Sleepy Primetime Lineup from ABS-CBN

For someone who used to watch a lot of local shows from ABS-CBN, I find myself spending more time now watching GMA-7's morning block - the Ryzza Mae Show and Eat Bulaga.

My 4-year old niece used to enjoy Hawak Kamay because of Juan Karlos’ presence in the show. Lately, though, he had little to no exposure at all, so even the kid was no longer interested in peeking at the boring show.

What is happening with ABS-CBN? After they have made a lot of known stars, only Piolo Pascual is the only legit popular actor in their primetime block now. He is popular, but the story of his drama series does not fit his stature, and he was given a leading lady (Iza) who is better off doing support or even antagonist roles.

I have seen the teasers of their short Christmas seryes. They said that they are bringing those to us, the viewers, as their gifts or way of giving back during this time of the year. I am okay with the Eddie Garcia story or even the Paulo and KC tandem, but my golly, pairing Maja Salvador and Gerald Anderson for a show meant to be enjoyed by the whole family during the Christmas season? What were they thinking? Sorry, I don’t hate them as they are (I have moved on haha!), but they are not the faces that I want to see during the holidays. I would rather watch old or tagalized movies than to be tortured, seeing them playing protagonists and goody-goody when their images in my mind as a chauvinist and playgirl, are still vivid and clear.

I am hoping for better shows with true-blue popular actors for the shows that are lined up for ABS-CBN next year. I have heard about Xian Lim being paired with Maja, such as disappointment for a fan who waited so long to see Xian on TV. Oh well, I don’t think that the network really cares so much about the sentiments of those who watch them. Their current lineup of primetime shows and the main leads are proof that they would do whatever they please and give projects to whoever they like.

I am just ranting, but I know that the network that its viewers brought to the top, wouldn’t care less about most people’s sentiments. Come on, GMA 7, it is your time to shine. This is the best time to push stars who look promising and deliver better stories, now that ABS-CBN seems to be slacking by giving us bland actors, rehashed stories, and the Maja-Gerald tandem (que horror!).

The Legal Wife is Way Better than Dyesebel and Ikaw Lamang

When summer was about to begin and the kids' classes were to end, my nieces were quite excited with the bombardment of teasers of ABS-CBN's yet to be launched fanta-serye, Dyesebel. My nieces, aged 9 and 4, were hoping that the lead star would either be Kim Chiu or Kathryn Bernardo.

The first disappointment of the show came from the announcement of who would play not only Dyesebel, but so much more, Fredo. In this household, where everybody loves Kim, it also follows that we abhor Gerald. It does not matter whether or not Kim had already made amends with him. He would always be the jerk who broke Kim's heart and the moron who caused the breakup of the once ideal friendship between Kim and her ex-best friend who is now Gerald's current lover.

I don't have anything against Anne. She is not perfect. She is a socialite who lets her real self out once drunk. Given that nature, she could have been assigned to more mature roles and not the ones that are intended for younger audiences because for me as a guardian, she is no longer an ideal figure to be looked up to. She is a good actress though. She can still excel in roles that are more spiteful and bitchy. And yep, age does matter for this kind of role.

I have caught some episodes of the series and oh boy, it is cringing to watch Anne, acting like someone so naive and so kind. Dyesebel is someone who is only beginning to realize what love is. Anne cannot convince her audience that she's innocent and pure as how the character, Dyesebel, ought to be. Why? For one, the issues that are hounding her greatly affect people's perception about her. And she looks so mature to be given dialogues asking about how it is to be in love or how it is to be kissed. No matter how good of an actress she is, she cannot fake her age. It is similar to actor Jericho Rosales given the role of a high school student in the movie ABNKKBSNPLAKO, now that he is in his 30s. It is awkward to watch.

Watching Sam Milby struggling with his dialogues is already a pain in the tail, haaaay. He cannot fake that he finds it quite difficult to deliver his lines in Filipino. And then there's Gerald, who does not only sound slang, but also has a thick Visayan accent, which he has still not gotten over with. He sounds like his character from his past soap opera, Budoy.

The series looks low-budgeted as well, with cheap effects and the story is really bad. It seems like it does not know where to take the story of this well-loved mermaid, which has been told a lot of times in the past. I am a fan of Charlene Gonzales' film adaptation of Dyesebel. It was fun to watch because of the great chemistry that Charlene had with her leading man in the film, Matthew Mendoza.

Chemistry.

This is the problem with Ikaw Lamang, Coco Martin's current primetime teleserye. Coco is undoubtedly the current eye candy of whoever is responsible in giving projects to ABS-CBN stars. It appears that somebody is now closely following his lead, JC de Vera. It used to be Paulo Avelino and yep, let us not forget Jake Cuenca as well as Gerald. This is the first problem with this serye - favoritism.

Okay, Coco and the rest of the network favorite "boys" may have a huge following on free TV. They may have the talents and charisma to their bosses. But with the network greatly favoring them, there are a lot more talents who may even have bigger fanbases than these boys' fans combined, who are not getting the right exposure despite the people's clamor.

This has been going on with the network for quite some time now and I don't think that this is going to change, just because many people are already stating their dismay. This practice is going to continue, not unless another network will come up with better offerings than what we are seeing on ABS-CBN, which will pose as a serious threat.

Let us look into the second problem with this series, which is chemistry. You need not watch it to conclude that Kim Chiu looks better when paired with Jake, who is the antagonist in the series, than with Coco. The contrasts between Kim and Coco are so pronounced that it will make you feel uneasy watching them pronouncing love, hugging and kissing one another.

Aside from the lack of chemistry between Coco and Kim, the story is something that its producers have already used over and over again - lost child, separated siblings, love against all odds.

Another problem with Ikaw Lamang (and most of the dramas that are produced by Dreamscape) is that it gives out the impression that women only live in search for true love, for the man who will finally give meaning to their lives. Ain't that the premise of the currently airing Mirabella (also produced by the same team)? A girl whose skin resembles a timber, but instead of searching for how it all came about, she wanted to find the one perfect man who will finally accept and love her for who she is. So sad...


I was able to watch an episode of Ikaw Lamang where all the character of Kim Chiu did was to defy everybody and voice out her serious intent of doing everything to be given the freedom to be with the character of Coco. And Coco's character is not even that lovable. He does not have what it takes to be loved by someone who has it all. This period drama is not giving anything about the period it is supposed to be in. They can set the same crappy material in the modern era and they can still pull it off. It will be even easier since the characters need not inject deep Filipino words every now and then just for the drama to be qualified as a period piece. Ang pangit =(

Primetime Bida's Saving Grace

What started as a dragging and another overused story, has redeemed itself and is now the only local drama on ABS-CBN's primetime block that is worth to watch. I am not watching this because I don't like Maja, but I am aware of people's reactions towards the progress of the story and the great acting of the actors, especially its main female lead, Angel Locsin, because the show has become the talk of the town.

The way that the story of The Legal Wife is being handled, not including its dragging beginning, the group that created it must be commended for a job well done. This is the same group that handled the Kathryn-Daniel serye, Got to Believe. I don't approve of the latter's storyline's extremely close resemblance to Meteor Garden, but I liked the fact that even though they injected family problems, the teamup of Kathniel remained to be in the spotlight of the show in its entirety. This would not have been the case if the group that is handling Dyesebel and Ikaw Lamang created G2B. It would have lots of subplots and sulpot characters who will be given more exposure at the expense of the leads no matter how popular they are.

Why am I ranting? It is summer. The kids are free to watch TV. I used to enjoy local dramas and they watched with us too. Now all that they want to do is to watch DVDs of Frozen, Bride for Rent and Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo over and over and over and over again and again and again.

The Success of Bride for Rent and the Decision to Break Up the Kim Chiu and Xian Lim Tandem on TV

Credits to Xian Lim's Instagram account - xianlimm

This is a long overdue review of this film that made me laugh so hard and fall in love even more with its two leads. I watched it along with my family, including my 3 and 9-year-old nieces who both adore KimXi. We made sure that we were at the cinema before the first screening, but the line was so long that we ended up 10 minutes late for the screening, but at least, we were still able to secure good seats.

I am not really a fan of the director in terms of her visuals. But Direk Mae Cruz is a genius when it comes to storytelling. She makes sure that she does not leave anything hanging or missed out.

Story wise, Bride for Rent is quite simple and formulaic. Based on the casts' past interviews, they started filming this without a finished story and script, so at the start, they did not have any idea as to where this would lead. The writers of this film, I believe, were on-call on the set most of the time. I can just imagine the rigorous brainstorming sessions that took place after each working day or even after each take, while the group was still creating this bound to be blockbuster hit.

The finished film was a group effort and they appeared to have a happy ambience on the set most of the time, based on the Instagram and Twitter posts of many of the people involved in its creation.

It is not the story that lured many of its viewers to pay in order to see the film. Even with the trailer, you would already know that it is a cliche type of story. Most people flocked the cinemas for three reasons: 1. Kim Chiu was very funny. Even in the trailer, one will laud at Kim's comedic timing. She was good in BHKCNCM, but she was at her best (in terms of comedy) in BFR. 2. Xian Lim already has gotten a lot of swooning girls' following from BHKCNCM and he looks even sexier in BFR. He has also improved a lot in acting, especially with his dramatic moments. 3. The most important reason why many people could not get enough of the film and many are willing to pay for it over and over again to take another peek is the enigmatic chemistry between Kim and Xian. When I watched it, people were so kilig each time Rocco and Rocky would share the screen time. This loveteam has the magic that is quite hard to ignore.

After the first screening ended, we were supposed to transfer seats, so that we could be nearer to the exit since we would only be catching up on the few scenes that we did not see. But there seemed to be an onslaught of people in the cinema that no one could leave their seats, even just to take a CR break, worried that they would lose their places. It was even more surprising when we were about to leave the cinema. We could not find the stairs. People were all over. There were people up to the CR’s doors and they were all willing to endure such viewing experience in order to watch this flick. It was the first time that I experienced this in the cinema. It was the first weekend run of BFR. The next weekend, they already opened two cinemas, which both became full-packed.

Congrats to the BFR team and its coherent director. Congrats to the writers and other creative staff for coming up with memorable lines. Congrats to the efficient supporting casts. Congrats to Kim and Xian and their overflowing chemistry.

After the hit and success came the KimXi break-up on TV:

Rocco and Rocky are ordinary characters that were given life and excitement by Kim and Xian. For sure, many viewers have become fans of the team-up after seeing the film. They weren't given this kind of exposure on their TV projects. Most of the time, especially on their last TV soap, Ina, Kapatid, Anak, it appeared that they were only used, especially Kim, since she was the bigger star, in order to boost the career of the other actors. The horrors of IKA, there were even nights when Kim would have fewer scenes in favor of Maja Salvador's character, even if the latter would only frequent the bar and other unimportant scenes that could have already been omitted.

Well, that's the difference between TV and film. Although I am not happy with the news that ABS-CBN has decided to break the KimXi tandem on TV, giving Kim different partners (both actors whom are favored by the drama unit known as Dreamscape, Jake Cuenca and Coco Martin) and not having announced regarding what they plan about Xian's TV career, I think that it is already expected, although it still hurts.

From the fans' point of view, both Xian and Kim are not their drama unit's favorites. As a KimXi fan, I am already looking forward to their movies. If ever Xian would be delegated to another drama unit, I also look forward to the roles that would be given to him. As for Kim, I am pretty sure that many of her fans are now worried that she might again be given the kind of treatment that she had with IKA and, of course, Tayong Dalawa, which eventually became a Coco-centric soap and they even killed Kim's character in the end. Both soaps were produced by Dreamscape. At least, this new soap that stars Kim along with Coco Martin, will be handled by her director in My Binondo Girl, Malu Sevilla. I hope that Direk Malu will give Kim the proper exposure and airtime that she deserves with her status, being not only a hitmaker on TV, but on movies as well. I will watch it for the love of Kim.

I will miss the KimXi tandem on TV. I will miss Kim doing comedy. It is hard to be a fangirl, especially when the actors that you are rooting for work in a station, where favoritism is the name of the game. Well, at least, I still could hope for their future movies and while it is still showing, let us all watch Bride for Rent over and over again.

Ina, Kapatid, Anak - A Stereotype Story till the End

I want to make a blog post about the recently concluded soap opera of my most favorite local star, Kim Chiu and her, bedazzling reel (and real-life?) partner, Xian Lim, but I can’t make up my mind on how to do this without sounding like a hater, which I became at the course of this crap, I mean, show, Ina, Kapatid, Anak.

I chanced upon this post from ABS-CBNNews.com about what they think were the 10 memorable scenes from the show. The list includes the following:

10 memorable scenes in 'Ina, Kapatid,Anak'

1. Celyn finds out she's a Marasigan

2. Celyn, Margaux celebrate 18th birthday

3. Margaux, Celyn in intense slapping scene

4. Margaux drives Celyn's car, figures in accident

5. Margaux finds out she's a real Marasigan

6. Liam, Celyn become a couple

7. Celyn, Margaux patch things up

8. Celyn gets kidnapped

9. Celyn gets beat up by Mio

10. Liam proposes to Celyn

For me, although this is from a KimXi fan perspective, since I would always turn the TV off when the story was becoming too focused on Margaux or the oldies’ characters, my favorite and most memorable scenes from the show are:

1. The young Celyn, selling slippers while shouting one of the most memorable lines from the soap – “Tsinelas ni Tere!”

2. Celyn’s scenes that showed her talking to the replica of Sto. Nino. Such trait of Celyn even became the topic of several homilies in the church, where I frequently go to. It is sad that as the show progressed, they took this for granted and focused on too much anger and violence instead.

3. When Celyn went back to the landlady that gave her a place to stay when she was new in the city, and gave her gifts to show her gratitude and to live up to her promise that she would go back when she’s already rich.

4. The first time that Celyn and Liam met in the campus. Their chemistry was overflowing that I never thought the story would never give them a chance to shine as a couple.

5. When Liam learned that they were his dad’s second family.

6. When Celyn was introduced to Tiny. They were the exact opposite that was why they clicked on screen as friends, co-workers and allies. Where did the writer take Tiny’s character as the story progresses? Nada. He was not a favorite.

7. When Celyn spent the night with Liam at the beach after finding out the truth about her character. This could have started something magical for the two, but instead the writer made Liam’s character one confused dude.

8. When Liam came to Celyn’s aid when she needed to practice for the ball and her escort backed out.

9. When Celyn was finally rescued from Mio and the tender hug and kiss that Liam gave her after.

10. The anguish and pains of Celyn when she thought that her Nanay Teresa died, both at the old, gloomy building and at the hospital.

