Gannibal
Photograph: Disney+
Photograph: Disney+

The best upcoming TV series to watch in Singapore

From comedy sitcoms to action-dramas, here are the ones to binge-watch on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Go, and more

Cheryl Sekkappan
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Movies are great, but the magic usually rubs off after a minimum of an hour and a half. If you’ve got time to spare, immerse yourself in episodes worth of new TV shows. And with the vast catalogues of streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Go and BBC Player, you’ll be spoilt for choice. From highly anticipated series from South Korea to gripping crime dramas and romantic comedies, here are the TV shows to add to your watchlist and binge.

RECOMMENDED: The best upcoming movies to watch in cinema and stream in Singapore and the best video streaming services in Singapore 

December's highlights

Gossip Girl Season 2

Available on HBO GO December 1

Catch up on all the latest gossip on Manhanttan's elite with Gossip Girl, back for a second season on HBO GO. And from what we hear, this season is bringing back more of the original vibe of the original series. After a whole season of being toyed with by the mysterious Gossip Girl, our cast of characters are feeling tense – resulting in more scandals and catfights. Starring Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, and more, Gossip Girl Season 2 is going to make for a juicy watch. 

Recipe for Farewell

Available on tvN (Singtel TV CH 518, StarHub TV CH 824) December 2

Prepare your tissues for this new Korean drama. Recipe for Farewell is a kitchen diary of a husband who's a snooze in the kitchen, but nevertheless picks up the cooking tools to prepare meals for his wife – who was diagnosed with terminal cancer after they separated. Starring Han Suk-kyu, Kim Seo-hyung and Jin Ho-eun, this is a heart-stirring drama that will make you laugh as much as cry. 

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Connect

Available on Disney+ December 7

Disney+ is ramping up its Korean content as we head into the new year, and one highly-anticipated series is Connect. This urban fantasy series follows Ha Dongsoo, who has had magical healing abilities for as long as he can remember. One day, he's kidnapped by organ harvesters and has his eye cruelly taken. The action and intrigue ramp up when Dongsoo realises that he can see out of his missing eye – now being used by a serial killer who's gone on a murderous spree in Seoul. So begins his mission to hunt down the murderer, stop the killings, and restore his eyesight. 

Big Bet

Available on Disney+ December 21

Starring Choi Min-Sik in his first appearance in a drama series in over 26 years, Big Bet tells the story of a man who is fighting to become a casino mogul. After a series of unfortunate events, he hits rock bottom – but continues to fight his way back up, risking life and limb to get himself back in the game. Joining Choi Min-Sik is a star-studded cast, including Sohn Seok-gu (My Liberation Notes, D.P.), Lee Dong-hwi (Extreme Job, New Year Blues) and Heo Sung-tae (Squid Game, Beyond Evil). 

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The Witcher: Blood Origin

Available on Netflix December 25

Love The Witcher? Don't miss this prequel to the Netflix series, called The Witcher: Blood Origin. Set more than a thousand years before the events of the original show, the show follows seven outcasts in an Elven world who join forces to overthrow an all-powerful empire. Starring Sophia Brown, Laurence O'Fuarain and Michelle Yeoh, The Witcher: Blood Origin promises the same fantastical world-building and a look into the Elven empire before its demise. 

Gannibal

Available on Disney+ December 28

This one's for the horror-thriller fans. Gannibal follows police officer Daigo Agawa who arrives at the fictional Japanese village of Kuge-mara a deeply traumatised man. Despite having to repair the rift in his family while upholding law and order throughout the village, things start off smoothly. But it's not long before a series of shocking events take place – leading Daigo to uncover a horrifying truth about the village and its residents. Based on a hit Japanese manga, Gannibal will have you feeling squeamish but unable to look away. 

Coming soon

Save Our Squad

On Disney+ November 9

Global football icon David Beckham returns to his roots in Save Our Squad. He returns to East London to mentor the Westward Lions, a young, grassroots team that's hit the bottom of their league – the same league that David played in as a young boy. The new series will see him working with the team's head coaches, giving advice and encouragement to help them turn their fates around. Whether you're a David Beckham fan or not, this show promises to be a heartwarming watch. 

Willow

On Disney+ November 30

For those who can't get enough of epic period fantasy series like Game of Thrones, a new series by Lucasfilm and Imagine Entertainment is on the way to scratch your itch. Willow is an all-new live-action fantasy adventure series based on and serving as a sequal to the classic 1988 feature film of the same name. The movie follows an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms. Together, they defeated an evil queen and pushed back the forces of darkness. In the series premiering November 30, the adventure continues as an unlikely group of heroes embark on a new quest to save the world, on the way meeting mystical creatures and battling their own inner demons. 

