TV guide for Singapore in November 2020

Young Sheldon (Warner TV)
Young Sheldon (Warner TV)

Every month, we’ll tell you about new shows to hit terrestrial and cable channels, as well as streaming sites in Singapore. We’ll also highlight the television shows that you’ve got to be home (or on your phone) to catch every month.

Overview of November's shows

November sees the fourth season premiere of both Warner TV's Young Sheldon and Netflix's The Crown — and it's a sign of just how far both shows have come since their debut. For Asian drama fans, Viu has a new slew of shows, including the slightly offbeat Please Don't Date Him. If you're into thrillers, FX's Reprisal offers a short and stylised drama to check out. And HBO's His Dark Materials returns for a second season, offering us more adventures in Philip Pullman's fantasy world(s).

His Dark Materials (HBO)
His Dark Materials (HBO)

Young Sheldon (Season 4) (6 Nov, Fridays 8.35pm)
Warner TV (Starhub Ch 515, Singtel Ch 306)

Young Sheldon's fourth season sees the exploits of The Big Bang Theory's wunderkind as he graduates from high school and moves on to bigger and better things (from his perspective, at least) in life. But what new challenges will Sheldon face as he progresses on his unorthodox path in life? And how close will we get to seeing him grow into the Sheldon we all know and love from its parent series?

Yes, Young Sheldon's title character no longer looks as cute and adorable as he did when the series first started — Iain Armitage is 12 years old now, after all. After surviving a year past The Big Bang Theory's final, will the series be able to find new stories to tell that will intrigue us? I, for one, am quite eager to see how Sheldon eventually meets his future friends — even though I guess he's a bit too young for that to happen in the series.

Reprisal (11 Nov, Wednesdays 10pm)
FX (Singtel Ch 310, Starhub Ch 507)

Left for dead by her criminal brother and his gang, Doris sets out for revenge. When her mission's bankroll comes under threat, she takes matters into her own hands, infiltrating the gang to take them down from the inside. This femme fatale goes on one killer ride.

Stylised and noir, Reprisal has a strong female lead (Abigail Spencer) that seems like she'll be driving the plot forward — which is a refreshing change from the testosterone charged thrillers that we'd normally get. With just 10 episodes, it feels like it's just the right length to tell a tight story, while not being so long that you'd lose track of the plot halfway through. Looks like a nifty show to dip your toes in, if you're looking to try out a thriller.

The Crown (Season 4) (15 Nov)
Netflix

As the 1970s are drawing to a close, Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and her family find themselves preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), who is still unmarried at 30. As the nation begins to feel the impact of divisive policies introduced by Britain's first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), tensions arise between her and the Queen which only grow worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War, generating conflict within the Commonwealth. While Charles’ romance with a young Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) provides a much-needed fairytale to unite the British people, behind closed doors, the Royal family is becoming increasingly divided.

Look at that tension between Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher — so palpable that you could cut it with a knife! The new season of The Crown introduces characters and events that draw closer to the present day, with the introduction of Lady Diana Spencer presenting the most dramatic irony of all. We know how it's going to end, of course, and it's the heart-wrenching knowledge of the inevitable outcome that will drive us to see how it all plays out. This season of The Crown will prove to be the most interesting one yet.

His Dark Materials (Season 2) (17 Nov)
HBO

The second season of His Dark Materials begins after Lord Asriel has opened a bridge to a new world, and, distraught over the death of her best friend, Lyra follows Asriel into the unknown. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city she meets Will, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.

If you're not tired of Multiverses yet, Season 2 of His Dark Materials promises to give you another spin on the concept of parallel universes! Based on the book series of the same name, the television series has been able to adapt the original premise much better than the ill-fated film, The Golden Compass (2007), did — probably because they've got more time to delve into the multiple unravelling subplots and give more time to the sprawling cast of characters. The tropes may seem familiar, but it's woven together in a much more epic and cohesive way, giving fresh life to the series.

Please Don't Date Him (17 Nov)
Viu

Slightly neurotic programmer Seo Ji Sung is looking for love, but also looking to avoid the wrong man. In the course of her her work developing home appliances, she creates AI programme Cho Sang Shin to help analyse and identify the wrong men and save those trapped in relationships with said men. But when her AI encounters firefighter Jung Kook Hee, a virtual Luddite, it is unable to analyse him. What will happen next?

Okay, so we all know what is going to happen next in the series — the pair will fall in love, despite them being polar opposites, and hijinks will ensue. Also known as Please Don't Date That Man and Please Don't Meet Him, this series looks like it'll finally acknowledge the reality of dating apps (if only partially). As for the AI, we can only wonder if it'll fall in love with another home appliance... bonus points if it does!

