118 (TV series)
118 also known as ran for 255 episodes and was produced by MediaCorp Channel 8. It stars Chew Chor Meng, Pan Lingling, Dennis Chew, Ya Hui, Xu Bin, Somaline Ang, Chen Tianwen, Liu Lingling, Dawn Yeoh, Nick Teo & Carrie Wong as the casts of this series.
The show replaced the second half of the 7.00 pm drama timeslot, airing weekdays from October 20, 2014, 7.30 pm to 8.00 pm on weekdays and had a repeat telecast at 9.30am the following day airing together with news-current affairs programme Hello Singapore at 6.30pm.
Plot
Hong Daming is a positive and generous man. As his coffee shop and house number are both "118", the people around him gave him the nickname of "118", much to his delight. Together with his wife, Liu Meimei, he makes a living by running the coffee-shop, and are well known in Tiong Bahru. Whenever someone is in need, they would always seek Daming for help.His family lives in a 3-room flat, which was built in pre-war years, above the coffee shop. He has 4 children. The children are named Hong Shunfeng, Hong Shunshui, Hong Jinzhi and Hong Yuye.
Having 6 people living in a 3-room flat is cramped-up enough, yet he also rents out a room to "Ah Niang", a middle-aged man whose original name is Li Weiliang. Weiliang studied fashion design in France, but circumstances led him to simply run a stall in 118's coffee-shop, selling dumplings with the recipe that his mother left for him.
Weiliang was not the only addition to the cramped flat. Later, Meimei's elder sister – Liu Jiejie and her family also came to live with 118 when her husband, Zhang Tiancheng's business failed. Daming's own younger sister, Hong Shanshan, and her daughter also came to live with him "temporarily" when her husband disappeared mysteriously. Kind-hearted by nature, Daming felt that they must have come to him because they were at their wit's end. He would rather make room for them by having his own sons sleep in the living room, than to chase them away heartlessly.
As such, the story unfolds with this myriad of personalities living under the same roof and hanging around the 118 coffee-shop, where many dramatic yet comedic events took place…
"118" presents the positive side of a Singaporean – passionate, practical, caring, resilient, faithful, tolerant and forward-looking – while also touching on the lesser side of our personalities. Through the dramatic play of events, we are able to see ourselves in the many characters, who are in fact a mirror of the good and bad sides of all of us.
Cast
Hong (Daming) family
Zhang (Tiancheng) family
Hong (Shanshan) family
Lin (Zhigao) family
Li (Chengfeng) family
Li (Zhihao) family
Chen (Meizhen) family
Zhang (Jiabao) family
Zhang (Meiyou) family
Other characters
Tiong Bahru Market / Food Centre
Cameo appearance (appearing from ep 1-127)
Note: Only credited cameos are listed.| Cast | Role | Description | Episodes Appeared |
| Chen Meiling 陈美龄 | Daming's mother 达明母亲 | Hong Daming's mother who brought young Daming to cut his hair | 1 |
| Zakk Lim 林绍凯 | Albert | Property agent whom Steven introduced | 3, 15 |
| Zheng Rongming 郑荣铭 | Peter | Hong Shunshui's colleague at the car showroom | 7, 71-72, 130, |
| 郭雅长 | Mysterious Man 神秘男 | Assailant who is after Li Zhihao and possibly responsible for Zhang Meiyou's amnesia from the robbery | 13, 82-84, 88-89, |
| Chen Zonghua 陈宗华 | Ah Hong 阿洪 | Getai Boss | 14, 20, 33, 62, 75, |
| Michelle Tay 郑荔分 | Herself | Getai Host | 14, 20, 33, 62, |
