Wondering what to get for your housebound dad on Father’s Day this Sunday? Look no further than a subscription to HBO GO.
We’re not just talking about box sets of Game of Thrones, Westworld and The Sopranos here. New series and movies are added all the time. On HBO GO this month, check out the just-launched HBO Asia Original, The Head, a survival thriller starring the Japanese actor Tomohisa Yamashita (“Code Blue”). Or how about Perry Mason, a drama that follows American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer debuting on June 22?
Remember, HBO is also known as the home for the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. This month, dads will love Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Rambo: Last Blood, Gemini Man and Shazam! You can find them all in the “All About Dads” section of the HBO GO app.
Of course, there’s also a vast selection of more family-friendly titles for dads to enjoy together with their kids (and an enviable selection of Hallyu k-dramas and new rom-coms like Love Life with Anna Kendrick for the ladies in their lives).
HBO GO allows users unlimited access to stream and download thousands of hours of non-stop and uncut entertainment. This includes the latest first-run Hollywood films and exclusive original content from HBO and Cinemax, as well as Asian series and popular kids’ programmes, including Cartoon Network originals.
Within the app, the live TV function streams both HBO and Cinemax channels. Each HBO GO account can be viewed on two concurrent streams across five registered devices, and the service has both Airplay and Chromecast functionality.
HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming to SKYcable subscribers on HBO GO for as low as Php99/month. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, HBO Original drama series Perry Mason, starring Emmy® winner Matthew Rhys, debuts same time as the U.S. on Monday, 22 June at 9am exclusively on HBO GO and HBO, with a same day encore at 10pm on HBO. Subsequent new episodes premiere every Monday at the same time.
1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. The series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.
Perry Mason stars Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, a low-rent private investigator who is living check-to-check and is haunted by his wartime experiences in France and suffering the effects of a broken marriage; John Lithgow as Elias Birchard “E.B.” Jonathan, a struggling attorney and a semi-regular employer of Mason; Juliet Rylance as Della Street, E.B. Jonathan’s creative and driven legal secretary; Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, the leader of the Radiant Assembly of God, preaching to a hungry congregation and a radio audience across the country; Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, a beat cop with a knack for detective work; and Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland, who is hired by Mason as an extra set of eyes on his various investigations.
The series also stars Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcón, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, and Robert Patrick. A full list of character descriptions is available here.
Episodes include:
Episode 1: “Chapter One”
Monday, 22 June at 9am
Los Angeles, 1931. On the heels of an unsavoury investigation involving a famous comedian, Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys) – a PI struggling to make ends meet – and his right-hand man Pete Strickland (Shea Whigham) are hired by attorney E.B. Jonathan (John Lithgow), Perry’s mentor, to solve a perplexing case: the brutal kidnapping of one-year-old Charlie Dodson, whose parents Matthew (Nate Corddry) and Emily (Gayle Rankin) were targeted for a $100,000 ransom. After meeting with Herman Baggerly (Robert Patrick), a millionaire elder at the Dodsons’ church, Perry, E.B., and E.B.’s legal secretary Della Street (Juliet Rylance) ponder why a family of unmistakably modest means would be extorted for such a steep price. Written by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; directed by Tim Van Patten.
Episode 2: “Chapter Two”
Monday, 29 June at 9am
Following one of her trademark barn-burning sermons, Evangelical preacher Sister Alice (Tatiana Maslany) offers the Dodsons the church’s full moral and financial support – much to her mother Birdy’s (Lili Taylor) dismay. During a routine domestic intervention, beat cop Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) is rerouted to a gruesome crime scene, where he follows a confounding trail of evidence. Mason (Matthew Rhys) is left incensed by a jaw-dropping admission from Baggerly (Robert Patrick) and, after pressing Emily (Gayle Rankin) on her husband’s alibi, finds himself confronted by an outraged Della (Juliet Rylance). Detectives Holcomb (Eric Lange) and Ennis (Andrew Howard) use Drake’s (Chris Chalk) findings to their own advantage. Written by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; directed by Tim Van Patten.
