Eat Already?

Eat Already?
Traditional Chinese	食飽未？
Simplified Chinese	吃饱没？
Hokkien POJ	Chia̍h-pá-bōe?
Genre	Family Sitcom Pioneer Generation
Written by	Xu Liwen 许丽雯
Directed by	Royston Tan
Starring	Li Yinzhu Elvin Ng Marcus Chin Aileen Tan Wang Lei Aden Tan He Yingying
Opening theme	Eat Already? (吃饱没) by Dream FZ
Ending theme	Segments of Next Episode
Country of origin	Singapore
Original languages	Mixed Dialogue, primarily Singaporean Hokkien
No. of episodes	10
Production
Producer	Ding Meilian 丁美莲
Running time	approx. 23 minutes
Original release
Network	Mediacorp Channel 8
Release	9 September (2016-09-09) – 11 November 2016 (2016-11-11)
Related
Happy Can Already! Eat Already? 2 Eat Already? 3 (2017) Eat Already? 4 (2018)

Eat Already? (Chinese: 吃饱没？) is a Singaporean Hokkien-language drama series which is telecast on Singapore's free-to-air channel, Mediacorp Channel 8. It stars Li Yinzhu, Elvin Ng, Marcus Chin, Aileen Tan, Wang Lei, Aden Tan and He Yingying of the series.[1][2]

It is primarily targeted at Singaporean elderly as most of them speak non-Mandarin Chinese languages at home. It gives them various tips for healthy living and aging.[3] While most of the characters speak Hokkien, Teochew was used by Chen Liping and Zoe Tay in several episodes.

Plot

The series is set in a coffee shop and it focuses on an elderly widow, Ah Niu Sao (Li Yinzhu), who works as a dishwasher and cleaner in a coffee shop in order to support her two sons. They are Ah Bee (Elvin Ng), who is formerly a gambler and currently a chef, and Ah Kiong (Aden Tan), who is a disabled person. As the series progresses, she faces many kinds of difficulties in life but manages to pull through due to the help from her neighbours and various healthcare support schemes.

Cast

• Li Yinzhu as Ah Niu Sao
• Elvin Ng as Tan Chee Boon
• Aden Tan as Tan Chee Kiong
• He Ying Ying as Meimei
• Marcus Chin as Ah Shun
• Aileen Tan as Ah Shun Sao
• Wang Lei as Niao Wang
• Brandon Wong as Daniel
• Chen Liping as Ms. Tan
• Kym Ng as Dr. Tay
• Zoe Tay as Dr. Tay
• Nick Teo as Meimei Brother

