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SINGAPORE: A stock exchange brought to its knees. Milestones of the century-old Causeway. The lost Taj Mahal of a cattle king. Singapore may be young, but its past is brimming with untapped stories.

Enter CNA’s first factual dramas, in History Unveiled.

The trilogy, based on real events and people, throws a spotlight on overlooked moments that helped to shape Singapore and brings history to life, from a brotherhood of magicians in the 1930s to a high-stakes financial crime in the 1980s.

“They’re all personal stories of people who lived,” said commissioning editor Shamala Rajendran. “We’re always looking for new ways to tell stories … to give audiences something fresh and innovative.”

With dramatised scenes filmed in Malaysia and India, the series harnesses the talents of three award-winning production houses — Protagonist by M, Third Floor Pictures and Ochre Pictures — to retell the stories.

“We want to establish the fact that factual content doesn’t have to be boring documentaries with people talking on screen,” said fellow commissioning editor Ngoi Soon Ling. “It can be dramas … (and) feature-length films.”

In keeping with the spirit of ever-evolving storytelling, viewers can also delve deeper into History Unveiled through its microsite packed with behind-the-scenes extras and interactive content such as a 3D map of the century-old mansion featured in the series’ third instalment.

The first two instalments, Black Thursday and The Causeway, are fully dramatised, with the latter premiering on Dec 21. The three-part Karikal Mahal: A Silent Witness will be released from Jan 4 to 6.

Here’s what each production has in store for viewers:

BLACK THURSDAY

In 1985, the Singapore stock exchange was rocked by a three-day shutdown — the first financial scandal since the nation’s independence and the only time the exchange ever closed owing to a trading emergency.

WATCH PART 1: When the Singapore stock exchange was suspended — The Pan-Electric saga (45:22)

The cause? Pan-Electric Industries, a marine salvage, hotel and property conglomerate, collapsing under the weight of a staggering S$453 million debt to 35 banks and S$160 million in unfulfilled forward contracts.

The value of its blue-chip shares evaporated overnight, dragging countless brokerage firms and ordinary men and women into financial ruin.

Black Thursday is the story behind Pan-Electric’s downfall, how the scandal was exposed and how the jet-setting fugitives were caught — re-enacted through the eyes of journalists, the newly formed Commercial Affairs Investigation Department (CAID), the victims and even the culprits.

Producer and director Jeevan Nathan from Protagonist by M was drawn to the “heist-film mechanics” of the story, whose “allegorical” nature made it relevant to today’s volatile economy.

WATCH PART 2: When the Singapore stock exchange was suspended — The Pan-Electric saga (46:39)

Filmed in Malaysia, the production was faithful to the 80’s, with period-specific props down to the stationery.

Real-life figures from the saga — then financial journalist Conrad Raj, stockbroking veteran Lim Hua Min and CAID director Glenn Knight — were also consulted on set to ensure accuracy.

As Lim noted: “When you bring up history, there are always lessons to be learned. … The future generation should know about it.”

THE CAUSEWAY

Situated at the crossroads between history and culture, meanwhile, is the Johor-Singapore Causeway. And in celebration of its 100th anniversary, The Causeway by Third Floor Pictures explores its impact on people on both sides of the border over the decades.

WATCH: 5 untold stories of Singapore-Malaysia Causeway — The world’s busiest land crossing (46:53)

This anthology of stories features five characters pushing through personal challenges, on journeys that reflect the enduring significance of the Causeway.

In the 1920s, a young Hedwig Elizabeth Anuar (nee Aroozoo) straddles two homes in Johor Bahru and Singapore. As war looms over Malaya in the 1940s, she must navigate the growing tensions and uncertainties threatening to tear her world apart.

Then during the Japanese Occupation, after the British had blown up the Causeway, water department worker Philip Carlyle Marcus is faced with a perilous task. As he struggles to survive amid constant danger, his resilience and resourcefulness are pushed to their limits.

Fast-forward to the 1960s and post-independence Singapore, where P C Suppiah’s coming-of-age story unfolds. As he grapples with his identity and emotional complexities, this pivotal chapter of his youth foreshadows his future as a successful athlete.

WATCH: Behind the scenes of The Causeway — How an epic 100-year-old story was made (6:27)

The 1990s bring us Jerome, a photographer whose long-distance love story captures the charm and unpredictability of train travel. Every visit to his girlfriend in Malaysia is an adventure filled with romance and the promise of fleeting moments.

Finally, during the COVID-19 border shutdown, Andrew Chen, an assemblyman in Johor Bahru, faces the challenge of ensuring that 64,000kg of breast milk from about 560 working mothers stranded in Singapore reaches their babies back home.

KARIKAL MAHAL: A SILENT WITNESS

Over on the east coast of Singapore, behind the walls of two buildings, lies a world of hidden legacies.

Named Karikal Mahal, these were historic buildings in one compound that hosted everything from garden parties to magic performances and a changing cast of inhabitants.

The tale of Karikal Mahal: A Silent Witness begins with Tamil Muslim businessman Moona Kader Sultan — dubbed “the Cattle King” — who designed and built the mansion in his journey from rags to riches.

Over the years, it became home to the Malayan Magic Circle, a brotherhood united by their passion for theatrical magic. The mansion also witnessed the internment of World War II prisoners, who were held on the grounds for 16 days.

Executive producer Jean Yeo from Ochre Pictures was captivated by the “rojak architecture” of Karikal Mahal, which once featured a central building that was bulldozed in the 1970s to make way for the construction of Still Road South.

But this ambitious design, combining Western, Roman, Indian and Muslim elements, was difficult to replicate on set. Furthermore, the original mansion’s interior had been transformed into two preschools, and its architectural elements were hard to find regionally.

Production had to replicate three time periods: the 20’s, when the mansion was built and hosted parties for the elite; the 30’s, when the magicians took over the property; and the 40’s, when internees were mistreated by Japanese soldiers.

This led the producers to Chennai, where the show was filmed for three weeks.

Watch Black Thursday here: and . And watch . The three-part Karikal Mahal: A Silent Witness will be released in the 9pm time slot from Jan 4 to 6.