Don't Stop Believin' (TV series)
| Don't Stop Believin' (我们等你!) | |
|---|---|
 Poster with autographs of Edwin Goh and Xu Bin | |
| Genre | School life |
| Created by | Lau Ching Poon 刘清盆 |
| Written by |
Lau Ching Poon 刘清盆 Cynthia Chong 张湄纭 |
| Directed by |
Leong Lye Lin 梁来玲(ep 1-5) Foo Seng Peng 符之炳(ep 6-13) Lim Bee Nah 林美娜(ep 14-20) |
| Starring |
Felicia Chin Elvin Ng Romeo Tan Edwin Goh Kimberly Chia Ian Fang Xu Bin |
| Opening theme |
《真善美》 by Tay Kewei 郑可为, Wei En 微恩 |
| Ending theme | 《桃李》 by Foo Jierong |
| Country of origin | Singapore |
| Original language(s) | Chinese |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Soh Bee Lian 苏美莲 |
| Running time | 1 hour |
| Release | |
| Original network | MediaCorp Channel 8 |
| Original release | August 14 – September 10, 2012 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Joys of Life |
| Followed by | Poetic Justice |
| Related shows | Life - Fear Not (2015–2016) |
Don't Stop Believin' (simplified Chinese: 我们等你!) is a Singaporean Chinese drama which was telecast on Singapore's free-to-air channel, MediaCorp Channel 8. It made its debut on 14 August 2012.[1] This drama serial consists of 20 episodes and was screened on weekdays at 9:00 pm.
Don't Stop Believin became the top-rated 2012 on MediaCorp TV Channel 8, overtaking the previous record-holder Joys of Life.[1] Its last episode also attracted more than 1 million viewers.[2]
Story
Du Siman (Felicia Chin) is a passionate teacher of a top school. After clashing with the principal over a student, she decides to join Brilliante Secondary School, the school with the worst academic results in Singapore as it accepts pupils who have failed the Primary School Leaving Examinations at least twice. Through sheer determination, she manages to convince the principal, Zhou Yaoguang (Cavin Soh) and vice principal Li Shengchun (Constance Song), to recruit her. Unfortunately, Siman's first day at the school turns out disastrous.
Wu Yanbin (Elvin Ng) is a counselor in the school. Initially, Siman was furious with Yanbin after he did not respond to her calls for help when she was locked inside a recreation room. He even seemingly rejects Siman's profession of love for him. However, her stance towards him softened after she found out that Yanbin suffers from frequent bouts of sudden deafness.
In Siman's class is a student by the name of Bai Zhixiang (Ian Fang). If not for a home visit, she will not have believed that in a prosperous First World country like Singapore, there exists such a poor family who not only cannot pay their utility bills, they do not even have gas at home. Then there is another student Cai Wensheng (Edwin Goh) who is studying, and working at the same time to support the family at such a tender age because his father, Tianshi (Wang Yuqing), is mentally unwell. Emotions well up when Siman and the new volunteer teacher Angel (Tang Ling Yi) see these students rushing off to work right after school.
Zhong Guo'an ( Brandon Wong) is the disciplinary master of the school. In front of the whole school, he canes Junliang (Xu Bin) who is involved in a case where a female student, Jessie (Shelia Tan) is molested. Feeling maligned, the indignant Junliang throws a bag of urine at Jessie sneakily. Unfortunately, Guo'an slips and is rendered paralysed as a result. He is wheelchair- bound for life. Full of guilt, Junliang wants to visit Guo'an in hospital but is stopped by Yaoguang. Out of guilt, he protests about not being allowed to see his own father.
Zhixiang has his first taste of love when he falls for a classmate, Yilin (Kimberly Chia), who rejects him. Yilin confides in Yanbin every now and then. Once, when Yilin suffers a nosebleed, Yanbin carefully helps her to stop the bleeding. The young girl somehow develops feelings for him despite knowing that Yanbin is in love with someone else...
Jin Zhengnan (Romeo Tan), Yanbin's good friend, is fond of Siman after meeting her for the time. To get close to her, he volunteers to conduct a bakery class for the students of Brilliante Secondary School. Siman's heart, however, is with Yanbin. Once, Siman sums up her courage to express her feelings for Yanbin. Unfortunately, Yanbin's hearing defect leads to Siman mistaking him for rejecting her love. Disappointed, Siman finally gives in to Zhengnan's wooing.
