Singapore TV Guide, January 2022: Peacemaker, Ghost Doctor, and more
Every month, we tell you about all the new shows on terrestrial and cable channels, as well as what’s streaming on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Go, Viu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video BBC Player, and iQiyi.
Highlights
If you liked The Suicide Squad, then you'll happy to see spin-off Peacemaker on HBO Go this month. For action buffs, there's action thriller The Tourist debuting on BBC First and Snowpiercer returning for a third season on Netflix. But if 2021 got you down, then comedy murder-mystery The Afterparty might just tickle you on Apple TV+. D&D players will rejoice at Amazon Prime Video's adult fantasy animation The Legend of Vox Machina. And K-drama folks, you've got Ghost Doctor on Viu to sate those cravings.
The Tourist (2 Jan)
BBC First (StarHub Ch 502)
This mystery thriller, follows an amnesiac British man (Jamie Dornan) who wakes up in a hospital after being followed by a vast tanker truck trying to drive him off the road in the glowing red heart of the Australian outback. But his killers are still after him, and it's up to this stranger to find out who he really is in order to survive. Will he find out who he was — and more importantly, will he find out who he is now?
Yes, that's Fifty Shades' Jamie Dornan in the lead role of The Man (because he's amnesiac and hence doesn't know his true identity). While such mystery dramas are always fun for the audience, who get to learn about the protagonist alongside him, what makes this show a bit more interesting is the choice of setting. Characters in the Australian outback certainly aren't going to be ready for assassins on the loose (far deadlier things lurk in nature), so how will they end up helping the main character?
Ghost Doctor (4 Jan)
Viu, tvN (Singtel TV Ch 518, StarHub TV Ch 824, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9.15pm)
This drama revolves around Cha Young-min (Rain), who’s the arrogant and selfish star doctor at a hospital. At the same hospital is Go Seung-tak (Kim Bum), a new resident doctor who happens to be the son of the hospital's chairman. But when disaster befalls Cha Young-min, he ends up possessing Go Seung-tak's body – with hilarious results.
Remember when Rain was trying to make it big in Hollywood in the 2010s? Fortunately, he's turned his sights back to Korea, which has been great for everyone (including him). I'm not very sure he can convincingly portray a master surgeon (controlling precise finger movements for surgery certainly doesn't seem like something that you can do with joysticks, as seen in the trailer), but then again he doesn't need to – his character is possessing someone else, after all.
Peacemaker (13 Jan)
HBO Go
This superhero action drama will explore the origins of violent and vainglorious character Peacemaker, who believes in achieving peace at any cost. It's a spinoff from 2021's The Suicide Squad. But when you believe that peace is worth it no matter how people have to die, just how peaceful of a character can you truly be? It also stars Danielle Brooks as Adebayo, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, Steve Agee as Economos, Chukwudi Iwuji as Murn, and Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith.
As the trailer says, Peacemaker is a "clown... but there's something about him that's sad." I think that sums up the Peacemaker character, which is why he's so entertaining to watch. But we get to delve into Peacemaker's character here, and it's a chance for John Cena to stretch his acting chops (rather than his muscles). Will we get to see a different side of Cena in this series? I hope so!
Snowpiercer (Season 3) (25 Jan)
Netflix
This post-apocalyptic science fiction dystopian thriller returns for a third season. It centres around the titular Snowpiercer, a massive train that circles the globe in a world where Earth has become a frozen wasteland. Season 3 picks up with Layton (Diggs) and his inner circle commanding a small 10-car “pirate train” in search of Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) and a possible warm location to restart civilization; while back on Snowpiercer, Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) is consolidating power, awaiting Layton’s return.
So it looks like Melanie may have survived (remember she sacrificed herself at the end of Season 2?). And what's this mysterious "New Eden" mentioned in the trailer? Could it be that Melanie found the last vestiges of humanity and there's hope for the world? Only the next season can tell us what happens next.
The Afterparty (28 Jan)
Apple TV+
This murder-mystery comedy series is centred on a death at a high school reunion, with each episode exploring a different character’s account of the fateful evening in question. Detective Danner (Tiffany Hadish) must interview all the suspects to find out what really happened. It boasts a star-studded cast of comedians including Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer, Jamie Demetriou, and Dave Franco.
Shows with unreliable narrators are always intriguing (which parts are objective and which parts are prejudiced?), which is what this show promises. But given that everyone's unreliability is grounded in comedy, it looks like it's going to be a riot. And since all the characters look like egomaniacs, watching the veritable clash of the titans (in terms of pride) will be fun.
The Legend of Vox Machina (28 Jan)
Amazon Prime Video
This adult fantasy animation is based on the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role. It shows the origin of the seven-member Vox Machina team as they go on a quest to save the realm from terrifying monsters and dark magical forces. The adventurers will face undead giants, overthrow a sinister necromancer, and confront a powerful curse has taken root inside their own group. Through it all, they learn how to function as a team, and discover they’re much more than that: they’re family.
If you're a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) player (or any type of tabletop RPG, really), you're going to want to watch this series. Fantasy series are aplenty, but one that adheres to the D&D rules system and shows you evocative ways that your powers work? Sign me up for it! The fact that it's not kid-oriented, unlike the 1983 Dungeons & Dragons animated series, makes it an interesting sell. There's a market for adult animation (get your head out of the gutter, not that kind!), and this show proves that.