Episode 3: “Chapter Three”
Monday, 6 July at 9am
In order to gain an advantage over E.B. and team, wily district attorney Maynard Barnes (Stephen Root) goes public with a shocking new development. Mason (Matthew Rhys) and Strickland (Shea Whigham) get unauthorized access to physical evidence with help from Virgil (Jefferson Mays), Mason’s connect at the city morgue. Later, Mason attempts to extract information from a withholding Drake (Chris Chalk), who’s weary of Holcomb (Eric Lange) and Ennis’ (Andrew Howard) watchful eyes. Della (Juliet Rylance) notices a change in E.B. (John Lithgow), who seems uncharacteristically out of sorts. Written by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; directed by Tim Van Patten.
Episode 4: “Chapter Four”
Monday, 13 July at 9am
Mason (Matthew Rhys) and Strickland (Shea Whigham) lean on Virgil (Jefferson Mays), again, for extra-legal assistance. Following Sister Alice’s (Tatiana Maslany) recovery from a frightening episode, Birdy (Lili Taylor) urges her daughter to renounce her claims about baby Charlie. E.B. (John Lithgow) faces the reality of his financial situation and takes his frustrations out on Della (Juliet Rylance). Written by Steven Hanna & Sarah Kelly Kaplan; directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.
Executive producers (in alphabetical order), Amanda Burrell, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Ron Fitzgerald, Joe Horacek, Rolin Jones, and Timothy Van Patten (who also directs); co-executive producer: Aida Rodgers; producer: Matthew Rhys; created by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; based on the characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner.
HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming to SKYcable subscribers on HBO GO for as low as Php99/month. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Here’s another reason to stay home and do your part… by watching TV on the sofa! Entire first seasons of select iconic HBO Originals and HBO Asia Originals are now available for free for one month starting 15 April on HBO GO – no registration or subscription is required.
Never got around to seeing (or desperate to re-watch) dramas like ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’? Now you can. The iconic shows are also joined by the award-winning series that everyone’s talking about right now, ‘Succession’. And if you need a laugh? Try these hit comedies: ‘Ballers’, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; ‘Barry’, with Bill Hader; ‘Silicon Valley’, featuring Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani; and satire ‘Veep’, starring serial Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Closer to home, check out ‘Folklore’, a horror anthology series with each episode based on folklore from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand; ‘Invisible Stories’, which tells untold stories from the heartlands in a fictional neighbourhood housing estate in multi-cultural Singapore; ‘Miss Sherlock’, a bold interpretation of the classic Sherlock Holmes, re-envisioned in Japanese and set in modern-day Tokyo; ‘The Teenage Psychic’, a coming-of-age story from Taiwan that revolves around a 16-year-old girl with the ability to see spirits but wants to lead a typical teenage high school life; and ‘The World Between Us’, another Taiwanese series that follows the aftermath of a mass-shooting.
For documentary lovers, try ‘McMillion$’, which digs deep into the McDonalds Monopoly game scandal; ‘Jane Fonda In Five Acts’, which centres around the life, work, activism and controversies of the actress and fitness tycoon; and ‘The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley’, which investigates the rise and fall of a one-time multibillion-dollar healthcare company.
The free HBO content may also be available through other partner platforms. Remember, once you’ve finished watching the first season of your new favourite show, you can also get the full experience, through the HBO GO app, which comes with a 7-day free trial (and Game of Thrones) when you download the app from App Store or Play Store on your device.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Based on the acclaimed Philip Roth novel of the same name, this six-part limited series imagines an alternate American history, told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey as they watch the political rise of aviator-hero and xenophobic populist Charles Lindbergh, who becomes president and turns the nation toward fascism. THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA will premiere same time as the U.S. on Tuesday, 17 March at 9am on HBO GO and HBO with an encore telecast on the same day at 10pm on HBO.
