Mediacorp and ViuTV have agreed to streamline work on the drama series Ink at Tai Ping《太平纹身店》, with ViuTV assuming sole production to address safety and scheduling issues associated with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Initially slated to be lensed on location in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan from February 2020, the mutual decision to transfer production responsibilities of Ink at Tai Ping to ViuTV was made following the tightening of travel and filming regulations in response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in the region. Under the revised agreement, Mediacorp will pull back from participation in this project. The Hong Kong-based ViuTV will helm all aspects of the aforementioned show, including adjustments to the list of cast members, filming sets and script to accommodate this new development.
Meanwhile, audiences can anticipate another cross-border collaboration between Mediacorp and ViuTV. This upcoming project underscores Mediacorp’s continued focus on co-productions as a key strategic effort in engaging with the entertainment ecosystem beyond Singapore, so as to expand the content offerings designed around its diverse audiences.
Doreen Neo, Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp said: “Mediacorp remains committed to co-creating content for our audiences. Strategic collaborations are increasingly important in mitigating the multiple challenges facing the creative industry during this unprecedented period. We share a common passion for polished production values and stellar storytelling with our partners at ViuTV, and look forward to embarking on our next exciting endeavour that will surely entertain and engage our viewers.”
Lofai Lo, Director and General Manager, ViuTV said: “In addressing the safety and scheduling challenges posed by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, ViuTV and our partner Mediacorp have mutually agreed to film Ink at Tai Ping in Hong Kong, a drama series which audiences can look forward to later this year. Meanwhile, we are working closely with Mediacorp on the development of another exciting co-production which, in my view, will only bring out the best of the two cities in showcasing joint creativity and originality in production.”
Carrying the Chinese working title of《于是，我们又再见了》and having kickstarted discussions and developmental work, the forthcoming drama series is an intriguing romantic reimagining of the renowned Chinese legend of the star-crossed lovers Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai – this time set in contemporary Singapore and Hong Kong. Additional details will be divulged in due course.
This co-production is part of a partnership that was previously announced at the 2019 Asia TV Forum & Market, an alliance that is aligned with Mediacorp’s ramping up of its content collaborations. Projects include the thriller Bluetick《已读不回》with ViuTV in 2017 and most recently Slow Dancing, an English-language scripted series sourced from multiplatform entertainment company Wattpad that is poised to premiere in January 2021.
Visit www.mediacorp.com.sg and https://viu.tv