you about new comedies and dramas 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 February 2019 TV shows
Korean shows go into overdrive this month, with Touch Your Heart airing on both tvN and Viu, Haechi and The Fiery Priest on ONE and Viu, as well as Item on OhK! and Viu. Netflix continues to keep up its stream of shows, with George R. R. Martin’s Nightflyers debuting on the first day of February. Whiskey Cavalier also looks like an interesting offering from Warner TV. But the dark horse of February has to be Kultus — a Suria drama unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Dear Ex (1 Feb)
Netflix
A teen navigates a bitter feud between his wilful mom and a free-spirited man, who’s the lover and insurance beneficiary of his recently deceased dad.
Winner of five awards at the Taiwan Film Festival and three awards at the Golden Horse Awards (plus a nomination for Best Film), Dear Ex has an intriguing premise right from the start, with a convoluted situation involving secret lovers, unfortunate lies and a hidden family. It’s a clash of traditional values with the freedom to love, and implicit in that conflict is the theme of liberation and expression. Dear Ex showcases just how damaging our strict notions of gender can be, and the problems that come with unmet expectations.
Nightflyers (1 Feb)
Netflix
From the mind of George R. R. Martin, Nightflyers is a psychological thriller, set in deep space on the eve of Earth’s destruction. A crew of explorers journey on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, The Nightflyer, and work to intercept a mysterious alien spacecraft that might hold the key to the planet’s survival. As the crew nears their destination however, they discover that mysterious forces and even their own minds are working against them.
Well, at least the Song of Ice and Fire books are being delayed for a good reason — George R. R. Martin’s been working on his new futuristic series Nightflyers. While it seems to be the usual space horror fare, the interesting aspect of the show is the aliens — what are they and what will they do to the humans? With betrayal and alliances baked into the premise of the show itself, Nightflyers promises to take drama and intrigue into outer space and beyond.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtOJFG_h3Hy/
Kultus (7 Feb, Thursdays 9.30pm)
Suria
Singaporean girl, Shakila, gets embroiled in a cult and tries to escape but is eventually “deprogrammed‟ by a cult called “ELIXR‟. Her brother, Shafik, comes to New York to search for his missing sister. However, he is unable to track Shakila down and it seems like ELIXR is constantly one step ahead of him.
You read it right — Kultus is a Singapore-made Suria drama that takes place in both Singapore and Suria. The trailer already shows us the markedly different style that Kultus is shot in, a far cry from the usual fare on Suria. Not only does the cinematic look make it feel avant garde, the premise of Kultus is interesting as well. Granted, a cult named “ELIXR” is a little on-the-nose, but it’s a refreshing to see new standards being set for local programming.
Touch Your Heart (7 Feb [Viu]) (7 Feb, Thursdays and Fridays 9.45pm [tvN])
Viu
tvN (Singtel TV Channel 518 (HD) and Channel 619 (HD), StarHub TV Channel 824 (HD))
Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously. Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer’s secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 6 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.
Yes, it may be a convoluted premise that sees two individuals from vastly different backgrounds being forced to interact for six months, but there’s so much potential for comedy in this situation! After all, one can relate to good-looking but talentless actors and actresses repeated nabbing great roles, all thanks to plastic surgery (an oddly apt observation considering the genre that Touch Your Heart is in), plus everyone has that workaholic friend who needs to loosen up. By tapping into these everyday character archetypes, Touch Your Heart will, hopefully, touch your heart with genuine characters.
Haechi (12 Feb [Viu]) (12 Feb, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8.10pm [ONE])
Viu
ONE (StarHub TV Ch 823 and Singtel TV Ch 513)
Set during the Joseon Dynasty period, four people from different walks of life form an unlikely alliance in their shared quest for justice . A prince of lowly birth, a passionate nobleman, a female investigator and a gangster come together to make Prince Lee Geum the King and reform the Saheonbu. The four people are Lee Geum himself, Yeo-Ji, Park Moon-Soo and Dal-Moon.
Everyone seems to love the Joseon Dynasty these days, with yet another Korean production set to take place during this turbulent historical period. Haechi is a period drama that sees another motley crew of heroes getting together to put yet another wronged prince on the throne. They should probably build a semi-permanent set for all the Joseon era productions that are being made nowadays.
Whiskey Cavalier (28 Feb, Thursdays 9pm)
Warner TV (StarHub TV CH. 515, Singtel TV CH. 306)
Whiskey Cavalier follows the adventures of FBI agent Will Chase (codename: Whiskey Cavalier) who, following an emotional break-up, is assigned to work with CIA operative Francesca ‘Frankie’ Trowbridge (codename: Fiery Tribune). Together, they lead an inter-agency team of spies who periodically save the world (and each other) while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance and office politics.
While Scott Foley seems to lack charisma in his role as Will Chase, Lauren Cohan more than picks up the slack as as Frankie. Whiskey Cavalier looks to be a smart blend of comedy and drama, and spy series are inherently interesting fare. If the series does well, there may even be a Fiery Tribune spinoff.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtE0cbOB54T/
Terrestrial
Suria
Rapuh (5 Feb, Tuesdays 9.30pm)
Kultus (7 Feb, Thursdays 9.30pm)
Rahsia Hati Perempuan (10 Feb, Sundays 9.30pm)
Cable
Warner TV (StarHub TV CH. 515, Singtel TV CH. 306)
Whiskey Cavalier (28 Feb, Thursdays 9pm)
HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601)
Master of the White Crane Fist: Wong Yan-Lam (movie) (20 Feb, Thursday 8pm)
Master of the Nine Dragon Fist: Wong Ching-Ho (movie) (21 Feb, Friday 8pm)
O.G. (movie) (24 Feb, Sunday 11am and 11pm)
ONE (StarHub TV Ch 823 and Singtel TV Ch 513)
Haechi (12 Feb, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8.10pm)
The Fiery Priest (16 Feb, Saturday and Sundays 6.10pm)
Big Issue (28 Feb, Thursdays and Fridays 8.10pm)
Oh!K (StarHub TV Ch 816, Singtel TV Ch 525)
Jang Geum, Oh My Grandma (4 Feb, Mondays 7.50pm)
Item (12 Feb, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 7.50pm)
Golden Time (27 Feb, Mondays to Fridays 11pm)
tvN (Singtel TV Channel 518 (HD) and Channel 619 (HD), StarHub TV Channel 824 (HD))
Touch Your Heart (7 Feb, Thursdays and Fridays 9.45pm)
Streaming
Netflix
Dear Ex (movie) (1 Feb)
Nightflyers (1 Feb)
Russian Doll (1 Feb)
Velvet Buzzsaw (movie) (1 Feb)
One Day At A Time (Season 3) (8 Feb)
High Flying Birds (movie) (8 Feb)
Dirty John (14 Feb)
The Umbrella Academy (15 Feb)
Suburra (Season 2) (22 Feb)
Paddleton (movie) (22 Feb)
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (Season 3, Part 2) (26 Feb)
Isn’t It Romantic (movie) (28 Feb)
Viu
Touch Your Heart (7 Feb)
Legal High (9 Feb)
Trap (10 Feb)
The Light In Your Eyes (12 Feb)
Item (12 Feb)
Haechi (12 Feb)
The Fiery Priest (16 Feb)
This article was written for and first published on Yahoo Singapore.
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I’m an independent 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.
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