TV shows coming to Singapore in May: The Toys That Made Us S2, 13 Reasons Why S2 and more
Every month, we tell you about new television shows to hit terrestrial and cable channels, as well as streaming sites in Singapore. We’ll also highlight the TV shows that you’ve got to catch every month.
Overview of new TV shows in May
If you love Korean dramas, there’s a whole bevy of them on Viu, as well as some new offerings by Netflix, including the Korean remake of “Suits”. Of the lot, “Secret Mother” on Viu looks the most intriguing. But don’t let the deluge of Korean fare make you forget about the many other hidden gems in May, including the second seasons of “13 Reasons Why” and “The Toys That Made Us” on Netflix, as well as a promising new FOX+ comedy, “Alex, Inc”.
Alex, Inc. (13 May, Sundays 9pm)
FOX+
A new comedy series about Alex Schuman, a radio journalist, husband and father of two, who decides to quit his job and start his own company.
If the title character looks familiar, that’s because he’s played by Zach Braff of “Scrubs” fame. The eponymous Alex of “Alex, Inc.” channels the quirky, self-aware humour of the actor, which is now tempered by a family life. Although it looks like it has some oblique moments where it states the obvious, and there’s a strong politically-correct vibe running throughout the series, it’s a refreshing enough concept (that’s based off the podcast “Start Up”) that it looks like a comedy worth catching.
Secret Mother (13 May)
Viu
Yoon-Jin is a former psychiatrist. To do what is best for her husband and son, she quit her job. Kim Yoon-Jin had a daughter, but her daughter died and she carries a sense of guilt over her daughter’s death. She wants the best for her son who is about to enter a university. Kim Yoon-Jin decides to hire an expert to help her son enter a good university. The expert is mysterious.
Finally, a Korean drama without a trite romance! “Secret Mother” looks like it depends on good storytelling and tension (as opposed to cookie-cutter Korean stars who all go to the same plastic surgeon) to deliver a series that has an actual mystery. It’s been a while since there’s been a Korean drama where the ending isn’t forecasted by the very premise itself, and it looks like we’ll be seeing some dramatic skeletons in the closet coming out here. Maybe there’ll be some romantic entanglements, but at least it won’t be of the contrived, “will they or won’t they” sort.
13 Reasons Why (Season 2) (18 May)
Netflix
After a teenage girl’s perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.
Without going into any spoilers, the first season of “13 Reasons Why” made it seem like a second season would not be possible – after all, the first season was comprised of the cassette tapes that suicide victim Hannah made before passing on. Now that the big mystery of why she committed suicide has been solved, what else can the series look into? It’s a bold move to depart from a formula that works, but it’s necessary for the series to remain fresh.
The Toys That Made Us (Season 2) (25 May)
Netflix
The minds behind history’s most iconic toy franchises discuss the rise – and sometimes fall – of their billion-dollar creations.
Although it’s a documentary, it’s also an incredible look at the pop culture phenomenons that shaped the zeitgeist of today’s adults (and to some extent, children). Toys are an oft-overlooked aspect of any society’s development, and it’s just amazing that “The Toys That Made Us” is getting a second season. This is one of the rare few documentaries I am really, truly, and absolutely looking forward to.
Terrestrial
Suria
Ikhlas (3 May, Thursdays 9.30pm)
Cable
HISTORY (StarHub TV Ch 401)
SIX (Season 2) (29 May, Thursdays 9.55pm)
Lifetime (StarHub TV Ch 514 / Singtel TV Ch 302)
The Pastor’s Wife (2 May, Wednesday 9pm)
Maternal Instinct (9 May, Wednesday 9pm)
We Have Your Husband (16 May, Wednesday 9pm)
Girl Fight (23 May, Wednesday 9pm)
Streaming
Viu
Exit (1 May)
Women of Dignity (2 May)
Wok of Love (8 May)
You Drive Me Crazy (8 May)
Secret Mother (13 May)
Investigation Couple (15 May)
Come and Hug Me (17 May)
Miss Hammurabi (22 May)
Netflix
Sometimes (movie) (1 May)
Forgive Us Our Debts (movie) (4 May)
The Rain (4 May)
Kong: King of the Apes (Season 2) (4 May)
The Kissing Booth (11 May)
The Who Was? Show (11 May)
13 Reasons Why (18 May)
Cargo (18 May)
Catching Feelings (18 May)
Mob Psycho 100 (22 May)
The Toys That Made Us (Season 2) (25 May)
Ibiza (movie) (25 May)
Trollhunters: Part 3 (25 May)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 4) (30 May)
FOX+
Alex, Inc (13 May, Sundays 9pm)
Marcus Goh is a television scriptwriter, having written for popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Crimewatch”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.
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