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Big Bet

On Disney+ 2022

Starring Choi Min-Sik in his first appearance in a drama series in over 26 years, Big Bet tells the story of a man who is fighting to become a casino mogul. After a series of unfortunate events, he hits rock bottom – but continues to fight his way back up, risking life and limb to get himself back in the game. Joining Choi Min-Sik is a star-studded cast, including Sohn Seok-gu (My Liberation Notes, D.P.), Lee Dong-hwi (Extreme Job, New Year Blues) and Heo Sung-tae (Squid Game, Beyond Evil). 

Taiwan Crime Stories

On Disney+ 2022

Crime drama fans should keep their eyes peeled for an all-new original drama series Taiwan Crime Stories (working title) on Disney+. Inspired by true crime cases from Taiwan, the 12-episode series will take you through the gruesome and mind-boggling details of a family mass murder, train derailment, fraud cases, and more. Premiering exclusively on Disney+ in 2022, the production will also star the likes of Rhydian Vaughan, Patrick Shih, Simon Hsueh, Allison Lin, Frederick Lee and Wang Po-Chieh, among others.

What we're watching now

The Fabulous

Available on Netflix 

Step into the glamourous world of South Korea's fashion scene with The Fabulous. Starring SHINEE's 'flaming charisma' Minho, this new Netflix series follows four best friends as they juggle their personal and romantic lives – all while trying to survive in their fast-paced and cutthroat industry. Joining Minho (who plays freelance photo editor Ji Woo-min) are Kim Min-kyu (former Produce X 101) contestant, Byun Jun-seo (Woori The Virgin), Lee Mi-do (Kiss Sixth Sense, House Of Lies), Kwon Hae-sung (Cafe Minamdang, The Devil Judge) and rookie actress Ye Seon-ho, among others.

Fever Pitch! The Rise of the Premier League

Available on HBO GO 

It's World Cup season! If you're a fan of the beautiful game, then take time between matches to tune into HBO's line-up of football specials. Among them is Fever Pitch! The Rise of the Premier League. Hear directly from iconic players such as Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Vinnie Jones and Alan Shearer, who will be giving vivid first-hand accounts of the creation of the English Premier League and its evolution through the years. 

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1899

Available on Netflix 

Did you love the mind-bending Netflix series Dark? Then definitely tune in for 1899, an upcoming series by the same creators, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. This time, we follow a group of migrants aboard a ship bound for the New World. In search of a better future, the passengers instead sail into a nightmare when they come across a second ship adrift at sea. Billed as an "epic period mystery-horror", expect to be intrigued, puzzled, and frightened by turns. 

 

Food Affair with Mark Wiens

Available on HBO and HBO GO 

We're a nation of foodies, no doubt, and now our first love is getting the spotlight. Food Affair with Mark Wiens is a new HBO Asia Originals' production that takes viewers on an eye-opening journey of Singapore's food culture. Hear the untold stories, meet the colourful personalities, and learn the history behind favourite dishes. Beloved food vlogger, Mark Wiens, plays host – and he'll be trying everything from haute to hawker cuisine. Maybe don't watch this one when you're hungry at night. 

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Off The Grid

Available on HBO GO 

Sure to ignite your wanderlust, Off The Grid is a new travel variety show starring some of South Korea's biggest stars. The unscripted series plucks stars Kim Dam Mi, Kim Hee Ae, and Do Kyung Soo from their hectic celebrity lives and drops them at off-the-beaten track locations in South Korea to explore. It's not a survival-type show though – instead, Off The Grid will show you how each celebrity spends their alone time recharging in beautiful, lesser known locations around the country. 

Wednesday

Available on Netflix 

Wednesday Addams has a lot on her plate. On top of her budding psychic powers, she has a serial killer to catch and a 25-year-old mystery involving her parents to figure out. Set in Nevermore Academy, the place for 'outcasts, freaks and monsters', Wednesday is a smart, funny series about growing up. 

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First Love

Available on Netflix 

If you're keen to explore beyond ever-popular K-dramas, here's a J-drama to interest you. First Love is a tender romance series inspired by the songs written and composed by J-Pop star Hikaru Utada. In this drama, Yae Noguchi (Mistsushima Hikari) and Harumichi Namiki (Satoh Takeru), each other's first loves as teenagers, cross paths again later in life. Much has changed – both had big dreams, but life has taken a different turn in adulthood. Together, they reminisce about their bright past, and dream of a better future. 

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