Watch first-look clip from episode 1 of ITV drama The Singapore Grip
The new series takes a look at Britain's colonial past.
The Singapore Grip launches on ITV this weekend and RadioTimes.com has an exclusive clip from the first episode.
The drama follows a wealthy British family in Singapore at the time of the Second World War, offering some "gentle satire" on British colonialism, according to our four-star The Singapore Grip review.
Luke Treadaway stars as Matthew Webb, whose ailing father, played by Charles Dance, runs a rubber merchant in Singapore with a ruthless associate named Walter Blackett.
Keen to ensure the security of his business for years to come, Blackett aims to marry off his spoilt daughter to Webb, but finds the young man is harder to convince than he expected.
In the clip below, Major Brendan Archer (Colm Meaney) introduces Chinese refugee Vera Chiang (Elizabeth Tan) to Mr Webb, where she receives a warm welcome to his beautiful residence - named Mayfair after that coveted Monopoly property.
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"If it hadn't been for your intervention, I'd have been sent back to China, certainly tortured and very probably killed by the Japanese," Vera says.
Her arrival will cause a headache for Blackett as she draws the attention of young Matthew Webb away form his own daughter, Joan (Georgia Blizzard).
Based on a novel by JG Farrell, the story has been adapted into a six-part series by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Atonement).
ITV filmed the series on location in Malaysia, gifting it an aesthetic quite unique to other dramas on television right now, as showcased in the clip.
The Singapore Grip also stars David Morrissey as Blackett, as well as Lilo Baier, Bart Edwards, Luke Newberry and Christoph Guybet.
The new series is one of many leading the hotly anticipated television season, which includes fellow ITV drama Des, starring David Tennant as serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
The Singapore Grip premieres at 9pm on Sunday 13th September. You can order the novel from Amazon. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