| Guo Jingrong 郭锦荣 | Gangster 大只佬 | A gangster-looking man who called for Lin Zhigao's taxi, but was refused. | 18 |
| Zheng Shuying 郑淑莹 | Young Lady 年轻女人 | One of Lin Zhigao's passengers who asks to go to Mandai Columbarium Filial to her deceased mother | 18 |
| Zoe Tay 郑惠玉 | Herself | MediaCorp artiste who was one of Lin Zhigao's passengers. He did not take her as he is on Hong Shanshan's call. | 18 |
| Qiqi 琦琦 | An An 安安 | Getai Performer | 20, 33, 75, |
| 廖永毅 | Ruffian 流氓 | A ruffian in Geylang who brought Shunfeng to look for "Ah Zhen". | 25 |
| 方进平 | Chen Guoqiang 陈国强 | Ah Qiang Steven's eldest son | 28, 89 |
| Chen Jiahui 陈佳慧 | Isabel | Huang Mei's assistant | 31, 33, 95, |
| Wang Junxiong 王俊雄 | Wang Fudi 王福弟 | Wang Fuhai's elder brother Hong Daming's buddy Wang Shunfeng and Wang Yuye's biological father Died in a car accident 20 years ago | 31, 38 |
| 锦儿 | Fudi's wife 王妻 | Wang Fudi's wife Wang Shunfeng and Wang Yuye's biological mother Died in a car accident 20 years ago | 31, 38 |
| 黑龙 | Long-ge 龙哥 | Ah Zhen's boss, kidnapped Ada | 35 |
| 陈愫敏 | Clinic Assistant 女职员 | The assistant at a clinic Er-gu goes to. | 37 |
| 张佩芳 | Housewife A 妇女甲 | Patrons of the food centre. Meiyou comes up to them upon hearing them mentioning about a getai happening around the vicinity, but thinking he is a lunatic, they went away. | 39 |
| 林素君 | Housewife B 妇女乙 | Patrons of the food centre. Meiyou comes up to them upon hearing them mentioning about a getai happening around the vicinity, but thinking he is a lunatic, they went away. | 39 |
| 庄义川 | Man 男子 | Meiyou approaches this man asking where is his daughter. Frustrated, he grabs Meiyou by the collar, but is saved by Zhihao. | 39 |
| 陈湘榕 | Lisa | Gym instructress Clinton's friend | 40 |
| 杨迪嘉 | Xiaohui 小惠 | Kindergarten teacher Shunfeng's blind date Auntie Fruit's aunt's cousin's daughter | 45, 55 |
| Bukoh Mary 巫许玛莉 | Herself | Capital 95.8FM DJ One of the restaurant's patrons Acted in Beautiful Connection and My Lucky Charm | 45 |
| Gary Tan 陈毅丰 | Ah Wei 阿威 | KC15's triad member Responsible for burning the 118 coffee-shop Sent to a rehabilitation centre as of episode 114 | 45, 54, 66-67, 70-72, 74, 104 |
| Bryan Chung 钟肇峰 | Tony | KC15's triad member | 45, 54, 70-72, 74, 104 |
| Joy Yak 易凌 | Susan 苏珊 | Hong Daming's friend Liu Meimei's friend and past rival in the getai industry Returned to the US in episode 60 | 53, 59-60, 197, 199 |
| 卢冠耀 | Middle-aged man 中年男子 | Chen Meizhen's 40-year-old ex-boyfriend | 55 |
| 张桦珉 | Chen Gang 陈刚 | Chen Meizhen's uncle who accuses her of eyeing on the family assets. | 56, |
| Michael Kwah 柯宗耀 | David / Ah King | Zhang Jiabao and Bobby's friend Drug supplier Ah Lian's man Eve's ex-man | 57, 80, 90, |
| 卢佳俊 | Ah Dong 阿东 | Zhang Jiabao and Bobby's friend | 57 |
| 潘伟强 | Ah Ming 阿明 | Zhang Jiabao and Bobby's friend | 57 |
| 胡雁雁 | Ah Lian 阿莲 | David's woman | 57 |
| James Fong 方伟豪 | Big Mouth 大嘴 | Handphone repair shop owner | 64, 140, 162 |
| 欧美杏 | Mrs Wang 王嫂 | One of Er-gu's friends who patronizes Lin Zhigao's beehoon stall | 65, 105 |
| Jaylynn Loh 卢乐慈 | Glory | Max Chan and Tang Sijia's daughter | 67, 87, 136, 147-148, 160 |
| 梁人中 | Male Bodyguard 男保镖 | Bodyguard working for Simon | 77-79, 86-88 |
| 陈佩丽 | Female Bodyguard 女保镖 | Bodyguard working for Simon | 77-79, 87-88 |
| 潘皇升 | Old Jiang 老江 | Uncle Chen's friend | 85, |
| 张衛 | Ah Ming 阿明 | 118 patron who is invited to join in the CNY reunion dinner Migrant worker from China | 90-91, |
