So I haven’t been blogging for quite a long time but no fret. Here I am, typing out some long-held thoughts so I that my mind won’t have to wonder so much.
The US reality series Survivor has been on the air for 14 years and have aired 27 seasons thus far. Three of the most recent seasons have been held here in the Philippines, two seasons shot in the Caramoan Islands in Bicol and the one currently airing was filmed on-location in Palaui Island off the coast of Cagayan Province.
Big Brother USA is back and it’s bigger than ever. For the first time, I’m live-blogging the BB15 premiere. Later this week, I’m doing a full video recap on BB&J so you guys better subscribe.
Here we go!
Last June 21 (June 20 in the United States), CBS released pictures, interviews and biography profiles of sixteen all-new houseguests, who are all taking part in a summer long struggle to win half a million dollars in Big Brother 15.
The cast of BB15
As the input of Pinoy soaps increased in the 1990’s onwards to the new millenium, so are the ways and means for producers to get people hooked on whatever soap being shown on our TV screens. Other than the glossy title cards, the cheesy storylines, the glamorous stars with oozing seks appeal, and the “showbiz-branded” titles to the casted soap/movie veterans, the one thing that serves as the primary heart nad soul is the theme music that accompanies a drama serial, as with any TV show found on any other genre.
90210 Forever!
Image courtesy of 90210-Media.org
For five seasons, 90210 have bravely fought the good fight, avoiding cancelation as much as possible until the very end. The youth-oriented drama that was spun-off from a popular 90’s teen soap, about a group of teenagers living their lives through twists and turns against the backdrop that is Beverly Hills, ended its 5-year run on a bittersweet feel-good note.
Right now fans are still recovering from the devastating news that, after 5 years on the air, 9O21O, a continuing spin-off from the 1990’s youth drama Beverly Hills 90210, is ending this May.
As of this writing, the show is still in the middle of production for its final episode, the show’s 114th, tentatively titled “We All Fall Down”. Details are being kept under wraps save for leaked spoilers regarding a cliffhanger ending. That would most likely be retooled considering fans like me who have stucked to the show since day 1 need closure (as with any other long-running shows).
GMA
Philippine Television, sixty years after its birth, does not have a traditional “TV season” similar to how things are done over at the US where they air new and returning shows September of every year. However, January seems to be the most logical month for Philippine TV networks to start the year in premiering the first batch of their new shows, composed mostly dramas and reality, in the hopes of garnering good ratings (a.k.a. first place in their respective slots). This year, with the special 90-minute premiere of TV5‘s Kidlat this Sunday, January 6, the netlet officially kicks off this year’s Philippine 60th TV season.
The main difference now is that with added competition with cable nets and their increasing output of original programming as well as the entry of domestic news channels alongside previously lonesome ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel); not to mention TV5′s aggressive programming moves to challenge ABS and GMA, Philippine TV is in for an interesting TV season.
On today’s post, we’ll take a look on GMA Network‘s current line-up, with carry-overs from last year and new shows taking over within the first three months of 2013.
GMA has always been on a boastful mood in showing off their dominance in the ratings race ever since taking over first place supremacy over rival ABS-CBN in 2004. Over the next decade since, their production output of entertainment and news programs have increased, most significantly on the drama side when they took over daytime soap duties from blocktimers Focus Entertainment and TAPE, Inc. around 2009.
However, they have a high intolerance over underperforming shows, which despite getting a second place finish in their timeslot, gets either moved to another time period or completely yanked out from the network’s schedule.
GMA didn’t expect ABS to get back at them when the latter cooked up what could be the best daytime programming line-up they had in years: two dramas (one foreign, the other an original production), and a reality competition show. So far, the move left a big gaping hole in GMA’s morning schedule, despite attempts of timeslot switches and extending its utility children’s programming block to soften the blow.
Adding to pressure of keeping its lead on daytime is the move of Willie Revillame‘s TV5 game show to 11:30am, against long-running behemoth Eat Bulaga on January 14.
On the primetime side, despite casting Jedi mind tricks to spin viewers, GMA did not completely dominated primetime for the entirety of the 2012 season. Rival shows like Walang Hanggan, Princess and I, and Ina Kapatid Anak were able to challenge Kapuso dramas like Aso ni San Roque, Pahiram ng Sandali and Luna Blanca.
As many of their carry-over shows from the previous are ending their runs within the first quarter (with the first one to go being Aso ni San Roque), GMA already have some shows ready to take their place. So far, Indio and Forever are being prepped up for their respective premiere within the next few weeks. Others, including a game show, have been announced but no other details have been released as of this writing.
GMA is also going to roll in Korean dramas into on its weekday schedule. Shows the network have in stock are Big, Padam Padam, Innocent Man, and My Husband’s Got a Family, among others .
On the reality side: Extra Challenge and Celebrity Bluff are, at least as far as I could remember, the only reality carry-overs from last year. Protege is currently on hiatus and if Teen Gen, which stars many of the reality show’s second season cast, prove to be a success and beyond, then a third season may be on the horizon.
