The Singapore Grip

The book was satire. This interpretation gets it at times, but misses by a mile at others. This inconsistency exacerbates the overall enjoyment by frustrating the viewer. Could have been a great series, but isn't.

Sumptuous settings. Faithfully re-created period and place.

But the storyline is not that interesting. The acting is wooden. No chemistry between the characters. Nothing to make you warm to or feel strongly about any of them.

Reminds me of "Indian Summers" - great potential but a disappointment and, in the end, rather dull and uninspiring. Style over substance and talent.

Compare this to classics like Tenko!

Unlike some others, I'm enjoying this show, but then I'm always a sucker for a British costume drama. The actors are good and the historical context is interesting. Don't write if off without giving it a fair go.

Some times i like how the show pokes fun at colonialism. At other times I find myself wishing for deeper investigation of the period. On one hand, the way this skips along on the surface parallels the general shallowness of many of the characters. The writing is kind of clever in that way. On the other hand, i found myself often wanting for some deeper investigation. I especially wished for a more thorough investigation of the character of Vera Chiang. I'd summarize this as "light" satire, intended for British audience with some smiles but no big laughs and that only hints at many past sins.. c ould have been so much better but... not bad for wfat it is.

Commenting on the television drama show. The drama is very faithful to the book. Everyone comes across as a bit pathetic - it is a satire. The main characters are white and British and live in Singapore in the 1940s. Yes, Chinese and British did not mix freely back then and the show makes that reality very clear. If you don't like that perspective the show is not for you. The show is filmed as it would have been filmed in the 1980s. That feels a bit dated, but I like the story. Shows how incompetent the Brits were in defending Singapore and how ruthless a trading company could be towards small landholders. Again, if that is not your cup of tea, the show is not for you