The Little Nyonya

The Little Nyonya
The Little Nyonya theatrical Poster
Genre	Period drama
Written by	Ang Eng Tee (洪荣狄)
Directed by	Chong Liung Man (张龙敏) Tay Peck Choo (郑碧珠) Chia Mien Yang (谢敏洋) Loo Yin Kam (卢燕金)
Starring	Jeanette Aw Qi Yuwu Pierre Png Joanne Peh Xiang Yun
Opening theme	如燕 by Olivia Ong
Ending theme	保温 by Bevlyn Khoo 需要 by JS
Country of origin	Singapore
Original languages	Mandarin Chinese, English, Bahasa Melayu, Japanese and Hokkien
No. of episodes	34
Production
Producer	Chia Mien Yang (谢敏洋)
Running time	approx. 45 minutes
Original release
Network	MediaCorp TV Channel 8
Release	25 November 2008 (Singapore) – 5 January 2009 (Final Chapter on 11 January 2009) Astro: March 2009 / ntv7: 26 October 2009 (Malaysia) 29 March 2009 (Cambodia) MIPTV: March 31, 2009 (France) 24 August 2012 (Philippines) 5 September 2009 (Burma) 1 December 2009 (U.S.) Shanghai: 2009 / China (Satellite) 16 January 2010 TPBS: 20 January 2010 (Thailand) TVB: 26 April 2010 (Hong Kong) MediaCorp Suria (Singapore): February 2, 2011 (episodes 1-12), 4 April 2011 (episodes 13-34)

The Little Nyonya (Chinese: 小娘惹) is a 2008 drama serial on Singapore's free-to-air MediaCorp TV Channel 8. The storyline, which circles around the biographical flashback of an extended Peranakan family in Malacca, is set in the 1930s and spans to over 70 years and several generations of three families. The series was partly sponsored by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. It debuted on November 25, 2008 and concluded its run on January 5, 2009.

Produced by MediaCorp in commemoration of the channel's 45-year anniversary (45载光芒·8方贺台庆), the series has been acclaimed by viewers and critics, and raked the highest viewership in the country in 14 years. The success of The Little Nyonya has led to the show being broadcast internationally. The series became the first ever Singaporean Chinese drama to be dubbed in Malay and aired on Malay-language channel Suria.

Plot

The story spans over 70 years, from the 1930s till the present day.

Huang Juxiang is born into a large Peranakan family where her mother is a mistress. She is gentle, beautiful and a fantastic cook. Due to a serious illness when she was 9 years old, Juxiang becomes a deaf-mute. Because of her handicap, she is ostracized by people. Right before the Japanese Occupation in Singapore, she is forced to marry Charlie Zhang, a rich Peranakan, and become his concubine. Juxiang resists the marriage and runs away from home. She then meets Yamamoto Yousuke, a young Japanese photographer. After overcoming many obstacles, they finally get married and Juxiang gives birth to a daughter Yueniang. During the World War, Juxiang is injured and she and her husband die, leaving behind their 8-year-old daughter.

The orphaned Yueniang eventually walks to her grandfather's house on her own. Her grandmother rejoices for her presence. Under the supervision of her grandmother, she learns to cook Peranakan dishes and sewing. She grows up looking exactly like her mother and is exceptionally beautiful. After the war, her maternal relatives who sought refuge in England return home. Yueniang ends up leading the life of her mother – always discriminated against, beaten up, blamed and tortured. She puts up with this mistreatment to protect her grandmother.

Yueniang's beauty incurs jealousy from her cousin, ZhenZhu and attracts the attention of many rich Peranakans. However, she only has eyes for the penniless driver Niuzai, who claims that he has 10 younger brothers and sisters to look after. Chen Xi,(his real name) actually comes from an educated and wealthy family. Yueniang's kindness, purity and persistence move Chen Xi and he falls deeply in love with her. He hides his identity to be with Yueniang. Unfortunately, their relationship is filled with many obstacles and difficulties. Under pressure from his family, Chen Xi is forced to marry Yueniang's cousin, Yuzhu, instead. Yueniang is then married to a butcher, Liu Yidao. Many things happen after this and it is revealed that the Huangs use misunderstandings and mistakes for granted and resort to off-board measures.

Yueniang is unwilling to accept the fact that she is always manipulated by others and decides to end her life. Her strong personality impresses Liu Yidao and they become sworn siblings instead. Yueniang decides to choose her own path in life. She begins learning how to run a business and, in the process, she is framed and ousted from her business. Despite the odds, she manages save her declining family business. Soon, she marries the lawyer, Paul. She has two miscarriages. So, she adopts Yuzhu's son as her own and names him Zuye. Zuye has two sons and a daughter. The daughter's name is Angela, in the present time. She has her business and sells cosmetics from overseas. However, Yueniang soon succumbs to intestinal cancer, and dies.

Cast

Huang family

Elders

• Huang Yuan (黄元, also known as towkay or 頭家, meaning "Head of Household", portrayed by Yan Bingliang (严炳量)): The head of the Huang family, husband of Tua Ji, father of Meiyu, Jincheng and Juxiang. He is forced to follow the family's manipulations, essentially selling out the members of his family in order to stay financially afloat. For example, he is persuaded into disregarding Juxiang as part of their family.
• Lin Guihua (林桂花, also known as Tua Ji or "Big Sister", portrayed by Lin Meijiao (林梅娇)) The matriarch of the Huang family and mother of Meiyu and Jincheng. She is very protective of her children, and hates Tian Lan's side of the family with a passion, treating them as mere inferiors. She blames Juxiang and Yueniang for all the misfortunes happening in the family, but she later confesses her sins and suffers a stroke during her attempt to burn Yueniang.
• Wang Tianlan (王天兰, portrayed by Xiang Yun (向云)): Mother of Juxiang. She was a maid of the Huang family. Having been raped by Huang Yuan, she was taken in as second mistress of the house to protect the family reputation. However she is only a "second mistress" in name as she is treated like a maid and looked upon with contempt by most of the Huang family. She is accidentally thrown off the second floor of the Huang residence by Jincheng, after Tianlan stumbles upon his affair with Xiujuan when Xiufeng was away. Tian Lan's injuries from this fall prove fatal.
• Tua Kor (大姑 "Big Auntie", portrayed by Guan Xuemei (管雪梅)): Huang Yuan's elder sister and mother of Xiulian, Xiufeng and Xiujuan. Being a very demeaning elder in the Huang family, she often abuses Ah Tao. She was later mentioned by Xiufeng to have passed out after learning that her youngest daughter, Xiujuan, went to bed with a man at a hotel in Singapore. She was no longer seen or mentioned after that, although it wasn't mentioned that she died from shock, it was most likely that she did after the incident.

First generation

• Huang Juxiang (黄菊香, portrayed by Jeanette Aw (欧萱)): Daughter of Huang Yuan and Tian Lan, mother of Yueniang. Juxiang is pretty, smart and hard working. Although born into a wealthy Peranakan family, she is treated with scorn and insult because of her mother's humble origins. She becomes a deaf-mute from the age of nine due to an illness caused by her grandmother's death. As a result, she cannot stand up for herself in many cases. She soon falls in love with a Japanese man named Yamamoto Yousuke. She marries him and gives birth to a daughter and named her Yueniang. She dies of internal injuries soon after her husband is killed by Japanese soldiers leaving behind their eight-year-old daughter, Yueniang.
• Huang Jincheng (黄金成, portrayed by Darren Lim (林明伦)): Son of Huang Yuan and Guihua. He is Meiyu's older brother and Juxiang's half-brother. He has a crush on Xiujuan but is arranged to marry her sister, Xiufeng instead. A failure as a businessman like his father Yuan, his family's dignity and finances suffer as they are ruthlessly manipulated by the Zhangs. Jincheng is often too obsessed with money and too weak to stand up to the Zhangs, such as when his daughter Yuzhu falls mentally ill after having to put up with Robert's abuse. Jincheng dies of a massive heart attack upon learning that his only son Tianbao (Alexandre) is sentenced to death for murdering Chen Sheng, as well as Charlie and Robert Zhang.
• Huang Meiyu (黄美玉, portrd by Apple Hong (洪乙心)): Eldest daughter of the Huang family, younger sister of Jincheng, Juxiang's half-sister and wife of Chen Sheng. Although she loves Chen Sheng very much he does not regard her as his wife for their marriage was an arrangement by his grandmother. As a result, she shows a great sense of hatred towards Juxiang and Yueniang thinking that they were the reasons why her marriage was a total misery. Was later upset upon learning about Chen Sheng's death, she eventually becomes nice to Yueniang after that.
• Xiufeng (秀凤, portrayed by Pan Lingling (潘玲玲)): Daughter-in-law of Guihua. Married to Jincheng. Elder sister to Xiujuan and the mother of Helen Huang Zhenzhu, Huang Yuzhu and Alexandre Huang Tianbao. Mistreated Yueniang along with the others by canning her and even leaving her in an old warehouse to die when she is in coma after being rescued from a well. She is later shocked to discover that her husband is having an affair with her sister, Xiujuan. Xiujuan takes revenge on Xiufeng and escapes the Huang household with the Huangs' money. Jincheng and Tian Bao's deaths and her youngest daughter, Yuzhu, becoming mentally unstable has a great impact on her and she learns her lesson.
• Xiujuan (秀娟, portrayed by Cynthia Koh (许美珍)): Younger sister of Xiufeng and Xiulian. She has an affair with Jincheng. When Huang Tianbao is arrested for the murder of Chen Sheng, she plots a scheme to defraud the Huangs of their money, under the pretext of bribing a high-ranking police officer. The plot succeeds, and the Huangs gives her the proceeds from their sale and mortgage of virtually all of their assets. She runs away to Hong Kong after she receives the money. However, she keeps the money in a bank during her years there, where it earns a tidy sum of interest. It is said in the show that she did not touch a cent.She returns the money to the Huangs after many years.

Second generation

• Yamamoto Yueniang (山本月娘, portrayed by Jeanette Aw (欧萱), younger version portrayed by Christabelle Tan (陈宇萱), older version portrayed by Xiang Yun (向云) - The protagonist of the series, she is the daughter of Juxiang and Yousuke and looks exactly like her mother. Her parents' deaths make her a strong-willed woman. She is forgiving towards Guihua and her other relatives despite their mistreatment of her and her family. Tao states at the present time that she has been diagnosed with colon cancer but did not want an operation, which implied that the disease is in its terminal stages. It is at this point that she tells Angela that she isn't her biological grandmother.
• Alexandre Huang Tianbao (黄天宝, portrayed by Andie Chen (陈邦鋆)) - The only son of Huang Jincheng and Xiufeng. The eldest sibling among Zhenzhu and Yuzhu. Hoping to be reinstated as deputy general manager of Robert Zhang's business, Tianbao does much of Robert's dirty work, including unsuccessfully attempting to poison Chen Xi and then sends someone to murder Chen Sheng; the latter act which causes him to be disowned by Robert. Yueniang later traces Chen Sheng's murder back to Tianbao and he is imprisoned. However he escapes and kills both Charlie Zhang and Robert Zhang, offscreen it is told that he was arrested for these murders and put to death.
• Helen Huang Zhenzhu (黄珍珠, portrayed by Eelyn Kok (郭蕙雯)) - She is the first daughter and the eldest daughter of Xiufeng and Jincheng. Sister of Yuzhu, Tianbao and cousin of Yueniang. A secondary antagonist, Zhenzhu is naive and yet manipulative. There were several occasions which revealed that she was not as evil as she seems to be but was greatly influenced by both her aunts, XiuJuan and MeiYu. She witnesses Yuzhu being raped by Robert and tries to save her, but hesitates because of Xiujuan's advice and ultimately does nothing. In Episode 13, it is revealed that although she almost tortures Yueniang, she does not want to see Yueniang die. However, while on her attempt to save Yueniang, her aunt Mei Yu stopped her and told Zhenzhu she wanted to drown Yueniang to death. She is a willful girl who fancies Chen Xi and manages to marry him, but their relationship deteriorates, as she often accused Yueniang of trying to steal Chen Xi. Yueniang remains kind to Zhenzhu despite the ill-will. Her marriage with Chen Xi never recovers and Zhenzhu eventually elopes with a Caucasian man.
• Huang Yuzhu (黄玉珠, portrayed by Joanne Peh (白薇秀)) - Second daughter of Xiufeng and Jincheng, younger sister of Zhenzhu and Tianbao. She is kind and polite compared to her siblings and the rest of the family. She is also hardworking and willing to learn new things. She often helps Yueniang, her cousin, and Ah Tao out of situations where they would otherwise get into trouble with the family elders. However, having been raped by Robert Zhang, she is forced to marry him, and thereafter suffers marital abuse including being used as a sex slave for Robert's business deals. This gradually drives her insane and Robert continues to neglect her, until she is rescued by Chen Xi and Yueniang. Nonetheless, after giving birth to her and Robert's son Zuye, she is committed to a mental institution for the rest of her life, with Yueniang becoming a surrogate mother to Zuye (who becomes the father of Angela).

Third generation

• Zuye (祖业, child portrayed by Edsel Lim (林泳勳), elder portrayed by Zen Chong (章缜翔)) - Son of Yuzhu and Robert Zhang. Due to Yuzhu's mental condition, he is adopted and raised by Yueniang. Grows up to look exactly like his father. He became a top lawyer and has two sons and a daughter, the latter being Angela.

Fourth generation

• Angela (安淇, portrayed by Felicia Chin (陈靓瑄)) - A university student in Canada. Originally considered to be the biological granddaughter of Yueniang, it is revealed at the end that she is the biological granddaughter of Robert Zhang and Yuzhu, as Yueniang adopts her father (Zuye) due to Yuzhu's mental illness. Before the series, in the present-day storyline, she has an unlucky run in romance. She decides to briefly return to Malacca, where she learns about her adoptive grandmother's bitter past.

Chen family

Elders

• Madame Chen (陈老太, portrayed by Li Yinzhu (李茵珠)) - Chen Xi's great-grandmother (Chor Chor), Chen Sheng's grandmother (Ma Ma). Likes to eat rempah udang very much. She places great emphasis on women's ability to cook Peranakan dishes and sew beaded shoes. She is one of the few people who trusts Yueniang. Juxiang's grandmother is one of Madame Chen's bosom friends.

First generation

• Chen Gong (陈功, portrayed by Chen Xiang (陈翔)) - The eldest grandson of Madame Chen, frequently comes into conflict with the Zhang family.
• Xiulian (秀莲, portrayed by Yang Yanqing (杨艳清)) - Elder sister of Xiufeng and Xiujuan, married to Chen Gong, and mother of Chen Xi.
• Chen Sheng (陈盛, portrayed by Pierre Png (方展发)) - Married to Meiyu, Juxiang's half-sister, but harbours love for Juxiang. After losing Juxiang, he drowns his sorrows by spending his free time drinking as well as singing and dancing pantun with young women, and even contributing to help Charlie Zhang's disowned brother Tianfu fight against Charlie's family for Zhang's ancestral house. Sheng is later murdered on Huang Tianbao's orders, who believes that it is what Robert Zhang wants.

Second generation

• Chen Xi (陈锡, portrayed by Qi Yuwu (戚玉武)) - Son of Chen Gong and Xiulian. So named because on the day of his birth, his family signed a lucrative tin contract. He is the only child in his family. Having been educated in the UK, he is more liberal than his conservative family. Although he wants to marry Yueniang, his family forces him to marry her cousin, Zhenzhu instead. After he thinks that Yueniang perishes in the fire where Robert Zhang sets up, he later marries Libby and has six children. His career is very successful and he contributes a lot of money to charity.

Zhang family

• Charlie Zhang (查里张, portrayed by Desmond Sim (沈金兴)) - A Baba who returned from the United Kingdom, his general disapproval of the Peranakan culture earns him scorn from the older generations of high Peranakan society. He has affairs with many women, especially paying money to bed virgin girls, and makes use of his wealth and status to collaborate with the Japanese. He had some influence behind the deaths of Yousuke and Juxiang. He is killed during a scuffle between his son Robert and Huang Tianbao, when a pistol is accidentally fired and hits Charlie in the head.
• Zhang Tianfu (张添福，portrayed by Henry Heng (王利秦)) - A Baba pantun master who is the disowned elder brother of Charlie Zhang, and a brother/friend to Chen Sheng. He fought with his brother over the ancestral home that was left behind by their ancestors as Charlie Zhang's family intended to make fortune from demolishing it, thus receiving support from Chen Sheng.
• Robert Zhang (罗伯张, portrayed by Zen Chong (章缜翔)) - Son of Charlie Zhang. A cunning one like his father, he looks on the Huang family with contempt and ruthlessly exploits their dire financial situation, having even raped Yuzhu thinking that she was Yueniang. This incident forced him to marry Yuzhu, whom he regularly abuses and even used as a "sex slave" in his business deals. Robert also has a long running rivalry with Chen Xi. Emerging as the chief antagonist as the series progresses, he sets a trap for Chen Xi and Yueniang when they try to free Yuzhu. Robert is killed by Alexandre Huang Tianbao, one of his business partners whom he had taken advantage of.