Episodes

No. overall	Title	Original Airdate
1	"Episode 1"	9 September 2016 (2016-09-09) PG Some Disturbing Scenes
A cooking competition is happening at a Community Centre. Amongst the participants is Ah Bee, who wins the competition. Ah Bee starts his thank-you speech by recounting his past; how he was contemplating suicide just a mere few months ago. Ah Niu Sao finds Ah Bee sleeping, and not fulfilling his promise to bring his brother Ah Qiang to the Enabling Village. She has no choice but to do it herself. She receives a call from her boss, who threatens to fire her if she doesn’t report to work. Ah Niu Sao goes to work but faints.
2	"Episode 2"	16 September 2016 (2016-09-16) PG
Bird King coughs incessantly and the club members urge him to visit the doctor. Dr. Tay reports that he has high cholesterol, and borderline high blood pressure. She gives Bird King some tips about healthy living. Ah Niu Sao receives her pay, but realizes that it is short of $50. Uncle Soon tries to help but the boss threatens to fire her. Uncle Soon advises Ah Niu Sao to seek help at Meet-the-people Session. There, Ah Niu Sao receives a call from Ah Qiang. He tells her that the loansharks have beaten Ah Bee up.
3	"Episode 3"	23 September 2016 (2016-09-23) PG
Ah Bee’s nonchalance despite being beaten up by loansharks disappoints Ah Niu Sao. Witnessing his mum’s sadness, Ah Qiang agrees to check out the Enabling Village to get a job. There, he meets Meimei, a volunteer, whom he warms up to. Ah Bee steals Ah Niu Sao’s salary and gambles it all away. Bird-King starts showing signs of dementia, and his friends urges him to see a doctor.
4	"Episode 4"	30 September 2016 (2016-09-30) PG
Bird King gets progressively more forgetful. DaPao is worried about Bird King’s condition, and persuades Bird King to go for a check-up. Ah Niu Sao desperately looks around for Ah Bee. She hears the song “Jia Hou” playing at a getai, and ends up in tears. Unbeknownst to him, Ah Bee is looking on from afar. After seeing how Ah Niu Sao is worried for him, he decides to go home and turn over a new leaf.
5	"Episode 5"	7 October 2016 (2016-10-07) PG
The slap from Ah Niu Sao brought Ah Bee to his senses. He decides to turn over a new leaf and attends a cooking class. He subsequently gets a job at a restaurant and his boss challenges Ah Bee to cook a dish for him. Ah Niu Sao frets over Bird King’s illness.
6	"Episode 6"	14 October 2016 (2016-10-14) PG
Ah Qiang starts falling for Meimei. He loses sleep over this and Ah Bee and Ah Niu Sao decide to give him some advice. Auntie Soon urges Ah Niu Sao to join her and several other old folks at the Senior Citizens’ corner to make friends. Da Pao brings Bird King to the Senior Citizens’ corner as well to let him socialize in order to prevent his dementia from getting worse.
7	"Episode 7"	21 October 2016 (2016-10-21) PG
Minister of State for Communications and Information Chee Hong Tat shares tips on healthy eating and active ageing with the seniors at a talk happening in Toa Payoh East CC. Ah Bee surprise Bird King with a ‘healthy birthday cake’, but Bird King forgets that it is his birthday. Da Pao worries that Bird King he may one day forget everyone. Ah Bee bumps into his old friends who cajol him to go to the gambling den. Will he give in to temptation once more?
8	"Episode 8"	28 October 2016 (2016-10-28) PG
Ah Niu Sao decides to enroll herself in a computer course in order to search for Bird King’s son through social media. Both Ah Bee and Ah Qiang suspect that Ah Niu Sao has a hidden agenda, which is to search for their long-lost sister. Ah Bee confesses to his boss about his gambling debts. How will his boss react?
9	"Episode 9"	4 November 2016 (2016-11-04) PG Some Violence
Ah Qiang finds out that his rival in love is actually Meimei’s brother. Ah Bee’s creditor turns to Ah Qiang to pay for his debts. Ah Qiang gets injured in the process, and Ah Bee is stricken with guilt. Bird King reunites with his son, but tension arises. Ah Niu Sao suspects that Meimei could be her long-lost daughter.
10	"Episode 10"	11 November 2016 (2016-11-11) PG
Ah Niu Sao forgives Ah Bee’s moment of folly and the two reminisce on memories of Ah Niu Sao’s daughter Xiao Mei. Ah Niu Sao shares her suspicion that Meimei could be her long-lost daughter. Ah Bee rents a stall in the coffeeshop and starts his own business.

Reception

Despite being intended for an elderly audience, the show has gained some popularity among Singaporeans of other age groups. Eat Already became the second Channel 8 series known to have Cabinet Ministers make cameo appearances. Low Yen Ling had introduced the courses offered by the Lifelong Learning Institute in her capacity as then-Parliamentary Secretary for Education (now Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth), while Chee Hong Tat engaged senior citizens in his Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in his capacity as Minister of State for Communications and Information (now Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs). The series received positive acclaim with 250,000 viewers on average, and has garnered over 1.6 million online views on Youtube.[4]

Awards and nominations

Star Awards 2017

Eat Already? was nominated for one category. The other drama serials that are nominated for Best Theme Song are You Can Be an Angel 2, The Dream Job, Life - Fear Not & If Only I Could (TV series). It did not win a single nomination.

Star Awards – Acting Awards
Accolades	Category	Nominees	Result
Star Awards 2017 Awards Ceremony 红星大奖2017颁奖礼	Best Theme Song 最佳主题曲《吃饱没?》	Dream FZ	Nominated

References

1. "New Hokkien drama aimed at seniors to be launched on Sep 9". Channel NewsAsia. 2016-09-01. Archived from the original on 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
2. Rachel Au-Yong (2016-09-01). "New Hokkien drama to explain government policies to seniors, Politics News & Top Stories". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2016-11-13. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
3. "Eat Already? Hokkien drama aimed at seniors to return for second run". Channel NewsAsia. 2016-09-09. Archived from the original on 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
4. Last Updated on 04 Mar 2019. "Dialect drama 《吃饱没？》 ("Eat Already?") returns for Season 2 in early 2017". Mci.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-05.