Mediacorp’s Lights.Camera.Singapore initiative salutes Singaporean storytelling with riveting reimagining of Dick Lee’s Fried Rice Paradise

Singapore, 20 June 2019 – Music, makan and mayhem...oh, my! Psych yourself up for an exuberant expedition to the Eighties with the first-ever stage-to-screen serial adaptation of the Fried Rice Paradise musical – complete with catchy new compositions, fresh-faced thespians and thrilling twists to the plot.

Fried Rice Paradise - The Drama Series is a 13-part tentpole programme that is part of Mediacorp’s Lights. Camera. Singapore showcase of Singaporean storytelling, which kicked off on 27 November 2018 with a 28-strong medley of movies. Since its launch, the initiative has scored an integrated reach exceeding 1,148,000 across free-to-air and over-the-top streaming services, according to SG-TAM*.

Irene Lim, Chief Customer Officer, Mediacorp, said: “Fried Rice Paradise - The Drama Series is an exciting development for Lights. Camera. Singapore, an initiative by Singapore, for Singapore and beyond. Working with Dick Lee and mm2 Entertainment, we’ve created an adaption of the musical reflecting contemporary genres and themes, with a format that feels fresh, enterprising and innovative. It’s a great outcome from our efforts to champion the creative ecosystem and showcase its diversity of talent.”

Surfing the success of Lights. Camera. Singapore, Fried Rice Paradise - The Drama Series underscores Mediacorp’s commitment to tapping talent from the creative community beyond broadcasting, with media content company mm2 Entertainment assigned with production and multi-hyphenate maestro Dick Lee personally penning “See What You Must See”, an original song serving as the theme track for the series.

This incarnation includes rejigged refrains from Dick Lee’s lyrical library for a total of 19 songs, all of which are available for streaming on Mediacorp’s MeRadio music service app and website. These songs are deployed as emotive elements in a naturalistic manner in the series – think characters crooning along to joyous beats from a jukebox, for instance.

Dick Lee said: “As a massive drama series fan, I believe this year’s Fried Rice Paradise is by far the most exciting! The 1991 and 2010 stage versions were different from each other, but transposing a theatrical production to screen has been singularly challenging and gratifying. One solution was to revive and rework songs from my Eighties repertoire for that extra touch of authenticity.”

Added Mr Lee: “The current series for Lights. Camera. Singapore diverges even further from the earlier feel-good storylines by throwing a heart-thumping homicidal wrench into the works. I love a good edge-of-your-seat mystery, so I’m pleased to tease that Fried Rice Paradise - The Drama Series is firmly rooted in that genre!”

The 13-episode show safeguards the ingredients integral to its appeal – Dick Lee’s ebullient earworms and emphasis on colourful cuisine and characters – while adding “bite” by boosting the back-stories with a spicy splash of suspense.

Arising from the aftermath of her mother’s apparently accidental death, the plot centres on plucky protagonist Choo Bee Lean (Foo Fang Rong), whose goal of growing her Fried Rice Paradise eatery is thwarted at every turn by Rickson Goh (Sebastian Tan), a mercenary magnate with murky – and maybe murderous – motivations.

This Bee-Rickson feud is fuelled by a fiery five-sided love liaison comprising Bee herself, Rickson’s suavely smug son Hennessy, masterful musician Johan, sheltered socialite Aishah and sassy singer Campari D’Cruz – the latter four played by up-and-comers Uriah See, Danial Ashriq, Aisyah Aziz and Valnice Yek respectively. These promising next-gen performers point to Mediacorp's preeminence as a platform for incubating ingénues in Singapore and beyond.

Catch Fried Rice Paradise - The Drama Series starting 25 June 2019 via Toggle, and subsequently every Tuesday from 2 July 2019 at 9.30pm on Channel 5. For more information, visit Toggle.sg/FriedRiceParadise.

High-resolution visual assets can be downloaded via this link: https://mediacorp-sg.sharefile.com/d-s54281aceb114d588

*Source: SG-TAM – all rights reserved by IMDA, November 2018 – June 2019.

Reach Condition: 1-minute consecutive viewing.

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Media contact
Eugene Quek
Communications Specialist
Tel.: +65 6359 7450
Email: Eugene.Quek@mediacorp.com.sg