Other characters

• Ah Tao (阿桃, portrayed by Ng Hui (黄慧), elder version portrayed by Zhu Xiufeng (朱秀凤)) - An amah for the Huang family. Originally a personal servant of Huang Yuan's elder sister, Tua Kor (who abuses her heavily), she is bought by Tian Lan, and becomes her kitchen helper. She is loyal to Juxiang and Yueniang, and serves Yueniang all the way to the present day. Her right leg is broken by Guihua for being the bride's maid during Juxiang and Yousuke's marriage at the beginning of the show.
• Yamamoto Yousuke (山本洋介, portrayed by Dai Xiangyu (戴向宇) - An ethnic Japanese, he is very interested in Peranakan culture. In order to protect Juxiang from the philandering Charlie Zhang, he marries her. Yousuke is murdered by invading soldiers when Singapore falls to Japanese forces. It is implied that Charlie Zhang has a role in his murder.
• Liu Yidao (劉一刀, portrayed by Yao Wenlong (姚玟隆) - A butcher who has an arranged marriage with Yueniang, but later accepts her as his sworn sister. He and his brotherhood later assist Yueniang with her business. At the advice of Yueniang, Yidao gives up his bullying and gangster-like ways, in favour of a more civilized lifestyle.
• Libby (丽贝儿, portrayed by Pamelyn Chee (齐騛) - A woman who is more liberal than social norms at the time, she eventually marries Chen Xi, and has six children with him.
• Jonathan Li Xiuwen (李修文, portrayed by Nat Ho (鹤天赐) - A native of Hong Kong who grows up in Canada. He falls in love with his university schoolmate, Angela, and follows her from Canada to Malacca. Because of Yueniang's dramatic past, he decides to write a story about her life and will not leave Malacca until it is finished.
• Da Sha (大傻, lit. "The Big Silly [person]", portrayed by Li Yuejie (李岳杰)) - A simpleton who saves Yueniang's life when she is in a coma after being rescued from a well. Pioneer of the bird's nest dish and helps Yueniang with her business.
• Paul (portrayed by Bobby Tonelli) - A British lawyer who is originally hired by Robert Zhang, but eventually helps the Chens in a lawsuit. He later marries Yueniang. The couple have no children of their own, as Yueniang has 2 miscarriages.
• Jinhua (金花 portrayed by Jeszlene Zhou) Also an Amah for the Huang family. Often bullies Yueniang along with Zhenzhu. Fell asleep while watching Yueniang, indirectly contributing to Yuzhu being raped.
• Smith (portrayed by Peer Metze) - A British friend of Robert Zhang. He slept with Yuzhu after Robert Zhang drugged her.

Development and production

Sites of the Pinang Peranakan Mansion were used in the drama

The Little Nyonya took a year of research and four months to film. More than 150 staff members were involved in production of the series and the cast was required to travel frequently from Singapore to Penang, Malacca and Ipoh during filming. The Little Nyonya was notable for having the highest production budget in the history of MediaCorp due to the elaborate period costumes. A pair of beaded shoes traversed over a cost of SGD$1200, while a dining table acquired for the set cost $15000.

Rumours indicate that the role of Xiufeng was initially offered to May Phua, who turned the offer down due to her pregnancy at the time of filming. Huang Biren was said to be a prime candidate for the role of Tian Lan, although the actress' decision not to renew her contract with MediaCorp ultimately resulted in Xiang Yun obtaining the part. It was also rumoured that Zoe Tay had expressed interest in portraying a role in the series, although there were no suitable roles for her. Andrew Seow was first choice to play Robert Zhang but he declined due to scheduling conflicts and the role went to Zzen Zhang.

The series initially received a 30-episode order, although over-runs in filming led the series to be extended to 34 episodes instead. Possibly as a result, two episodes were aired on Mondays from December 15, 2008 till the conclusion of the series.

Promotion

Promotion for the The Little Nyonya lasted throughout the initial broadcast of the series as well after the series ended. Twelve members of the cast participated in "The Little Nyonya Public Event" 小娘惹户外影迷会 at Compass Point on December 27, 2008, which included an autograph session. An estimated 5000 people were present during the event. 100 posters were given out to members of the audience. The unprecedented number of appearances resulted in damage of the flooring at Compass Point. Certain tiles on the floor cracked under the pressure exerted by the crowd.

Due to the overwhelming response of the initial public event, a "Thank You Roadshow" was held at Suntec City on January 31, where fans were allowed to take photographs with the cast and then shake hands. It featured several cast members from the first event as well as Olivia Ong, who recorded the theme song of the series.

Minor roadshows were held at various locations between January and April 2009. On January 17, Jeanette Aw and Xiang Yun promoted bird nest at Tiong Bahru Plaza, while Qi Yuwu and Joanne Peh appeared at Courts Megastore along Tampines Road. Qi and Peh later appeared in character as part of the official launch for Media Fiesta at Marina Square on March 5. On April 26, Aw and Pierre Png made an appearance at the first anniversary of the Singapore Peranakan Museum shortly before leaving to attend the Star Awards.

