C.L.I.F.
C.L.I.F. (Courage, Loyalty, Integrity, Fairness, or 警徽天职, commonly pronounced as cliff) is a police procedural series produced by Mediacorp Singapore in 2011 in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force.[1] It was aired from 31 May to 27 June 2011 on free-to-air MediaCorp Channel 8 and consists of 20 episodes. The drama stars Tay Ping Hui, Qi Yuwu, Elvin Ng, Joanne Peh, Chris Tong and Tracy Lee in the main roles with a large ensemble supporting cast.[2] It was directed by Chong Liung Man, who previously directed another award-winning police procedural C.I.D., which also starred Tay and Qi in the lead roles as police officers.
| C.L.I.F. 警徽天职 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Police procedural Action/Thriller |
| Created by | Phang Kai Yee 彭凯毅 |
| Written by | Phang Kai Yee 彭凯毅 Seah Choon Guan 谢俊源 |
| Directed by | Chia Mien Yang 谢敏洋 Leong Lye Lin 梁来玲 Chong Liung Man 张龙敏 |
| Starring | Tay Ping Hui Qi Yuwu Joanne Peh Chris Tong Elvin Ng Tracy Lee |
| Opening theme | C.L.I.F. (警微天职) by Zheng Kai Hua |
| Ending theme | (No commentaries for News Tonight) |
| Country of origin | Singapore |
| Original languages | Chinese, with some English dialogue |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Chia Mien Yang 谢敏洋 |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Mediacorp Channel 8 |
| Picture format | 16:9 Widescreen |
| Original release | 31 May – 27 June 2011 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The In-Laws |
| Followed by | Devotion |
| Related shows | C.L.I.F. 2 (2013) C.L.I.F. 3 (2014) C.L.I.F. 4 (2016) C.L.I.F. 5 (2019) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
This drama is also the second Mediacorp production to be filmed entirely at outdoor locations after Your Hand In Mine, and the second Mediacorp production to have no news commentaries for News Tonight during credits. It was replaced by crime-prevention tips, and they were not shown in the repeat telecast.
The drama will return on the repeat telecast timeslot at 5.30pm from 6 December 2012 to 3 January 2013. It will be pre-empted on 1 January 2013 for a New Year's Day special programme.
The third installment of the series, C.L.I.F. 3 premiered on 9 April 2014 and drew a record of 904,000 viewers on its debut episode.[3]
Cast
Main characters
| Cast | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tay Ping Hui 郑斌辉 | ASP Chong Yee Tat (钟易达) - Officer-in-charge of Team B, Special Investigations Section (SIS) at Central Police Division CID | He is well-respected by his colleagues and previously worked with the Police Coast Guard and Security Command. At age 9, his father committed suicide after a business failure and he and his mother were taken in by his father's good friend, who was a policeman and subsequently influenced the Yee Tat's career choice. |
| Qi Yuwu 戚玉武 | SI Tang Yew Jia (唐耀佳) - An investigating officer in the Tanglin PD | Orphaned at age seven, he lost his parents in a vehicle accident and has an estranged older brother. Underneath his cold and aloof appearance is a kind heart and dedication to bring criminals to justice and help the oppressed and innocent. |
| Joanne Peh 白薇秀 | ASP Leow Xin Yi (廖心怡) - An officer at Tanglin PD and partner of Yew Jia | She comes from a broken home and is close to her grandparents, who effectively raised her as their own. Energetic and sporty, she is the perfect foil to the cool and calm Yew Jia. |
| Chris Tong 童冰玉 | ASP Zhang Cheng Ling (章岑琳) - Formerly an officer with the Police Coast Guard before being transferred to the SIS | Her dedication and ambitiousness belies her petite frame and she is determined to make her mark in a male-dominated occupation. |
| Elvin Ng 黄俊雄 | Sgt Teo Kwee Xiang (张贵祥) - An officer stationed at Kampong Java NPC within Tanglin PD | Despite his seemingly lackadaisical approach and pessimistic outlook, he is actually highly competent and intelligent and has a strong sense of duty and loyalty. As he comes from a working-class background and grew up around gangsters, he has a prejudice against the upper-class and wealthy. |
