http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/life/story/0,1870,96400,00.html GOLDEN TOUCH Versatility in this Kit In Cash Is King, singer Kit Chan is Queen. She shines as a dowdy research writer here, and in Healing Hands II, she is also credible as a sleek and cool character By Suzanne Sng DRAMA CASH IS KING Channel U Wednesday to Friday, 8 pm *** 1/2 CASH IS KING should be renamed Money Is The Root Of All Trouble. No matter that the title of this 40-episode blockbuster proclaims that money rules - the plot proves otherwise with its emphasis on family ties, friendship and love. Photo/Kit Chan's terrific perfomance just turns you on and on. No wonder Chin's character is reeled in too. But enough with the moral education lesson, and on with the story of money, greed, stocks and shares, and TV game shows. The plot follows the ups and downs of a game show host named Qi Ren, who is played by former Taiwanese romantic leading man Chin Han. In this show within a show, the charismatic glib talker helms Cash Is King, a programme not unlike Wheel Of Fortune, except without Vanna White. As befitting a showbiz caricature, the role calls for over-the-top acting from Chin, who even honed to perfection a plastic smile that he plasters on while hosting. Foul-mouthed - both literally and figuratively, since he loves cigarettes and durian - and bad-tempered, his character is all bark and no bite. His estranged wife is played by Hongkong actress Michelle Yim, who looks like the quintessential tai tai, and is, by turns, quiet and hysterical. But while Chin and Yim lead the ensemble cast, the real star of the show is singer-turned-actress Kit Chan. The homegrown singer, who dazzled audiences in the 1998 Cantonese stage musical Snow.Wolf.Lake, plays the improbably-named Golden, a hapless research writer for the game show. Looking a far cry from her glamorous album cover pictures, she wears shapeless skirts and ill-fitting shirts. Yet, she manages to steal the thunder from almost every actor, especially when she crosses swords with her nemesis, Qi, who falls in love with her in later episodes despite their considerable age gap. Her versatility in acting is further evidenced by her role in another drama serial, Healing Hands II, which is airing on VV Drama (SCV channel 55) every weekday at 9 pm. In that Hongkong TVB hospital drama, she is sleek, cool and collected, while in Cash Is King, she is anything but. And she is equally believable in both shows. Another homegrown singer-turned-actress, Shirley Yee, is a head- turner in Cash Is King as well, turning in a surprisingly assured performance. Playing a materialistic glamourpuss, she exudes the requisite sex appeal without even batting an eyelid. The mammoth ensemble cast consists of Channel U artistes like Darren Lim, Ericia Lee, Ix Shen and Bryan Wong, Hongkong actors Wallis Pang and Marco Lo, and new faces like Adam Chen, Gabby Lee, Eelyn Kok and Jeanette Aw. With so many characters, including money-minded stockbrokers, rich men, chicken-rice sellers and even a dim-witted farm hand, trying to keep up with who's who can get confusing. Also, the storyline is very broad. Aside from the behind-the-scenes goings-on at the TV station, there is business intrigue in a broking firm, and dark secrets in the Qi family. Without giving the plot away, the final lesson learnt is that money talks, but you don't always have to listen. --

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