The cast includes Winona Ryder (HBO’s “Show Me a Hero”) as Evelyn Finkel, a spinster whose plans were constrained by years of caring for her infirm mother, Zoe Kazan (HBO’s “The Deuce”) as Bess Levin, Evelyn’s younger sister who fears the escalating political climate, Morgan Spector (HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and the upcoming “The Gilded Age”) as Herman Levin, Bess’ husband who struggles to maintain normalcy in his family’s life, Anthony Boyle as Alvin Levinm Herman’s orphaned nephew, Azhy Robertson as Philip Levin as the youngest of the Levin family, Caleb Malis as Sandy Levin, the artistic son and John Turturro (HBO’s “The Night Of”) as Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, a conservative rabbi and a transplant from Charleston, South Carolina.
THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA is based on the novel by Philip Roth and created by David Simon and Ed Burns; executive produced by Simon, Burns, Nina K. Noble, Joe Roth, Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, Susan Goldberg and Jeff Kirschenbaum; co-executive produced by Philip Roth and Dennis Stratton.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
From Emmy®, Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning director Susanne Bier and the Emmy®-winning creator of “Big Little Lies,” David E. Kelley and starring Emmy® and Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Nicole Kidman (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and Emmy® nominee Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), comes the six-part limited series The Undoing, debuting same time as the U.S. this May, exclusively on HBO GO and HBO.
Directed by Susanne Bier and created and written for television by David E. Kelley, who also serves as showrunner; executive produced by Susanne Bier, David E. Kelley through David E. Kelley Productions, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through Blossom Films, Bruna Papandrea through Made Up Stories, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas.
The limited series, based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel “You Should Have Known,” follows Grace and Jonathan Fraser (Kidman and Hugh Grant) who are living the only lives they ever wanted for themselves. Overnight a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child (Noah Jupe) and her family.
The Undoing also stars Edgar Ramirez (Emmy® nominee for “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” and “Carlos”) as Detective Joe Mendoza; Ismael Cruz Cordova (“Berlin Station”) as Fernando Alves; Matilda De Angelis as Elena Alves; Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) as Sylvia Steinetz; Noma Dumezweni (“Black Earth Rising”) as Haley Fitzgerald; Noah Jupe (“Honey Boy” and “A Quiet Place 2”) as Henry Fraser, Jonathan and Grace’s precocious and artistic 12-year-old son; Sofie Gråbøl (HBO’s “Gentleman Jack,” “Fortitude”) as Catherine Stamper; and Donald Sutherland (Emmy® winner for “Citizen X”) as Franklin Reinhardt, Grace’s father, a retired financier and loving grandfather who is tasked with protecting his family when turbulent revelations come to light.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
From acclaimed writer and director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine,” “The Place Beyond the Pines”) comes I Know This Much Is True, a six-part limited drama series debuting same time as the U.S. this April on HBO GO and HBO, starring Mark Ruffalo (Emmy® winner for HBO’s “The Normal Heart”), who also serves as an executive producer, as identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in a family saga that follows their parallel lives in an epic story of betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness. The series shows Dominick and Thomas at different stages in their lives, beginning in their present with both brothers approaching middle-age, filled in with Dominick’s flashbacks to their young adulthood.
Melissa Leo (Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “All the Way” and “Mildred Pierce,” Academy Award winner for “The Fighter,”) stars as Ma (Concettina Ipolita Tempesta Birdsey), mother of Dominick and Thomas; Emmy® winner Rosie O’Donnell as Lisa Sheffer, a social worker for unit two at the Hatch Forensic Institute; Emmy® nominee Archie Panjabi as Dr. Patel, Thomas’ newly appointed psychologist; Imogen Poots as Joy Hanks, Dominick’s live-in girlfriend; John Procaccino as Ray Birdsey, Dominick and Thomas’ stepfather; Rob Huebel as Leo, Dominick’s best friend; Philip Ettinger as the young adult Dominick and Thomas Birdsey; Aisling Franciosi as young Dessa Constantine; Michael Greyeyes (HBO’s “True Detective”) as Ralph Drinkwater, a former classmate from Dominick and Thomas’ youth whose life intersects once again with Dominick; Guillermo Diaz as Sergeant Mercado; Marcello Fonte as Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, Dominick and Thomas’ maternal grandfather from Sicily; Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Hume, head of the board at the Hatch Forensic Institute; Brian Goodman as Al, an older cop; with Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis as Nedra Frank, a self-absorbed grad student hired by Dominick; and Emmy® nominee Kathryn Hahn as Dessa Constantine, Dominick’s ex-wife.