The story had a very promising premise – something unique and rarely tackled. It could have been developed in so many unique ways, but it did not happen. The story started to lag when too much emphasis was given to Margaux’ character. I started to withdraw from my habit of watching it nightly when this happened. All the casts’ problems revolved around the character. It was too obvious that they wanted Maja Salvador to shine, but instead of achieving such, more people started to feel irritated. Most of its viewers watched the show, not for Maja, but for Kim, whom they delegated as the second lead for a time.

For the creatives’ part, they were justifying the turn of events by saying that this is a family drama and not a love story. For most of the viewers though, this has become a Margaux drama. They could have at least tried to balance the story and give equal exposures to all the casts in its entire run. They only passed on the torch of responsibility to Kim Chiu when the ratings dropped phenomenally and almost reached the 20s.

Everything has become so rushed since then. The story stood out for being poorly written, but well-acted. For the CeLiam parts, they either repeated romantic scenes from another Kim Chiu and Xian Lim teleserye, My Binondo Girl, or imitate what was happening with Kim and Xian in real life. The chemistry may be strong, but the story was very weak and yes again, rushed.

Oh well, time to move on. I can’t say that I’ve wasted my eight months watching this because I only watched maybe half of its run. I just hope that they can give Kim Chiu a good story on her next project and give Xian Lim a material, where he will also shine as well. Stop playing favorites, ABS-CBN. Look at what happened to the story of this promising show when you have decided to give the highlight to your favorite. Okay, time to end my rants. I am looking forward now to the Kim and Xian movie, which was based on the book of Ramon Bautista, Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo. For now, I will forget that Ina, Kapatid, Anak ever existed haha!

PS: For those who missed the bloopers, here it is:

Gerald Anderson vs Maricel Soriano

I know, this is already becoming like an anti-Gerald Anderson blog. But I was really waiting for other juicy and interesting news in the local showbiz scene to end the three earlier posts that involved Gerald. To my surprise, he has gotten himself into another trouble, to which his home network was quick to protect and make him look like an angel who can't do any wrong (which only makes matters worse).

CTO: Kalandian.com

The issue: Veteran actress, Maricel Soriano, was reported to being blunt, frustrated and emotional after taping a scene with Gerald. She shouted hurtful words at him that reportedly made him cry, but said sorry to Ms. Maricel afterwards. According to some reports, Maricel did not like how Gerald delivered during the scene and it had already taken them quite a time to do that. She then told the actor that he was already being the cause of delay among other stuff that instead of challenging Gerald, it made him fear the veteran star and vowed to his bosses that he will not be part of the show if Maricel was going to be retained.

The verdict: Star Magic and the Kapamilya network, which handle Gerald's career, decided to remove Maricel from the "doomed" soap opera and retain their favorite, este, Gerald. They even sent out a strong statement in defense of their action and I quote:

"Star Magic has the utmost confidence not only in Gerald Anderson’s exceptional ability as an actor, but also in his unassailable personal character and professional behavior. The incidents that led to the removal of Maricel from Gerald’s latest telenovela were not provoked or instigated by Gerald in any manner."

I know that Gerald has improved a lot on his acting skills from the time that he has started, but he has still a lot to learn. The "exceptional ability" part of Star Magic's statement is a clear indication of favoritism. He may have the ability, but as compared with what Maricel Soriano can give into their every scene, I am pretty sure that if somebody must be given that "exceptional ability" remark, it would have been the veteran star and not this playboy, este, young actor.

I almost puked at the "unassailable personal character" part. They made it appear that this young actor can do no wrong. He is so good that his reputation cannot be tarnished. At this point of his career, humility might be the key to salvage what is still left of him. And these unbelievable praise releases about him aren't helping at all.

Star Magic seems to be so serious about this that even TV Patrol has reported about the depression that Maricel has been going through for the past years, which may be affecting her work and sanity. It was like all of a sudden, just because she made the wrong move of picking on the network's favorite, she is the meanest person on this local showbizlandia.

I know, she is not a saint. Maricel still needs to talk about past issues that involve her maids. But no one can contest that she is good in her craft and someone who deserves the praise, exceptional.

Regarding the issue, Maricel has kept mum, so it is enlightening to read words from someone who is on her side. Here are some statements from the actress' close friend and the director of her upcoming movie with Vice Ganda, Wenn Deramas. The following were lifted from Part 1. Director Wenn Deramas defends Maricel Soriano: "Huwag nating sabihin na yung tao ay ganito at ganyan dahil lamang sa isang insidente."

“Sa akin, isolated case ‘yan.

“Huwag nating sabihin na yung tao ay ganito at ganyan dahil lamang sa isang insidente.

“Isipin pa rin natin ang mga ginawa ni Maricel Soriano sa ABS-CBN, sa industriya—kung paano niya tayo pinasaya, kung paano siya napakahusay sa lahat ng kanyang mga ginagawa."

Wala raw maipipintas ang direktor kay Maricel pagdating sa propesyunalismo at pagmamahal na pinapakita nito sa trabaho.

“Si Maricel, hindi mo mapupulaan sa kanyang trabaho—na si Maricel hindi magaling sa pelikula o teleserye… wala, e.

“Tinatrabaho niya yun at hindi puwede sa kanya na ‘ako lang ang magaling.’ Dapat tayo.

“Pinaniniwalaan ko si Maricel Soriano.

“Gaya ng sinabi ko, isolated case yung nangyari na hindi mo puwedeng husgahan ang tao dahil lang dun sa nangyari. 

“Saka ilan lang silang nandun nung nangyari yun.

“Unfortunately, si Maricel Soriano ang tipo ng artista na hindi magsasalita para ipagtanggol ang sarili niya.”

As for this blogger, even though Gerald is their contract star, the Kapamilya network should have protected both actors. As it is, only Maricel's reputation is being tarnished as the issue has blown out of proportion and the veteran star is now the subject of several malicious blind items. Whether these are true or not, the Kapamilya network's action only made the situation worse. Instead of saving her from further humiliation, ABS-CBN has only added more insult to the injury, in expense of the more experienced star.

I wonder if they will still go on with the doomed teleserye with the network's current favorite. I don't hate Gerald, but I want him to be humble enough to admit his mistakes and apologize publicly to those whom he has offended and hurt, instead of acting like he has not done anything wrong.

Vice Ganda VS Ate Gay

Ate Gay is one good comedian who is only waiting for the right opportunity to shine. He never fails to make me laugh whenever I catch him doing short skits and gags on his appearances at various local TV shows. He can make people laugh without degrading them (a lot) and this is what makes him different from more famous comedians, like Vice Ganda.

Vice Ganda's forte is to make people look bad and ugly and make them feel "tanga" in order to exude his audience' laughter.

When Ate Gay expressed his excitement on his Twitter account that he was tapped to replace Vice on It's Showtime while Vice would go on a break for weeks, I was happy. I just thought that finally, Ate Gay's time has come and wondered, "May babalikan pa kaya si Vice."

Well, they have different strengths, I guess. There are audiences, of course, who prefer Vice's style, but there are also those who have yet to discover the funny antics of Ate Gay. His quite famous skit, The Door, is frequently used on It's Showtime's rival, Eat Bulaga, by Allan K and the trio of Jose, Wally and Paolo.

Now that Vice is already on vacation, Ai-Ai delas Alas took his spot on the show. Something obviously happened, which led to these tweets of Ate Gay.

To add fuel to the fire, Ogie Diaz, Vice's former manager whom he also had an issue with in which Ogie until now, had chosen to remain silent about, retweeted Ate Gay's reply to one follower and added his comments as well.

