User reviews

Some times i like how the show pokes fun at colonialism. At other times I find myself wishing for deeper investigation of the period. On one hand, the way this skips along on the surface parallels the general shallowness of many of the characters. The writing is kind of clever in that way. On the other hand, i found myself often wanting for some deeper investigation. I especially wished for a more thorough investigation of the character of Vera Chiang. I'd summarize this as "light" satire, intended for British audience with some smiles but no big laughs and that only hints at many past sins.. c ould have been so much better but... not bad for wfat it is.

I don't know what genre this series is supposed to be. It could be satire but not really black enough for that. Historical genre it has some of that yet if it is even a little true then no wonder the British fell in Singapore. This does not have much going for it at all.

This story shows how the English aristocrars & business men always thought they were far superior to any Asian or other cultures!

Very poorly set and awfully directed and the scenes are pathetic casting not the best. Read the book very much better entertainment

The problem with The Singapore Grip is that the story line is weak, with a plodding script, and unfortunately even the seasoned actors like David Morrissey fail to impress. A weak plot begets weak characters, so even the enigmatic Vera failed to grab my attention. Such a pity, because the war scenes were really quite well filmed, and Singapore itself looks a fascinating place, it deserves better treatment.

Sumptuous settings. Faithfully re-created period and place.

But the storyline is not that interesting. The acting is wooden. No chemistry between the characters. Nothing to make you warm to or feel strongly about any of them.

Reminds me of "Indian Summers" - great potential but a disappointment and, in the end, rather dull and uninspiring. Style over substance and talent.

Compare this to classics like Tenko!

I have read reviews of this production with increasing dismay. I accept views of the quality of the acting whether or not I agree with them. I don't object if anyone finds the script writer's dialogue unappealing whether or not I agree with them. I find the level of sanctimonious, self righteous and woke criticism of the story, the content and the author depressing and wholly predictable in today's climate. This is a novel, and yes it is a single self contained book so I don't think anyone is angling for a "second series" God help us. It is part of J.G. Farrell's anti colonial trilogy. The characters are awful - they are meant to be. You are not meant to like them. What the production fails to convey is the subtle, wonderful all pervasive disgust that Matthew and the author felt about the damage of colonialism. I want to suggest people actually read the book but I expect many won't bother and some would find it too challenging.

I thoughlly enjoyed all six episodes. Yes they may be a little comical, but in this Covid world I enjoyed that. I haven't read the book, so have nothing to compare it with. A fictious story written to the background of real very sobering events, with a lot of colonial hypocrital glamour...... A great atmospheric distraction.

I gave up on this series after two episodes, simply because there was nothing in it to keep my interest or attention. The characters are uniformly unlikeable - apart from the one played by Charles Dance, and he doesn't hang around long enough to be of much use to the story. Many of the other characters are either two-dimensional cardboard cutout villains to be booed and hissed, or bumbling morons to be mocked and ridiculed. All in all, an opportunity to tell the story of one of the biggest turning points in British and Southeast Asian history is reduced to little more than a predictable soap opera.

Unlike some others, I'm enjoying this show, but then I'm always a sucker for a British costume drama. The actors are good and the historical context is interesting. Don't write if off without giving it a fair go.

Firstly, I think the acting is solid from Charles Dance, David Morrissey and Colm Meaney (slight accent slip once or twice - earl grey with a touch of guiness), mostly. I enjoyed some of the side characters. The issue is with the script and maybe the production. There's an air of "You Rang M'Lord" to it.

I haven't read the book but I understand it to be a satire. That is not clear from this show. You also cannot satirise the empire then use orientalism as part of the work itself. Why I need to see Elizabeth Tan practicing tai chi in the garden relentlessly, I don't know. It's not poetic. It's not magical. It's just a woman doing martial arts. It's just pure annoying white male gaze. Now if that's meant to be satire, it needs to be filmed/directed/produced differently. We shouldn't be in favour of the light skinned mixed race asian character (and of seeing the fully asian women being overlooked) just because Luke Treadway's character is. This feels like it was written by a white man who is himself guilty of orientalism. Luke's character might be the protagonist (from a revolving door of protagonists...who is the protagonist?!) we are meant to root for but it felt like Chuck Lorre writing a storyline for one of his big bang theory incel boys. I wanted to hit him. I actually rooted for Joan (and hoped she and her father would have him killed), which I don't think was the intention.

