| Genre: | Period drama Film noir |
| Creator: | Paul D. Barron |
| Director: | Peter Andrikidis Tony Tilse |
| Starring: | Don Hany Joan Chen Alaric Tay Michael Dorman Pamelyn Chee et al. |
| Theme Music Composer: | Cezary Skubiszewski Jan Skubiszewski |
| Country: | Australia Singapore |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 10 |
| Executive Producer: | Carole Sklan Greeg Simpkin Sue Masters Erika North Saralo MacGregor Mike Wiluan Michael O'Donnell |
| Producer: | Paul Barron Nick North |
| Location: | Singapore. Batam, Indonesia |
| Runtime: | 55 minutes |
| Network: | ABC HBO Asia RED by HBO |
Serangoon Road is an Australian-Singaporean drama television series that premiered on 22 September 2013 on ABC and HBO Asia. It is a detective noir drama set in Singapore in the mid-1960s. The 10-part series is a collaboration between ABC and HBO Asia and was filmed largely in Singapore.[1] It was created by Paul D. Barron and directed by Peter Andrikidis and Tony Tilse.[2]
The final episode of the series aired on 29 November 2013.[3] Though the series received encouraging ratings, HBO has no plans for a second season.[4]
The series is set in Singapore during the mid-1960s, a tumultuous time in the island's history. The island state is at a crossroads as it is about to break away from the newly created federation of Malaysia and become an independent country. The British colonial rulers are gradually pulling out of the country, while racial and political tensions are running high and the ensuing riots are threatening national security. Communist insurgency movements are active in neighbouring countries and trying to push into Singapore.
The protagonist Sam Callaghan is an Australian living in Singapore. As a child, he was interned in Changi Prison by the occupying Japanese and later joined the military, serving in Malaya. He now runs an import/export business with his partner Kang. Sam agrees to help neighbour Patricia Cheng at her detective agency after her husband is killed while working on a case.[5]
= Production =Because little remains of 1960s Singapore, the series was largely filmed on the soundstages of Singapore’s Infinite Studios, in the ‘Chinatown’ streetscape on its backlot, and rural locations on the nearby island of Batam (Indonesia). Location shooting was done at the Raffles Hotel and other expatriate locations, and the merchant shop houses of Joo Chat Road heritage area.[6] The actual Serangoon Road, a major artery that became a predominantly Indian district,[7] does not figure in the series apart from the title.
| Country/Region | Network | Premiere date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBC TV | 25 March 2014 | |||
| Sony Channel | 9 April 2014 | |||
| Max Prime | 30 June 2014 | |||
| France Ô | 30 August 2014 | [8] |