ABS-CBN must once again help Vice get out of this mess before he could gain any more detractors, but they must also take a second look at Ate Gay. This one is certainly a diamond in the rough and a big threat to those who have already experienced success and let it gone into their heads.

Ina Kapatid Anak of Kim Chiu, Xian Lim and Many More, Soon on ABS-CBN

Finally, the fan in me would soon be back watching a prime time show on ABS-CBN. I can't wait for the airing of Ina, Kapatid, Anak and hopefully, a Kim Chiu-Xian Lim movie also soon. Come one, Kapamilya, you'd be giving us a burger, why not add some fries as well? Haha! 

GANDANG GABI VICE on May 20 - Hilarious and Kilig Episode with KimXi

Aside from Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, it would be exciting to watch Dawn Zulueta dropping off her "sosyal" image and let it all out for fun at this episode of GGV. Let us all watch this, peeps. This is going to be super fun!

EDIT: May 21, 2012

Ansaveh ng editing? We did not get to see the funniest and most kilig parts, local peeps, but those who have TFC Uncut subscription did (after paying a fee, of course). Ibang magmahal ang Kapamilya, negosyo ang peg? =)

Anyway, if you really want to watch the uncut version, you can search it on popular social networking sites. I don't want to post the links here, fearing that ABS-CBN might have those deleted (because we did not pay?) Even Kim Chiu was not happy with the way it turned out. Imagine the full schedule they had that day and even though they were both tired, they still guested on the show to give in to the clamor of their fans. These were Kim's reactions that she posted on her Instagram account:

I still enjoyed the show though. Vice is a good comedian and the episode showed the other side of Ms. Dawn Zulueta. 'Hope that Vice could also guest Ai-Ai delas Alas in the future. For sure, now that they are in good terms already, it would not be far before they get to be paired in a movie or TV project. 

My Local Celebrity Pairing Bets for 2012

Obviously, I am a Kim Chiu-Whoever her partner is fan. It only goes that I favor Xian Lim at the moment because they haven’t done solo TV drama and movie yet. After Xian, I hope that Kim gets paired with someone who is older and more mature, like Piolo Pascual. I want to see the contrast and for a change, see a film that tackles age gap in relationships from a different light.

Xian will also look good when paired with older leading ladies, like Judy Ann Santos or Claudine Barretto, if the latter will decide to come back at ABS-CBN or if ABS-CBN would accept her still. If ever Sandara Park would do a movie with Star Cinema, I think that Xian will also create an on-screen stir as her partner.

As per Gerald Anderson, it is only now that I am realizing that it will be quite promising to see him on screen with Bea Alonzo, but I don’t think that this is the right time for this team-up. There are many fans who still haven’t moved on from the controversies that these two have created when they fell for each other at the wrong place and at the wrong time (sounds like a movie premise already). For the meantime, I hope that he gets paired with KC Concepcion. I think that the pairing has the ability to prove that KC is only waiting for the right material and right partner to prove her bankability.

Bea Alonzo, although she’s not visible on TV, is doing a film, but as months go by, it appears as if this film is doomed (hopefully not). I wonder how an artist feels every time they had to re-shoot scenes that they have already done just because their partner had chosen to pursue their Hollywood dream and the replacement had chosen to move to another network. They can break the curse by bringing John Lloyd Cruz in. He is Bea’s reliable partner and the pairing has a huge following.

This is not a new pairing, but the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla team-up should be given a movie while it is still hot. And oh please, don’t let Kathryn wear her hair with bangs, like how she looks at the soap, Princess and I. She’s more beautiful with how she looked during her Mara Clara days, but her beauty really shone when she played the young Gretchen in Magkaribal.

It is tricky to find the right pair for Julia Montes. I really thought that she would not be able to pull it off with Coco Martin, but she did, with flying colors. I think that she really is the next Bea Alonzo. For these women, great acting, plus good looks are enough even though they don’t have constant partners.

There are two big Kapamilya stars who badly need reinvention, Vice Ganda and Sarah Geronimo. Vice has already proven that he can create blockbuster movies even without the help of other big stars. I wonder how it would look if the idea of pairing Angel Locsin with the man version of Vice Ganda would push through. I don’t think so. A good gay film will do, but no more slapsticks comedy, please.

I want to see a different Sarah Geronimo. Sarah who is acting her age and is experiencing real life and love troubles of women in their mid 20s. Just for a change, I want to see her serious side, yung pang award. It does not matter who her leading man is. Her movies, for as long as these are of good taste and quality, will earn whether she has a big star or a newcomer as a partner.

What about the stars from the other network? I think that at the moment, while GMA-7 has not yet found the formula to develop “big” stars, big in the sense that the viewing public will pay to see them on the big screen and not be contented being part of the percentage of the TV ratings, GMA Films should go back to their old formula. They ought to bring back quality films to the mainstream market. They have specialized on the genre before, giving people the likes of Muro Ami, Deathrow, Jose Rizal and so on.

That’s it. Just sharing some musings while I am working on certain articles that are harder to finish than this kind =)

P.S.

I love the current ad (as of this writing) on my blog's upper banner, kilig!

Showbiz Breakups, Love and How DJ Mo Stole the Limelight in a Flash

Whew! What a tsismis-filled week for local showbiz. Not that I'm complaining, tsismosa ako e =)

Update on the Piolo Pascual - KC Concepcion breakup: As expected, ABS-CBN is doing everything to sanitize the issue and to make sure that people's attention will be turned to how good of a person Piolo is. Gone were the days when celebrities would not want their charitable acts to be broadcasted. Piolo's latest advocacy (a teamup with Star Magic), the feeding program, is all over the news.

This is too much. I am a Piolo fan, pero naiinis ako how his home network is handling the issue. Pwede namang quiet na lang. Everybody wants him to speak about the breakup, even though he would only say 'No Comment.' This is not the right time to bombard people with news of his charitable deeds. Oh, well....

Another couple who seems to be on the rocks is Mateo Guidicelli and Maja Salvador. Oh, Amber, I still can't forgive you for what happened with my favorite on-screen couple, Jade and Andy, in My Binondo Girl. I was actually surprised about the breakup issue between Maja and Mateo.

I remember last week, before Maja left for abroad to do some shows with Coco Martin, there were even pictures and tweets of how sweet Maja and Mateo were while they were taping for My Binondo Girl. When Maja was already abroad, she started tweeting things that culminate to the final straw - "It's over."

The tsismosa in me wanted to ask, ano sinabi mo Coco? Hehe! Pakialamera lang =) None is final yet about the issue because no one's talking about it on national TV. Puro tweets.

And on to another issue, which is kinda eeeww, the Vic Sotto - Pauleen Luna rumored affair. Is this for real? Pauleen could pass as Vic's grand daughter already. And Pia Guanio is still in Eat Bulaga and... ang gulo. lahat na lang, ganun? Another oh, well... buhay nila yan.

And the top news maker of the week is the super emo, DJ Mo. I tried my best no to watch his confession video throughout the day, but the tsismosa in me won in the end of the struggle and clicked on the link that I found on PEP.

It was all whisper and singhot. I ended up reading the captions. I hated DJ Mo more for this stuff. He was at fault in the first place. How old is Rhian Ramos, by the way? Mo was the one more mature. He should have protected her when they have decided to give in to their lust.

Rhian has committed a sin, a very grave one that she would be sorry for even beyond death. So the video implied that it was Rhian's sole decision to abort the baby and that Mo tried his best to save it and when he could no longer do anything about it, he opted to confess how he feels and record it on video.

