★★★★★ 0/5

Bumped: Serangoon Road, Luther.

Big budget ABC-HBO Asia co-production is relegated to Friday nights after managing just 369,000 viewers on Sunday.

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66rdABC1 has wasted no time in rescheduling Serangoon Road after disappointing figures last night.

The Don Hany / Joan Chen period drama immediately moves to 9:25pm Fridays from November 1st.

UK drama Luther, which was set to screen in the same slot, will now take its place from 8:30pm this Sunday.

The disappointment will be considerable for ABC given this was a big-budget co-production with HBO Asia.

Last night it only managed 369,000, its lowest figure so far.

16 Responses

  1. This is one of our favourite shows on TV. Friday night will be fine for us. Luther is hard going – no fun at all for a Sunday night. There is no accounting for taste. But ABC should have given some publicity for the change,. We have been mystified about the absence last Sunday and now angry about being treated so badly.

  2. I have only just found out that this show has been moved. Terrific, I was watching it on iview but now Friday night is definitely my TV night- first Miss Fisher then Serangoon Road Yay

  4. My wife and I love this series and really look forward to seeing it every week. We were devastated to think it had been dropped. Thankfully it has only been rescheduled. Friday night it is!!

  5. Like maxxdude I also lived in Singapore and Indonesia, including Batam, and agree with him as to it being fimed there being a strong point.
    I found myself almost believing that some of the scenes were being fimed in places I was familiar with in Singapore, such is the detail of the sets.
    The only point I do query is whether Mandarin as is universally spoken in the series was as prevalent in 1960’s Singapore as I thought Singapore was mainly Hokkien speaking until Mandarin was made the official Chinese dialect.
    Anyone any thoughts on that?
    I will continue to watch it and hope it continues on.

  6. Dr Rudi, I am enjoying the fact that Serangoon Road is set in 1960s Singapore. This time and place in history is fascinating andlargely ignored by our writers. And sadly Australians are more interested in dumb reality shows. I for one will not be watching Luther. Another depressing, dark British show. Haven’t we had enough of them lately? I am really over British television at the moment.

  7. Sad to see the ABC lose its nerve over Serangoon Road. It has its weaknesses, but is a great experiment with its Asian-Australian perspective. As for Dr_Rudi’s comment: I lived as an expat in Malaysia during those tumultuous years and I, for one, am still alive. It seems that Australians can go all romantic over Austen’s England but cannot be fascinated by period pieces set in their own neighbourhoods.

  8. I’m quite sad because it’s gettign stronger with every episode. Granted the pilot was a bit weak but it got way way better. And the way they show the era is fascinating too.

    But what I don’t get is, isn’t Miss Fisher also on Friday ? So that might be a good thing, no ?

  9. Dr_Rudi, TV ratings & program quality have almost nothing to do with each other. Ratings & lotteries have more in common, & in this case ABC Television put their money down & lost out. As we see with the top 20 everyday, plenty of garbage rates through the roof, while some of the best stuff never gets a mention. Reviews aside, ABC1 bumping this to Friday night shouldn’t be a reflection on Serangoon Road’s quality.

  10. I really want to like Serangoon Road, but the show is severely let down by some terrible dialogue, and (aside from the main actors) some very amateur acting. It’s not really surprising that it’s losing viewers.

  11. I think the fact that it is filmed in Indonesia is it’s strong point. I have lived in both Indonesia & Singapore & the show is really good at the little things (customs & language) that makes it successful for me. This would never have happened if it was filmed in Australia.
    I hope it survives.
    David do you have any figures from HBO Asia as to how it is doing there?

  12. I wish the ABC wouldn’t treat the audience as the idiots the commercials do. Moving a show that is not performing will not improve it. It only alientates the viewer not only from that production but the network. They will look elsewhere, and a vote of no confidence in a production mid run is death.

  13. I don’t think it was ever a sale-able proposition to Australian TV audiences. How many people alive today have any recollection of the events in Singapore in the mid-1960s? How many of those care? It was never a hook to get people to watch – in fact, it probably turned off most punters.

    That aside, it may travel better on a Friday night.

    Given the writing talent behind Luther, that should be very good indeed.

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