The Crown (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)

Terrestrial

Channel 5

Ah Boy To Dad (17 Nov, Tuesdays 8pm)

Channel 8

Recipe of Life (2 Nov, Mondays to Fridays 7.3opm)

The Destined One 2 (9 Nov, Mondays 8pm)

A Jungle Survivor (11 Nov, Mondays to Fridays 9pm)

Happy Great World (12 Nov, Thursdays 8pm)

King of Culinary 2 (18 Nov, Wednesdays 8pm)

Happy Go Lucky 2 (20 Nov, Fridays 11.30 am)

Suria

Impak Aksi (Season 2) (1 Nov, Sundays 12pm)

Destinasi Bayu (1 Nov, Sundays 12.30pm)

Tai Tai Berkecai (4 Nov, Wednesdays 9.30pm)

Superhero Hati (5 Nov, Thursdays 9.30pm)

Our Tiny Superheroes (6 Nov, Thursdays 10am)

Adellea Sofea (8 Nov, Sundays 9.30pm)

Cable

HBO (Starhub Ch 601, Singtel Ch 420)

Industry (10 Nov, Tuesdays 11am and 11pm)

His Dark Materials (Season 2) (17 Nov, Tuesdays 10am and 10pm)

BBC First (StarHub Ch 502)

The Singapore Grip (6 Nov)

BBC Earth (StarHub Ch 407)

Age of Nature (2 Nov, Mondays 8.05pm)

Ben Fogle: Return To The Wild Series (Season 2) (19 Nov, Thursdays 9.55pm)

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (Season 6) (27 Nov, Fridays 9pm)

Race Against The Virus: The Hunt For A Vaccine (30 Nov, Mondays 9.55pm)

BBC Lifestyle (StarHub Ch 432)

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (9 Nov, Tuesdays 9.20pm)

Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip (24 Nov, Tuesdays 10.15pm)

CBeebies (StarHub Ch 303)

JoJo & Gran Gran (17 Nov, Tuesdays 6.35pm)

FOX Life (Singtel Ch 301, Starhub Ch 501)

The Good Doctor (Season 4) (3 Nov, Tuesdays 10pm)

FX (Singtel Ch 310, Starhub Ch 507)

Reprisal (11 Nov, Wednesdays 10pm)

FOX (Singtel Ch 330, Starhub Ch 505)

For Life (10 Nov, Mondays to Fridays 9.50pm)

S.W.A.T. (Season 4) (12 Nov, Thursdays 9pm)

National Geographic (Singtel Ch 201, Starhub Ch 411)

Best In The World Japan - Hiroshima and Yamaguchi (5 Nov, Thursday 9pm)

Rebuilding Paradise (14 Nov, Saturday 10pm)

Breakthrough: Virus Fighters (26 Nov, Thursday 9pm)

Nat Geo Wild (Singtel Ch 207, Starhub Ch 413)

Animal Kingdom (10 Nov, Tuesdays 8.30pm)

Warner TV (Starhub Ch 515, Singtel Ch 306)

Young Sheldon (6 Nov, Fridays 8.35pm)

Impractical Jokers Specials (23 Nov, Mondays 8.10pm)

Cartoon Network (Starhub Ch 316, Singtel Ch 226)

DC Super Hero Girls: Hero Of The Year (21 Nov, Saturday 11am and 5.30pm)

Oh!K (Starhub Ch 816, Singtel Ch 525)

Royal Family (2 Nov, Mondays 7.40pm)

Jesters: The Game Changers (13 Nov, Fridays 10pm)

A Thousand Kisses (25 Nov, Thursdays 11pm)

TLC (Singtel Ch 254)

Dr Pimple Popper (2 Nov, Mondays 9pm)

Streaming

Netflix

Can You Hear Me? (Season 2) (1 Nov)

Mother (movie) (3 Nov)

Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta (5 Nov)

Paranormal (5 Nov)

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run (5 Nov)

Dash & Lily (10 Nov)

Trash Truck (10 Nov)

Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House Of Fun (11 Nov)

The Liberator (11 Nov)

What We Wanted (movie) (11 Nov)

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (movie) (13 Nov)

The Life Ahead (13 Nov)

Alter Me (14 Nov)

The Crown (Season 4) (15 Nov)

The Boss Baby: Back in Business (Season 4) (17 Nov)

We Ae The Champions (17 Nov)

Holiday Home Makeover With Mr Christmas (18 Nov)

The Princess Switch: Switched Again (movie) (19 Nov)

Alien Xmas (movie) (20 Nov)

Flavorful Origins: Gansu Cuisine (20 Nov)

If Anything Happens I Love You (20 Nov)

Voices Of Fire (20 Nov)

Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square (movie) (22 Nov)

Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (23 Nov)

Hillbilly Elegy (movie) (24 Nov)

Great Pretender (Season 2) (25 Nov)

The Christmas Chronicles 2 (movie) (25 Nov)

Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker (27 Nov)

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Christmas (27 Nov)

The Call (movie) (27 Nov)

The Uncanny Counter (28 Nov)

Finding Agnes (30 Nov)

Hotstar

Laxxmi Bomb (9 Nov)

Viu

Drug War (1 Nov)

Birthcare Centre (3 Nov)

Pretty Lady (5 Nov)

Me And Me (6 Nov)

Homme Fatale (6 Nov)

Masquerade (6 Nov)

Oh! My Sweet Liar (6 Nov)

Lost Romance (12 Nov)

I Pickled And Picked You (12 Nov)

Please Don't Date him (17 Nov)

My Forever Sunshine (19 Nov)

Hera: The Goddess of Revenge (22 Nov)

We Are The Littles (23 Nov)

HBO GO

The Flight Attendant (26 Nov)

Reprisal (FX)
Reprisal (FX)

Marcus Goh is a television scriptwriter who writes for “Crimewatch”, as well as popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Code of Law”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.

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