Cathy Garcia-Molina’s television comeback is filled with sweetness, lightheartedness and warmth.
Star Creatives
Actors: Piolo Pascual, Pia Wurtzbach, Pepe Herrera, Joross Gamboa, Frenchie Dy, Hyubz Azarcon, Alora Sassam, Anthony Jennings, Daniela Stranner, Daisy Lopez, Quincy Villanueva, Katya Santos, Anthony Andres
Genre: Sitcom
Premise: A single father gets possessed by his departed twin brother’s soul to pursue the woman the latter likes.
Running Time: 45 minutes
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Time slot: Saturdays, 7:00 PM
Why You Should See It:
A supernatural twist may not be the most amusing thing to see in ABS-CBN’s newest sitcom (it’s first in two years). It’s a good reason, however, to love ‘My Papi Pi’, which also serves as the very first acting project of the ‘Ultimate Heartthrob’ Piolo Pascual, since he officially returned to ABS-CBN.
The Cathy Garcia-Molina-helmed situational comedy follows twin brothers, Pipoy (Piolo Pascual) and Popoy (Pepe Herrera), who are different in almost every way—except for the moles on their left-side profiles. Pipoy is a single father who has been trying to make a better life for her daughter, who lives far from him. He tries his luck at gambling, in hopes of earning more money. His twin brother, Popoy (Pepe Herrera), a confident entrepreneur who owns a food stall named ‘One More Tumbong’, which offers his signature tumbong soup. He harbors admiration for their neighbor, Tere (Pia Wurtzbach), who is secretly in love with Pipoy.
Amid the chaotic noise of the busy streets of Barangay Maapag-asa, where the Chairman occasionally makes surprise visits to inspect gambling spots, everything looks pretty well, especially for Popoy and Pipoy, who still manage to meet halfway, despite their glaring differences. A surprising turn in their lives takes place when Pipoy accidentally dies of choking, which leaves Popy devastated. Forty days passed, Popoy wakes up, but everything about him seems to have changed: he now acts like Pipoy.
For an avid Kapamilya viewer, the arrival of My Papi Pi is a refreshing scene. It has been two long years since ‘Home Sweetie Home’ ended its run on ABS-CBN. Interestingly, the series also marks the first time Pascual is starring a sitcom in a lead role, although he previously guested Home Sweetie Home. Also returning to television, is Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, who last acted in the film My Perfect You (2018).
It’s too early to say whether this new onscreen partnership between Pascual and Wurtzbach is already working, but individually, they’re doing mostly great. Pascual benefits so much from his leading man and heartthrob appeal, while Wurtzbach charms with her first sitcom role. That said, the series also largely revolves around the dynamics of Popoy and Pipoy’s relationship, and this early, it’s easy to tell they’re a pair destined to be indefinitely rooted for by audiences. Pascual and Herrera has this strange but affectionate chemistry, which is not entirely reliant on the wit and humor of their characters but also on how effectively they portray their roles and pull off their brotherly connection.
Watch ‘My Papa Pi’ every Saturday on A2Z Channel 11, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and iWantTFC, right after TV Patrol Weekend. Check out the official full trailer, below:
