ABS-CBN’s first-ever ‘fantaserye’ ushered in a new era in Philippine television which saw the rise of fantasy-themed TV shows and their dominance in the rating game.
It’s practically impossible to talk completely about the history of local soap operas and ‘teleserye’ without mentioning Marina.
The ABS-CBN series is widely credited to have begun a new era in Philippine television, which saw the popularity of fantasy-themed teleseryes rise. Marina’s debut marked the birth of ‘fantaserye’, the term ABS-CBN applied to TV series with predominantly fantasy themes.
Marina follows the titular character and her quest to find true love, which is believed to remove the curse that made her a mermaid.
She first transformed into a mermaid when she was seven, the year the curse Victoria (Cherri Gil) gave her as payment for the betrayal made by her parents, Elias (Joel Torre) and Esther (Snooky Serna), started. Through the help of the Istah (Sunshine Cruz/Lilia Cuntapay/Jane Oineza) and the mermaids of ‘Dagatlandia’, Marina was able to reach the mischievous creature, Dugong (Malou de Guzman), who then restored her feet and allowed her to walk again; such favor, however, has inadvertent consequences.
Dugong’s cure is temporary as Marina’s tail returns every full moon. To fully remove the curse, Marina must find the man who will give her a true love’s kiss.
Marina’s journey to finding that man who made her cross paths again with Victoria, who ensured Marina would never be happy and find the cure to the curse. With the help of her daughter, Luna (Merryl Soriano) and her sea-witch cousin, Dugong, Victoria was able to inflict further harm on Marina and those dear to her.
Marina, on the other hand, found an alliance in Dugong’s daughter, Sheila (Agot Isidro), who was formerly a mermaid, herself, and other magical beings Marina met, throughout her journey to free herself from Victoria’s curse.
Marina’s groundbreaking success is evident in the very high ratings it garnered. On its pilot episode, alone, the show registered a 41.7% rating, according to AGB Nielsen. Its success prompted ABS-CBN’s station, GMA network, to produce its mermaid-themed series, Marinara, albeit turning out as a failure.
Marina ultimately found a formidable arrival with the arrival of Mulawin, GMA Network’s first-ever ‘telefantasya.’
Mulawin eventually defeated Marina on the rating scoreboard. While the ABS-CBN fantaserye ultimately ended its run on the top, Mulawin, soared in viewership share and produced a domino effect for the subsequent Kapuso telefantasyas.
That said, Marina forged a legacy that would remain in history books for generations to come.
Revisit the magical moments in ‘Marina’ by browsing through the photo gallery below. Share your thoughts and recollection in the comment section:
