A Chinese dialect drama will return for a second run in late February next year to enhance communication of government messages and information to seniors, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and broadcaster Mediacorp announced on Wednesday.
The ministry said there will be 10 episodes in the second season of the dialect drama, titled Jiak Ba Buay (Eaten Already?). The first season of the show garnered more than 1.6 million views and received positive reviews from its viewers. The drama will help to reach out to the senior in a vernacular they are comfortable and familiar with.
"We have received positive feedback from many Singaporeans on Eat Already? and how the show has helped them to better understand different Government policies and initiatives," Chee Hong Tat, Minister of State for Health and for Communications and Information told Channel NewsAsia.
MCI and Mediacorp said in a press release: "The catchy music video, with lyrics focusing on healthy living and active ageing, has been very popular with audiences from all age groups, gathering more than 1.1 million views online."
The series is a collaboration between the MCI and Mediacorp, in partnership with Chuan Pictures and Tribal Worldwide. Local director Royston Tan, who directed the first season of the series, will also direct its second run.
"Weaving government messages for seniors into a dialect TV drama while keeping it entertaining has been a challenging but meaningful experience," Tan said.
He added: "We adopted a humorous approach to the screenplay, and tried to crunch complicated policy terms into witty, memorable bite-sized information. I'm glad the drama has resonated well with seniors, and hope they will continue to follow the series into the new season."