| Tracy Lee 李美玲 | Cpl Han Xiao Yang (韩晓洋) - A rookie officer assigned as Kwee Xiang's partner who aspires to work in the CID | She is new to the job and eager to learn everything she can. As such, Kwee Xiang's lack of ambition exasperates her. She comes from a wealthy family and was forced to study business at university so she could take over the family business. Her rebellious nature prompted her to drop out of university, much to her parents' chagrin, and join the police force. |
Other police officers
| Cast | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rayson Tan 陈泰铭 | SSI(2) Yu Chong Nam (余忠南) | A senior SIS officer and Yee Tat's ever-dependable deputy |
| Rebecca Lim 林慧玲 | Insp Liu Guat Mui "Moon" (刘月美) |
Investigation officer with the forensics team and Yee Tat and Yongmei's family friend |
| Jade Seah 谢美玉 | Insp Goh Pui Joo (吴佩如) | Zhang Cheng Ling's colleague and friend in the PCG |
| Bernard Tan 陈传之 | DAC Sung Koh Teck (宋高德) | Commander of Tanglin PD |
| Aileen Tan 陈丽贞 | Superintendent Seetoh Yan (司徒燕) | Head Investigator (HI) of Tanglin PD |
| Julian Hee 许立桦 | DSP Cheng Chee Hong (郑志鸿) | Commanding Officer of Kampong Java NPC and Kok Hung's superior |
| Andie Chen 陈邦鋆 | SSI Chao Kok Hung (赵国煌) | Kwee Xiang and Xiao Yang's team leader |
| Romeo Tan 陈罗密欧 | Sgt Koh Wen Xiong (许文雄) | Kwee Xiang's colleague and junior at Kampong Java NPC
(Deceased - episode 14) |
| Joey Ng 黄煜硖 | SI Foo Xiufang (傅秀芳) | Kok Hung's deputy |
| William Lawandi 刘峻宏 | Ye Rongguang (叶荣光) | Head of Special Investigations Section (SIS) at Central Police Division CID |
Other characters
- May Phua 潘淑钦 as Xu Yongmei (徐咏梅), Yee Tat's wife
- Benjamin Heng 王智国 as Tang Yew Cheng (唐耀成), Yew Jia's older brother
- Adam Chen 詹金泉 as Lim Boon Loong (林文龙), Yee Tat's former colleague in the Security Command
- Desmond Tan 陈泂江 as Xu Wenbin (徐文彬), Cheng Ling's boyfriend/fiancée
Plot
The series showcases various kinds of cases police units deal with, from complicated and sensitive cases such as illegal immigrants and hostage situations to textbook crimes such as arson, drug trafficking, rape and burglary.
The police force is tasked with handling security at the World Security Summit, which is to take place in several months. Over the weeks prior to the summit the different departments and police units at Tanglin Police Division are kept busy with their various cases while preparing for the summit.
Team B leader ASP Chong Yee Tat and his partner SSI(2) Yu Chong Nam are part of the elite Special Investigations Section in the CID. Yee Tat's work often takes him away from his wife Yongmei and their young son. Five years ago Yee Tat failed to crack a case in time and the suspect strangled his daughter before being apprehended. The girl was resuscitated but suffered irreversible brain damage. This case and the burden of having to juggle professional commitments with family life become a source of guilt for him throughout the series. ASP Zhang Cheng Ling, an officer with the Police Coast Guard, was transferred to his team and is determined to prove herself in a mostly male team and overcome Chong Nam's prejudice about her.
Meanwhile, senior investigating officer SI Tang Yew Jia has a new partner, ASP Leow Xin Yi, a temporary transfer to his team in the CID. Yew Jia's seemingly cold exterior frustrates the optimistic Xin Yi. It turns out that he had joined the police force with his older brother but the duo had a falling out over differing views and he is deeply troubled by it. He is especially irked by cases involving unfilial children or adolescent offenders with no regard for authority. Xin Yi finds herself emotionally affected by some of her cases and begins to question her values and principles.
Kampong Java NPCO Sgt Teo Kwee Xiang is well known for his incessant griping and complaining, which annoys his colleagues to the point where his team leader SSI Chao Kok Hung was about to have him transferred. Kwee Xiang is regularly partnered with rookie Cpl Han Xiao Yang when on patrol. The duo began their working relationship badly due to their different temperaments and backgrounds. Xiao Yang, whose goal is to join the CID, comes from a wealthy family and is frustrated by Kwee Xiang's seemingly lack of ambition and commitment while Kwee Xiang frequently berates her for being too naive. She soon realises that beneath his aloofness and negativity is a kind heart and strong commitment to the job. Kwee Xiang softens his approach when he realises that Xiao Yang had joined the police force to escape her parents' iron hand but had come to love it. He also takes Sgt Koh Wen Xiong under his wing and the trio become close friends.
The police force is tested when they lose one of their own. Wen Xiong was killed in the line of duty by a mentally unstable and violent suspect. While pursuing the suspect Kwee Xiang was forced to open fire for the first time, killing the man. The team is deeply affected and Kwee Xiang, in particular, and Kok Hung deal with feelings of guilt. As the summit draws ever closer, preparations are again thwarted when Xin Yi becomes "collateral damage" while investigating a seemingly mundane kidnapping and burglary case and is held hostage by a mysterious Korean-American man. Her colleagues soon find themselves dealing with a complicated web of firearms trafficking and cover-ups involving an Interpol-listed criminal syndicate.
In the epilogue (with a one-year time lapse), it is revealed that Kwee Xiang has been promoted to staff sergeant and deputy team leader, Xiao Yang earned a transfer to the CID and became Yew Jia's new partner; she and Kwee Xiang are now an item. Xin Yi finished her term and has returned to frontline duty at the NPC. Cheng Ling's boyfriend proposed to her and she accepted. Yee Tat and his wife have reached a compromise and are reconciled.
Production
In order to inject realism, the main actors were put through a crash training course on police work and procedures.[4] Scenes were mostly filmed on location outdoors in various parts of Singapore. Police units featured include the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Coast Guard, Security Command and Special Operations Command specialist units including Police Tactical Unit (PTU), Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR), K-9 unit and Crisis Negotiation Unit.
Episodes
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Repeat telecast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | May 31, 2011 | December 6, 2012 PG | |
| A bomb explodes in a country club where foreign delegates and ministers are meeting. The police receive a mysterious call that a bomb has been planted at a bus interchange. The bomb explodes in the middle of the night. Are the two related? Special Investigations Section officer Chong Yee Tat (Tay Ping Hui) investigates. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | June 1, 2011 | December 7, 2012 PG | |
| The Police receive a live transmission of a masked hostage tied up beside a bomb-like device. The video taunts the Police to find the hostage within 24 hours. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | June 2, 2011 | December 10, 2012 PG | |
| The Police manage to discover the perpetrator; an adolescent who planned the series of bombings. Yee Tat feels that the public has taken the safety and peace in our country for granted. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | June 3, 2011 | December 11, 2012 PG | |
| Two bodies are found in Orchard Road and in a forested area. They both belong to Indonesian maids, and both suffer strangulation rules. The police finds out that one victim's boyfriend is escaping by boat, and a pursuit ensues on the water. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | June 6, 2011 | December 12, 2012 PG | |
| Coastal Patrol Craft Commander Cheng Ling (Chris Tong) arrests Matius with the help of the STAR team. Yee Tat recalls a dismemberment case from before, where a victim suffers due to his carelessness. Matius' refusal to plead guilty pushing him to lecture Matius. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | June 7, 2011 | December 13, 2012 PG | |
