Production Begins on HBO Asia’s First Dramedy

SINGAPORE: Production has begun in Singapore on Sent, HBO Asia’s first original comedy drama series.

The 8×30-minute show is being directed and co-produced by Singaporean comedian Alaric Tay and is set to premiere in 2017 on HBO Asia’s on-air, online and on-demand platforms. The ensemble cast hails from Singapore and Thailand and includes Haresh Tilani, Alan Wong, Adrian Pang, Carla Dunareanu, David Asavanond and Rosalind Pho. The dramedy focuses on a financial compliance officer who pens honest emails to anyone who aggravates him—but never sends them. When he inadvertently sends out the drafts of these emails he must face the consequences.

“We are thrilled to be producing HBO Asia’s first comedy drama series, a genre that is one of the perennial favorites of viewers across Asia,” said HBO Asia CEO Jonathan Spink. “We are proud to again be collaborating with Asian talents to bring more Asian content to the global stage.”

The show is being produced in partnership with the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), which aligned with HBO Asia to develop the drama production capabilities in Singapore.

Angeline Poh, assistant CEO (content and innovation group) at IMDA, noted, “The partnership between HBO Asia and IMDA created the opportunity for local talent to helm key positions on the production of Sent. They took on lead roles on screen and off screen, working closely with HBO Asia through the development and production process. IMDA will continue to forge such collaborations with industry partners like HBO Asia, to deepen the capabilities of Singapore’s media talent and raise the quality of our drama production.”