WHEN HBO is involved in a 10-part series, fans of high-quality television tend to get excited.
Serangoon Road is the first production from HBO Asia and is made in conjunction with our very own ABC.
Unfortunately, the apple has fallen on the ABC side of the tree, producing a series that is serviceable, but nothing like the outstanding HBO dramas that have been spawned by the US parent company.
Strong silent type Don Hany (pictured) stars as Australian private eye Sam Callaghan who is based in Singapore in the early 1960s as the island state staggers from British rule to independence.
Things you need to know about Sam are: he is having an affair with a beautiful married woman; he was incarcerated in Changi prison camp as a child during the war; he is as tough as Chuck Norris and has just as many facial expressions; he always wears a tight-fitting singlet and the same open neck Pelaco shirt, even at embassy functions; and he always solves the case within the allotted hour.
The last point is the most important. Those hoping for an HBO-style production would have been looking for the slow burn build-up that can take an entire series (or even two) to reach a climax. It might take a while on The Sopranos, The Wire or Boardwalk Empire, but the wait is always worth it.
Serangoon Road is a more traditional weekly detective drama where the puzzle is solved, the baddies get their comeuppance and Sam, his singlet and his sidekicks prepare for next week’s adventure. It’s a classier, South East Asia version of Magnum PI.
To be fair, it’s an entertaining enough way to spend a Sunday night. The setting is exotic enough and the story lines are better than average.
After two episodes, it can be a little difficult to understand the political situation that is the backdrop to series. Students of recent Asian history would be better served than the majority of viewers, who may be more than a little confused. As an ABC drama, it looks like being an above average series. As an HBO production, it is a major disappointment.
– Danny Buttler
