1. Sunday Times (by The Straits Times) Lifestyle Cover

Breakout Stars

Elvin Ng starred in two of the top 10 Channel 8 dramas lst year while Rui En acted in three. Are they the new King and Queen of Caldecott Hill?

2. hot Pages 6 & 7

Top of the Hill

The recently released llist of Top 10 Channel 8 dramas shows there is a new crop of talent ready to take over Caldecott Hill.

By Rachael Boon

And the Top 10 Channel 8 dramas for 2010 are ….

Have a look at the list featured on these pages and many will wonder: Where are the names of Singapore TV’s enduring dynamic duo, Fann Wong and Zoe Tay?

The Queens of Caldecott Hill are nowhere to be seen in the line-up of those starring in the Top 10 list.

The new queen of the Hill is the versatile Rui En, 30, who acted in three dramas which are among the top five Channel 8 shows. She starred in With You, Happy Family and Unriddle.

As for Fann and Tay, they did not even act in any MediaCorp dramas last year to put them in contention. Fann has been busy filming overseas and Tay was pregnant.

The last blockbuster which both of them starred in, along with the two Ah Ge Li Nanxing and Tay Ping Hui, was 2009’s The Ultimatum, which received a lukewarm response. It was criticised for being too melodramatic.

Indeed, the top 10 list runs the gamut of content, from police dramas to stories about families and light-hearted comedy.

The top 10 shows are all MediaCorp’s productions except Taiwanese drama Love.

Modest productions such as With You a supernatural-themed tearjerker, New Beginnings, which dealt with the wedding and funeral industries, and the heart-warming Happy Family, trumped the blockbuster drama Breakout.

Indeed, with Channel 8’s top 10 dramas featuring a greater variety of actors and a wide range of drama genres, it is a sign that big names and blockbusters are not needed to lure viewers.

Things are certainly different from 10 years ago, says actress Cynthia Koh, who has been in the industry since 1992. She says viewers are constantly changing and looking for something more.

The Ah Ge and Ah Jie labels also no longer matter these days because teamwork is more important in producing good dramas, she says.

Rui En is clearly on a trajectory, with a Best Actress nomination for Star Awards 2011 in her bag for her role as a widow in With You, and having acted in three top-rated drama serials in a year.

She was one of MediaCorp’s Seven Princesses – the rest of whom were Jeanette Aw, Joanne Peh, Jesseca Liu, Felicia Chin, Fiona Xie and Dawn Yeoh.

The Seven Princesses was a term coined by the Chinese press in 2006, where the seven were said to be next in line to succeed Zoe and Fann.

Until last year, Rui En had never been a crowd favourite, but with other contenders such as Xie, Chin, Yeoh and Liu leaving MediaCorp, her name has come.

Life!’s Asian TV reviewer Foong Woei Wan says Rui En is finally getting the attention she deserves.

She says: “She doesn’t do the usual Channel 8 acting. In With You, she shows that you don’t have to shout, you can whisper and still hold viewers’ attention.”

Along with the new queen comes her royal partner, Elvin Ng, with two Best Actor nominates in a row.

Actor Alan Term, who has a decade of experience and appeared in various top shows last year, says he does see Ng and Rui En as the new generation of leads.

He says, “They are already leads now so I see them as the next pillars of MediaCorp as they are doing pretty well.”

What do you think of the new generation of stars at Caldecott Hill? Write to suntimes@sph.com.sg

3. hot Page 7

Ice queen turns nice queen

It has been a long climb to the summit, but Rui En, 30, is finally enjoying the view.

The actress, who has been in show business for more than a decade, looks set to be crowned the new queen of Caldecott Hill.

Recognition has finally come, thanks to her roles in three top-rated Channel 8 dramas – With You, Happy Family and Unriddle – and a Best Actress nomination for her role as a grieving widow in With You.

The fortunate series of events did not happen overnight for her. She is known as one of MediaCorp’s seven “princesses”, yet she says her has seen her career “progress in a backward manner”.

By this she explains that she is hardly on top of the popularity pack like the other “princesses” such as Jeanette Aw and Joanne Peh.

In an interview with LifeStyle, she says: “About what I achieved last year, in terms of ratings or anything else, I feel a lot of irony and a little bit of vindication.”

Explaining why, she says: “When this whole “seven princesses” thing was started by the Chinse press in 2006, the media would get people to compare the seven of us and there would be rankings and lists. The funny thing was that then, I was always No. 5 or No. 6.

“Just a few years ago, that was how the media and the public saw me. It was said that I was a bit too distant, the audience wouldn’t accept me, I was too aloof.”

But now, three of her shows have made it to the list of the top five Channel 8 dramas.

The supposed ice queen has since further melted viewers’ hearts with her role as the simle-minded and optimistic Xiaodong in Happy Family, which aired in January last year, She feels that it was that role which made viewers see that she could be more than an ice queen and credits this to the executive producer of Happy Family, Mr Paul Yuen, who cast her.

“For reasons that I don’t know, he decided to cast me as a girl who was simple minded to the point of being silly,” she says.

“The fact that he gave me the chance really changed viewers’ perception of me and I’m very grateful. It turned out to be one of the most comfortable roles I’ve ever played because Xiaodong was very happy and positive.”

Rui En’s hard work over the past decade has paid off. Loyal fans who have stuck with her are really being affected by her moving portrayals in tragic roles such as a widow in With You.

She says: “One auntie came up to me and said, ‘Watching your show makes me cry’. She paused and continued, ‘Actually thinking about it now, I’m going to cry already’. So I was like, ‘oh no, please don’t cry’.”

She adds: “I’m very grateful that viewers have matured to the point where they recognise you for what you are and what you stand for. The recognition I’ve got has proven that.”

Top 10 Channel 8 Drama Series in 2010

Source: The Sunday Times by The Straits Times

Categorised in 七公主 7 Princesses, EN, Happy Family 过好年, Ratings 节目收视率, Ruivin, Star Awards 2011, The Straits Times, Unriddle 最火搭档, With You 我在你左右.

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TV Guide

小迷看电视

白微秀和瑞恩今年合拍三部剧，包括即将在情人节推出的8频道新剧《乐在双城》。他们一个是红星视后，另一个演技备受肯定，今天起在mioTV频道，你可以提前欣赏这场新传媒的“公主”演技之战。

乐在双城 mobtv SELECT (mio TV Ch 312) 随时观赏

富家女章雅乐（瑞恩）的父母过世后，她继承所有的家产。她对家族经营的婚纱生意毫无兴趣，生意都交给员工打理，但雅乐发现婚纱生意每况愈下，银行不停的追债……

雅乐该如何打拼，才能走向光明的未来？

Source: Zaobao

Categorised in A Tale of 2 Cities 乐在双城, 七公主 7 Princesses, CH, Zaobao.

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It’s the time of the year again where the Best categories of Star Awards nominations were being considered… To kick start the event, let’s hear you out on your most worthy top 5 Best Actresses?

Rui En finished the year with 3 major lead roles in Happy Family 过好年, With You 我在你左右 and Unriddle 最火搭档. Will she finally get a nomination after missing out for many donkey years or end up another year with zero nomination?

Predict your top 5 Best Actresses now before the public announcement at the end of the month!

Source: BaguaTV

Categorised in 七公主 7 Princesses, BaguaTV / Bagua8, EN, Happy Family 过好年, Star Awards, Star Awards 2011, Unriddle 最火搭档, With You 我在你左右.

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Ms Kok Len Shoong and Mr Paul Yuen said the departure of some of MediaCorp’s elite stable of Seven Princesses has opened up opportunities for the Malaysians.

The Princesses are Fiona Xie, Felicia Chin, Dawn Yeoh, Jesseca Liu, Jeanette Aw, Joanne Peh and Rui En.

Only the last three are still with the broadcaster.

Ms Kok said: ‘Maybe young actresses are in greater demand because some of the Princesses left. Once they get more chances to appear on TV and produce good results, the public will notice them.’