The limited series is written for television and directed by Derek Cianfrance. Cianfrance executive produces along with Ben Browning & Glen Basner for FilmNation Entertainment, Mark Ruffalo for Willi Hill Productions, Gregg Fienberg, Lynette Howell Taylor, Wally Lamb, Anya Epstein; Jamie Patricof co-executive produces.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
The Emmy® winning drama series Westworld returns for its eight-episode third season same time as the U.S. on Monday, 16 March at 9am, exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the birth of a new form of life on Earth, the show was created for television by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy, who are also executive producers.
Returning cast members include Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores, Emmy® winner Thandie Newton as Maeve, Ed Harris as Man in Black, Jeffrey Wright as Bernard, Tessa Thompson as Charlotte, Luke Hemsworth as Stubbs, Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore and Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton.
Joining the cast this season are Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” “Bojack Horseman”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Lena Waithe (HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Master of None”), Scott Mescudi (HBO’s upcoming “We Are Who We Are”), Marshawn Lynch (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), John Gallagher Jr. (HBO’s “The Newsroom” and “Olive Kitteridge”), Michael Ealy (“Stumptown”) and Tommy Flanagan (“Sons of Anarchy”).
The first two seasons of Westworld received a combined 42 Emmy® nominations. The second season’s 20 Emmy® nominations resulted in three wins, including: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Thandie Newton), Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series.
Westworld was created for television by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, Ben Stephenson, and Denise Thé. Production companies: Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television; based on the film written by Michael Crichton.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
HBO Asia’s newest Asia Original, INVISIBLE STORIES shines light into dark corners and tells untold stories from the heartlands in a fictional neighbourhood housing estate in multi-cultural Singapore. Filmed entirely on location in Singapore, the six-episode half-hour drama series premieres 5 January at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO.
Each episode follows one resident as he or she navigates through everyday life and its challenges. These stories include the ups and downs of a mother and her autistic son; a taxi driver by day and a spiritual medium by night; and a banker who is a father and husband who harbours a secret that comes to life late at night.
INVISIBLE STORIES also showcases Singapore’s inclusive multi-cultural identity with a regional cast from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Golden Horse Award winner Yeo Yann Yann (‘Wet Season’ and ‘ILO ILO’) and Taiwanese newcomer Devin Pan appear in the first episode. Veteran Singapore actor Wang Yu Qing (‘Hello From The Other Side’ and ‘Reach For The Skies’) plays the taxi driver in the second episode.
Other cast members include Thai actress and model Suchada Muller (‘Insect In The Backyard’ and ‘The Last Executioner’), Malaysian actor and director Gavin Yap (‘The Bridge’ and ‘Lion Mums 3’), Bangladeshi actor Sudip Biswas (‘Sutopar Thikana’ and ‘Café 999’), Indonesian actress Sekar Sari (‘SITI’). Cast from Singapore include Regina Lim (‘Not So Long Time Ago’, ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’), Aden Tan (‘Lion Mums’ and ‘Ah Boys To Men 3’) and Sunny Pang (‘Code Of Law’ and ‘Fly By Night’) as well as Singapore based actress Rosalind Pho (HBO Asia Original ‘Sent’, ‘Tanglin’).
Tunes from Singaporean singer-songwriter Leslie Low accompany the screenplay, and Leslie guest stars as a busker as well. Leslie was the former frontman of popular indie band Humpback Oak and previously fronted one of Singapore’s greatest musical efforts, The Observatory. Melancholic and reflective in nature, his songs are usually inspired by the personal, subjective, and introverted mindset of living in Singapore.