The baby's life was lost. Mo has lost his desire to work (I guess). By letting the public see this confession video, Mo is only making things harder for Rhian. Does he want her to commit suicide? What if she does, what is he going to do? Do another confession video?

This is another issue that must be settled outside the limelight. If Mo really loved Rhian, he would have protected her from all these issues. He could have tried doing charitable deeds and learn from Piolo on how to distract people's attention from the real issue.

The story is now getting more complicated. Mo should really leave the country as soon as he can, because he would surely be filed charges over the accusations that he blurted on the infamous video. Or he can also decide to stay and be a man, for once, and face the consequences of what he did.

Why Eat Bulaga is a Tough Show to Beat?

Willie Revillame may be rejoicing these days because after Wowowee was axed, ABS-CBN continues to juggle and haggle on its afternoon programming. For me as a viewer, I don’t think that this has something to do with Willie’s absence. He has gone overboard when he was at the top that most viewers wouldn’t want to see him at the same timeslot or on any Kapamilya shows ever again. There may those die hard fans and people whom he was able to help in the past, but who will ever forget the painful marks that so many hopeful lives were killed in the tragedy that happened on the first anniversary of Willie’s defunct show. Wowowee will always be remembered for that tragedy no matter how they try to cover it up.

Robin Padilla emerged as a star and brought the ratings of Wowowee to its peak when he was tapped as guest host. This may be because nobody expected him to be good or many people were interested to find out how he would fit in to this kind of show where he had to do things that he has never done on TV before. It was an added treat that as he continues to do his hosting stint, his off screen romance with co-host Mariel Rodriguez starts to develop on screen.

Wowowee should have ended after Robin bid farewell to his hosting stint that lasted for two weeks. Now the public knows that ABS-CBN tried to woo Willie to come back, and this is a major turn off to their loyal viewers because this is a strong sign that they don’t really care what most of their consumers think and feel. It is a good thing that fate had it that Willie and the network did not come into any kind of agreement, which paved the way for the instant creation of Pilipinas, Win na Win and for Willie to do the rounds of interviews to lambast the station that made him who he is today.

So what is wrong with PWNW that despite the team-up of Robin Padilla and Kris Aquino as main hosts, the show was not able to deliver as expected? First off, this is not Kris Aquino’s forte. She can stand on her own and do the whole show even without Robin and the other co-hosts. By placing her amidst talents who are not as good as her and as not as spontaneous as her, her co-hosts, including Robin, were left with nothing more to say but raise their hands to act the PWNW hand signal to cue in for commercials.

Eat Bulaga is tough to beat. The show has remained at the top even though they don’t have big stars as co-hosts, aside from the trio of Tito, Vic and Joey. Most TV viewers look at this show as family. I have grown up watching this show. The only thing that will make me stop watching Eat Bulaga is the retirement of its three main hosts because it would no longer be the same. There may be times that I’d try watching other shows, like what I’ve done when Robin Padilla was a guest host at Wowowee or during the opening of PWNW. But if I’m not satisfied with the other choices, I’d rather stick it out with Eat Bulaga.

Creating a show that would match Eat Bulaga is something that must be done, researched and evaluated for months or years, and not for some weeks after the negotiations with the original host of Wowowee has failed.

Kris Aquino is undergoing some marital blues, and this is not the perfect time to see her doing a very happy show for the family. The Robin-Mariel love angle is no longer interesting. So what if they are lovers now? They are no longer teenagers who can make gazillion of fans scream whenever one is holding the hands of the other, not even when Robin professes his love for Mariel on national TV. We have seen Robin act this way before. He should be given a new partner, so that people will tune in to find out if he’s going to fall anew or if he has indeed found his true love with Mariel.

Kris and Robin should have been given different shows. Everything that may remind people about Wowowee, from the stage, to games, look of the dancers and ways how the show is executed, should have been all scrapped. PWNW looked like a rehashed Wowowee without anything new but the two main hosts.

Now that Edu Manzano is set to do a comeback at the timeslot where he started to get endeared to many local viewers’ hearts at the other channel, ABS-CBN is scrambling its lineup as if this is an easy game of mix and match. They have promoted Showtime to fill in the noontime block, but I don’t think that this is a wise move because in reality, this is a weak show that gained great ratings in the past because GMA 7 cannot create a good show that would match such. They were able to tap into the goldmine when they placed movies to be pitted against Showtime. If Showtime couldn’t win the ratings game against the most crappy of GMA films or the oldest Michael V movie, how else can it fare when pitted against the longest running noontime show on TV?

As for now, I will continue watching Eat Bulaga whenever I have time, but peek into Showtime every once in a while because they got Ryan Bang as guest-judge. ABS-CBN needs all the luck in the world to be able to come up with a show that can really topple or just make the rival show a little nervous.

Bea Alonzo Succeeds in Breaking Up KimErald

Final Edit: September 9, 2010

Here's the link guys to the story of these two lovebirds. The site is owned by ABS-CBN, so I guess that soon enough, they will also let the public know of the truth. I am no longer bothered with this fact because I don't care about any of them. They must be given a chance to admit their lies and truths, of course. This way, they can allow their former fans to let go of what's left of their illusions and let Kim Chiu shine on her own.

Kim is the runaway winner at this story. She may have a thin frame, but that's all her detractors can say about her. Whereas for Bea, not only she has a big frame, which makes her look older than Gretchen Baretto, Angel Aquino and even Lorna Tolentino, this is also a clear indication of her lack of morals. As for Gerald, well, he got what he deserved, and I'm sure he will soon find out that even though words cannot hurt him, lack of quality fans would. That's it. End of story. With or without admission.

--

I ought to be doing tons of work to meet my deadlines, but the fan in me cannot help but to refresh all discussion pages on different online forums about Kimerald or the loveteam of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. This team-up has been a hobby for me since they entered the PBB house, and that was more than four years ago.

The first time that I heard about the Gerald Anderson-Bea Alonzo issue, I couldn't believe it or I was just in denial. As days or hours go by, it seems as if all roads and clues are leading towards that path, which will eventually point to the fact that Kimerald has only been for reel all along.

Thursday, when one of the founding members of Kimerald BAOs shared that she believes that the issue about Gerald and Bea was true, ABS-CBN immediately announced via one of Star Cinema's bosses, Roxy Liquigan, that the two, Kim and Gerald, will soon have a movie. This may only be mere coincidence, but no one can tell until somebody who really knows about the issue comes out in the open.

Most of the BAOs members have given up on the two and they are now more endeared towards Kim. The biggest and strongest fan group of the two, the Kimerald World, it seems, has also recently changed its name to Kim World. This is a very strong statement and the group must have vital reasons why they opted to do so.

With all the confusion and madness that is happening at the cyber tambayans of these fan groups, there seems to be a news black out about the issue. First off, E-Live, which showed teasers that it will feature Bea and the new man in her life, did not push through with the story. According to some sources (from the mentioned fan groups), the relationship was known to Talent Center. Kim was used to be silent about everything and to continue the act that she's still happy with Gerald. This is yet to be confirmed or denied, but as long as nobody's talking about the issue, the public is free to speculate.