| Car bombs go off in succession, and recently widowed Qihua becomes a suspect. His wife had committed suicide after learning of his infidelity. Depressed and in debt, Qihua is fired from work and hides from his debtors. Yew Jia questions his son Yongjian, and finds that he seems to be hiding something. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | June 8, 2011 | December 14, 2012 PG | |
| Qihua is proven innocent. His neighbor Yu Tianbao turns out to be the real arsonist. It is revealed that his grandson died from a hit-and-run accident a year ago. Tianbao set fire to the same model of cars that ran over his grandson. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | June 9, 2011 | December 17, 2012 PG | |
| Cheng Ling joins the Special Investigations Section and works under Yee Tat. She encounters a gun murder case on the first day, where the victim Yongtai's house was burgled clean. His wife reveals that 10 years ago, Yongtai brought home a large sum of money. Someone had asked him for a loan the day before his death, but was rejected. Cheng Ling suspects revenge. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Episode 9" | June 10, 2011 | December 18, 2012 PG | |
| One of the burglars Wu Gong is arrested, and pushes all the blame to his accomplice Tou Feng. He claims that Tou Feng's attempts to fund a business was rejected by Yongtai, and decided to kidnap him for ransom. They later got into a fight, and Tou Feng killed Yongtai in a fit of anger before robbing his house. | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Episode 10" | June 13, 2011 | December 19, 2012 PG | |
| Tou Feng dies in a shoot out with the police, but Cheng Ling notices that Tou Feng is left-handed, with a misshapen right hand. The murderer of Yongtai is a right-hander. Wu Gong turns out to be the killer. In another case, a girl reports being molested by a police officer, and indecent photographs were taken. The Special Investigations Section begins investigations. | |||||
| 11 | 11 | "Episode 11" | June 14, 2011 | December 20, 2012 PG | |
| Jinliang admits to receiving free sexual favours from Zhang Yao in exchange for setting her free. He was frustrated after breaking up with his girlfriend Meiqi, and accepted the bribe in a moment of folly. After multiple rejections from Meiqi, he sought Zhang Yao again, and was ultimately arrested. | |||||
| 12 | 12 | "Episode 12" | June 15, 2011 | December 21, 2012 PG | |
| Two cases of girls being abused by police officers were discovered consecutively. Their nude pictures were made public on the web. One girl, Liting, attempts suicide. From the pictures on the web, Xinyi (Joanne Peh) discovers that the girls share the same characteristics, and suspects the cases are linked. Upon questioning, Liting reveals that she knows the suspect. | |||||
| 13 | 13 | "Episode 13" | June 16, 2011 | December 24, 2012 PG | |
| Architect Tiansheng is murdered. Before his death, he was separated from his wife and was fighting for the custody of his 7-year old daughter. Yida discovers that Tiansheng had appointed his daughter as the beneficiary of a large insurance payout. If his wife had become the custodian, she would receive the payout. Yida suspects a motive. | |||||
| 14 | 14 | "Episode 14" | June 17, 2011 | December 25, 2012 PG | |
| A woman Lixuan is murdered the same way as Tiansheng. Her boyfriend Zhiming had never met Tiansheng, nor have Xinhui met Lixuan. The cases appear to be unconnected, but Xinyi suspects a link. Yida and his team finds a visually-impaired man with clues based on an ez-link card. | |||||
| 15 | 15 | "Episode 15" | June 20, 2011 | December 26, 2012 PG | |
| Weizhong is shot dead by Guixiang (Elvin Ng), and Wenxiong (Romeo Tan) dies in the line of duty. The police discovers that Xinhui had financial problems, and seduced Weizhong into killing Tiansheng in order to become her daughter's custodian. Zhiming uncovers the ruse, and threatens Xinhui to help kill his girlfriend after their relationship turns sour. | |||||
| 16 | 16 | "Episode 16" | June 21, 2011 | December 27, 2012 PG | |
| Xinyi deals with three cases of suicide consecutively, and feels for these victims who chose death over life. Yaojia feels that suicide is an act of cowardice. Xinyi recalls the concern Yaojia (Qi Yuwu) displayed towards her, and is grateful. | |||||
| 17 | 17 | "Episode 17" | June 22, 2011 | December 28, 2012 PG | |