Terrestrial
Suria
X (2 Jan, Sundays 8.30pm)
U Turn Ke Syurga (2 Jan, Sundays 9.30pm)
Dualiti (6 Jan, Thurdays 11pm)
Lesung vs Blender (9 Jan, Sundays 10.30pm)
Cable
Animax (StarHub Ch 542; Singtel Ch 342)
Orient (Part 1) (6 Jan, Thursdays 7.30pm)
Tsukimichi — Moonlit Fantasy (31 Jan, Mondays to Tuesdays 10pm)
AXN (StarHub CCH 511; Singtel Ch 304)
Amazing Race (Season 33) (6 Jan, Thursdays 7.55pm)
The Red Road (6 Jan, Thursdays 9.45pm)
Hudson & Rex (Season 3) (10 Jan, Mondays to Wednesdays 8.50pm)
BBC Earth (StarHub CH 407)
Chasing Monsters (Season 5) (30 Jan, Sundays 9pm)
The Green Planet (10 Jan, Mondays 8.05pm)
One Cup: A Thousand Stories (release date TBA)
BBC First (StarHub Ch 502)
Doctor Who: New Year Day's Special (2 Jan)
The Tourist (2 Jan)
Annika (7 Jan)
Father Brown (Season 9) (21 Jan)
Midsomer Murders (22 Jan)
BBC Lifestyle (StarHub Ch 432)
The Great British Bake Off (Season 2) (1 Jan, Saturdays 10.50am)
Extraordinary Places To Eat (Season 2) (17 Jan, Mondays 7.25pm)
CBeebies (StarHub Ch 303)
Number 1 Newton Avenue (3 Jan, Mondays 8.15pm)
CinemaWorld (StarHub Ch 613)
The Order of Things (9 Jan, Sunday 9pm)
The Wallet (23 Jan. Sunday 8.40pm)
GEM (StarHub Ch 814; Singtel Ch 519)
Bananaman's Gotcha Gourmet! (21 Jan, Fridays 8.15pm)
Duty and Revenge (22 Jan, Saturdays 8.40pm)
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi To Akashic Records (11 Jan, Mondays to Fridays 11.4opm)
Tokyo Revengers (27 Jan, Mondays to Fridays 11.4opm)
tvN (Singtel TV Ch 518, StarHub TV Ch 824)
Ghost Doctor (4 Jan, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9.15pm)
HBO
The Gilded Age (25 Jan, Tuesdays 10am and 10pm)
National Geographic (StarHub Ch 411; Singtel Ch 201)
Narco Wars: The Mob (7 Jan, Fridays 11pm)
Disaster Engineered (Season 2) (10 Jan, Mondays 9pm)
The 80s Top Ten (21 Jan, Fridays 9pm)
Airport Security: Madrid (Season 2) (23 Jan, Thursdays 11pm)
Nat Geo Wild (StarHub Ch 413; Singtel Ch 207)
On The Brink (Season 2) (Sundays 8.30pm & 9pm)
Dog Impossible: Never Too Late (19 Jan, Wednesdays 8.30pm)
ONE (StarHub 823 [Mandarin], StarHub 124 [Malay]; Singtel Ch 513 [Mandarin], Singtel Ch 604 [Malay])
2021 SBS Gayo Daejun (1 Jan, Saturday 5pm)
Unasked Family (3 Jan, Mondays 6pm)
2021 SBD Drama Awards (6 Jan, Thursdays 8.10pm)
Through the Darkness (15 Jan, Saturdays 9.45pm)
Streaming
Amazon Prime Video
The Tender Bar (7 Jan)
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (14 Jan)
The Legend of Vox Machina (28 Jan)
Apple TV+
El Deafo (7 Jan)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (movie) (14 Jan)
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (21 Jan)
Servant (Season 3) (21 Jan)
The Afterparty (28 Jan)
BBC Player
The Cleaner (1 Jan)
Disney+
The Faraway Paladin (5 Jan)
Chibi Tiny Tales (12 Jan)
Called To The Wild (12 Jan)
The John Dykes Show (14 Jan)
The Informant: Fear And Faith In The Homeland (21 Jan)
Hit Monkey (26 Jan)
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (28 Jan)
The Sinfluener of Soho (28 Jan)
HBO Go
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts (1 Jan)
Peacemaker (13 Jan)
Netflix
The Hook Up Plan (Season 3) (1 Jan)
Rebelde (5 Jan)
Dota: Dragon's Blood (Season 2) (6 Jan)
The Wasteland (movie) (6 Jan)
Hype House (7 Jan)
Mother/Android (movie) (7 Jan)
Undercover (Season 3) (10 Jan)
How I Fell In Love With A Gangster (movie) (12 Jan)
Chosen (13 Jan)
Photocopier (movie) (13 Jan)
The Journalist (13 Jan)
After Life (Season 3) (14 Jan)
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (14 Jan)
The Puppet Master: Hunting The Ultimate Conman (18 Jan)
Heavenly Bites: Mexico (19 Jan)
Juanpis González - The Series (19 Jan)
Too Hot To Handle (Season 3) (19 Jan)
Midnight Asia: Eat · Dance · Dream (20 Jan)
Munich - The Edge Of War (movie) (21 Jan)
That Girl Lay Lay (21 Jan)
Ada Twist, Scientist (Season 2) (25 Jan)
Neymar: The Perfect Chaos (25 Jan)
Snowpiercer (Season 3) (25 Jan)
The Sinner (Season 4: Percy) (26 Jan)
Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery (27 Jan)
Angry Birds: Summer Madness (28 Jan)
Feria: The Darkest Light (28 Jan)
Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness (28 Jan)
Home Team (movie) (28 Jan)
The Orbital Children - (28 Jan)
The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window (28 Jan)
All Of Us Are Dead (release date TBA)
I Am Georgina (release date TBA)
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (release date TBA)
Viu
Ghost Doctor (4 Jan)
Don't Go Too Far (movie) (7 Jan)
The Suspect (movie) (7 Jan)
Memories Of The Sword (movie) (7 Jan)
Through The Darkness (15 Jan)
Get more TV and movie news from Yahoo Life on our Entertainment page.