The confusion started after Kim guested on The Buzz and she was asked by Boy Abunda if she loves Gerald. The usual bubbly actress smiled her best and said yes because she considers him special. Boy Abunda immediately followed the question with, "Sa tingin mo, mahal ka ba ni Gerald?" Kim almost choked at the question and from then on, couldn't stop her tears. She tried to stay true with her script and that was to act as if nothing was wrong. Her eyes though, revealed that she was hurt and that she was undergoing something that the public must not know (or else she will lose her job?).

The story will continue and maybe ABS-CBN will try to keep mum about it or link Kim to other artists so that she will also get some hatred that is expected to be thrown at Bea and Gerald. Whatever the truth is, Kim Chiu will get the sympathy of most people.

Bea will get tagged as "Mang-aagaw." Anybody in her position will get the same treatment and that is only expected as the loveteam of Kim and Gerald is still at its peak. Her fans must stay away from reading online discussions (and blogs like this) about their favorite actress at the moment. Kimerald fans are still hurting and they can say anything and everything, especially on unmediated public forums. If ever this is true though, I don't think that she can be happy with where she's at knowing that someone has been badly hurt and is still hurting.

Gerald needs to face the public and say the truth from his heart and not from the script that will be handed to him by ABS CBN. He must stop his pretensions pronto. He has used Kim for so long already. He must come out as he is, a player, and see if the public is still willing to take him in despite such flaw. He must learn something from John Lloyd Cruz and Jericho Rosales. The latter apologized to Kristine Hermosa after admitting the truth about his relationship with Cindy Kurleto at the height of loveteam's success. John Lloyd risked telling the truth about Shaina Magdayao, hoping that his girl would be spared from the public's anger.

It will take time before Gerald can recover from this blunder, but this is the hard truth that he has to accept for hurting one, if not the most loved, bubbly Chinita young sweetheart that has ever graced local showbiz, and that is Kim Chiu.

--

Edit: July 29, 2010

Hurting is a process and even though I was affected by this news (kaloka!), I am starting to move on or I already have. First, I no longer watch Magkaribal or anything that has Bea on it nor I can take buying any products that she's endorsing. Bitter much? Well, this is part of the process hehe!

Second, I seldom visit the online discussions about the Kimerald because I can't take how they are bashing Gerald now. Most fans are saying things that they surely won't divulge if none of these issues ever happened. No matter who Gerald is off cam, the more important thing is that he is able to deliver on cam. What I want from him is to be truthful, especially to his fans. He must not act sweet and lovey dovey to Kim or keep his silence about the issue just to save his ass. He must quit using very sweet words towards Kim on cam, especially if he doesn't really mean it. Through this, he will be able to help his fans and also Kim to move on.

Somebody must still speak up about the issue and they must not let only one person suffer from all these. As of the moment, Kim Chiu seems to be getting all the negative publicity. Aside from being linked with just about anyone, like Enchong Dee, Robi Domingo and Coco Martin, she was also being intrigued that she tried to commit suicide. Here's PEP's full story about the made-up intrigue (I don't think Kim is capable of doing that).

These issues can be denied or confirmed very quick rather than opting to spread lies and related intrigues. Earlier on, after a website claimed that Kris Aquino is pregnant, TV Patrol has done the necessary interviews from the people involved or those who are close to them to dispute such false claim. If this can be done to Kris, why can't they do it to Kim as well? Even if she doesn't have the Republic's President as a brother, she still is a Kapamilya. Is ABS-CBN protecting Bea Alonzo, especially because she has an upcoming movie? Just asking...

Gretchen and Claudine Barretto – Drama Queens

With so many brouhahas that have happened before the airing of the 8:30PM timeslot of last night’s local TV, I took the chance of finally being able to sleep way earlier than my usual bedtime. Even if you are not that fond of celebrities or local shows, especially dramas, you may have heard about Claudine Barretto’s agony and pains after finding out that her new show on GMA is going to be pitted against her sister’s MMK episode. Gretchen Barretto, on the other hand, immediately stole the spotlight by resorting to a walkout from her media interview. Both happenings were featured on primetime news, as if these were very important issues and as if these two are still very popular.

Well, they may be popular, but not for good reasons. People only care to listen about them if they are involved in nasty and unpopular situations that they are both so good in meddling with. What’s the whole drama all about? Claudine’s argument is that she pities her parents because they must feel very sad that their daughters are being pitted against each other. For Gretchen, she argues that any parent would be proud that their daughters are dominating a certain timeslot on local TV. For this argument, with or without the walkout, Gretchen clearly gave out the more intelligent response.

As per the teasers that I have watched, I don’t like both. Gretchen’s MMK appears to be too old and very complex. It may appeal to the much older viewers. Claudine’s drama, on the other hand, doesn’t have anything new to offer, except that it’s Claudine on the other channel.

GMA 7 seems to be sticking on a formula drama. If they want to make viewers cry, they will use the story of amnesia or Alzheimer’s, like what was utilized on Claudine’s story. Yeah, it may be heart tugging to see someone you love slowly forgetting about you and even about themselves, but after watching it for the first time and you have already cried, the next time you see the same storyline, you will definitely change channels.

My mother watched both. She said, para walang away (feeling naman nya sya yung nanay ng mga Barretto =). The MMK story started with what seems to be a simple plot. Gretchen’s husband died and so she fell in love with a priest. My mother switched channels to watch Claudine’s. The story basically stuck with what was seen on the teaser. It was not only simple, it was boring. When she tuned in again to MMK, she was surprised when the priest character began abusing Gretchen’s kids because she doesn’t have enough time for him. This is when the real conflict would begin and at this point, the remote control was completely forgotten. My mother said that she even cried while watching MMK. I asked her what she felt while watching Claudine. She said that the story may have been good, but the story telling is bad.

This is a very usual reaction to dramas that are done by GMA 7. Even at the time when they have gotten all good creative people from ABS CBN to create Susan Roces’ drama series during the Christmas season, the end result was not as good as compared with the same genres that are shown on ABS. This may be the reason why GMA sticks with re-hashed and recycled concepts and fantasy series. They still cannot create the kind of drama that can hook the viewers and make them cry.

Oh well, GMA 7 claims that they are still number one, but this must not make them feel secured. There are times when ABS CBN is leading the ratings in Mega and Metro Manila that were supposed to be avid to GMA shows. Or even if this is true, GMA should strive harder to make their stories and storytelling more compelling. They are lucky because it seems like ABS CBN will still be their only stiff competitor for a long time. TV-5 re-launched at the time when they still did not have any good materials for their shows. There are rumors that even Maricel Soriano cannot stand to shoot the crappy scripts being given to her. Maricel needs this to prove that she still is a star, and it won’t help if she’ll be given materials like the ones that Claudine is doing on GMA.

Enough has been said, but going back to the Claudine and Gretchen dominance on Saturday night’s drama block, Gretchen is the clear winner when it comes to the script, acting and overall production. I’m not sure about the ratings though. I am interested to find out who won on this aspect. If ever it would be Claudine, many couch people have surely wasted their time and missed out on their chance to get a good cry or a good night sleep like what I had.

-----

P.S.

It seems like the ratings have sided with Gretchen as well =)

TNS, March 10: National MMK 31.4/Claudine 14.7;
Mega MMK 23.6/Claudine 17.3;
Metro MMK 26.4/Claudine 14.7

GMA 7 on the Losing End According to the Latest AGB Ratings

Heads are surely rolling on Kamuning as GMA 7 continues to lose its grip over Mega Manila with the latest ratings according to AGB. They should consider looking into the quality of their shows this time than on doing the rounds of giving away groceries, like what they were alleged before. But seriously, something has to be done fast before ABC 5 could reign over the number two spot that would leave GMA on number 3.