WORLD PREMIERE AT LEADING FILM FESTIVALS
The first episode, INVISIBLE STORIES: LIAN, will make its world premiere at the 2019 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival on 16 November, while the first two episodes, INVISIBLE STORIES: LIAN and INVISIBLE STORIES: CHUAN, have been selected by the Singapore International Film Festival to be presented on 28 November.
EPISODE SYNOPSIS
Episode 1 – INVISIBLE STORIES: LIAN
Premieres: Sunday, 5 January at 10pm
Lian is the story of a burnt out and financially-drained single mother struggling to cope with her 19-year-old son with autism, who displays aggressive behaviours during meltdowns following the sudden death of his grandmother, who was his main caregiver.
Cast: Yeo Yann Yann, Devin Pan
Episode 2 – INVISIBLE STORIES: CHUAN
Premieres: Sunday, 12 January at 10pm
Chuan is a taxi driver by day and “tangki” (spiritual medium) by night. He finds his sanity in peril when a malicious ghost begins to haunt him, pushing him down a path of self-destruction in search of the truth.
Cast: Wang Yu Qing, Aden Tan
Episode 3 – INVISIBLE STORIES: JUNE
Premieres: Sunday, 19 January at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
A tale of friendship between three sex workers operating a brothel out of a flat.
Cast: Suchada Muller, Sunny Pang
Episode 4 – INVISIBLE STORIES: KEAGAN
Premieres: Sunday, 26 January at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
A successful banker with a secret alter ego rebels against the life he leads and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that puts everything he has built at risk – his job, his family, his whole life.
Cast: Gavin Yap, Rosalind Pho
Episode 5 – INVISIBLE STORIES: SAYEED
Premieres: Sunday, 2 February at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
A bittersweet love story between a foreign construction worker and a foreign domestic worker that challenges the conventional notions of migrant workers.
Cast: Sudip Biswas, Sekar Sari
Episode 6 – INVISIBLE STORIES: NEXTBLKGRL
Premieres: Sunday, 9 February at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
An aspiring teenage influencer from a broken family seeks to change her life by diving into the spurious world of social media, only to find her own reality falling apart at the seams.
Cast: Regina Lim
INVISIBLE STORIES is created by Singaporean Ler Jiyuan with a team of local writers and produced by Singapore-based production house Birdmandog. The series is produced as part of a two-year partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in Singapore. Through a series of workshops and collaborations with local companies and talent on HBO Asia Original productions, the partnership aims to develop the content production capabilities of Singapore’s media industry.
HBO Asia started producing Original productions in 2012 and has produced a range of Asian Original productions including series, movies and documentaries. To date, HBO Asia has produced and aired 19 Asian Original productions with more in the pipeline.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
HBO presents, in association with Sky, the four-part limited series CATHERINE THE GREAT, premieres same time as the U.S. on Tuesday 22 October at 10am (11am from 5 November) exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. The episode encores on the same day at 10pm (11pm from 5 November) on HBO.
Oscar®-winner Helen Mirren stars in HBO’s latest historical drama, CATHERINE THE GREAT, as the tumultuous monarch and politician who ruled the Russian empire and transformed its place in the world in the 18th century. Over the course of four one-hour parts, the enthralling limited series charts Catherine’s reign as the intelligent, resourceful and utterly determined Empress who fights off threats to her crown, wages war with the Ottoman Empire and expands Russia’s borders as far as the Black Sea and Crimea, turning the nation into a great global power. But more than a political success story against all odds, CATHERINE THE GREAT is a sweeping epic that follows the love affair between Catherine and Russian military leader Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke), the most extraordinary woman and man of their age, who formed a singular and powerful relationship that helped shape the future of Russian politics.
Upcoming episodes:
“Episode 1” – TUESDAY, 22 OCT 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Russian Empress Catherine the Great (Helen Mirren) faces challenges to her throne on all sides, as she meets the forthright and bold Lieutenant Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke).
