Serangoon Road 

Serangoon Road is a detective noir series set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1960s Singapore.

Creator:

Paul D. Barron

Stars:

Don Hany, Joan Chen, Maeve Dermody

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Don Hany	...	Sam Callaghan 10 episodes, 2013
Joan Chen	...	Patricia Cheng 10 episodes, 2013
Maeve Dermody	...	Claire Simpson 10 episodes, 2013
Alaric	...	Kang 10 episodes, 2013
Michael Dorman	...	Conrad Harrison 10 episodes, 2013
Pamelyn Chee	...	Su Ling 10 episodes, 2013
Zhang Wei	...	Uncle Weng 10 episodes, 2013
Ario Bayu	...	Inspector Amran 9 episodes, 2013
Rachael Blake	...	Lady Tuckworth 9 episodes, 2013
Tony Martin	...	Bruce 'Macca' MacDonald 8 episodes, 2013
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor	...	Frank Simpson 7 episodes, 2013
Wendy Toh	...	Joo Ee 7 episodes, 2013
Shane Briant	...	Major Lawrence Miller 7 episodes, 2013
Aizuddiin Nasser	...	Tommy 7 episodes, 2013
Chin Han	...	Kay Song 6 episodes, 2013
Beatrice Chien	...	Kok Tao Aunty 6 episodes, 2013
Ted Maynard	...	Wild Bill 5 episodes, 2013

Storyline

It's 1964. The world is changing, the global balance of power is shifting and Singapore is at a crossroads. The colonial rule of the British has finally come to an end and independence is on the horizon. It's an exciting time where the island state can finally forge its own identity. The heartbeat of the nation stems from one main artery that runs through the island. Whether it is culture or crime, politics or patriotism, espionage or enterprise, all paths lead to Serangoon Road. This is the world of Sam Callaghan, Kang, Patricia Cheng and the clients of the Cheng Detective Agency. Sam Callaghan agrees to help Patricia Cheng after her husband is killed while working on a case. Patricia may not be a detective, but she knows her company needs a good investigator with contacts in the various local communities as well as among the ex-pats. Sam is all of that. But, after a childhood in a POW camp and a checkered career in Military Intelligence during the Malay Emergency, he is also ...

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Plot Keywords:

detective agency | singapore | british | 1960s | private detective | 

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Taglines:

Reba's back.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Singapore Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Детективи от "Серангун Роуд"

Filming Locations:

Singapore, Singapore

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Asia,Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC),ContentFilm International

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Singapore gained independence in 1961 and all vice including brothels and gambling became illegal and was closed down...this is supposed to be 1964.

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Goofs

Some of the telephone sets used are Singapore Telecoms standard telephone sets from the 1980's.

User Reviews

One or two Singapore Slings too many.

Given that the series is a co-production between HBO Asia and others, what a shame that HBO Asia's very own synopsis writer clearly needs some lessons in history: "The world is changing, the global balance of power is shifting . . ." This ignores the fact that the early to mid-sixties was the height of the Cold War - a tense stand off between the West and the Communist Bloc. Only one year before this series is set the world had been taken to the brink of global nuclear warfare in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Power wasn't shifting, rather an irresistible force had gone up against an immovable object.

"The colonial rule of the British has finally come to an end and independence is on the horizon." Actually, Singaporean independence wasn't on the horizon - quite the opposite. Starting as early as 1955, as a result of post war austerity the British had been handing over power to Singapore in an orderly and gradual withdrawal. Far from seeking independence, by 1964, when the series is set, Singapore, fearing the loss of British protection, had become firmly entrenched as part of the Malaysian Federation.

"It's an exciting time where the island state can finally forge its own identity." Again, untrue. In 1965 Singapore was, very much against its wishes, expelled from the Malaysian Federation. Singapore had independence thrust upon it, independence it had not sought. Singaporeans had not led some brave freedom fighting campaign in a bid to rid itself of evil oppressors, it had been stood up - twice.

Perhaps it might be more prudent in future for HBO Asia to employ an historian to write its historical synopses rather than a Stepford Wife.