90s-2000s Channel 8 Dramas We’re Dying To See Again (With Our Dream Cast)
Holland V, The Champion and The Unbeatables… we’re manifesting these remakes for 2026
By Lyla Lee -
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Amidst the K-drama and C-drama frenzy, if Mediacorp really wants us glued to their channels again, there’s only one solution: reboot the classics that raised an entire generation of Singaporeans on HDB drama, Orchard Road bikini runs, and ah ma–approved tearjerkers.
Even though no one asked, we’ve decided to go full-on fan mode and put together our dream reboot cast list. From Holland V to The Unbeatables, here’s who we’d shamelessly campaign for if these shows got a remake.
Emerald Hill, you’ve had your turn; this round is for the rest of the OGs.
1. Holland V (2003)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Singaporean who hasn’t at least heard of Holland V.
The 2003 series followed the shenanigans of the Mo family and their famous nasi lemak stall in Holland Village — the kind of place that felt like it could actually exist under your block. Led by the unforgettable “Big Sister” Mo Wanwan, played by Chen Liping, the drama mixed hawker life hustle, family squabbles, and tear-jerking backstories into a 100-plus-episode marathon that had us happily sitting through it night after night. And that opening theme? Still lives rent-free in my mind ‘til this day.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Mo Wanwan (played by Chen Liping)
Our reboot pick: Xixi Lim
Wanwan is loud, loyal and impossible to ignore, the kind of big sister who will fight with you and for you in the same breath.
Xixi’s natural warmth and sharp comedic timing make her a great fit — she can nail the naggy hawker auntie moments, then break your heart when the script calls for it. We can totally see her running a kopitiam stall: noisy, fierce and secretly soft-hearted. Also, picturing her in full auntie gear flipping ikan kuning at 6am just feels very right.
Mo Lingling (played by Patricia Mok)
Reboot pick: Seow Sin Nee
Lingling is the second sister with a soft heart and a surprisingly deadly kick. Seow Sin Nee’s slightly awkward, girl-next-door charm makes her easy to root for, especially as someone who keeps getting pushed around until she finally snaps.
If you’ve seen her in TSQ Films’ Hard Mode as the curtain shop boss, you’ll know she can flip from nice and patient to sassy, angry and passive-aggressive in seconds — perfect for a Lingling who’s done tolerating everyone’s nonsense.
Mo Yanyan (played by Cynthia Koh)
Reboot pick: Carrie Wong
Yanyan has both looks and brains but would genuinely rather sleep than do anything with them. Carrie has the perfect “I know I’m chio, I know I’m smart, I’m just not bothered” energy to pull this off. She can play a money-minded, slightly bratty sister who floats through life in pajamas and eye masks, then suddenly gets deadly serious when her bank balance or family is threatened.
Mo Jingjing (played by Jeanette Aw)
Our reboot pick: Chantalle Ng
Jingjing is the total opposite of her twin Yanyan: not book-smart, a little slow, but always the first to roll up her sleeves and help at Wanwan’s nasi lemak stall. She’s repeatedly cheated of her feelings and money yet never loses her optimism — with Lady Luck oddly on her side.
Chantalle already proved in My Star Bride that she can play a simple-minded, pure-hearted character with quiet inner strength like Jingjing — someone viewers instinctively want to protect, even when her own family is calling her stupid.
2. The Champion (2004)
2004’s The Champion is another classic Channel 8 drama that is fondly remembered mostly because of one thing: the Orchard Road bikini run scene featuring Fiona Xie, Jeanette Aw, and Felicia Chin. Plot? Something about a swim team. Cultural impact? 11/10.
For the reboot, we only care about the Princesses.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Guo Jingwen (played by Jeanette Aw)
Our reboot pick: Tasha Low
Guo Jingwen is the team’s most promising swimmer, but she’s also the one constantly dashing in late because she’s juggling part-time coaching and a messy home life.
Tasha Low’s character in Emerald Hill already showed she can handle driven, emotionally loaded characters who are pulled in different directions, trying to be strong for everyone else while barely holding it together herself.
Lu Kaixin (played by Fiona Xie)
Our reboot pick: Hong Ling
Lu Kaixin is the resident bombshell of the team: confident, flirty and absolutely unafraid of the spotlight. Without a doubt, Hong Ling fills the role. We mean, she once won The Tokyo Bust Express Sexy Babe Award at Star Awards 2015.
Wang Tong (played by Felicia Chin)
Our reboot pick: Gladys Ng
Wang Tong is the arrogant team member who starts out thinking she’s a bit above everyone else, until an injury yanks her off her pedestal and forces her to rethink everything.
Gladys Ng already lives in the sporty space thanks to Under The Net, so she can sell both the competitive, slightly cocky athlete and the humbling that follows without it feeling fake.
3. The Price of Peace (1997)
Set during the Japanese Occupation, it followed everyday people in wartime Singapore trying to survive, resist and protect the ones they loved. Led by James Lye, Ivy Lee, Lina Ng and Christopher Lee, this 1997 drama is heavy, emotional and properly traumatising, the kind of series that made Social Studies feel very, very real.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Dida Cheng (played by James Lye)
Our reboot pick: Desmond Tan
Dida Cheng is the dashing resistance fighter type — brave, idealistic and just reckless enough to get himself into serious trouble for the greater good. Desmond Tan slips into that mould very naturally. He has proper leading-man presence, but with enough broody depth to make you believe he’s seen things he can’t talk about. You can picture him moving through back alleys passing messages, torn between staying alive and doing the right thing, which is exactly what you want from your main war hero.
Natsuki Hideko aka Xiu Xiu (played by Ivy Lee)
Our reboot pick: Rebecca Lim
Xiuxiu or Natsuki Hideko is a woman caught between sides and identities in an occupied city, never fully trusted by anyone. Rebecca Lim shines in these morally grey roles, where every look could mean three different things. And yes, pairing her with Desmond Tan again is 100% intentional — the former BFFs had simmering chemistry in past projects and, honestly, I still low-key ship them, so why not throw them back into a messy wartime situationship?
Zhang Cuicui (played by Lina Ng)
Our reboot pick: He Ying Ying
Zhang Cuicui was a Chinese opera actress whose life was torn apart by the Japanese Occupation. Unlike the other roles, she wasn’t a resistance fighter or a collaborator. Instead, she was an artist, a civilian, and a woman trying to survive in a world where her craft, her community and her safety were constantly under threat. Oh, and she was also involved in a love triangle between Dida and Natsuki.
For the reboot, we’d cast He Ying Ying. Her bright, expressive style works for a Cuicui who is lively and a bit cheeky on the surface, but cracks whenever she’s forced to choose between love and staying alive.
Xie Guomin (played by Christopher Lee)
Our reboot pick: Tyler Ten
Xie Guomin starts out full of anger and idealism, doing underground resistance work against the Japanese, but the war wears him down until he finally breaks and becomes an informant just to save himself.
Tyler Ten has that intense, slightly restless energy that works for a hot‑headed young man (think Bai Ah Li in Emerald Hill) who thinks he’s a hero, and you can easily see him hardening into someone desperate enough to betray others without ever feeling like a moustache‑twirling villain.
4. The Return of the Condor Heroes (1998)
1997’s The Return of the Condor Heroes follows orphan Yang Guo as he bounces between different martial arts sects, never quite fitting in until he is taken in by the cold, mysterious Xiaolongnu.
Their forbidden romance – between master and disciple – plays out against decades of grudges, martial arts rivalries and looming war, turning what starts as a rebellious coming-of-age story into an epic, tragic love story that defines both their lives. Of course, it’s all the more romantic given that the two main leads — aka Christopher Lee and Fann Wong — eventually got married.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Yang Guo (originally played by Christopher Lee)
Our reboot pick: Lawrence Wong
Yang Guo is a rebellious orphan who’s deeply devoted to martial arts, later becoming a powerful, courageous, and loyal hero. Lawrence Wong already feels at home in historical and palace dramas thanks to roles like Hai Lan Cha in Story of Yanxi Palace, so you can easily imagine him in flowing robes, looking both refined and a little dangerous. His mix of boyish charm and intensity works for a Yang Guo who can be reckless, romantic and tragic at different points in the story.
Xiaolongnu (originally played by Fann Wong)
Our reboot pick: Julie Tan
Xiaolongnu is the “Little Dragon Maiden”: cool, disciplined, and almost emotionless on the outside because she has been raised away from normal society, but utterly sincere once she falls in love with Yang Guo.
Julie has that ethereal look that fits an aloof swordswoman who seems like she stepped out of a painting (just check out this Instagram post of her photoshoot in China). She also starred opposite Lawrence Wong in The Promise as his love interest, so we’re totally ready to see that reunion again.
5. The Unbeatables (1993)
90s kids will always remember the iconic pairing that’s Zoe Tay’s Luo Qifang and Li Nanxing’s Yan Fei. And oooh, we do WANT a reboot of a good gambling show. After you watch The Unbeatables, you almost feel like you could stroll into a casino in a sharp suit, shake and stack dice like we’re the Queen of Gamblers and walk out a legend.
With high‑stakes showdowns, over‑the‑top “secret techniques” and impossibly glamorous wins, it’ll be so fun to revisit the 1993 drama. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll ever see a true modern remake of this, because Singapore discourages gambling and smoking in local dramas, which are strictly regulated.
But who cares, we’re still gonna fantasise about a 2026 version and recast the legendary Li Nanxing and Zoe Tay.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Yan Fei (father) / Lin Jianfei (son) (originally played by Li Nanxing)
Our reboot pick: Pierre Png
Yan Fei is the so-called King of Gamblers: outwardly a carefree small-time player, secretly a man on a long game to avenge his parents against casino boss Long Tingguang. Pierre Png brings that sharp, suited-up charisma you remember from Crazy Rich Asians and The Little Nyonya, so you can absolutely picture him gliding through Coral Island’s casinos, smiling politely while mentally stripping every opponent’s hand bare.
Luo Qifang / Long Jiajia (daughter, two different names) (originally played by Zoe Tay)
Our reboot pick: Jesseca Liu
Luo Qifang is a righteous cop who hates gambling, then finds out she’s actually Long Jiajia, the hidden daughter of the very man Yan Fei wants to destroy – which blows up her love life, career and sense of self in one go. Jesseca Liu has that cool, composed ice queen presence, so she’s believable both in uniform chasing illegal gamblers and in evening gowns at the casino tables, torn between family and the man she loves.
6. Tofu Street (1996)
Set in the late 1940s to the ’70s, this 1996 drama follows a group of tenants with very different backgrounds who end up sharing a big house on Tofu Street. Your parents and grandparents probably all watched it; the show is full of relatable everyday struggles — cramped rooms, money problems, gossip — and slowly turns a bunch of post-war strangers into a kind of found family. At the heart of it all is a bittersweet love story between a child bride, a tofu seller family, and a doctor who loses his memory.
Personally, I think that Tofu Street’s theme song, Mavis Hee’s “Moonlight in the City”, is the most iconic. Until this day, it’s still quite a hit at fam KTV nights.
Our 2026 reboot cast wishlist
Liang Simei (originally played by Cynthia Koh)
Our reboot pick: Bonnie Loo
Liang Simei is the gentle, long-suffering child bride bought by a widowed tofu seller to marry her young son, help at the stall and look after him, only to later fall deeply in love with Song Yizhe after nursing him through his memory loss.
Bonnie Loo has that naturally sweet, good girl presence, and she’s already played younger versions of Cynthia’s roles before (Crescendo, where she portrayed Cynthia’s character in the 1990s flashback timeline), so it feels like a nice passing of the torch.
Bai Shuixian (played by Jacelyn Tay)
Our reboot pick: Ferlyn G
Bai Shuixian is the well-educated daughter of a rich Malaysian pineapple plantation owner, a romantic who believes in true love and bravely runs away to meet her matchmade groom, only to be stood up when Yizhe never arrives. She ends up teaching in Tofu Street and eventually discovers that the man she was supposed to marry has lost his memory and now only loves Simei, a heartbreak she carries quietly. Ferlyn G brings a slightly modern, polished air that fits a plantation heiress who looks a bit out of place in that cramped house.
Song Yizhe (originally played by Peter Yu)
Our reboot pick: Zhang Zetong
Song Yizhe is the kind, slightly bookish doctor who is matchmade to Bai Shuixian and genuinely falls for her, but after a serious accident wipes his memory, he starts a new life and love story with Simei without realising who he was meant to marry.
Zhang Zetong’s calm, reliable presence suits a “good man” role like this; he looks convincing in a white coat, and you can imagine both women falling for him because he feels safe and sincere, which makes his divided fate later on even more heartbreaking.