An Eye For Variety
By Michelle Tan • UrbanWire
The launch of 5 new Mandarin variety shows will certainly give you a good reason
to turn your attention to Channel 8 in late August and September.
UW gives you a rundown on the fresh concepts and brand new
host pairings that should inject a good dose of fun and entertainment into your
weekday nights.
.
Barter Trade
The show’s concept stems from a familiar sight in heartland Singapore
– the karang guni (rag & bone) man. Hardly looking anything like karang
guni, Barter Trade’s hosts – Mark Lee, Sharon Au
and Yes 93.3 FM DJ Calvin Soh – will be more than happy to trade your
unwanted possessions for spankin’ new items – if you’re able
to convince them to. It’s all about out-talking and buttering up the eloquent
trio. Good practice for negotiating with Cash Converters, we say.
Barter Trade airs Thursdays, 8pm from Aug 26.
The School Belle & The Beau
Don’t lament that the babes and hunks in local tertiary institutions are
few and far between; you’re probably just not searching the right places.
Zhou Chongqing and Belinda Lee, the bubbly hosts of The School Belle
& The Beau have found their fair share of good lookers and talented
people, thanks to nominations through their website.
“There is a lot of talent out there,” said Y.E.S. 93.3FM deejay Chongqing in Mandarin at the show’s press conference. “There are those [participants] who can act, those who are eloquent, those who are adept at sports… we’re fortunate to be able to find them.”
Sounds like a good opportunity to fish for future Star Search participants. Look out, Ngee Ann, because the show will be popping by our campus in their quest for the beautiful ones sometime soon. Watch this space!
The School Belle and The Beau airs Wednesdays, 8pm from Sep 1. To make a Belle or Beau nomination, visit the official School Belle & The Beau website.
Maid To Order
The public humiliation and reverse snobbery of celebs continues where it left
off in Split Ends, where celebs take the poor, downtrodden
route. Each week on Maid To Order, a local celebrity will play
domestic helper to a household for a day, taking care of the household chores,
cooking, and even minding the children.
“You get to see a totally different side to your favourite stars,” said host Irene Ang, who makes her Mandarin-hosting debut on the show.
Watch out for ‘domestic helpers’ Chew Chor Meng, Patricia Mok and Lin Meijiao in future episodes, and decide if they should keep their day jobs, or consider making a career switch.
Maid To Order airs Wednesdays, 8.30pm from Sep 1.
Beautiful People
The third installment of the Jean Yip-sponsored makeover show is back to transform
more participants, giving them the confidence boost they so desperately need.
The last 2 seasons of Beautiful People, hosted by Joey Swee
and Dasmond Koh, have helped transform people’s lives by “chang[ing]
their outward appearance”, says Joey, revamping their image through the
assistance of qualified people in the beauty industry.
“The results were touching,” Joey added, and she hopes that the show will continue to make an impact on people the third time around.
This may be Extreme Makeover without the ‘extreme’ part, but it certainly works for us.
Beautiful People airs Tuesdays, 8pm from Sep 14.
Malaysian Road Feast
Let hosts Mark Lee, Sharon Au and Huang Hui take you on a Malaysian
Road Feast, as they travel through Malaysia in search of the most drool-worthy
local delicacies. The show is, in essence, a road trip guide that details what
to see and expect when you travel to certain parts of Malaysia, what you can
do, and how you can get there.
The Channel 5 counterpart, Road Feast, with effervescent hosts Soo Kui Jien and Rosalind Pho, is currently airing on Tuesdays at 8.30pm.
Start taking notes for your next road trip!
Malaysian Road Feast airs Tuesdays, 8.30pm from Sep 28.