Eat Already’s 2nd season to feature Cantonese, Teochew

SINGAPORE — Hit dialect drama Eat Already? will return for a second season on Feb 24 with a bigger cast, more dialects and new themes.

In addition to Hokkien, the second run of Eat Already? (or Jiak Ba Buay in Hokkien) will see the cast speak in Cantonese and Teochew — a decision that was made after director Royston Tan and his team received feedback from viewers who wanted more dialects to be featured on the show “for better representation of the local community”.

“I’ve always wanted to create that bridge to connect the older generation with the younger generation, (and) I feel dialect is a bridge,” he told TODAY in an interview, adding that it took him and his team a year to produce both seasons of the show. The 10-episode series aims to educate senior citizens on government policies and this season includes themes like emergency preparedness, tips on avoiding scams, depression management and domestic violence and elderly abuse.

Tan said he felt most strongly about the messages involving con artists, because his own family nearly fell victim to a kidnap scam.

“My dad received a phone call that me and my brother had been kidnapped, and my father is a very street-smart person,” the 40-year-old director said.

“But sometimes, when this type of things happen, you react first. My father almost ran out to pay the deposit. I think when that happened to me, I felt it was very important for me to put this encounter that I had experienced in (the show),” the filmmaker said.

Eat Already? 2 comes after the show’s first season, which was mostly shot in Hokkien, drew over 200,000 TV viewers per episode — far higher than the average viewership for its 12pm-12.30pm time slot on Channel 8 — when it ran from September to November last year.

The series is a collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Mediacorp, in partnership with Chuan Pictures and Tribal Worldwide.

“I was actually quite surprised the show’s success, ... (and) we were told that our ratings were comparable to the 9pm slot,” Tan said.

“I took almost close to a year of putting a stop to many projects I was supposed to do, to concentrate on Jiak Ba Buay, and I am happy that I made the right choice. I am very honoured to be the first director to open up this dialect belt that hasn’t been open for the last 40 years.”

Tan believes the series was popular because it struck a chord with the older generation, and because there was a balance between the dissemination of government information with humour.

“In terms of the dialogue, I am very careful about it. We try to make it sound very colloquial, as natural as possible, so other people can relate to it,” he said. He added that he is often moved when people tell him that even though the time slot may be inconvenient, they make it a point to watch the show — even going as far as to “watch it in the toilet” on their smartphones, he said.

Cast members Marcus Chin and Aileen Tan, who starred in the first season of Eat Already?, will return to the show, with stars like Ian Fang, Liu Ling Ling, Zhang Yaodong, Chen Shucheng, Hong Huifang, Ye Shipin and Li Bao En set to join the cast.

The drama will also feature cameos by Priscelia Chan, Hossan Leong, Chen Tianwen, Xiang Yun, Tay Ping Hui and Jesseca Liu.

To Chin, 62, being a part of Eat Already? is a dream come true.

“I’ve always watched the Hokkien dramas in Taiwan and I never thought we’d be able to make a series using dialect in our own country. I am very excited, and think it’s a unique opportunity,” said the actor, who plays a dessert stall-holder in the series.

“I think older viewers should watch this show, because they will learn a lot. Younger audiences should also stay tuned, so they will know how to take care of the older folks in their families. Plus, our show has romantic subplots. It’s funny, and it’s still a drama. Except you get to learn about different (government policies) as you watch it, without even realizing it.”

Even though Fang, 27, who plays a mute coffeeshop boy, was not able to show off his dialect chops this time around, he says he is happy that audiences will get to see a different side to him.

“I am very grateful that Royston asked me to act in this role because it’s not a very easy role,” he said, adding that he paid special attention to his character’s level of education and background so his performance would be more nuanced.

“Before the shoot, he told me it was a role that I’d either ace it or fail it,” said Fang. To his relief, “after the whole thing, Tan said he liked the performance very much”.

While Tan believes audiences can expect to see a third season of Eat Already?, he feels it is time to pass the baton on to another director. The filmmaker will be leaving the series to work on his next feature film, 1998.

“Initially I really just wanted to do the first season, but because it was so popular and there was so much demand, I decided that I’d do a second season. But because of this, (I had to delay) my plans for one whole year. Now, I have to catch up,” he said.

But if the audience really likes the show, Tan says he’s ready to look into making an Eat Already? movie spin-off.

“Dialect is so colourful, I really want to explore this,” he said. “Also, there (so many) idioms and many layers of humour in dialects that we can play with. It’s something I find very ingenious and it’s (such) an exploration into our local heritage.”

He added: “I think an Eat Already? movie would be very fun.”

The second season of Eat Already? 
will air on Fridays at 12pm from Feb 24 
on Channel 8.