Here's the March 4 AGB ratings for Mega Manila according to PEP.

Daytime:

Diz Iz It! (GMA-7) 7.6%; Showtime (ABS-CBN) 18%
Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) 16.4%; Daisy Siete: Bebe & Me (GMA-7) 11.3%; Wowowee (ABS-CBN) 18.4%
Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak (GMA-7) 11.8%; Magkano ang Iyong Dangal? (ABS-CBN) 11.4%
Ina, Kasusuklaman Ba Kita? (GMA-7) 13.7%; Maria de Jesus: Anghel Sa Lansangan (ABS-CBN) 9.1%; Banana Split Daily Servings (ABS-CBN) 7.7%
OC To The Max (GMA-7) 6.7%; Pilipinas Got More Talent (ABS-CBN) 8.1%
Family Feud (GMA-7) 7.6%; You're Mine, Only Mine (ABS-CBN) 10.8%

Primetime:

First Time (GMA-7) 15.3%; Tanging Yaman (ABS-CBN) 16.8%
24 Oras (GMA-7) 28.3%; TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) 24.5%
Panday Kids (GMA-7) 30.4%; Agua Bendita (ABS-CBN) 31.6%
The Last Prince (GMA-7) 29.2%; Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo (ABS-CBN) 31.5%
Diva (GMA-7) 25.6%; Habang May Buhay (ABS-CBN) 28.5%
Queen Seon Deok (GMA-7) 21.7%; Rubi (ABS-CBN) 25.3%
SRO Cinemaserye Presents Meet the Fathers (GMA-7) 11.5%; SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon (ABS-CBN) 13.7%

GMA 7 should really think hard before getting artists from the other network. They should also look into their own artists and make sure that they won't ever let go again of someone like Toni Gonzaga and Angel Locsin. As for their current lineup of artists, the only looker who has what it takes to succeed is Jake Vargas. Forget about the regular lookers that won on the recently concluded Star Struck. They should be able to pull up something as good as Pilipinas Got Talent to draw in real talents to their ward. The formula actually lies on the judges. If ever they will do such, they must make sure that the judges are credible. As for the yet to be shown Party Pilipinas, they must start with something fresh and out of the box in order to shine, even if this would mean that they have to drop the four original has-been hosts of SOP.

Poor Andi

Aww... Poor Andi. I know, I am one of those who do not want the young version of Agua Bendita to end. It is just that the young girl, Xyriel Anne Manabat, who plays both the young Agua and Bendita in the said show is simply charming. Who would have thought that she could beat the ratings of Darna's final week? But the show should have been more about the older Agua and Bendita, who will be played by Andi Eigenmann. The latter did all the promotions and interviews for this as part of her job. She's young, but there's a lot of hope in her eyes that this is her time to shine.

She is not Judy Anne Santos who can afford to wait three years for her soap opera to be aired. Andi is only starting to dream. Now that it seems unsure when Agua and Bendita will grow up, Andi is left with questions from people about when is she going to be seen on her own show. I still don't want Xyriel Anne's stint on the show to end, but at least for her hard work and effort, ABS CBN should give Andi something where she can still shine and make the public eager to see her on Agua Bendita.

Why don't they cut the currently playing PHR with two actors without any chemistry and spark, Paw Diaz and Rafael Rossel and put Andi on the slot with a big time Kapamilya actor like Diether Ocampo? This way, they can compensate for the still unfulfilled promises and at the same time, people will start to appreciate Andi. As of now, the reason why I am not that eager to watch her on primetime is because I don't know anything about her, aside from the fact that she's Jacklyn Jose's daughter.

I'm now torn. I don't want the kids on the show to grow up, but my heart goes out to the supposedly real star of the show. Here's Andi's latest blog post. I am not sure what is this about, but it's still heart breaking in any way, thus the title, Mend My Broken Heart.

Boring Primetime Lineup from ABS CBN

After May Bukas Pa has ended, on a very corny note (hehe!), I did not intend to watch its successor, Agua Bendita. Regarding May Bukas Pa's ending, it has proven that Ryan Agoncillo has honed his talent in acting. He was doing a great job until the very pivotal scene wherein he saw Santino with Bro right in front of him. I did not expect him to go hysterical, but I did not like his reaction either. Yeah, he was shocked, but it really should be more than that. If I were in his position, I don't know, maybe I'd even lose consciousness. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost, that was why he opted to run away from the scene. Oh well, that's not Ryan's fault, but the director who instructed him to act that way. We were prepared to cry that night, but seeing all the ASAP performers crying while they were singing and the appearance of Charo Santos for the Virgin Mary role made my whole family laugh. Kulang na lang si Pokwang!

I did not plan to watch Agua Bendita, but my niece won't turn away from the TV, so we ended up watching its prime telecast and the next day and the next... The young Agua Bendita, Xyriel Anne Manabay, is so fun to watch. She has the potential of making it big like Zaijan Jaranilla who played Santino in MBP. It is so sad that this show is not about the young girl. Soon enough, this cute girl will grow up to become the Eigenmann girl. I just wish that the story of the young Agua Bendita would be stretched into a month or two, or better yet, let her have the whole season.

My favorite, Kimerald, or Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson, on the other hand, are stuck in a soap that lacks interesting plots. What could be the big conflict at the end of it all when the main characters are very forgiving? It could not come from Gabby because after he has learned that Albert is alive, he had chosen to give up on Kris and he did not pursue fighting for Kim when he has learned the truth. Gina Pareno keeps on becoming a wallpaper without any interesting scenes. Gerald is now the new Audrey, Kim's character in Tayong Dalawa, the story will move on to its uninteresting direction even if he's not part of it.

It would have been more interesting if Gerald got Coco's part and the story will revolve on how he will fall in love with Kim's character, whom he thought to be his half-sibling all along. This kind of love story will defy all reasons and will give justice to their peg. As of now, the story just keeps on getting boring.

Ooops, I forgot about Tanging Yaman. I was so excited to see Rowell Santiago acting again in the small screen. The roles are good, the acting, especially Erich, Jodi and, of course, Rowell, are very much okay. But the overall appeal is old. It's like bringing back a soap opera from the 80s. I hope they end this soon. Now that Melai will soon be out from the PBB house, ABS-CBN can give her this time slot for something fun, exciting and new.

Is There Still Hope for Filipino Writers?

This article from the website, STIR, is worth re-blogging. If ever this is true, I hope that this is going to be the start for people in the industry to treat Filipino writers with respect, in terms of the conditions they are always faced with at work, compensation and how they are treated by the whole system. If highly respected writers like Ricky Lee and Mitchiko Yamamoto had such bad experiences, what more can the aspiring writers expect from this industry that they look up to. I was part of this industry once, and even though there are many good memories, most of the experiences are better left forgotten. Here's the article from STIR.

ABS-CBN caused director’s death!
by: Edgar O. Cruz | STIR Editor In Chief
1 Feb 2010 | 08:56 AM

“There is no truth to that,” ABS-CBN Corporate Communications Head Bong Osorio tells STIR about the mass resignation buzz of ABS-CBN creative writers to GMA-7.

Wrongly termed as it is not a one-time quitting from their work but one after the other, it started with the transfer of Jake Tordesillas. The latest to give notice is award-winning scriptwriter of “Magnifico” and Äng Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” Michiko Yamamoto who followed film and television writer icon Ricky Lee. STIR recently scooped Ricky’s resignation from his corporate work at ABS-CBN to be able to pursue personal projects such as finishing his second novel.

