COMMENT | Steeping myself in English Literature and theatre in university, I saw every film or play of Shakespeare that was available.

In 1990 Franco Zeffirelli released ‘Hamlet.’ Halfway through the video, I stopped it because I realised I was watching it because I was curious to see if Mel Gibson could take on such a challenging role.

He acquitted himself quite well.

I stopped watching because I knew how the story ended. And I haven’t gone near Shakespeare since unless his work was the inspiration for another genre or form.

This leads me to this dreadful, melodramatic soap-operatic 61-year series the government has been running as our national narrative.

It started as a feel-good family series, but within a decade, the established formula was a clichéd potboiler with quarrels and enmity within the family and with other families, shifting alliances in an endless power struggle, crime and scandal, murder and missing funds, lifestyle of the bitch and the infamous, with heartwarming moments in the scripts devoted to bonding generously with loyal, devoted peons and peasants delirious with joy at handouts of a few hundred ringgit.

The past few weeks it has felt like an extended Raya or Christmas season of feel-good episodes – the PM has been handing out goodies to civil servants, padi farmers, the police, etc.

Aside: The ang-pows are being filled from public funds. I wonder who is lending money to the PM for campaign expenses this election.

It must be difficult finding a generous Saudi billionaire nowadays, after the Saudi government detained dozens of them, accused of corruption, in a five-star hotel, their release dependent on them settling a financial penalty.

No chance of asking Robert Kuok for a couple of spare billion. A financial adviser is marooned somewhere without a boat, or up a shit-creek without a paddle.

Now this tedious, clichéd series is up for renewal for another five seasons.

The latest episode is the strongest argument against renewal.

It’s like a Loony Tunes episode of a boxing match between two teams… without the humour.

The size of the ring changes with every match. The ring-side judges and the referee are paid by the defending champ.

Charges that the champ has corrupted his blood-stream with dope are dismissed by the champ’s team doctor. His urine has been cleansed by Andean grain.

The no-hitting-below-the-belt rule has been changed. The news/new rule allows him to wear his shorts up to under his armpits.

The challenger cannot wear his red shorts but must borrow a blue-coloured one from a friend...