| 陶俊阳 | Ah Shui 阿水 | 118 patron who is invited to join in the CNY reunion dinner Migrant worker from China | 90-91, |
| Sheeda | Mrs Vas | Vas's wife | 90-91, |
| Kamaliah Kamsin | Nurse 马来护士 | Malay nurse at the clinic Shunfeng and Uncle Chen go to who can speak Mandarin | 100 |
| Tahir Ahmed Ansari | Dr Martin 印度医生 | Indian doctor at the clinic Shunfeng and Uncle Chen go to who can speak Mandarin | 100 |
| Lin Mingzhe 林明哲 | Director 导演 Producer 监制 | Director at MediaCorp; producer of Life - Fear Not | 109, 141, 190, 210 |
| Cheong Yuan Ting 张愿庭 | Ms Jin 金编审 | Screenplay at MediaCorp Wrote for The Golden Way, I Love My Pretty Babe, Tiger Mum @ Home and Life - Fear Not | 109, 141, 210 |
| 苔瑟蕊 | Hong-gu 红姑 | A mamasan Tiancheng recommends to Ke Ai | 110 |
| 廖永辉 | Simon's steward Simon管家 | Simon's steward Locked Daming and Shunshui in a room under Simon's orders Released Daming and Shunshui in episode 117 in exchange for Ada's departure with Simon | 116 |
Cameo appearance (appearing from ep 128 onwards)
Note: Only credited cameos and notable cast are listed.| Cast | Role | Description | Episodes Appeared |
| Lee Tze Yuan | Himself | 28th SEA Games 2015 wushu representative | 157 |
| Emily Sin | Herself | 28th SEA Games 2015 wushu representative | 157 |
| Eugene Teo | Himself | 28th SEA Games 2015 water polo representative | 157 |
| Ang An Jun | Himself | 28th SEA Games 2015 water polo representative | 157 |
| Chen Shucheng 陈澍城 | Himself | MediaCorp artiste Plays Zhuang Shuiqing in Life - Fear Not | 190 |
| Aileen Tan 陈丽贞 | Herself | MediaCorp artiste Plays Zhuang Daomei in Life - Fear Not | 190 |
| Rayson Tan 陈泰铭 | Himself | MediaCorp artiste Plays Zhuang Daoqiang in Life - Fear Not | 190, 210 |
| Felicia Chin 陈凤玲 | Herself | MediaCorp artiste Plays Zhuang Daohan in Life - Fear Not | 190 |
| Aloysius Pang 冯伟衷 | Himself | MediaCorp artiste Plays Zhuang Daoren in Life - Fear Not | 190 |
| Hao Hao 皓皓 | Xiao-qiang 小强 | Hospital doctor Zhang Keke's current boyfriend |
Cast who left before episode 127
Original Sound Track (OST)
Inconsistencies
- The storyboard for the series, Ang Eng Tee, said in an interview with My Paper that the show may need to be re-scripted even after the script for all 255 episodes has finished writing. This is because speculations that the general elections may be held in 2015 is trending, and that the political parties are already introducing its candidates progressively. If the elections are held in September, the show will need to re-insert the GE buzz, and the director and cast will need to do re-takes. The election dates were announced on 25 August, and the GE buzz was inserted on episode 225, where Dennis Chew and Sheila Sim mentioned the election campaigns. However, as the show was pre-empted six times during that period, episode 225 could have been aired on 28 August if there were no interruptions, causing the campaigning period, which were held on 2 to 9 September, to have happened earlier than usual.
- In the finale week of the series' broadcast, Chew Chor Meng puts up a notice at the coffee shop saying that 118 will be closed due to renovation works, and the final day of business will be on 16 October 2015, the day when the final episode would be aired. If there were no interruptions, the final day mentioned should have been on 9 October. However, in actual fact, as the scene is set one month after Shanshan dumped Dawei and another month after Granny Egg's death, the shop should have been closed at a later date than October.
Awards & Nominations