Siman and Yanbin take the students on an overseas tour. They find out unexpectedly that Yilin is suffering from a terminal illness. In fact, Yilin knows about it all along but chooses to hide the truth from her teachers and classmates. As her condition worsens, she is unable to participate in the culinary competition organized by the TV station. She can only hope that her teammates will fulfill her wish.
Alex (Xavier Ong), a problem student who bears a grudge against Yanbin for punishing him, threatens another student into accusing Yanbin of molestation. He even trumps up a load of evidence and produces false witnesses, leaving Yanbin defenceless. In view of the damning evidence, the school board unanimously decides to fire Yanbin. Yaoguang goes all out to defend Yanbin, and makes up his mind to pursue the matter with him. He vows to resign as Principal if Yanbin is dismissed from his job. Siman is roused to join their camp.
Cast
Teachers
| Cast | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Felicia Chin | Du Siman 杜思曼 |
She is a passionate teacher and is in love with Yanbin |
| Elvin Ng | Wu Yanbin 吴彦彬 |
Brilliante's guidance counselor. He was a teenage delinquent who was subsequently remanded at a reformatory. He was also a former student of Yaoguang, the current Principal of Brilliante. It was because of Yaoguang's undying faith that Yanbin could change for the better that knocked sense into the latter, who vowed to make good and successfully earned his certification as a professional counselor. To repay Yaoguang's kindness, he applies to be a counselor at Brilliante Secondary School on his own accord. |
| Romeo Tan | Jin Zhennan 金正南 |
He is a chef who is in love with Siman, though the pair broke up later on when Zhennan's unfaithfulness came to light. He is also Yanbin best friend since their old school days. |
| Cavin Soh | Zhou Yaoguang 周耀光 |
The Principal of Brilliante. He is a long-time educator who believes that all students should be given a second chance. |
| Constance Song | Li Shenchun 李圣春 |
Vice-principal of Brilliante. |
| Ben Yeo | Cui Dabao 崔大保 |
A teacher at Brilliante. He is well known throughout the school as one who always chase after any new female teachers who come into the school. He later fell in love with Li Shenchun, after she had once helped him when he was having a stomach ache. However, it is his one-sided love. He was also the temporary discipline master when Guo An was hospotalized. |
| Tang Ling Yi | Angel |
Yaoguang's niece who is a teacher at Brilliante. |
| Brandon Wong | Zhong Guo An 钟国安 |
The discipline master of Brilliante and Junliang's father. An unfortunate incident resulted in him being wheelchair-bound for life. |
| Zhang Wei | Uncle Lim |
Students
| Cast | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Edwin Goh | Cai Wensheng 蔡文胜 |
The student with the worst academic result at Brilliante. He has to study and work at the same time to support his father Has a crush on Deng Yilin. |
| Kimberly Chia | Deng Yilin 邓怡琳 |
A girl who suffers from kidney cancer and died. Her parents are divorced. Has a crush on Wu Yanbin. |
| Ian Fang | Bai Zhixiang 白志翔 |
A student with poor academic results. He is a hyperactive student who loves food and dreams to become a chef Has a crush on Deng Yilin. |
| Xu Bin | Zhong Junliang 钟俊良 |
A student who got transferred to the school. It was later revealed that he was Zhong Guo An's son.He was transferred out of the school to pursue his interest with everyone's support. Jessie's Love interest. |
| Phua Yida | Wu Qinghua 吴清华 |
A student who worships Junliang. |
| Shelia Tan | Jessie |
The class representative. She once did not want to go to school because she thought that she had no friends in school and she had been molested. |
| Ang Ching Hui | Chen Xiaohe 筱禾 |
A student who is a slow-learner. |
| Scott C. Hillyard | Zheng Lida 郑立达 |
A student. |
| Xavier Ong | Alex |
The most rebellious student in school. However, his results are better than the other students. He stays with his abusive mother. |
Parents / Other cast
| Cast | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| May Phua | Wang Lihong 王丽虹 |
She is Chen Xiaohe's mother and is also Yaoguang's ex-fianceé. |
| Wang Yuqing | Cai Weifeng 蔡威风 |
Cai Wensheng's father. |
| Huang Shinan | Ken | Yilin's father |
| Shane Pow | Du Siwei 杜思维 | Du Siman younger brother. |
| Li Wenhai | Du Qiucheng 杜秋成, and 林倩如 as Feng Yun 凤云 | Siman and Siwei's parents |
| Teo Ser Lee | Anita | Yaoguang's elder sister and Angel's mother. |
| Silver Ang | Irene | Anita's newly hired maid in episode 4 |
Production
Filming for Don't Stop Believin' started on 10 May 2012 and ended on 16 July 2012. The school scenes would be filmed at East Coast Primary School and the production studio. Out-of-studio filmed scenes included locations like NEX, City Square Mall, Punggol, Serangoon, Bishan and Sentosa.
Producer Soh Bee Lian said that there might be a sequel to Don't Stop Believin', though this sequel would involve a new cast and would take some time to produce.[2] The sequel may replace Unriddle 2 in having a third instalment.
Reception
Don't Stop Believin' was well received by Singaporean viewers. It was the most-watched television drama of 2012 in Singapore, garnering an average viewership of 919,000 over its 20 episodes.[2] Although its debut episode garnered only 852,000 viewers,[3] the drama's last episode was attracted a total of 1,047,800 viewers, beating the previous viewership record of 993,000 viewers set by the period drama Joys of Life.[2]
A review in The Straits Times described this drama as "refreshing".[4] It also praised "the energy of the young cast", who "makes the drama more enjoyable than you expect it to be".[4] However, it added that "At second sight, Channel 8 touches, such as repetitive lines and ideas, are more apparent".[4] Overall, the newspaper gave this television drama a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.[4]
Overseas broadcast
This drama is one of the first dramas to be broadcast exclusive in Malaysia after its first telecast of two weeks, but there are possible plans to broadcast worldwide.
| Country of Broadcast | Broadcasting Network | Debut | Finale | Preceded by | Followed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Malaysia |
Astro Shuang Xing[5] | 30 August 2012 at 4.30pm, weekdays (encore on 31 August at 3.30pm, weekdays) |
26 September 2012 (encore on 27 September) |
Joys of Life | Poetic Justice |
2013 Accolades
Don't Stop Believin' clinched 4 out of 10 nominations in the Star Awards 2013, including Top Rated Drama Serial of the year. Felicia Chin & Elvin Ng have also received nominations in Favourite Female TV Character and Favourite On-Screen Couple in PPCTV MediaCorp Awards 2015.The other dramas nominated for Best Drama Series Poetic Justice , Unriddle 2 , Game Plan & Pillow Talk.The other dramas that are nominated for Best Theme Song are It Takes Two , Joys Of Life , Show Hand & Yours Fatefully
Star Awards 2013
| Nominee / Work | Award | Accolade | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 《真善美》sung by Tay Kewei and Wei En 郑可为、薇恩 | Star Awards 2013 Show 1 红星大奖2013 亮闪八方 | Best Theme Song 最佳主题曲 | Nominated |
| Lau Ching Poon 刘清盆 Cynthia Chong Mei Ying 张湄纭 | Best Screenplay 最佳剧本 | Won | |
| Xu Bin 徐彬 | Favourite Male Character 最喜爱男角色 | Won | |
| Kimberly Chia 谢静仪 | Favourite Female Character 最喜爱女角色 | Nominated | |
| Felicia Chin 陈靓瑄 | Nominated | ||
| Don’t Stop Believin’ 我们等你 | Top Rated Drama Serial 2012 最高收视率电视剧 2012 | Won | |
| Ian Fang 方伟杰 | Rocket Award 年度飞跃奖 | Nominated | |
| Star Awards 2013 红星大奖2013 | Best Newcomer 最佳新人奖 | Won | |
| Edwin Goh 吴劲威 | Nominated | ||
| Constance Song 宋怡霏 | Best Supporting Actress 最佳女配角 | Nominated | |
| N/A | Best Drama Serial 最佳电视剧 | Nominated | |
| Felicia Chin 陈凤玲 | PPCTV MediaCorp Awards 2015 | Favourite Female TV Character | Nominated |
| Elvin Ng 黄俊雄/Felicia Chin 陈凤玲 | Favourite On-Screen Couple | Nominated |
See also
- List of programmes broadcast by MediaCorp Channel 8
- Don't Stop Believin' episodes
References
- 1 2 "Don't Stop Believin' tops Channel 8 drama ratings". Today. 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- 1 2 3 4 "Don’t Stop Believin’ crosses the million mark". Today. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- ↑ "Don’t Stop Believin’ crosses the million mark". xin.msn.com. 12 September 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 Woei Wan (2012-09-06). "TV reviews". The Straits Times. Singapore. p. C6.
- ↑ 我们等你: 第1集. Astro TV (in Chinese). Retrieved 2012-09-13.