Living with Lydia

Infobox Television
show_name = Living with Lydia


caption = "Living with Lydia" title card
format = Sitcom
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Jennifer Tan
developer =
executive_producer =
starring = Lydia Sum
Joel Chan
Ng Hui
Samuel Chong
Terrence Tay
Koh Chieng Mun
Suhaimi Yusof
narrated =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = flagicon|Singapore Singapore
language =
network = MediaCorp TV Channel 5
first_aired = November 8, 2001
last_aired = February 8, 2005
num_episodes = 52
list_episodes =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
imdb_id = 0331139
tv_com_id =

"Living With Lydia" (Chinese: 肥肥一家親 in Hong Kong, 肥姐駕到 in Singapore) is a Singaporean TV sitcom that was produced by MediaCorp and aired on Channel 5 from 2001 to 2005.

Overview

It starred Chinese-born actress/comedienne Lydia Shum as Lydia Lum, a popular Hong Kong resturanter/caterer who was also a widowed mother with two children, 11 year-old son Jordan and 16 year-old daughter Apple. When her Dim Sum establishment is hit with a case of food poisoning after she hosted an event and is ordered by the authorities to close her business (she is labeled "Dim Sum killer" by her former patrons, even though she is unaware that someone falsely accused her so they can force her out of business), she, together with her children, are forced to find a new locale, which happens to be Singapore. This is because her late grandfather had written a will that gave her ownership of a house he had built thanks in part to his success in the seafood business.

But when she arrives at the house it is already occupied by her grandfather's successor, Billy B. Ong, who Lydia calls "Billy Bong". Billy prides his rise to the top of the ladder on promoting the company's specialty - fish balls. The presence of Lydia does not sit well with Billy at first but he does give in because it might be the only way to get Lydia to give up her part of the house. Additionally, her dim sum business brings in customers and clients for him.

Other characters in the sitcom include Billy's son Max, an aspiring anime artist; Ronda Cheing, Billy's secretary who is trying to pursue Billy, despite the fact that his wife, who ran out on him, would show up in the third season (Ronda would later lose interest in Billy in the final season); and Sulaiman Yusof, a former stuntman who now works as the maintenance man in Billy's company.

Episode broadcasts

Episodes of Living with Lydia also aired the United States on The International Channel (Now AZN Television) from 2003 to 2004 as part of the "Asia Street" lineup. In April 2006 AZN bought the show back and is rerunning them three times a week due to popular demand, starting with the series' fourth and final season. It is also broadcast on TVB Pearl in Hong Kong and Jak TV in Indonesia.

The 4th season of the series was rebroadcast on Singapore's Channel 5 in 2008 as a tribute to Shum, after her passing.

Episodes

eason 1 (2001-2002)

* [http://tvcity.tvb.com/schedule/pearl/special/lydia/ Season 1 from TVB]
*1."Lydia Arrives"
*2."Ronda's Party"
*3."Jolly Fruits"
*4."Blackout"
*5."Desperately Seeking Yang"
*6."Chocolate"
*7."Usha"
*8."Diet"
*9."Rat"
*10."Billy's New Assistant"
*11."Cat And Fire"
*12."Brother (Part 1)"
*13."Brother (Part 2)"

eason 2 (2002-2003)

[http://ch5.mediacorptv.com/shows/sitcom/view/98/1/.html Season 2 Site]
*1. (12 November 2002): Where in the world is Lydia Lum?
*2. (19 November 2002): There’s Something about Number 1
*3. (26 November 2002): Who’s the Man?
*4. (3 December 2002): Ronda Moves In
*5. (10 December 2002): All In A Night’s Work
*6. (17 December 2002): Customer is the King
*7. (7 January 2003): Thank Gott for Lydia
*8. (14 January 2003): Where’s Wally?
*9. (21 January 2003): The Spirulina Incident
*10. (28 January 2003): A Matter Of Principal
*11. (4 February 2003): The Reunion
*12. (11 February 2003): Table of Mao
*13. (18 February 2003): Sleeping With The Enemy

eason 3 (2003)

[http://ch5.mediacorptv.com/shows/sitcom/view/449/1/.html Season 3 Site]
*1. (30 September 2003): The Way We Were
*2. (7 October 2003): Mrs Billy B Ong
*3. (14 October 2003): Stakeout
*4. (21 October 2003): Mahjong Queen
*5. (28 October 2003): Do The Right Thing
*6. (4 November 2003): Hard Habit To Break
*7. (11 November 2003): Life's a Peach
*8. (18 November 2003): Workplace Health
*9. (25 November 2003): Obsessions
*10. (2 December 2003): Dotting The Eyes
*11. (9 December 2003): Educating Lydia
*12. (16 December 2003): Wrong Feng Shui
*13. (23 December 2003): Charlie's Aunties

eason 4 (2004-2005)

[http://ch5.mediacorptv.com/shows/sitcom/view/796/1/.html Season 4 Site]
*1. (16 November 2004)
*2. (23 November 2004)
*3. (30 November 2004)
*4. (7 December 2004)
*5. (14 December 2004)
*6. (21 December 2004)
*7. (28 December2004)
*8. (4 January 2005)
*9. (11 January 2005)
*10. (18 January 2005)
*11. (25 January 2005)
*12. (1 February 2005)
*13. (8 February 2005)

Running Gags

This is an incomplete list of running gags used in the show.

Billy BongThe most noticeable and common gag during the show's run, Lydia always calls Billy B. Ong Billy Bong.

Ah Kong Picture GagBilly B. Ong often talks to a picture of his grandfather on the wall, referring to him as "Ah Kong" usually blaming him for some reason. This is seen in many episodes but most noticeably the first episode of the show.

Fishball GagBilly B. Ong likes to shorten the word "fishballs" to "balls" occasionally when talking. Since balls is also slang for testicles, the characters of the show often say the word in a comical context, such as, "Billy Bong, can I taste one of your balls?"

Shut Up GagLydia repeadtadly yells "Shut up!" or "Stop!" to stop the three children in the house from doing something. However, the children always carry on after she has left.

Opening Sequence

The entire opening sequence is animated. It starts in black and white with Billy B. Ong playing a song on the piano ("Those Endearing Young Charms", the series' theme song), followed by another clip of him eating a fishball. Billy then tries to push a fishball into his son Max's son, followed by a clip of Ronda brushing her hair and then moving closer to Billy. The song then stops, and a loud sound clip of Lydia shouting "Hi, Billy Bong" is heard. Lydia and her family then appear and fill the screen with color. Apple and Jordan then appear, and then some final shots with the entire cast of the show, before an animated Lydia appears again beside the show's title on an orange screen and laughs.

Accolades

The series also help Sum win "Best Comedy Performance by an Actress" for her hilarious portrayal of the series' fiesty title character at the Asian Television Awards in 2003.

Cast

*Lydia Sum - Lydia Lum
*Samuel Chong - Billy B. Ong
*Ng Hui - Apple Lum
*Joel Chan - Jordan Lum
*Koh Cheing Mun - Ronda Cheing
*Terence Tay - Maxwell "Max" Ong
*Suhaimi Yusof - Sulaiman Yusof

Broadcasters

External links

*imdb title|id=0331139|title=Living with Lydia
* [http://www.corporate.mediacorp.sg/progsales/progsales.asp?id=150&version=english&type=studios "Living with Lydia" Programme Showcase]