Am I meant to not really care about any of the characters?

I only continued with this because David Morrissey is a joy to watch.

The book was satire. This interpretation gets it at times, but misses by a mile at others. This inconsistency exacerbates the overall enjoyment by frustrating the viewer. Could have been a great series, but isn't.

I'll admit that I only managed two episodes it was so dreary. It should have been brilliant... Some seasoned and some up and coming actors but I can't decide if it was the acting or the storyline that was at fault. Shame.

I really wanted to like the series because my mother lived through this period of the fall of Singapore but it really was so boring and predictable! It could have been so much better as the story is interesting but the acting was wooden and stilted. I did not see the need for the constant distracting and overpowering background music, sometimes jazz, sometimes traditional Chinese. It was just so typical of foreign productions filmed in Asia., that unnecessary need to 'highlight' all the Asian elements, the scenery, the clothes, the accent etc, but the whole story is lost along the way. So sad that a series can be this bad

We started watching for the Historic connection and stayed on because it's so sarcastic, taking into consideration it's made by English people who like to criticize themselves. Loved the act and the way one really fill they had enjoyed playing their roll each one of them. Can't wait for the last final episode.

...but I found it watchable enough through the first four episodes, which is all I have so far. I will certainly see it through.

David Morrissey is playing well against type, and is rather amusing at it. The lad playing Matthew is good, as is Monty, but the women -- especially the young women -- are dreary indeed.

Someone mentioned Tenko. It is clearly not in the same class as one of the greatest series ever produced, but as a portrait of the worst of colonialism it is pretty good.

It had loads of potential, not all realised, but as a light entertainment set in a dark time it is oddly interesting.

Commenting on the television drama show. The drama is very faithful to the book. Everyone comes across as a bit pathetic - it is a satire. The main characters are white and British and live in Singapore in the 1940s. Yes, Chinese and British did not mix freely back then and the show makes that reality very clear. If you don't like that perspective the show is not for you. The show is filmed as it would have been filmed in the 1980s. That feels a bit dated, but I like the story. Shows how incompetent the Brits were in defending Singapore and how ruthless a trading company could be towards small landholders. Again, if that is not your cup of tea, the show is not for you

ITV can bang on about '2020 Rebooted' all they like, but all this 'rebooting' has involved is them bringing back shows we've seen before.

Even this apparently 'new series' is so full of ideas both good and bad cherry picked from other drama's whether it's actually 'new' or not is questionable.

Slow, poorly performed and just plain dull. A waste of good performers. ITV need to find something new and engaging to fill their schedules, quick.

Being a sucker for period dramas, especially those set in Asia, I was looking forward to this. One thing that I like is the setting. The locations were well-chosen. But the acting by some of the characters fell flat.

... but overall it just falls flat. As others have pointed out, the locations are excellent. They nailed the period in set and costume. But, the dialogue and storyline are simply terrible. Amateur writing, with characters spewing lines that were meant to be clever but just fall flat. The acting surprises me, too, because these are veterans that should know better. But, I suppose with a script that is just unsalvageable and bad direction, even good actors can't save it.

Excellent representation of the fall of Singapore, very well photographed and acting was also good. Ending was a bit "up in the air" but suspect, as with so many shows they are hoping for a second season. Well worth the watch, but this is not a war film in the traditional sense so if that is what you want don't bother.

Downhill all the way after a promising start concluding with the last episode that has all the feel that the money had run out in equal measures to the enthusiasm of the scriptwriters, director and actors. Visually not a bad job as a period piece but there is little else to recommend. The style is confused and often farcical, the characters are all two dimensional at best, a simplistic plot that lacks intellectual depth.

Very well done with fine acting, I now know what the grip is.