Author: JE CC
A simmering war of families takes the spotlight in this one-of-a-kind ensemble drama that features some of the GMA network’s most talented young stars. GMA Network Actors: Barbie Forteza, Boots Anson-Roa, Sunshine Cruz, Maricel Laxa, David Licauco, Rob Gomez, Nikki Co, Darwin Yu,Dustin Yu, Cassie Banks, David Chua Genre: Drama, Romance Premise: A wealthy Filipino-Chinese family gets thrown into chaos in the wake of the demise of an important family member, which prompts the matriarch to exert her full capacity in order to honor family and cultural traditions, and to ensure the future of the family business and fortune. Running Time: 28-35…
Angel Locsin is among those big stars who also ventured into producing while pursuing acting. It’s not very rare for popular actors to make that big of a leap into the world of directing and producing. It’s a great way for many to finally assume creative control of the project they want to work in, especially when you already had years of diligently following what your directors ask you to do. That must be the case for Angel Locsin, who by 2007, had already starred in several Kapuso primetime shows, including the top-rated telefantasyas, Mulawin and Darna. In the past two decades alone,…
A friendship between a colorful gay man and a loud, talkative woman is the main attraction in this heartwarming family dramedy from Regal Entertainment. Gone are the days when local television studios would produce family comedies, one after another. Of course, with the pandemic still raging, even romcoms have become a rare sight, too. Although, that may change with health protocols easing further. The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has been great for these genres to thrive, and they did, really, at least in the past two decades. In 2004 MMFF, a loud and hilarious dramedy rocked the local box…
Through their latest music video, SB19 showcased what could be their most compelling expression of gratitude to their supporters. Having ended 2021 as one of the biggest musical acts in the local recording scene, SB19 certainly has a lot to be thanked for, although that’s may also be the case for their fans who have nothing but gratitude for the pride and joy of the group’s music brought them in the past twelve months. The group carried out their sweet gesture of acknowledgment to those who made their 2021 fruitful, via the rousing warmth-filled anthem, ‘SLMT’ (which is a stylized…
The Kapamilya series follows a group of female helpers employed at a household in a subdivision. Manilyn Reynes is among those local actors who have flexibly gone from one TV network to another to star TV shows and dramas. The actress has appeared in different dramas and variety shows on ABS-CBN, GMA Network, TV5, among others. She first appeared in an ABS-CBN show in 1989 when Eat Bulaga was still airing on ABS-CBN. The program left the Kapamilya network in 1995 and has since been airing on GMA Network. Reynes, on the other hand, remained with ABS-CN, where she hosted…
The best TV performances of the year largely came from traditional soap operas, and surprisingly–from a charming comedy. It’s difficult to say local television has already returned in full swing, with most TV networks still unable to fill their entire program line-ups with fresh new shows. GMA Network and ABS-CBN, for example, still have reruns in their daytime blocks, although it’s worth noting that primetime blocks have (practically) returned to normal for a while now. The dramatic surge of streaming services, where bold and innovative new shows found a home, also presented challenges for traditional television to keep its once…
The two-episode special served as Pascual and Alonzo’s reunion project as they starred in the 2005 Star Cinema romantic comedy flick Dreamboy. The country’s longest-running drama anthology has delivered some of the most thrilling and inspiring real-life stories we’ve ever seen on television. After three decades, the program remains true to its commitment to bringing those stories, while continually innovating and adapting to the changes in modern storytelling. Powerful actors breathe exceptionally moving characters to life and then conjure legacies in the world of performing. In its 19th year, MMK was all geared up to bring about monumental dramatic moments on…
An estranged couple faces the collapse of their marriage in this yet another harrowing tale about how social media affects the relationships of lovers and the people surrounding them. GMA Network Actors: Carmina Villaroel-Legaspi, Zoren Legaspi, Ariella Arida, Johnny Revilla, Karel Marquez, Andrew Gan Genre: Drama, Romance Premise: A married couple plunges to the brink of separation, after one party committed an unforgivable mistake Running Time: 25 minutes Director: Zig Dulay Time slot: Weekdays, 3:25 PM Why You Should See It: The mystery of fallen marriages is a riddle that once again needs to be solved in the fourth installment of GMA Network’s daytime…
Kapuso primetime royalty Dingdong Dantes made his first splash in filmmaking via the trilogy film, Angels. Seeing actors shift from acting to directing or [even] producing is no longer foreign in the local entertainment scene. In the past few years–the likes of Coco Martin, Alessandra de Rossi, Xian Lim, and Piolo Pascual made that leap. One of the trilogy episodes of the film, Angels–marked Angel Locsin’s debut in producing, too, was directed by Kapuso actor Dingdong Dantes. The said film was released on June 20, 2007, and grossed more than Php6 million at the local box office. Using his real…
With the pandemic still harrowing in 2021, many Filipinos took advantage of what the internet could offer. This seemingly resulted in a dramatic rise in followers and traffic of local TV networks across social media platforms. May it be for the better or the worse—but mostly, for the better—it’s hard to miss how social media and a variety of video-sharing and streaming platforms made a lot of things turn around in 2021. The second (hopefully, also the last) of the pandemic years, saw an enormous uptick in engagement and traffic in social media, as many Filipinos migrated to social media…
As streaming increasingly becomes a dominant mode of content consumption–great digital content inevitably found its way into the mainstream as well as some of the most remarkable Web series of the year surfaced. While traditional is poised to remain king, at least in the next few years, streaming platforms are [definitely] gathering steam at an unprecedented pace that could see the likes of Netflix, Vivamax, WeTV, and iWantTFC taking the chunk of local content consumers. Major production outfits began providing content to giant streaming services this year. That says a lot about how much change and adapting the local television…
The second season lays the ground for future biblical confrontations poised to give the Geralt-Ciri-Yennefer plot a much-needed spice. NETFLIX Actors: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Alan, Joey Batey, Eamon Farren, MyAnna Buring, Mimi M Khayisa, Mahesh Jadu, Anna Shaffer, Royce Pierreson, Tom Canton, Mecia Simpson, Wilson Mbomio, Kim Bodnia, Jodhi Mhay, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson, Adam Levy, Lars Mikkelson, Jeremy Crawford, Basil Eidelbenz, Paul Bullion, Yasen Atour, Kristofer Hivju Genres: Fantasy, Action, Adventure Premise: Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. (IMDB) Running Time: 60 minutes Creator: Lauren…
In Happy Times, sports celebrity Ricci Rivero appears in his first lead role in a film and leaves an impression that’s enough but can still improve a lot. Reality MM Studios Actors: Heaven Peralejo, Sharlene San Pedro, Ricci Rivero, Kimpoy Feliciano Genre: Romance, Comedy Premise: Infatuated high schooler Toni gets close to her crush, the varsity stud Kim, only to find out that he only wants her help in winning the heart of her older sister, popular influencer George. (Upstream) Running Time: 90 minutes Director: Ice Idanan Watch it on: UPSTREAM.PH Why You Should See It: Happy Times follows siblings Toni (San…
As the local TV industry finally returns to its pre-pandemic form, new shows are poised to capture the viewers’ attention and lingering positive impressions, too. It’s difficult to claim that the local television has already returned in full swing, with most TV networks still unable to fill their entire program line-ups with fresh, new shows. GMA-7 and ABS-CBN 2 networks still have reruns in their daytime blocks, although it’s worth noting that primetime blocks have (practically) returned to normal for a while now. The dramatic surge of streaming services, where bold and innovative new shows found a home, also presented…
Shortly after its launch, the GMA Network’s sister free-TV channel has quickly established as among the country’s most-watched TV channels. GTV—formerly GMA News TV didn’t have to exert much effort to establish its presence on free television when it officially debuted in February. With a boost from its parent channel, GMA-7, it reigned in local television–GTV had all the eyes fixed on its launch. Taking off amid the tight competition was no sweat. In May, the month ABS-CBN bade free TV adieu, GTV was already running to become the second most-watched TV channel in the country. Of course, the launch…
While this new adaptation of the global manga hit is yet to take off, there is a promise that a new legacy will rise on the heels of its predecessors’ success. GMMTV Actors: Bright Vachirawit, Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul, Win Metawin Opas-iamjakorn, Dew Jirawat Sutivanichsak, Nani Hirunkit Changkham Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama Premise: The life of a simple girl takes a sharp turn as she gets involved with an infamous group of boys in school. Soon, sparks fly and emotions run high as she dives deep into the world of the upper-class elites. (iWantTFC) Running Time: 65 minutes Director: Patha Thongpan Timeslot:…