Home media release

The series was released by MediaCorp a 2-volume DVD boxset. The first volume, which contained the first 12 episodes of The Little Nyonya was released to stores on January 6, 2009. The remaining episodes were compiled in the second volume and released two weeks later. The boxset contains no special features, although it is accompanied by a booklet which provides descriptions of the major characters in the show, as well as a family tree.

Reception

Commercial performance

The Little Nyonya achieved extremely high ratings during its initial run, with an average of 993 000 viewers per episode and peaking at 1.67 million viewers on the final episode. In addition, the series achieved the highest viewership rating in Singapore in 14 years.

Viewership for The Little Nyonya steadily increased throughout its run. Its first episode garnered an estimated 1.098 million viewers, which equates to 20.3% of the country population. On Episode 11, the show rating increased to 23.6%. The 15th and 16th episodes, both broadcast back-to-back, was watched by 24.1% of the country's population. The rating increased by 2.2% a week later, and further increased to 27.8% by the 27th and 28th episodes. The viewership peaked at 33.8% on the final two episodes, also broadcast back-to-back.

Critical response

The Little Nyonya has been critically acclaimed. However, despite being lauded as a drama that provides an insight into the unique Peranakan culture, the show has received criticism in local media over portrayals and promotion. Issues that were raised early included the castings of Pan Lingling and Cynthia Koh to portray teenage girls albeit being already in their thirties. This issue was counter-argued by being tantamount to ageism, as well as the fact that it was raised only three episodes after the show began airing. The character development of Xiufeng has come under fire due to the character's exhibitions of violence.

Criticism was also leveled at MediaCorp's bias towards Jeanette Aw. Many viewers saw The Little Nyonya as a television series conceived as a launching vehicle for Aw's career in television and to secure an award at the next Star Awards. Several viewers also believe that the producers intentionally wrote Aw's first role as a mute in attempt to conceal her imperfect delivery of Mandarin. In response, producers have lauded Aw's work, saying that she performed in a professional manner. Despite this, Aw's portrayal of Juxiang and Yueniang has been praised by members of the audience.

Mass publicity for The Little Nyonya began two months before the show premiered – it had also received criticism from the public. Within MediaCorp, there are also some misgivings in regards to the over-promotion this show has received. The cast of the long-running drama Love Blossoms have privately lamented that the show, which used to receive tremendous amounts of advertising support from MediaCorp, is being neglected in favour of The Little Nyonya.

As many of the Peranakan characters in the series (such as most of the Huang family, as well as Charlie Zhang and son Robert) are antagonists (Jincheng, Xiufeng and Huangyuan are part-time antagonists), many viewers think that the series will negatively stereotype Peranakans as being ruthless. In response, the show's writer, Ang Eng Tee, said that ruthlessness and petty politicking, which are basic human interactions, appears within any culture, and is not an exclusive trait of the Peranakans.

Due to the usage of dramatic license, the series also contains a significant number of historical inaccuracies, particularly in the first few episodes involving Juxiang's life and Yueniang's childhood. Notable examples include the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1932 (as opposed to 1937) and the first air raid on Singapore (8 December 1941) occurring in broad daylight (which took place at night in reality).

Accolades

In the Channel 8 countdown party, Dai Yangtian's role of Yamamoto Yousuke was ranked as one of the Top 8 Most Likeable Male Characters of the year. Jeanette Aw's portrayal of Huang Juxiang and Yamamoto Yueniang also received similar recognition by placing in the Top 8 Most Likeable Female Characters list.

This drama was seen as an extremely strong contender in the Star Awards 2009, which would be held in April 2009. The drama smashed the five year record of Holland V of 9 nominations with 16 nominations in the acting category and swept nearly every award in the technical category at Star Awards 2009. It was also ranked the most watched drama serial of the year 2008.The Best Theme songs and Best Drama nominated are Yi Xun 亦迅 — Just in Singapore ,一房半厅一水缸 (《屋檐》) , Daren Tan 陈轩昱 — Crime Busters x 2 叮当神探 (《幻听》) , Chew Sin Huey 石欣卉 — Perfect Cut 一切完美 (《我知道我变漂亮了》) , Mi Lu Bing 迷路兵 — The Golden Path 黄金路 (《路》) , Cavin Soh 苏智诚 — Love Blossoms 心花朵朵开 (《心花朵朵开》)

2009 Accolades

Award	Nominee	Result
Best Actor	Qi Yuwu	Nominated
	Pierre Png	Nominated
Best Actress	Jeanette Aw	Nominated
	Joanne Peh	Won
Best Supporting Actor	Dai Xiangyu	Nominated
	Darren Lim	Nominated
	Yao Wenlong	Nominated
	Zen Chong	Nominated
Best Supporting Actress	Eelyn Kok	Nominated
	Li Yinzhu	Nominated
	Lin Meijiao	Nominated
	Ng Hui	Won
	Xiang Yun	Won
Young Talent Award	Christabelle Tan	Nominated
Most Popular Newcomer	Dai Xiangyu	Won
Best Director	Chia Mien Yang	Won
	Chong Liung Man	Won
Best Screenplay	Ang Eng Tee	Won
Best Set Design	Ho Hock Choon	Won
Best Drama Theme Song	《如燕》 by Olivia Ong	Won
Best Drama Serial	The Little Nyonya	Won

2009 Asian Television Awards

Award	Nominee	Result
Best Actor	Qi Yuwu	Nominated
	Pierre Png	Nominated
Best Actress	Joanne Peh	Nominated
Best Drama Series	The Little Nyonya	Won (Joint winner)

Star Awards 2010

The spin-off variety special The Little Nyonya's Big Reunion was nominated for the Best Variety Special Award, but lost to The Chinese Challenge Finals.

Star Awards 2011

This drama is encored from April 27, 2010 till June 11, 2010, at 5.30pm. The promotional ad for the encore clinched the Best Promotional Ad award.

The Little Nyonya: The Final Chapter

The scriptwriter of the series, Ang Eng Tee (also known as Hong Rongdi 洪荣狄), plotted five endings for the series, 4 of which would involve Yueniang and Chen Xi reuniting and living happily ever after.

The ending used in the series was criticised by fans to be too sad and abrupt. The response also prompted Ang to say that had he know that viewers would react as such, he would have Yueniang and Chen Xi reunite, for TV dramas are, in his words, made for viewers. In response to the criticisms, MediaCorp decided to make an alternate ending, which was aired on 11 January 2009 at 9.55pm. The ending, titled "The Little Nyonya: The Final Chapter" (小娘惹之月娘与陈锡重逢篇, literally: "The Little Nyonya: The Chapter of Yueniang and Chen Xi Reuniting), lasted for three minutes. According to producers, the script for the alternate ending was finalised on 8 January, and filming was completed on the following day.

Although it was rumoured that the ending would reunite Yueniang and Chen Xi, and have them living happily ever after, the new ending merely had Yueniang and Chen Xi tell each other why they can't be together. Yueniang and Chen Xi ended up separated, just as it was in the original ending. This drew heavy criticisms from viewers, who told local newspapers that they felt they were being cheated. In response, MediaCorp said that this was not an "alternate ending", as some have suggested. Rather, it is a special presentation to show the station's appreciation to the fans of the series.

Chinese New Year Special

In response the tremendous support to the show, the producers filmed a one-hour special, showcasing the stars enjoying a special Nyonya's reunion dinner, "The Little Nyonya's Big Reunion" (Chinese: 小娘惹大团圆), which was aired on day one of the Lunar New Year (26 January 2009) at 7 pm. It was hosted by Dasmond Koh and featured Yan Bingliang, Lin Meijiao, Pan Lingling, Darren Lim, Li Yinzhu, Cynthia Koh, Eelyn Kok, Andie Chen, Joanne Peh, Zzen Zhang, Dai Yangtian, Jeanette Aw, Xiang Yun, Pierre Png, Qi Yuwu, Ng Hui and Yao Wenlong. The cast talked about the filming experiences and about the unexplained fates of characters that were not mentioned in the finale. Unaired blooper clips and behind-the-scenes shots were also shown. The special also had a special re-run on February 8, 2009 (day 14 of the New Year) at 9 pm.

Sequel

In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao, the series' scriptwriter, Ang Eng Tee, said that if the demand exists, he will write a special presentation, or even a sequel to the series. Ideas for a possible sequel or special presentation have already been drafted by Ang, one of which would have Angela receiving a secret wooden box from Ah Tao, before Angela returns to Singapore. The box was owned by Yueniang, and Ah Tao defied her orders to burn the contents before Yueniang died. The box contained details on Yueniang and Chen Xi's relationship, in addition to a letter from Libby, telling Yueniang that Chen Xi and Libby did not get married after all. However, it was noted that production sequels have been much frowned upon by producers, and owing to the high production costs, a sequel seems to be very unlikely, but another drama in 2010 Unriddle is having a sequel to the original in 2012.