| Xinyi's grandfather is robbed, but is rescued by the office thief Ah Qiang. Patrolling officers Guixiang and Guohuang (Andie Chen) give chase, but Ah Qiang scrambles to get away. When Guixiang wrestles with the actual robber, he recalls Wenxiong's death. The robber manages to get away when Guixiang hesitates. | |||||
| 18 | 18 | "Episode 18" | June 23, 2011 | December 31, 2012 PG | |
| Yaocheng (Benjamin Heng) is on a date at a hotel, and sees Yaojia coming in for an investigation. Yaojia discovers that Chen Donglai is a technician with the hotel maintenance team, and tries to arrest him. He is ambushed by Donglai's accomplices. Yaocheng rescues Yaojia, and the brothers mend their fences. | |||||
| 19 | 19 | "Episode 19" | June 24, 2011 | January 2, 2013 PG | |
| Xinyi is abducted when she investigates a kidnapping. Yaojia is worried after hearing Situ Yan (Aileen Tan)'s view that Xinyi is being held hostage. The kidnappers plot to kidnap Lian Shi En's daughter during the World Security Summit. The police arrive in time and shoot the perpetrator dead. Mastermind Zhengyuan tells Xinyi that he will initiate Plan B. | |||||
| 20 | 20 | "Episode 20 (Finale)" | June 27, 2011 | January 3, 2013 PG | |
| Zhenyuan negotiate with the police for Lian Shi En, threatening to kill Xinyi. Yaojia replays the footage, and realises that Xinyi is trying to send a message. He attempts to figure out her location, but to no avail. Cenling points out that Xinyi could be referring to another place, and the various divisions sets off. With the clock ticking, will the police be able to find Xinyi and negotiate the crisis? | |||||
Awards and nominations
C.L.I.F. 警徽天职 was the 2nd most watched drama for 2011 with an average viewership of 924,000. The final episode attracted over 1,041,000 viewers.[5] It also had 47,844 streams per episode, the highest average number of streams per episode on MediaCorp's Catch-Up TV portal on Xinmsn.
The series was also praised for the departure away from an idealised depiction of police officers and its more realistic portrayal of the unseen struggles and obstacles police officers and their families often face. In the past, most MediaCorp police procedurals were mostly focused on the action or comedy. In response, MediaCorp commissioned a second season, again in collaboration with the SPF, and filming began at the end of September.[6] Most of the main cast is retained. Prior to filming, it was confirmed that Tay Ping Hui and Tracy Lee would not be returning and Rui En, Pierre Png and Li Nanxing portrayed new characters. C.L.I.F. 2 debuted in February 2013.[7] The other dramas nominated for Best Drama Series are A Song to Remember, Kampong Ties, Secrets of Sale, and On The Fringe.
Star Awards 2012
The show garnered a string of nominations at the 2012 Star Awards in both the acting and professional categories.
| Accolades | Award | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Star Awards | |||
| Star Awards 2012 Show 1 红星大奖2012 上半场 | Best Newcomer 最佳新人 | Romeo Tan 陈罗密欧 | Nominated |
| Favourite Male Character 最喜爱男主角 | Elvin Ng 黄俊雄 | Won | |
| Star Awards for Favourite Onscreen Couple (Drama) 最喜爱荧幕情侣 | Joanne Peh 白薇秀 & Qi Yuwu 戚玉武 | Nominated | |
| Best Director 最佳导演 | Chong Liung Man 张龙敏 | Won | |
| Best Drama Cameraman | Liu Wing Chung | Nominated | |
| Best Drama Set Design | Oh Hock Leong | Nominated | |
| Best Drama Editing | Lee Beng Hui Steven | Nominated | |
| Star Awards 2012 Show 2 红星大奖2012 下半场 | Best Actor 最佳男主角 | Qi Yuwu 戚玉武 | Nominated |
| Best Drama Serial 最佳电视剧 | N/A | Nominated | |
| 2011 Asian Television Awards | |||
| Asian Television Awards 2011 | Best Actor | Tay Ping Hui | Nominated |
Overseas broadcast
| Country of Broadcast | Broadcasting Network | Debut | Finale |
|---|---|---|---|
 Malaysia |
Astro AEC | 6 January 2012 | 6 February 2012 |
 Thailand |
Thairath TV | 3 September 2015 |
See also
References
- "Police Media Statement On MediaCorp Drama C.L.I.F." SPF Public Affairs Department. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- "Official Mediacorp website". MediaCorp. Archived from the original on 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ""C.L.I.F.3" debut episode draws 904,000 viewers". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- "Tay Ping Hui and Joanne Peh's electrifying police crash course". Channel News Asia. 2011-04-01.
- "C.L.I.F. is Channel 8 most-watched drama for first half of 2011". Channel News Asia. 2011-06-28.
- "Filming starts for C.L.I.F." TODAY Online. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
- "Actors disappear as police drama CLIF returns". Channel NewsAsia. 28 September 2012.