I think it was a couple of years back when I couldn't sleep late one night and tuned into the multi-cultural channel in the Toronto area. I was extremely delighted to discover a wonderful sitcom called "Under One Roof". To understand its humor, you have to first get pass the Singaporean accents (could be a small challenge for westerners but no more difficult than any other foreign accents). A little understanding of eastern cultures will help you enjoy the show more but its not a prerequisite.
Upon repeated viewing, the characters grew on me. I especially like the father character "Ah Teck". Every time he goes into one of his lectures near the end of the show, I know we're in for a treat. They always start with: "A long time ago, in the Southern Province of China.....". There will be a great punchline each time, but there's always a moral to be learned as well. In fact, there was an episode where he was asked to market his stories in book form, which was hilarious.
The series also showcased the diverse cultures in Singapore, eg. the family (obviously of Chinese background) are best friends and neighbors with: Daisy, an lady of Indian decent; and Yusuf & wife, a Malay (Muslim) couple. All of them live in the same apartment building "Under One Roof". Aside from being a comedy, which I think it succeeds in, the show is also one of the few venues on TV for exploring Singaporean culture. I do hope readers of this post will give the show a try if you come across it.
Unfortunately, the show has not yet reached the mainstream audience. It gets bumped more than a billiard ball, I've only watched it on the multi-cultural channel at 2 or 3 am. If you find it on you local broadcast, it's worth setting up the VCR timer for.