Cultural References

The Little Nyonya has had notable cultural impact in Singaporean media. It was notably parodied in the variety show, Black Rose. In the episode when the encore started its debut, Chen Hanwei played Liu Yidao (留一刀) and Dennis Chew portrayed Yamamoto Yue Niang (山本月娘). It was also used in the skit segment of Star Search 2010 Grand Finals in which contestants played Liu Yidao, Yuzhu, Ah Tao and Robert Zhang.

The Peranakan Ball

On May 16, 2009, Jeanette Aw and Dai Yangtian starred in a musical called The Peranakan Ball (Chinese: 娘惹之恋). The musical is based on the story of Cinderella and it stars Jeanette Aw as Bee Tin, a Nyonya servant in a wealthy Peranakan household, and unrelated to the television series, even though the concept was clearly derived from the drama.

The Great Servant

While not promoted as such, and the program was produced by a different television station, many Singaporeans who watched the series Da Yahuan (Chinese: 大丫寰 "The Great Servant" in pinyin) believe it copies the main plot of The Little Nyonya. Da Yahuan was produced by Yu Zheng and broadcast by Hunan Broadcasting System in China. On May 6, The Great Servant's writer Li Yaling (李亚玲) claimed that Yu Zheng indeed plagiarized from The Little Nyonya. She claimed that Yu Zheng once told her that as long as plagiarism does not exceed 20% then the courts would have no case. Another writer Zou Yue (邹越) also claimed to have heard the "20% rule" from Yu Zheng.

Precious

A remake of The Little Nyonya titled Precious was filmed in 2011 from May to July. It stars Jeanette Aw as its lead actress again and Dai Xiangyu as the male lead. It is a China and Singapore co-production and will debut in China at the end of the year 2011 and in 2014 on Singapore's Channel 8. The Story though is adapted from The Little Nyonya, it'll not be based on the Peranakan Culture but instead about the Chinese medicine with some other changes in the characters. The drama is a Blockbuster drama commemorating China and Mediacorp's 20 years of partnership.

Other series references

• The series title was mentioned by Somaline Ang in episode 81 of 118.
• The scene where Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) is eating the bugs in the hut after being driven insane is mentioned by Dennis Chew in episode 122 of 118.
• The store opened by the Hong family in The Journey: Our Homeland is named Little Nyonya/小娘惹. Both English and Chinese names of the store are references to the series' title. Although it maybe coincidental, the first series of The Journey, The Journey: A Voyage, has an antagonist named Charlie Zhang, which has the same name and the same background (educated in Britain) as the main antagonist of The Little Nyonya.

International release history

The drama serial was broadcast overseas, mostly in the Asian region.

Country of Broadcast	Broadcasting Network	Release Date
Malaysia	Astro Shuang Xing, Astro AEC	February 2, 2009
Malaysia	NTV7	October 26, 2009
Cambodia	PPCTV Drama 9	March 29, 2009
France	MIPTV	March 31, 2009
Philippines	Associated Broadcasting Company(TV5)	August 24, 2009
Myanmar	MRTV	September 5, 2009
United States	Tai Seng Entertainment Channel (broadcast on DirecTV)	December 1, 2009
Vietnam	Vietnam Television	August 12, 2010
China (Shanghai)	TBA	2009
China (run across China via satellite)	TBA	January 16, 2010
Thailand	Thai Public Broadcasting Service	January 20, 2010
Hong Kong	TVB PayVision	April 26, 2010

In Indonesia, aired on B Channel starts July 2011. The series was originally scheduled to air in Malaysia in mid-January, but was later delayed to February. The series was also aired by TV stations in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Mainland China.

On 1 December 2009, Tai Seng Entertainment Channel, an ethnic Chinese entertainment channel on DirecTV, became the first non-Asian station to air The Little Nyonya. It is also the first station to air the series with Cantonese dubbing.

Hong Kong broadcaster TVB purchased the rights to telecast the series in April 2009, and aired the series a year later, in late April 2010. Like the US, the series has also been Cantonese-dubbed.

The series was promoted at the MIPTV Television Trade Show in Cannes, France during the end of March, 2009. Qi Yuwu and Jeannette Aw were also in Cannes to promote the series at MIPTV.

See also

• List of MediaCorp Channel 8 Chinese Drama Series (2000s)
• List of The Little Nyonya episodes

External links

• Official website