PUBLISHED ONDecember 18, 2024 11:00 AMByYeo Shu HuiWhen thinking about local period dramas, you may recall iconic series such as Bukit Ho Swee (2002), Wok of Life (1999) and The Price of Peace (1997) which feature the lives of people living in Singapore from the 1940s, the rustic street life and vintage cars.
Many of them were filmed in the now-defunct Tuas TV World, which spanned 6.6ha and had eight sets, with five depicting old Singapore and three of China.
AsiaOne was recently invited to visit the set of upcoming period drama Emerald Hill at Iskandar Malaysia Studios, which also had a backlot featuring buildings of the old era.
We caught up with local actress Zoe Tay who recounted fond memories of filming at Tuas TV World.
Zoe, 56, told us she filmed both period and modern dramas there, as well as variety shows and Chinese New Year music videos.
Some scenes included those of a church in The Unbeatables (1993), multiple scenes in Shadows in the Dark (1994) and also in A Different Life (1996).
Zoe recounted one particular experience: "I can't remember which drama it was, but I played a ghost and had to wear a cheongsam. We filmed all night at the set and everyone thought the place was very eerie. I was lucky to not have any supernatural encounters. But we were all quite scared because the place was very quiet and deserted."
There were also happy memories for her too, including filming a scene in A Different Life (1996) where she wore a bridal gown and sat in a vintage car, and bought food from the street stalls.
She also recalled being so tired from filming that she sometimes slept on the floor there in between scenes.
"There were times when after we filmed overnight in the rain, I was so tired that I laid on the wet ground and was knocked out. When the director told me to get up [and go somewhere more comfortable], I told them that it was okay and to just let me rest for a while," she shared.
Actress Priscelia Chan, who is a familiar face in local period dramas including In Pursuit of Peace (1997), Bukit Ho Swee (2002) and The Journey: A Voyage (2013), shared about her best memories filming these series.
She said: "The best and most beautiful memories are always with the people. It's always the lovely connections, laughter, food and overnight shoots with my colleagues. Those are the beautiful moments that I will never really forget."
The 46-year-old added that although she has acted in multiple period dramas before, each one is unique to her.
"The era is different for each drama. So for me, Emerald Hill is another special era and it's my first attempt at it. I have filmed dramas set in the 1930s, late 1950s and 1960s. So I think this era between 1947 and 1965 is quite unique," she shared.
What especially captivated her about Emerald Hill was the Peranakan culture featured in the series.
"That to me is an interesting element, because I have never done a show based on Peranakan culture before, so the exposure is different, such as their dishes and their etiquette," Priscelia said.
"To me, those experiences on the set are very special and memorable, which are very good takeaways for me."
Zoe plays matriarch Liu Xiuniang of the Zhang family in Emerald Hill, with majie Ping Jie (Priscelia) as her handmaiden. The series centres around Xinniang, who roams the streets with her adoptive mother Ah Zhu (Chen Liping), cheating others to survive.
When Xinniang is around 10 years old, Ah Zhu brings her to the wealthy Zhang family living on Emerald Hill and claims that she is Li Shuqin (Jesseca Liu) and Jinhe's (Hsiu Chieh-kai) long-lost daughter Anya.
As Xinniang (Tasha Low) grows up in the family, she secretly remains in contact with Ah Zhu, unaware that Shuqin knows that she is not the real Anya.
Emerald Hill also stars Aileen Tan, Chen Huihui, Ferlyn Wong, Dawn Yeoh, Chantalle Ng, Sheila Sim, Romeo Tan, Zhang Zetong, Jernelle Oh, Seow Sin Nee, Elvin Tan, Shaun Chen, Nick Teo, Desmond Ng, Herman Keh and Zhu Zeliang with Jeanette Aw reprising her role as Yamamoto Yueniang from The Little Nyonya.
The 30-episode series will be available simultaneously on Mewatch and Netflix from March 10, 2025 and will air on Channel 8 from March 19, 2025.
Watch our E-Junkies video for more of the interview!
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