If you think network wars are just for what we call “network tards,” think again.
You probably remember Marina, ABS-CBN’s wildly popular mermaid-themed TV series, which got widely regarded as the first-ever fantaserye on Philippine television. The series starred the Optimum Teleserye Queen, Claudine Barretto, in the title role, and marked the first time the network produced a series about a mermaid.
Marina followed the eponymous character who was cursed by the barrio witch, Victoria, to become a mermaid on her 7th birthday, as a punishment for the sin of his parents. It also followed her quest towards redeeming her human feet and the family she lost when she was forced to live among her kind. During its pilot, the TV series posted a whopping 41.7% TV rating in Mega Manila, and remained a top-rated TV series until its very last episode.
Because of Marina’s overwhelming popularity, ABS-CBN’s rival network, GMA Network, countered the show by producing another mermaid series. Marinara, which starred the comedienne, Ruffa Mae Quinto in the title, four months later. Marinara was practically a parody of Marina, but GMA Network made several tweaks. In the series, Ruffa Mae Quinto played triplets, which may also be a nod to ABS-CBN’s 1999 soap opera, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, another Claudine Barretto starrer. Not only did GMA Network copied Marina’s theme, it also aired the series on the exactly same timeslot as the ABS-CBN series.
Despite its efforts to seemingly taunt ABS-CBN with a spoof, GMA Network obviously failed, as Marinara didn’t return impressive TV ratings. While it premiered four months later, it aired its finale episode even before Marina did.
Marina, on the other hand, went on to become one of ABS-CBN’s most successful teleseryes, even hurdling the arrival of the much stronger contender from GMA Network, Mulawin, which marked the Kapuso Network’s dramatic rise in TV viewership.
Were you able to witness this rare showdown between GMA Network and ABS-CBN before? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section:
