Eat Already?

Eat Already?
吃饱没?
Genre Family
Directed by Royston Tan
Starring Li Yinzhu
Elvin Ng
Aden Tan
Wang Lei
Aileen Tan
Marcus Chin
Brandon Wong
Country of origin Singapore
Original language(s) Hokkien, Mandarin with some Teochew dialogue
No. of episodes 10
Production
Location(s) Singapore
Running time approx. 23 minutes
Production company(s) Mediacorp Studios
Distributor Mediacorp TV
Release
Original network Mediacorp Channel 8
Picture format 16:9 widescreen
Original release 9 September – 11 November 2016
Chronology
Followed by Happy Can Already!

Eat Already? (Chinese: 吃饱没?) is a Singaporean dialect drama series which is telecast on Singapore's free-to-air channel, Mediacorp Channel 8. The series made its debut on 9 September 2016 and ended on 11 November 2016. This was the first dialect drama to be produced on Channel 8 after a 30-year hiatus. This series is primarily targeted at Singaporean elderly as most of them speak Chinese dialects at home. It aims to explain various kinds of governmental and healthcare policies to them in a language and setting which they are comfortable with.[1][2] It gives them various tips for healthy living and aging as well.[3] It consists of 10 episodes and was broadcast every Friday from 12pm to 12.30pm. The show received positive reviews and gained acceptance from Singaporeans of all ages on the day of its debut.

Plot

The series is set in a coffee shop and it focuses on an elderly widow, Ah Niu Sao (Li Yinzhu), who works as a dishwasher and cleaner in a coffee shop in order to support her two sons. They are Ah Bee (Elvin Ng), who is formerly a gambler and currently a chef, and Ah Kiong (Aden Tan), who is a disabled person. As the series progresses, she faces many kinds of difficulties in life but manages to pull through due to the help from her neighbours and various healthcare support schemes.

Cast

Main cast

Cast Character Description Episodes Appeared
Li Yinzhu
李茵珠
Ah Niu Sao
阿牛嫂
Ah Bee and Ah Kiong's mother
Ah Shun neighbour
1-10
Elvin Ng
黄俊雄
Ah Bee
阿米
Tan Chee Boon 陈志文
Ah Niu Sao's elder son
Ah Kiong's elder brother
Gambler, later became a chef
1, 3-10
Aden Tan
陈昱志
Ah Kiong
阿强
Tan Chee Kiong 陈志强
Ah Niu Sao's younger son
Ah Bee's younger brother
In love with Meimei
Handicapped
Sitting on a wheelchair
1, 3, 5-10
He Yingying
何盈莹
Meimei
美美
Ah Kiong's colleague 3, 5-6, 9-10
Marcus Chin
陈建彬
Ah Shun
阿顺
Ah Shun Sao's husband
Ah Niu Sao's neighbour
1-5, 7-10
Aileen Tan
陈丽贞
Ah Shun Sao
阿顺嫂
Ah Shun's wife 1, 6-10
Wang Lei
王雷
Niao Wang
鸟王
Bird King
Ah Niu Sao's long time friend
Daniel's father
Da Pao and Ahmad's friend
1-10
许不了 Da Pao
大炮
Niao Wang and Ahmad's friend 2-7, 10
Ahamad Ali Ahmad Niao Wang and Ah Pao's friend 2-5, 7, 10
Brandon Wong
黄炯耀
Daniel
大鸟
Bird King's son 8-10

Cameo appearance

Cast Character Description Episodes Appeared
Ye Shipin
叶世品
- Coffee shop's boss
Ah Niu Sao and Ah Shun's boss
1, 2
Pan Lingling
潘玲玲
- Nurse 1
Chen Liping
陈莉萍
Ms. Tan Clinic nurse 2
Kym Ng
鐘琴
Dr. Tay
郑医生
Clinic doctor 2
Zoe Tay
郑惠玉
Dr. Tay
郑医生
Clinic doctor 4
Cavin Soh
苏梽诚
- Ah Bee's boss 5, 8
Nick Teo
张鈞淯
哥哥 Meimei's elder brother 6, 9

