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 March 2019 TV shows
Korean dramas return in full force this month, with Kill It, Doctor Prisoner, The Banker, and My Prettiest Daughter all coming up on Viu. There’s more Asian fare in the form of HBO’s The World Between Us, a series that takes a new look at some current affairs issues. But what we’re really excited about is the return of Queer Eye — the third season will be up on Netflix this March, and we can’t wait to see the Fab Five in action again.
Miracle Workers (6 Mar, Wednesdays 10pm)
Warner TV (StarHub TV CH. 515, Singtel TV CH. 306)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVqgz0a4Kc
The first season of anthology series Miracle Workers will be a Heaven-set workplace comedy based on Simon Rich’s book What in God’s Name, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Karan Soni. Radcliffe will play Craig, a low-level angel responsible for handling all of humanity’s prayers, and Steve Buscemi will play Craig’s boss God, who has pretty much checked out and is ready to move on to his next project. To prevent Earth’s destruction, Craig and fellow angel Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan) must answer a seemingly unanswerable prayer: help two humans fall in love.
We can expect a legion of comments regarding the political correctness of Miracle Workers, but you can’t deny that the treatment of the subject matter (at least in the trailer) is appropriately classy and humorous. Steve Buscemi looks absolutely hilarious as God, and he’s characterised similarly too. Perhaps it hits too close to home by describing just how much in peril our planet is, but that’s why Miracle Workers resonates so deeply with all of us.
Queer Eye (15 Mar)
Netflix
Grab some tissues! An all-new “Fab Five” serve up hip tips, emotionally charged makeovers and heartfelt reveals that bring out all the feels.
Queer Eye is perhaps the epitome of how much the world has embraced diversity, and it’s so popular that a third season is back. Arguably, since it’s a reality tv show, it’s probably all (secretly) scripted to an extent. But the biggest draw of Queer Eye isn’t the actual makeover — it’s the fact that the “Fab Five” shows us that while we might all be the same, we’re also all different. Here’s to seeing them in action once more, and hopefully they’ll get their own legit drama or comedy one day.
The World Between Us (24 Mar, Sundays 9pm)
HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601)
This ten-part Taiwanese crime drama follows the aftermath of a mass-shooting where the fates of all parties involved – the killer, the victims, the victims’ families, the media and the defense teams – are intertwined.
While most companies would focus on a group of heroes that stop a mass-shooting, HBO takes a different, more nuanced stance instead and looks at the ramifications of a mass-shooting with The World Between Us. The quiet mourning and having to deal with loss on an everyday basis — these are aspects of disaster that The World Between Us looks at. The Mandarin drama is a refreshing take on a topic that feels (unfortunately) familiar, and it’ll be interesting to see what plot arcs and character development The World Between Us will have. After all, when the conflict is internal, it’s much more difficult for the cast but far more rewarding for the viewers.
Kill It (24 Mar)
Viu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ_K5DQjjCU
Kim Soo-Hyun is an elite assassin. He kills his targets and disappears. His identity like race, age or name is unknown to others. Individuals, gangs and organizations from all over the world hire Kim Soo-Hyun. Deep within his mind, he wants to have affection from people. Now, Kim Soo-Hyun has to kill to find his family. Do Hyun-Jin (Nana) graduated at the top of her class from a police university. She is an excellent detective who is also arrogant. She is usually dressed fashionably. Do Hyun-Jin comes across as cold-hearted, but she sympathizes with those in painful situations. Now, Do Hyun-Jin chases after Kim Soo-Hyun to reveal a mystery related to her lover’s death.
Tis the season for shows about assassins — hence the existence of Kill It, a show that might not have been made just 3 or 4 years ago. While the trailer implies a slightly irreverent approach to the series, let’s hope that it steers clear of the trite assassin jokes that we’re all sick of seeing. Personally, I hope that they don’t forget the assassin premise of the show (the title is literally Kill It, after all) when we come to the last few melodramatic episodes of the series, since that really is the most intriguing part of the show.
Terrestrial
Suria
Aurora (1 Mar, Fridays 8.30 pm)
Bahagia Bukan Bidaan (6 Mar, Wednesdays 7pm)
Cable
HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601)
The World Between Us (24 Mar, Sundays 9pm)
Warner TV (StarHub TV CH. 515, Singtel TV CH. 306)
Miracle Workers (6 Mar, Wednesdays 10pm)
Oh!K (Singtel TV channels 525/611, StarHub TV channel 816)
Angel’s Choice (14 Mar, Tuesdays – Fridays 9pm)
The Banker (21 Mar, Thursdays – Fridays 7.50pm)
Streaming
Netflix
The Boy Who Harnessed Wind (movie) (1 Mar)
After Life (8 Mar)
Triple Frontier (13 Mar)
Turn Up Charlie (15 Mar)
Love, Death and Robots (15 Mar)
Queer Eye (Season 3) (15 Mar)
Triple Threat (movie) (22 Mar)
The Dirt (movie) (22 Mar)
Santa Clarita Diet (Season 3) (29 Mar)
The Highwaymen (movie) (29 Mar)
15 August (movie) (29 Mar)
Viu
My Prettiest Daughter in the World (17 Mar)
Doctor Prisoner (21 Mar)
Kill It (24 Mar)
The Banker (28 Mar)
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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