by Joanna Goh

It’s time for modern-day series to take a back seat with the strong return of period dramas on the gogglebox

From the carefree and laidback village life in a kampong during the 40s to the grandeur palace dramas in a harem-setting from olden China, period drama series are no doubt the hottest drama theme to ride on this year.

The historical aspect of these stories or the transition into a whole new and different era — from the one we’re living in today — might be just one of the many reasons behind its strong appeal and demand amongst TV viewers. Throw in an elaborate setting, intricate costumes with an eye for historical details and you have yourself a winning formula.

Code of Honour

Taking on a different route from the usual melodramatic and sappy story themes, Code of Honour bears strong potential to be different from its predecessors with its heavy emphasis on kung fu. Family secrets, power-hunger fights in a martial arts school and the eventual showdown between good and evil makes up for the main underlying story premise of this show. Our only grimace so far: not enough action — it took a good 13 episodes before we finally saw the main female lead Ou Kelu (Rui En) get down to some fist-punching martial arts fun.

Joys of Life

Remember the 1999 Wok of Life starring Chew Chor Meng, Evelyn Tan, Ann Kok and Zheng Ge Ping? Joys of Life is set to be another nostalgic drama set in the 60s and 70s and will feature familiar faces such as Chew Chor Meng, Chen Li Ping, Rui En, Huang Wen Yong, Yvonne Lim, Zheng Ge Ping, Romeo Tan, Andie Chen and more. Set to commemorate 30 years of television in Singapore, the story will be based on the mobile getai and entertainment scene of our grandparents’ and parents’ generation and revisit the golden decade of music with old school performers such as Wang Sha and Ye Feng, Sakura, and Ling Yun.

Code of Honour 正义武馆 debuts 5 December 2011 7pm on Channel 8.

Joys of Life 花样人间 debuts June 2012 9pm on Channel 8.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in 30th Drama Anniversary, Code of Honour 正义武馆, EN, Joys of Life 花样人间, xinmsn.