Episodes

No. overall Title Original Airdate
1"Episode 1"9 September 2016 (2016-09-09)
PG Some Disturbing Scenes
A cooking competition is happening at a Community Centre. Amongst the participants is Ah Bee, who wins the competition. Ah Bee starts his thank-you speech by recounting his past; how he was contemplating suicide just a mere few months ago. Ah Niu Sao finds Ah Bee sleeping, and not fulfilling his promise to bring his brother Ah Qiang to the Enabling Village. She has no choice but to do it herself. She receives a call from her boss, who threatens to fire her if she doesn’t report to work. Ah Niu Sao goes to work but faints.
2"Episode 2"16 September 2016 (2016-09-16) PG
Bird King coughs incessantly and the club members urge him to visit the doctor. Dr. Tay reports that he has high cholesterol, and borderline high blood pressure. She gives Bird King some tips about healthy living. Ah Niu Sao receives her pay, but realizes that it is short of $50. Uncle Soon tries to help but the boss threatens to fire her. Uncle Soon advises Ah Niu Sao to seek help at Meet-the-people Session. There, Ah Niu Sao receives a call from Ah Qiang. He tells her that the loansharks have beaten Ah Bee up.
3"Episode 3"23 September 2016 (2016-09-23) PG
Ah Bee’s nonchalance despite being beaten up by loansharks disappoints Ah Niu Sao. Witnessing his mum’s sadness, Ah Qiang agrees to check out the Enabling Village to get a job. There, he meets Meimei, a volunteer, whom he warms up to. Ah Bee steals Ah Niu Sao’s salary and gambles it all away. Bird-King starts showing signs of dementia, and his friends urges him to see a doctor.
4"Episode 4"30 September 2016 (2016-09-30) PG
Bird King gets progressively more forgetful. DaPao is worried about Bird King’s condition, and persuades Bird King to go for a check-up. Ah Niu Sao desperately looks around for Ah Bee. She hears the song “Jia Hou” playing at a getai, and ends up in tears. Unbeknownst to him, Ah Bee is looking on from afar. After seeing how Ah Niu Sao is worried for him, he decides to go home and turn over a new leaf.
5"Episode 5"7 October 2016 (2016-10-07) PG
The slap from Ah Niu Sao brought Ah Bee to his senses. He decides to turn over a new leaf and attends a cooking class. He subsequently gets a job at a restaurant and his boss challenges Ah Bee to cook a dish for him. Ah Niu Sao frets over Bird King’s illness.
6"Episode 6"14 October 2016 (2016-10-14) PG
Ah Qiang starts falling for Meimei. He loses sleep over this and Ah Bee and Ah Niu Sao decide to give him some advice. Auntie Soon urges Ah Niu Sao to join her and several other old folks at the Senior Citizens’ corner to make friends. Da Pao brings Bird King to the Senior Citizens’ corner as well to let him socialize in order to prevent his dementia from getting worse.
7"Episode 7"21 October 2016 (2016-10-21) PG
MOS Chee Hong Tat shares tips on healthy eating and active ageing with the seniors at a talk happening in Toa Payoh East CC. Ah Bee surprise Bird King with a ‘healthy birthday cake’, but Bird King forgets that it is his birthday. Da Pao worries that Bird King he may one day forget everyone. Ah Bee bumps into his old friends who cajol him to go to the gambling den. Will he give in to temptation once more?
8"Episode 8"28 October 2016 (2016-10-28) PG
Ah Niu Sao decides to enroll herself in a computer course in order to search for Bird King’s son through social media. Both Ah Bee and Ah Qiang suspect that Ah Niu Sao has a hidden agenda, which is to search for their long-lost sister. Ah Bee confesses to his boss about his gambling debts. How will his boss react?
9"Episode 9"4 November 2016 (2016-11-04)
PG Some Violence
Ah Qiang finds out that his rival in love is actually Meimei’s brother. Ah Bee’s creditor turns to Ah Qiang to pay for his debts. Ah Qiang gets injured in the process, and Ah Bee is stricken with guilt. Bird King reunites with his son, but tension arises. Ah Niu Sao suspects that Meimei could be her long-lost daughter.
10"Episode 10"11 November 2016 (2016-11-11) PG
Ah Niu Sao forgives Ah Bee’s moment of folly and the two reminisce on memories of Ah Niu Sao’s daughter Xiao Mei. Ah Niu Sao shares her suspicion that Meimei could be her long-lost daughter. Ah Bee rents a stall in the coffeeshop and starts his own business.

Trivia

See also

References

  1. "New Hokkien drama aimed at seniors to be launched on Sep 9". Channel NewsAsia. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  2. Rachel [email protected] (2016-09-01). "New Hokkien drama to explain government policies to seniors, Politics News & Top Stories". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  3. "Eat Already? Hokkien drama aimed at seniors to return for second run". Channel NewsAsia. 2016-09-09. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
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