Written by Nigel Williams; directed by Philip Martin.
“Episode 2” – TUESDAY, 29 OCT 10:00-11:00 a.m.
A victorious Potemkin (Jason Clarke) returns from war to find Catherine (Helen Mirren) preoccupied, leading the two to speak candidly about their pasts and future, while a Cossack stirs discontent among peasants in the countryside.
Written by Nigel Williams; directed by Philip Martin.
“Episode 3” – TUESDAY, 5 NOV 11:00-12:00 p.m.
Catherine (Helen Mirren) and Potemkin (Jason Clarke) experience growing pains in their relationship, as Potemkin’s push for expansion puts him at odds with Panin (Rory Kinnear).
Written by Nigel Williams; directed by Philip Martin.
“Episode 4” (Series finale) – TUESDAY, 12 NOV 11:00-12:00 p.m.
Pressure from foreign powers leads to a bitter argument between Catherine (Helen Mirren) and an ailing Potemkin (Jason Clarke). Catherine works to change the line of succession as her reign draws to an end.
Written by Nigel Williams; directed by Philip Martin.
CATHERINE THE GREAT IS directed by Philip Martin; written by Nigel Williams; executive producers, Helen Mirren, Philip Martin, David Thompson for Origin Pictures and Charlie Pattinson and Christine Healy for New Pictures.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO which is exclusively available to SKY subscribers. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
A brand new HBO Asia Original anthology drama series, FOOD LORE, will premiere Sunday, 3 November 2019 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO. The eight-episode hour-long series explores human conditions with narratives inspired by Asian cuisines.
Helmed by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo (“Ramen Teh”, “12 Storeys”), the series is shot in eight countries across Asia – India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and directed by some of Asia’s most talented storytellers including Erik Matti (“BuyBust”, “Honor Thy Father”) from the Philippines, Phan Dang Di (“Bi, Don’t Be Afraid”, “Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories”) from Vietnam, Billy Christian (“Tuyul: Part 1”, “The Sacred Riana: Beginning”) from Indonesia, Don Aravind (“Angel”, “Drive”) from Singapore, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (“Headshot”, “Last Life in the Universe”) from Thailand, Takumi Saitoh (“Blank 13”, “Hannbun no Sekai”) from Japan and Ho Yuhang (“Trespassed”, “Mrs. K”) from Malaysia.
Like a favourite dish from home, each story is a flavour of love and set to tease the senses. Viewers will be taken on an emotional journey filled with passion, treasured memories and a little spice of Asia. Each episode possesses a distinct voice, tone, and narrative.
The first two episodes, the Vietnam episode, FOOD LORE: He Serves Fish, She Eats Flower, and the Philippines episode, FOOD LORE: Island of Dreams, will make its world debut at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) on 30 October and 31 October respectively. TIFF started in 1985 as Japan’s first major film festival and since has grown to become one of the leading film festivals in Asia.
Premiering at Singapore International Film Festival later on 24 November, the India episode, FOOD LORE: A Plate of Moon, will also be making a world debut. This is the first time an HBO Asia Original will be presented at either festival.
Episode 1 – FOOD LORE: Island of Dreams
Premiere: Sunday, 3 November at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Dreaming of a brighter future for her family, Nieves leaves her husband and children to work as a domestic helper in Manila. Returning home for the annual fiesta, Nieves soon realises that she may have grown estranged from her beloved family as her jubilant homecoming takes an unexpected turn.
Cast: Angeli Bayani, John Marvin C. Nieto, Irina Guillen Feleo
Directed by: Erik Matti
Set and filmed in the Philippines.
Episode 2 – FOOD LORE: He Serves Fish, She Eats Flower
Premiere: Sunday, 10 November at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Set in Ho Chi Minh City, a charismatic Japanese chef, Thang, woos a beautiful stewardess with a special tofu dessert and wins her heart. They begin a whirlwind romance but soon discover their irreconcilable differences about food and love. In his desperation, Thang attempts one last culinary experiment to keep her in his life.
