Author: JE CC
Franchise-less ABS-CBN continues its expansion efforts through its remaining platforms, the latest development being A2Z’s debut on digital boxes. This will arguably expand the free tv channel’s reach, courtesy of ABS-CBN TV Plus, the broadcast company’s own marketed digital box. This progress comes a month after the birth of A2Z, the product of ABS-CBN’s blocktime agreement with Bro. Eddie Villanueva-owned Zoe Broadcasting Network Inc., allowing some of the shows and movies produced and acquired by the network to be available again to analog television viewers. With A2Z’s limited coverage, however—it can be seen in Mega Manila and parts of adjacent…
TV5 | Brightlight Productions | Quantum Films Oh My Dad Actors: Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Gloria Diaz, Ariel Ureta, Sue Ramirez, Louise Abuel, Adrian Lindagan Format: Weekly Sitcom Premise: A former basketball MVP returns to the Philippines, 15 years after leaving the country due to a scandal he got involved in, only to be found by three young people all claiming to be his child Time slot: Every Saturdays, 5 PM Why You Should See It Oh My Dad’s take on family, relationships, and responsibilities are both hilarious and heartwarming, at the same time. Brightlight Productions continues to fill TV5’s…
Repressive governments have always been around since the dawn of recorded history. Democratic processes have toppled down countless regimes, but as such governments also evolve to undermine movements intended to bring them down, the quest to achieve the most precious gifts of democracy—freedom of speech, most importantly—remains perpetually threatened. “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act,” says the quote very often attributed to the English journalist and novelist, George Orwell, who in fact, never really said those words. I first stumbled upon the phrase during an episode of the now-defunct American mystery-thriller dystopian tv…
GMA Network Descendants of the Sun Actors: Dingdong Dantes, Jennylyn Mercado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Rocco Nacino Format: TV Series Premise: A love story between a surgeon and a member of the armed forces takes place in a war-torn country. Time Slot: Weeknights, after 24 Oras Why You Should See It Descendants of the Sun returns triumphantly with new episodes to further shed light on the developing love story between Captain Manalo and Dr. Maxine. How beautifully shot the new scenes are, amid pandemic restrictions, is one thing very commendable about the show, but the romance and how the soldiers defend the…
ABS-CBN’s sudden exit from free TV has definitely shaken up the entire local television landscape, drastically changing many households’ viewing habits and prompting consumer migration from traditional to more contemporary viewing platforms to be more active than ever. The media giant’s shutdown has also arguably left a void in more effective information dissemination across the country, as many far-flung areas whose only access to news and information has been solely through ABS-CBN, are now cut from their only source of information and entertainment. Consumer Shift to Digital Platforms ABS-CBN’s shift to digital space officially started with the launch of its…
STAR CINEMA Actors: Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Ruffa Gutierrez, Gardo Versoza, Herbert Bautista, Arlene Muhlach, Dennis Padilla, Alora Sasam, Anthony Jennings Format: Digital (movie) series Premise: A couple has to navigate their lives as a soon-to-be-married pair amidst their feuding families who must live together under one roof Where to Watch: KTX.ph, iWantTFC Why You Should See It The second episode of ‘The House Arrest of Us’ is packed with sentimental punches and dosages of irresistible humor and ‘kilig’. Following a sweet, albeit chaotic, events in the pilot episode, where we saw both Q’s (Kathryn Bernardo) family and Korrics’ (Daniel…
A2Z | Kapamilya Channel Actors: Heaven Peralejo, Tony Labrusca, Barbie Imperial, Yves Flores, Michelle Vito, Kiko Estrada Format: TV series Premise: The lives of five teenagers intertwine, in a bittersweet story of hope, friendship, family, and redemption Time slot: Weekdays, 2:30PM Why You Should See It The new afternoon series showcases a familiar yet very moving tale of family and friendship, complemented by powerful performances from up-and-coming young actors and senior supporting actors. There is hope brimming in the new Kapamilya series, ‘Bagong Umaga’. Aptly titled, the weekday drama offers a hopeful story whose core tells about six different lives…
The current pandemic’s impact on the hospitality industry has been undoubtedly unprecedented, and even now prevailing government-imposed restrictions are still keeping citizens from moving around with ease, let alone travel to tourist hotspots in the country. The new normal has prompted every industry to adjust and institutionalize guidelines that will still allow them to operate even amidst strict adherence to health and safety protocols. Old business models suddenly became outdated, and now bars, restaurants, and budget hotels have to make necessary adjustments to make them fit to operate under the ‘new normal’ ‘RedDoorz’ is among the first hotel chains in…
A2Z | Kapamilya Channel | Kapamilya Online Live Presenter: Luis Manzano Format: Mystery music game show Premise: A celebrity guest player tries to eliminate all tone-deaf contestants until one who is a singer remains at the end of the show. Time slot: Satudays, 7:45 PM and Sundays, 7:15 PM WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT Now following a more interesting format, the returning mystery music game show showcases more thrill, more fun, and more jaw-dropping reveals. People need to know that it isn’t just ‘I Can See Your Voice’ the only show of Korean origin that premiered on Philippine television, on…
STAR CINEMA Actors: Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Ruffa Gutierrez, Gardo Versoza, Herbert Bautista, Arlene Muhlach, Dennis Padilla, Alora Sassam, Anthony Jennings Format: Digital (movie) series Premise: A couple has to navigate their lives as soon-to-be-married pair amidst their feuding families who must live together under one roof Where to Watch: KTX.ph, iWantTFC Why You Should See It The first ‘digi-movie series’ starred by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla is beautifully shot, with all the feels and vibe of a movie, and the lethal dosages of ‘kilig’ only KathNiel can generate. In the first few minutes of ‘The House Arrest of…
Coming on the heels of the success of the Halloween specials of ABS-CBN’s massively popular news magazine show, ‘Magandang Gabi Bayan (MGB)’, horror shows became a trend on Philippine television in the 2000s. Still fresh from the success of Verum Est: Totoo Ba Ito?, a paranormal investigative show hosted by veteran journalist, Tony Velasquez, ABS-CBN embarked upon another horror-themed show, the Raymond Bagatsing-hosted, Nginiiig!. Premiering in 2003, the Kapamilya show featured dramatizations of horrifying events based on people’s accounts. The show went on to become a massive success that ABS-CBN rival network, GMA Network, came up with a similar-themed show.…
Romance, mystery, sensuality, comedy, betrayal, revenge…every genre and teleserye clichés seem to be stuffed into one show in GMA Network’s newest drama anthology, ‘I Can See You’. The exciting romance drama series ran from September 28 until its final episode last Friday, October 23. Featuring four different mini-series, the drama anthology explored audience-favorite tropes like adultery and friends-turned-enemies and featured remarkable performances from the network’s most bankable stars. And now that we’ve seen all the episodes, we rank all the titles from intriguing to the most intriguing and hope this will help you decide which one to check out first,…
TV5 | Brightlight Productions ACTORS: Jayson Gainza, Wacky Kiray, Ritz Azul, Miles Ocampo, Jerome Ponce, Daniel Matsunaga, Sunshine Garcia, Badji Mortiz, Igi Boy Flores FORMAT: Stand-up comedy/Gag show PREMISE: Comedians and guest celebrities act sketches and perform various comedy skits TIME SLOT: Sundays, 3PM WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT: The new Kapatid gag show is helmed by the same director of known comedy sketch shows that have pretty become standards of this format. Featuring almost the faces from the now defunct ABS-CBN comedy sketch show, Banana Sundae, and being helmed by the same director, ‘Sunday Kada’ feels like the same…
October 24 marks the first time two Philippine shows that are both adapted from their original Korean versions, are airing head-to-head. Viva Entertainment’s Masked Singer Pilipinas premieres on TV5 and ABS-CBN’s I Can See Your Voice, returns for a brand new season this weekend. Masked Singer Pilipinas is the Philippine adaptation of MBC’s King of Mask Singer in South Korea. The show went on to become a global hit and currently has successful franchises in the United States, United Kingdom, among many others. In the Philippines, attempts to launch a local version of the show began as early as 2016.…
TICKET2ME ACTORS: Ali King, Alec Kevin, Ivoy Colo, Luis Padilla, Crystal Paras, Kaloy Tingcungco,Teetin Villanueva FORMAT: Digital web series PREMISE: The series talks about love in the time of pandemic, offering a tighter scrutiny at relationships at a time when being too close with each other is utterly discouraged. WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT Cute boys in a cute story that feels like a summer teenage romance, ‘Boys Lockdown’ is pretty inside out, teeming with not just visual treats but some quarantine lessons, too When you think there are like a dozen of Pinoy BL series airing right now, it…
If you were already a young kid in 2001, chances are, you saw one of this show’s episodes, which sent you hiding under the sheets, like a normal kid would. Or maybe you didn’t, because merely hearing the spooky stories tackled in the show already gave you the creeps. ‘Verum Est’, a latin phrase which translates to ‘Totoo Ba Ito’ in Tagalog, was a paranormal investigative show hosted by veteran broadcaster, Tony Velasquez. The show aired every Wednesday, afternoon. Some of its highlights were stories shared by and about celebrities themselves, like Cesar Montano who shared scary stories about the…