She added that MediaCorp is always on the lookout for new talents, overseas and local.

Mr Yuen wishes more Singaporeans would take up acting and be less afraid to perform. He said: ‘Fewer Singaporeans are turning to acting professionally…

‘It shouldn’t be just about money or a person quitting acting because you don’t earn enough. If you have the talent and the passion, give it a try.’

Source: The New Paper

Categorised in 七公主 7 Princesses, EN, The New Paper.

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1. Feature Page 38

10å¹´ 风云事 还没忘记…

“七公主”时代掀争霸战，如今晋升”欧白”(欧萱vs白微秀)之战。

2. TV MSN Page 69

四眼先生: 明年会有《过好年》part 2 可以看吗？过了一整年，我还记得这部戏咯。如果有part 2，不懂那个金乜乜有演吗hor?

芭芭拉姬: 据我推算，应该很难，金乜乜拍完过年戏后都不知所踪了咯。　不要问我为什么，继续我问天我问天啦~

3. 8Days 12 hotshots for 2011 Calendar

Complimentary with the latest I-Weekly or 8Days.

Categorised in 8 DAYS, 七公主 7 Princesses, CH, Happy Family 过好年, I-Weekly.

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瑞恩（图／档案照）

日期: 03/12/2010 | 新闻来源: 联合晚报 | 记者: 王英敏

白薇秀、瑞恩明年战幔正式拉开，各接演三部剧，其中同演《乐在双城》、《正义武馆》，“奉旨”较劲对杠！

今年本地“公主”纷纷闹出走，仅剩白薇秀、瑞恩和欧萱，三“公主”的战幔拉开，明年谁将当道？

根据新传媒2011年本地新剧的演员、档期安排，2010年下半年没戏剧作品、因个人理由要求放长假的白薇秀，明年将高调全面回归；2011年，她和瑞恩的战幔也将正式拉开，双姝除了在《乐在双城》中较劲，据悉也将在8月份另一部本地剧《正义武馆》中二度杠上！

据悉，白薇秀除了下周与许立桦合演的“暖身作”U频道原创电影《等一等爱情》外，她目前与瑞恩、台湾新人庞蕾馨正赶拍明年情人节推出的新剧《乐在双城》；5月份，她将继《谜图》后和郑斌辉再续前缘，并和《走进走出》的部分卡司戚玉武、童冰玉合演警匪剧《警徽天职》；下半年的8月份，白薇秀将再度和瑞恩在《正义武馆》中“配对”，究竟会“打”出什么火花，令人期待。

另一厢，除了《乐》和《正》外，瑞恩和许美珍主演的《麻婆斗妇》（暂定，前名《麻辣斗妇》、《快乐3+1》）预计4月份8频道播出，她和白薇秀目前2011年各有三部，两位公主旗鼓相当，可谓平起平坐，同样受新传媒力捧。

‘准公主’周颖、童冰玉、郭蕙雯 各有1作品

从名单来看，郭蕙雯、周颖和尚未签约新传媒的童冰玉三位“准公主”，明年各有1部剧，分别是《渔米人家》、《阿娣》和《警徽天职》，曝光率和已上位的白薇秀、瑞恩相比，确实不高。

此外，预计8月份九时档播出的《万福楼》及2011年底台庆剧《星洲之夜》演员名单尚未出炉，届时两人是否能轧上一角，观众只能拭目以待啦。

Source: Wanbao, Omy.sg, ChinaPress

Categorised in A Tale of 2 Cities 乐在双城, 七公主 7 Princesses, CH, ChinaPress 中國報, Code of Honour 正义武馆, Omy.sg, The In-Laws 麻婆斗妇, Wanbao.

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日期: 28/11/2010 | 新闻来源: 联合晚报 | 记者: 钟雁龄

杨锡彬说，除了欧萱之外，瑞恩、林湘萍等也是与他合作无间的演员。他点评说：“欧萱属于聆听型的艺人，会静静听完故事，看完剧本，遇到困难地方我们就会彼此讨论；瑞恩则会很直率地提出想法和意见，提出建议。她很拼，拍《破茧而出》时，扭伤脚，仍坚持完成动作，专业精神可嘉。”

杨锡彬强调，一部好的制作，除了剧本，还需要专业的演员去演绎好角色，配合强的制作团队，才能较好地保证作品水准。

“演员和监制彼此都应摆在专业的角度，除了告诉演员我要什么外，我也希望他们能有自己想法，弥补制作方面的疏忽和盲点。”杨锡彬说。

Source: Wanbao, Omy.sg, ChinaPress

Categorised in 七公主 7 Princesses, CH, ChinaPress 中國報, Metamorphosis 破茧而出, Omy.sg, Wanbao.

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日期: 12/11/2010 | 新闻来源: 联合晚报 | 记者: 钟雁龄

瑞恩和白薇秀明年将到马国参与合资剧《正义武馆》演出。（图／档案照）

新马电视交流频繁，新传媒明年计划与马国电视台合拍5部电视剧，除了资深艺人纷纷“跑路”到马国，连欧萱、白薇秀和瑞恩3名电视台“仅存”的公主，也将先后越过长堤拍摄合资剧集，估计明年本地电视演艺圈，将出现一段“空城”状态。

本地电视近来面对演员离巢、艺人真空、剧本薄弱、收视低落和新媒体壮大等多方夹攻，“内忧外患”驱使下，新传媒逐渐开始将视野拓展到区域及海外，近来纷纷与马国合资拍摄剧集，艺人出走邻国。

全新创作抢救收视率

其实，早在几年前，监制袁树伟曾来马来西亚，负责打开两地剧集合资、制作的天空。不过，当时的合资剧集如《原点》、《情有可缘》、《美丽的气味》和《天使的烙印》等，其实都是“捡现成”，因编剧缺乏而翻炒新传媒旧剧如《长河》、《二分一缘分》、《情来运转》和《天使的诱惑》等，得到反响不大。

这次再征马来西亚，由杨锡彬领军，他表示接下来的新马合资剧集，在故事内容上都是全新的原创作品，强调故事和人物角色的重要性，也以新马两地的观众口味和市场为考量。

“像《正义武馆》和《甘榜情》就是为8频道拍摄的，而《断掌》则拍给ntv7，8月有2部，10月也2部……接下来还会有很多合资剧集陆续推出。我要让观众看到我们也可拍出认真、诚意的作品。”杨锡彬说。

两地艺人‘大交换’

除了欧萱即将“落跑”马国外，杨锡彬也透露，另外2公主－－白薇秀和瑞恩，将在明年中到马国拍摄合资剧《正义武馆》（暂名），在片中发扬武学精神，锄强扶弱。

Source: Wanbao, ChinaPress

Categorised in 七公主 7 Princesses, CH, ChinaPress 中國報, Code of Honour 正义武馆, Wanbao.

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She talks about her growing rapport with co-actress Rui En and responds to critiques made on her recent debut as a variety host on The Activist’s Journey.

Text & Photos: Joanna Goh
Video: Fiona Lin

After a six-month hiatus from television, Joanne Peh will return as a materialistic and unscrupulous model in the upcoming rom-com Ch 8 drama series, A Tale of Two Cities.

Sharing the screen with Rui En, for the first time, Joanne’s experience with her fellow Caldecott Hill Princess has been nothing short of pleasant and comfortable. The NTU graduate revealed in an interview with xinmsn that an unspoken understanding and rapport had formed between the both of them though the two starlets share little onscreen time together.

“She’s a woman of little words and we can click pretty well whenever there’s a common topic shared between us. We won’t try to intentionally create talking points but that’s not to say we are aloof and cold around each other,” said the 28-year-old on their “hard to come by” chemistry at work.

A Tale of Two Cities debuts on Valentines’ Day 2011.

Source: Xinmsn

Categorised in A Tale of 2 Cities 乐在双城, 七公主 7 Princesses, EN, xinmsn.

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