Here’s a compiled list of GMA Network’s first quarter slate of new shows, carry-overs and cancelations as of January 13, 2012:
Carry-Overs (Daytime Originals)
New Shows (Daytime Originals)
New Shows (Daytime Canned)
Carry Overs (Daytime Canned)
Canceled/Ended Shows (Daytime)
Carry-Overs (Primetime Originals)
Carry-Overs (Primetime Canned)
New Shows (Primetime Originals)
Canceled/Ended Shows (Primetime)
1. Aso ni San Roque (Ended, finale aired last January 11)
Weekend Carry-Overs
Weekend New Shows
*List does not include news-current affairs/lifestyle and children’s programing, covering only talk, reality/competition, drama, comedy and foreign canned shows.
**This list will be updated throughout the First Quarter of 2013.
***Although there are shows that have been announced, I decided not include to them in the list for now while there’s no promos to those shows that would suggest they will air soon.
If I left out on some shows on the list, you guys may kindly let me know.
Coming up next: TV5.
ABS-CBN
Philippine Television, sixty years after its birth, does not have a traditional “TV season” similar to how things are done over at the US where they air new and returning shows September of every year. However, January seems to be the most logical month for Philippine TV networks to start the year in premiering the first batch of their new shows, composed mostly dramas and reality, in the hopes of garnering good ratings (a.k.a. first place in their respective slots). This year, with the special 90-minute premiere of TV5‘s Kidlat this Sunday, January 6, the netlet officially kicks off this year’s Philippine 60th TV season.
The main difference now is that with added competition with cable nets and their increasing output of original programming as well as the entry of domestic news channels alongside previously lonesome ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel); not to mention TV5’s aggressive programming moves to challenge ABS and GMA, Philippine TV is in for an interesting TV season.
On today’s post, we’ll take a look on ABS-CBN‘s current line-up, with carry-overs from last year and new shows taking over within the first three months of 2013.
ABS, which have gotten used on having most of their shows being on second-place on the Nielsen ratings (despite their reliance on ratings generated by TNS/Kantar Media), seems to have stabilized in terms of programming just enough shows in the most competitive hours, unlike before where they try to program as much as 6 or even more shows as possible within the primetime hours of 7:30-11:30pm.
On daytime, many of their current line-up have only started airing at the fourth quarter of 2012, with the only confirmed exiting shows this January being Sunkyunkwan Scandal and Two Wives. The net’s will premiere the first two of its 1Q 2013 shows with Rooftop Prince, taking over Sunkyunkwan’s place at 5pm weekdays on January 7 and You’re Still the One at 10am weekdays in place of Two Wives on the 14th. Kahit Konting Pagtingin, whose promos are being aired sporadically for the past few weeks is most likely going to be the net’s first original daytime soap for the year. No announcement on when it will premiere but I’m guessing the show will take over MMK Klasiks‘ 2:30pm slot if the the latter show ends its run this month or this February.
As for primetime, ABS will be busy filling vacant hours once some of their 2012 shows end their runs as early as January and as late as March. Shows that will surely end within the first quarter will be Princess and I, Aryana and Kahit Puso’y Masugatan. Last year’s latecomers Ina Kapatid Anak and A Beautiful Affair will definitely run well into the first 2-3 quarters of the year, depending on their respective ratings performances that would justify any decision prolonging their stay in the schedule. So far, ABS have confirmed 4 dramas to debut within the first 2 quarters: Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw, Apoy sa Dagat, Juan de la Cruz, and May Isang Pangarap.
On the reality front: So far, only MasterChef Philippines (which started airing late last year) and Deal or No Deal are the net’s only two reality competition shows currently in the schedule, but that could change once ABS kick its reality slate into high gear. Season 4 of Pilipinas Got Talent will return this year but there’s no confirmed date as the show is still undergoing auditions for its top finalists. For the meantime, ABS will debut another franchised reality competition show, The Voice, based on the original Dutch format of the same title. No sure premiere date as wel, but given the recent showings of its first promo on the air, we might get an announced date within the next several weeks. As for Big Brother and the Biggest Loser, there’s still no news for the veteran show to return this year so PBB and TBL fans will have to wait. To be honest, ABS should not have more than two singing competitions, especially if they’re competing brands like X-Factor and The Voice. It doesn’t really make sense to acquire both formats if they were gonna see the light of day in one channel.
Here’s a compiled list of ABS-CBN’s first quarter slate of new shows, carry-overs and cancelations as of January 13, 2013:
Carry-Overs (Daytime Originals)
New Shows (Daytime Originals)
New Shows (Daytime Canned)
Carry Overs (Daytime Canned)
Canceled/Ended Shows (Daytime)
Carry-Overs (Primetime Originals)
New Shows (Primetime Originals)
Canceled/Ended Shows (Primetime)
Weekend Carry-Overs
Weekend New Shows
**This list will be updated throughout the First Quarter of 2013.
***Although there are shows that have been announced, I decided not include to them in the list for now while there’s no promos to those shows that would suggest they will air soon.
If I left out on some shows on the list, you guys may kindly let me know.
Coming up next: GMA-7.
2012: A year of b!tchslapping, bedhopping, sex, scandal, amnesia, murder, abuse, kidnappings, magic, baby-switching, DNA tests and some light-heartedness for a change.
(Photos courtesy of their respective owners)
Every year, the average Philippine drama continue to be the TV industry’s bread and butter that rakes in the millions that keep TV networks afloat. 2012 is no different.
Some titles played safe this year while others took unexpected risks in terms of storytelling, most of them geared on character-driven stories instead of plot-driven ones. Regardless, soap watchers will always tune in on the TV to watch their stories on a daily and nightly basis.