There’s a lot to be excited about as we usher in the Lunar New Year every year. There are those melt-in-your-mouth pineapple tarts and crispy arrowroot chips. Not forgetting, those generous angpaus we hope to get (unless you’re the ones giving them out) and of course, we can’t wait to catch up with family and friends we haven’t seen in a while. Another thing to look forward to is those Chinese New Year programmes that get us in the festive mood.
Star2.com wishes its readers Gong Xi Fa Cai and enjoy watching these TV shows on Feb 8 and 9.
First day
> Sebatang Pensel Sebiji Oren (TV1, 10.05am) – Young boy Odah dreams of owning the Super Pandai pencil brand but her mother won’t buy it for her. Odah then steals the pencil from Uncle Lim’s shop. As punishment, she has to help him out at the shop, bringing the two closer together. Starring Farah Nadiah and Chew Kin Wah.
> Mayday Nowhere 3D (Xi Yue HD, Astro Ch 300/11.30am) – Rock with Taiwanese band Mayday in this concert movie with performances from its Nowhere World Tour.
> Happy Go Lucky (TV2, 2pm) – This local telemovie tells the story of a woman who dreams of finding a good man to spend the rest of her life with. Will she find the love of her life? Who knows? But the suave Henley Hii does star in the film … Also starring Jane Ng, Mayjune Tan and Jamie Chu.
> Be Three Grasshopper In Concert (Astro Wah Lai Toi/CH 311, 3.30pm) – Enjoy performances by Hong Kong male group Grasshopper, comprising Calvin, Remus and Edmond, during its solo concert in Hong Kong Coliseum.
> Fat Choi Spirit (now Baogu/HyppTV Ch 225, 9pm) – Andy Lau plays a legendary mahjong player who lost his family’s entire fortune. He gets thrown out of the house but later manages to turn things around. He now lives in a mansion and asks his mother and brother, who is faced with financial woes, to move in with him. But what happens when his luck runs out again? Also stars Louis Koo and Lau Ching Wan.
Taiwanese-Canadian actor Eddie Peng plays a hot-blooded cyclist recruited to train in a professional racing team in Dante Lam-helmed sports movie To The Fore
> To The Fore (Celestial Movies/Astro Ch 322, 9pm) – Explore the lives and frienship of four competitive road cyclists starring Eddie Peng, Choi Siwon, Shawn Dou and Luodan Wang. The film was chosen as the Hong Kong Entry for this year’s Oscars.
Chow Yun-fat in From Vegas To Macau
> From Vegas To Macau (8TV, 10pm) – Catch this 2014 action-comedy before its sequel From Vegas To Macau 2 comes out next week. Cool’s half-brother Lionel, who is an undercover cop assigned to investigate DOA, a corporation suspected of running an illegal gambling syndicate, gets murdered by its head Ko. Cool enlists the help of legendary gambler Ken to take down Ko. Starring Chow Yun-fat, Nicholas Tse and Chapman To.
> Police Story 2013 (TV3, 10pm) – Detective Zhong Wen finds his estranged daughter Miao Miao in a nightclub and hopes to make amends with her. They get into an argument as he doesn’t approve of her relationship with the nightclub owner Wu Jiang. Out of nowhere, an assailant knocks the detective unconcious. He wakes up and discovers he, his daughter and other patrons of the bar have been held hostage. And the man behind all this? Drumroll, please. It’s Wu Jiang. Starring Jackie Chan, Liu Ye, Jing Tian, Yin Tao and Liu Yiwei.
AlanTam as the Monkey God in Kung Hei Fat Choy
> Kung Hei Fat Choy (SCM Legend/HyppTV Ch 226, 10.10pm) – The Money God, played by Alan Tam, gets sent to Earth to perform some good deeds. He encounters restaurant owner Fung and decides to help him out, making his business prosper. Things start to get out of control when word gets out that the Money God is in town. Also starring Dean Shek and George Lam.
In An Inspector Calls, Teresa Mo stars opposite Louis Koo, who is investigating a death.
> An Inspector Calls (SCM/HyppTV Ch 228, 10.30pm) – Based on the British play, Louis Koo plays an inspector who shows up at a family’s doorstep to investigate the suicide of a pregnant girl. In the midst of a fancy dinner party celebrating a couple’s engagement, each member of the family is questioned by the inspector. One by one, they deny ever knowing the girl. But nothing is at it seems … Also starring Eric Tsang, Teresa Mo and Hans Zhang.
Second day
> Cheongsam Untuk Ibu (TV1, 10.05am) – Watching her peers leave their hometown and find success in their careers in the city, Leong feels pressured and decides to follow in their footsteps against her mother’s wishes. Starring Ng Hung Shen, Mandy Chong and Siti Fazurina.
> Aaron Kwok de Showy Masquerade World Tour Encore Live in Concert 2013 (Xi Yue HD/Astro Ch 300, 11.30am) – Aaron Kwok, who turns 51 this year, proves he has still got it, showing off his muscles in skin-tight outfits and high-energy dance numbers.
> Rob-B-Hood (8TV, 2pm) – Burglars Thongs, Octopus and Landlord are tasked by a triad gang to kidnap a baby from a wealthy family. But after the kidnapping, the guys start to develop paternal feelings for the baby and are hesitant to hand the child over to the triad. Starring Jackie Chan, Louis Koo and Michael Hui.
> Brotherhood Of Men Concert (Astro Wah Lai Toi/Ch 311, 3.30pm) – Seventeen years after the first Young And Dangerous film, its main cast Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, Chin Ka Lok and Jerry Lam reunite for a joint concert featuring music from the film series as well as the individual artistes’ hits.
Choi Siwon in Helios
> The Taking Of Tiger Mountain (Astro AEC/Ch 301, 3.30pm) – In order to take down a gang of bandits who rule North-east China, the People’s Liberation Army send a spy to their fortress in Tiger Mountain. Directed by Tsui Hark, this 2014 action-adventure film stars Zhang Han Yu, Tony Leung Ka Fai and Lin Geng Xin.
> Special ID (8TV, 8.35pm) – Police officer Dragon Chan has gone undercover to investigate a ruthless triad gang for a long time. Now its fearsome leader Hung is on a mission to eliminate infiltrators like him. When his fellow undercover cops get caught, he fears for his and his family’s life. Starring Donnie Yen, Andy On and Tian Jing.
> Helios (Celestial Movies/Ch 322, 9pm) – Wanted criminal Helios has stolen a weapon of mass destruction. The police learn that he will be trading it with a buyer in Hong Kong soon. Top officers from Hong Kong, China and South Korea join forces to recover the nuclear weapon. Starring Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheung, Shawn Yue and Choi Siwon.
> The Attractive One (now Baogu/HyppTV Ch 225, 9pm) – Born with a birthmark on his face, Hugo always had low self-esteem. One day he meets Yammie who, as a result of a hormonal imbalance, has a moustache. The two strike up a friendship and Yammie even asks Hugo to help her search for her first love. Starring Lau Ching Wan and Joey Yung.
Donnie Yen plays Chen Zhen in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.
> Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen (TV2, 10pm) – Donnie Yen has some big shoes to fill as he portrays Chen Zhen, a character once played by Bruce Lee and Jet Li. This 2010 martial arts film sees Chen Zhen donning a mask and trying to stop the Japanese invasion in Shanghai. Also starring Shu Qi, Anthony Wong and Huang Bo.
Firestorm stars Andy Lau.
> Firestorm (NTV7, 11pm) – It’s a storm of sorts heading Inspector Lui’s way. The police department is put to shame when a gang of notorious criminals manages to pull off a car heist in broad daylight. He is determined to capture and send them behind bars once and for all just as a storm is about to hit the city. Starring Andy Lau, Hu Jun and Gordon Lam.
> Huat Ah! Huat Ah! Huat Ah! (SCM/HyppTV Ch 228, midnight) – This local movie made RM3.6mil at the cinema in 2014. It follows the life of autistic village youth Ah Huat who, although unable to express himself, has a knack for making a good cup of coffee. Starring A-niu, Joyce Cheng and KK Wong.
> Confucius Was A Foodie (Nat Geo People HD/HyppTV Ch 503, 1.25am) – This docu-series traces how Chinese cuisine made its way to North America and its place in the continent today with the help of host celebrity chef Christine Cushing.
