SINGAPORE – With August comes all genres, from science-fiction, time-travel, true crime and even an interactive special where audiences get to decide the fate of characters.
The Straits Times highlights 10 series to catch next month.
DREAM RAIDER[hhmc]
A Mandarin original science-fiction drama from HBO Asia, Dream Raider is set some time in the near future where detectives are investigating a case involving missing girls. The detectives come across technology that allows them to enter the dreamscapes of others as they search for the truth.
The series stars Taiwanese A-listers like David Wang, Vivian Hsu and Jason Wang.
Premieres Aug 16 at 9pm on HBO Go and HBO (StarHub TV Channel 601, Singtel TV Channel 420)
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY[hhmc]PHOTO: HBO
Based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, this horror series is executive produced by showrunner Misha Green and directors J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele. It follows an African-American named Atticus (Jonathan Majors) as he goes with his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his uncle on a road trip across 1950s America in search of his missing father.
Their journey becomes a struggle to survive the racism of America as well as monstrous creatures on the prowl.
Premieres Aug 17 at 9am on HBO Go with same-day broadcast at 10pm on HBO (StarHub TV Channel 601, Singtel TV Channel 420)
GRACEFUL FRIENDS[hhmc] PHOTO: VIU
This ensemble South Korean drama follows a group of close friends who all seem ordinary on the outside. When a death in their close-knit group takes place, it shakes them to their core – bringing to the surface a murder from 20 years ago and secrets and intrigue they have kept from one another.
Premieres Aug 9 on Viu
SF8[hhmc] PHOTO: VIU
This South Korean science-fiction anthology series has eight episodes featuring separate stories helmed by different filmmakers.
The series has been hailed as Korea's answer to the widely popular British series Black Mirror (2011-2019) and deal with themes like augmented reality and artificial intelligence. It features stars such as Super Junior's Choi Si-won, singer Uee and Exid's Hani.
Premieres Aug 15 at 8pm on Oh!K (StarHub TV Ch 816 and Singtel TV Ch 525), also available on Viu.
DETECTIVE NOVICE[hhmc] PHOTO: GEM AND NIPPON TV
An adaptation of South Korean film Midnight Runners (2017), which starred Park Seo-joon and Kang Ha-neul, this Japanese series similarly features two young actors whose stars are rising – Japanese idols Kento Nakajima and Sho Hirano.
They play classmates in a police academy who become the best of partners and find themselves dragged into complex cases even before graduation.
Premieres Aug 24 at 9pm on Gem (StarHub TV Ch 814 and Singtel TV Ch 519)
ALICE[hhmc] PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM SBS NOW/YOUTUBE
This South Korean series stars veteran actress Kim Hee-sun and actor Joo Won. It follows a man named Park Jin-gyeom (Joo) who discovers the existence of time travel when he comes across a woman whom he knows died in the past – Yoon Tae-yi (Kim).
Premieres Aug 29 at 9.45pm on One (StarHub TV Ch 823/124 and Singtel TV Ch 513/604)
UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT: KIMMY VS THE REVEREND[hhmc] PHOTO: NETFLIX
Missing the sitcom created by comedic powerhouse Tina Fey? Fret not, the Emmy-nominated Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2019) is back for an interactive movie, where audiences can decide the fate of Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) three days before her wedding to Prince Frederick (Daniel Radcliffe).
