Alternate Beginnings (TSL Original Series)
Alternate Beginnings is a Singaporean mini-drama series produced by TheSmartLocal (TSL) Media Group and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).[1] Alternate Beginnings premiered on 27 February 2020[2] on YouTube and the finale went live on 3 March 2020.[3] As of August 2020, the four-part drama has close to 600,000 views on YouTube. The show stars Adria Tham, Dion Lim, James Rainier and John Lim. Fauzi Aziz and Chow Jia Hui make special appearances in the series.
Plot
The plot of Alternate Beginnings centres around Adria, who finds herself getting multiple chances at love with three romantic partners. When the relationships end in heartbreak, she is mysteriously transported back to the same clinic. Although Adria remembers these relationships clearly, her romantic partners have no recollection of their experience with her. Inspired by the internationally acclaimed series, Black Mirror, TSL's Alternate Beginnings is described as a "unique mix" of the science-fiction and romance genres.[4]
Episode 1: "The End"
Adria falls in love with a suave and charming doctor, Dion. After their initial meeting, the two pursue a long-term relationship and are shown to be a happy and loving couple. Following their engagement, Adria finds out that she is pregnant. She then walks into Dion kissing his colleague (Chow Jia Hui) in their apartment. Heartbroken, Adria runs to the rooftop of their apartment building and presumably falls off the building.
Episode 2: "The Past"
Adria wakes up in a clinic and confronts a confused Dion who addresses her as "Miss Tham". In an effort to heal from her previous heartbreak, Adria dates her best friend, James, who is in love with her. The two have a slow-going relationship and it soon becomes clear that their relationship is one-sided. After Adria chases James out of her office, she decides to prepare a meal for him to apologise for her actions. James realises that Adria does not truly love him and leaves her.
Episode 3: "The Future"
While recovering from her breakup with James, Adria bumps into John at a convenience store. The two start spending more time together while volunteering for various local charity efforts. Over time, Adria and John develop a healthy and playful relationship. After professing their feelings to each other, John surprises Adria with plane tickets to Nepal where he plans to set-up a non-profit organisation. Unfortunately, Adria does not receive the news well and leaves John, only to meet with an accident.
Episode 4: "The Beginning"
Adria wakes up in the clinic unharmed and says her parting words to Dion and James. As she leaves the clinic, the camera pans to a sign that reads "Futures: Life Partner Simulation". Adria then tracks down John and eventually reunites with him in Nepal. At the end of the episode, It is revealed that Adria had signed up for a clinical programme that stimulated three experiences of a possible future partner.
Production
Alternate Beginnings was written and directed by Lim Seng Jueh and produced by Jeslene Chia. Including the cast and the crew, over 40 people were involved in the making of the series. TheSmartLocal released a "Behind-the-Scenes" video of the production process on 13 March 2020.[5] On 20 March 2020, TSL released an official music video for the show's original soundtrack, Can You Feel It.[6]
Episode releases
The following is a timeline of when each episode was released on YouTube.
| Release Date | Episode | Main Cast | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 February 2020 | "The End" | Adria Tham, Dion Lim | Video link |
| 28 February 2020 | "The Past" | Adria Tham, James Rainier | Video link |
| 2 March 2020 | "The Future" | Adria Tham, John Lim | Video link |
| 3 March 2020 | "The Beginning" | Adria Tham | Video link |
References/ Citations
- ↑ Farzanah Farveen. "TheSmartLocal launches YouTube drama series inspired by Netflix's 'Black Mirror'". Marketing Interactive. March 10, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.
- ↑ TheSmartLocal. "Alternate Beginnings: Episode 1 | A TSL Original Series". YouTube. February 27, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.
- ↑ TheSmartLocal. "Alternate Beginnings: Episode 4 (Season Finale) | A TSL Original Series". YouTube. March 3, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.
- ↑ Vernice. "TheSmartLocal’s New Black-Mirror Inspired Series “Alternate Beginnings” Has All Episodes Trending On YouTube". MustShare News. March 4, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.
- ↑ TheSmartLocal. "Behind-The-Scenes of Alternate Beginnings! *BONUS*". YouTube. March 13, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.
- ↑ TheSmartLocal. "Can You Feel It: TSL Original Soundtrack for "Alternate Beginnings"". YouTube. March 20, 2020. Accessed on 24 August 2020.