Cast: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, Lanh Thanh
Directed by: Phan Dang Di
Set and filmed in Vietnam.
Episode 3 – FOOD LORE: Maria’s Secret Recipe
Premiere: Sunday, 17 November at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
When a mysterious woman, Maria, arrives on the shores of a small traditional Indonesian village to set up her food stall, the men are mesmerised by her sumptuous cooking and sensuality – much to their wives’ dismay. In a desperate attempt to satisfy her husband, a lonely wife, Ratih, approaches Maria for her secret recipe. What can Maria teach her about her exquisite creations and importantly, who is Maria?
Cast: Putri Ayudya, Alexandra Gottardo, Dian Sidik
Directed by: Billy Christian
Set and filmed in Indonesia.
Episode 4 – FOOD LORE: A Plate of Moon
Premiere: Sunday, 24 November at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Anbu, a reluctant young domestic helper from India, has been hired to care for Raja, an elderly man in Singapore suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Amidst their struggles and differences, they bond over food, love, and memories. Just when all seems to be going well, an unexpected piece of news sends Anbu’s world unravelling again.
Cast: Magalakshmi D/O Sudarsanan, Jaivant Viknesh N, A. Panneeirchelvam
Directed by: Don Aravind
Set and filmed in India and Singapore.
Episode 5 – FOOD LORE: The Caterer
Premiere: Sunday, 1 December at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
An arrogant American actor arrives in Thailand for the first time to star in a horror film. Disgusted by the exotic Thai cuisine served, he sticks to what he knows best: burgers and donuts. Everything changes when he tastes the soup cooked by the production caterer.
Cast: Thanyarat Praditthaen, Thomas Burton van Blarcom, Marisa Kittelberger
Directed by: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Set and filmed in Thailand.
Note: This episode shares the same main cast as the HBO Asia Original “FOLKLORE: POB”, and tells the story of what goes on behind the scenes.
Episode 6 – FOOD LORE: Tamarind
Debut: Sunday, 8 December at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
French chef, Julie, who is new in Singapore, seeks the help of Irfan, a struggling Malay hawker to create a new fusion dish. As their worlds collide, a friendship brews between them as they work together on an exploration of food, flavour and feelings.
Cast: Firdaus Bin Abdul Rahman, Valentine Payen, Dayang Nurbalqis
Directed by: Eric Khoo
Set and filmed in Singapore.
Episode 7 – FOOD LORE: Life in a Box
Debut: Sunday, 15 December at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
An uninspired picture book author. A recent widower and his teenage daughter. An elderly retired wrestler. Their lonely paths intersect during a quiet train ride away from busy Tokyo as the group revisits memories long forgotten and rediscovers hope on their journey of nostalgia, memory and love.
Cast: Ken Yasuda, Asuka Kawatoko, Akihisa Mera, Yuko Ando, Chieko Matsubara
Directed by: Takumi Saitoh
Set and filmed in Japan.
Episode 8 – FOOD LORE: Stray Dogs
Debut: Sunday, 22 December at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
An ambitious young businessman, Tim, hopes to start a restaurant franchise with the bad-tempered, yet genius chef, Maki, in Kuala Lumpur. The grouchy chef rejects Tim, but they gradually form an unlikely friendship. When Tim discovers Maki’s secret sambal recipe, he is torn between his desire to sell the recipe and his loyalty to his friend.
Cast: Wilson Tin, Fabian Loo
Directed by: Ho Yuhang
Set and filmed in Malaysia.
FOOD LORE, is produced by Singapore-based company Bert Pictures and part of a two-year partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in Singapore. Through a series of workshops and collaborations with local companies and talent on HBO Asia Original productions, the partnership aims to develop the content production capabilities of Singapore’s media industry.
HBO Asia started producing Original productions in 2012 and has produced a range of Asian Original productions including series, movies and documentaries. To date, HBO Asia has produced and aired 18 Asian Original productions with more in the pipeline.
HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO which is exclusively available to SKY subscribers. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Jellybeans in the City 