Fighting Spiders!

I've seen many press kits in my career but this one from MediaCorp Ch 5's blockbuster drama Fighting Spiders is one of my favourites. It's a giant matchbox! 

It has this old-world feel about it. After all, Fighting Spiders is a coming-of-age story revolving around 3 boys, and set against 1960s Singapore. The matchbox has significance: Boys back then used to keep their fighting spiders in them. I'm so impressed that this press kit makes it to our blog! 

When I first saw the trailer on TV, it reminded me of Growing Up, which I absolutely adored. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover that scriptwriter Ngin Chiang Meng also wrote for Growing Up (one season), as well as other Ch 5 programmes such as Heartlanders, Under One Roof, RaRa Show etc. It was a delight chatting with a fellow writer (I still consider myself one) about his inspirations for the story. 

On the couch with Chiang Meng were 3 handsome young men: Frederick Fielding who plays Peter Livingston, one of the 3 boys in the show, American actor/model Bobby Tonelli who plays Peter's dad Thomas Livingston, and Star Search '07 winner Andie Chen, who plays hot-headed school dropout Tony Lee. 

We had a good laugh when Andie told us his most memorable scene was kissing Rebecca Lim because he went home with sore lips!  

"15 takes!" Chiang Meng teases, with a playful twinkle in his eye.

Testosterone fills The Living Room with the guys of Fighting Spiders:

[L to R] Bobby, Frederick, scriptwriter Chiang Meng and Andie.

Andie Chen is in an enviable position. He's entangled in a love web with 'virgin Annie' (Ezann Lee) and 'prostitute Susie' (Rebecca Lim). I ask him, "So are you more an 'Annie' sort of guy or a 'Susie' sort of guy?" Andie doesn't even pause to ponder. "Susie sort of guy," he declares cheekily. The other guys hoot and cheer. 

It was a ruckus in the Living Room, with me outnumbered by a bunch of testosterone-filled lads. But I must admit, I enjoyed myself tremendously. 

As promised, I'm posting a photo of Bobby Tonelli upclose. I kept saying on-air that he looks younger than his onscreen character that Chiang Meng pointed it out, much to my embarrassment. But isn't it true? Does he look like the father of a 14-year-old boy to you? Well, Bobby says my observation is "valid" as he put on 8kg for the role and grew a moustache. Ah, see. 

Catch Fighting Spiders every Tuesday, 8.30pm on Ch 5.