For her part, Michiko allegedly resigned after being mistreated such as receiving low salary for a writer of her caliber. She also got second billing to an unknown writer in “Nagsimula sa Puso.” The buzz is she was told by a wannabee headwriter that she’s too indie-minded and doesn’t know how to write kilig scenes. Michiko sent feelers to GMA which readily and quickly grabbed the opportunity to sign her up in its fold.

If there’s a big transfer of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs personnel such as Luchi Cruz Valdez, Jude Sta. Ana and Cheryl Cosim to Manny Pangilinan’s refocused TV-5, there is a similar transfer of ABS creative consultants and headwriters in GMA like Jake, Agnes Gagelonia, Keiko Aquino, Aloy Adlawan, Senedy Que, & now Michiko. More are expected to follow.

Why such transfer? The buzz is ABS-CBN continues to treat the secret weapons of their drama success shabbily. The shocking revelation is that they were made them go through months of developing shows and/or series without or very minimal pay!

When asked who are involved, STIR’s squealer said, “Di ang mga bosing na slave drivers who put up that system! Sila yumayaman. Writers (are) hungry. Nangungutang pa! This floodgate is bound to happen. With TV5, baka wala nang matira sa kanila!”

When pressed for specific names, the squealer did not budge,

“Lahat ng decisionmakers nila, from business unit heads and up. Dami nila sa hierarchy.”

ABS-CBN it seems is at a lost of what to do! Allegedly, it has gone to the extent of accusing Jake of unethically recruiting ABS-CBN writers. The buzz is they are now signing up writers with P50,000 to P70,000 retainers but the trouble is not all are biting!

It’s clear they are not happy with the treatment and compensation they have been getting from ABS-CBN. If they were, the Law of Demand and Supply will not be operational; they will hold on. But the issue is there’s a problem with the system. While they toil like slaves, only the few gods overlooking the creative pool benefit!

Here’s another revelation from STIR’s squealer. This system allegedly caused directly or indirectly the death director Gilbert Perez due to overfatigue from back-to-back 24-hour tapings. Gilbert passed on at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Sept. 2008 after he suffered heart attack while megging Jericho Rosales and Carmen Soo’s “A Time For Us.”

There’s also Galo Ador who allegedly for seven months of work got only salary for three weeks before his project “Panday” finally went on air. There is also this unidentified writer who was allegedly sent to the set at 2am and died in his way. The list goes on.

Allegedly, the system works this way: Poor writer gets a show. He develops a 13-week storyline termed as “latag.” He goes through as many as 12 drafts (“And that’s the average!”) until headwriter is “hapi.” Then he has to please the egoistic director. There are times the director comments down to a word in the dialogue! They have developed such reputation for unreasonable attention to details! Then, the writer has to present to a panel of eight “heads” who end up having different opinions. And that’s only halfway through.

“Habang May Buhay,” the Judy Ann Santos and Drek Ramsey starrer which pilots tonight, took three years to make! If the people behind the project are asked, they will tell how inhumane the working conditions were. They were able to come up with a good series but the squealer asks, “Makatao ba sila? Kapamilya ba talaga turing nila sa writers?!”
When asked why open the issue to STIR, the squealer explained,

“Para mas umayos na treatment nila sa writers from here on. Can you imagine, THE Ricky Lee? For him to finally resign, ang dami niya munang tiniis dyan.”

When pressed for the mass transfer’s specific cause, the squealer revealed, “Basta higher salary with much better working conditions and atmosphere. Yun naman talaga mas importante. Ang tratuhin ka ng tama at hindi yung by the time you write your 12th draft, feeling mo, ang bobo bobo mo na at sila lang ang magaling!”

When asked to comment regarding Ricky and Michiko, Bong replied, “I am not privy to the Michiko and Ricky actions. Let me check.”

STIR welcomes the side of ABS-CBN regarding this issue.

A Couch Potato's Verdict on ABS CBN's New Shows - Katorse and Dahil May Isang Ikaw

The TV is still on but nobody's really watching. We're all doing our own different tasks and it seems like we're just waiting for the one great person who would turn the TV off. The TV session started during TV Patrol, then we watched May Bukas Pa and then we never fail to tune in to Tayong Dalawa. It is a good thing that they placed the latter on an earlier timeslot.

I tried watching Jericho Rosales' new soap on ABS CBN, Dahil May Isang Ikaw. The verdict – the actors and the concept itself are old. It is boring to watch. There is no more magic to the Echo-Kristine tandem. The show is wasting lots of good actors because they have chosen to give them roles that they have played many times during the span of their has-beens careers.

Through this soap, the network could have helped the involved actors in the series to boost their careers. But all of them needed something fresh, out of the box concept that will make people interested in tuning in to the show even if they are not die hard fans of these actors. Is it already too late to redeem the show? I don't think so. They can still try to twist the story in a way that it will not rely so much on any loveteam or any pakilig scenes because I don't think that Echo and Tin can still achieve what the Kimerald team-up does best.

As for Erich Gonzales' new show, Katorse, I think that they have chosen the wrong timeslot for it. The theme of this soap is not suitable to be watched by children who are still very much awake and even manipulate the remote control at such time. Here in the house, we no longer let anyone change the channels into either the Kapuso or Kapamilya channel before the news starts to air. Both stations are showing soap operas with too many kissing scenes and adult-related themes that will not fit to be viewed by minors.

I know, people will only insinuate that this is where the Parental Guidance notice should be placed into good use. But there are really the right time for young kids to know about adult-related matters and the right venue. They are watching TV at the time in the afternoon to get entertained. It may be easy to explain why Gu Jun Pyo is kissing Jan Di softly on the lips because of love. But how would you tell them why a 14-year-old girl (who looks 25) chooses to disobey her family and started making out to another teenager? Argh! This should be moved to a later timeslot. Oh, please.

Star Cinema's In My Life - Something to Watch Out For

Wow, John Lloyd Cruz is the man! That was what I thought after seeing the full trailer of "In My Life" yesterday. He was so into his character. He was so gay - aaaw! Now this is the kind of film that has the makings of succeeding in the tilts. It was so natural. There seems to be no pretensions.

Unlike "And I Love You So," "In My Life" focused on the story so after seeing the trailer, you will know if you are going to watch it or not. "And I Love You So" tried convincing people that it was a good film by bombarding us with so many "too good to be true" dialogues and lines which were said by the characters in the film. As a moviegoer, I wouldn't be convinced to see the film just because Bea or Connie or Sam said the most cheesy line I have ever heard my entire life. They got so engrossed in looking for these lines that they forgot to market the film in a way that it would be appreciated by many, just like how "In My Life" is currently doing.

I haven't seen Bea's film and I don't have any plans. It did not offer anything new. Even Bea appeared to be old with the kind of story. We've seen same acting from Bea in her past films. They should have given her something different, like what they have let John Lloyd tackle in his new film.

But I may be wrong, maybe it clicked like what is being announced on ABS CBN shows lately. And even if it flopped, people would only attribute that to the fact that the movie wasn't shown on SM cinemas.

Another thing that makes "In My Life" a stand-out as compared with "And I Love You So" was the right pairing of John Lloyd and Ms. Vilma Santos. They owned the screen and the film that even if sometimes I get distracted by Luis Manzano's amateurish attack on his role, especially when he was crying to his mom (ampanget nya umiyak hehe!), I forget about him immediately after seeing scenes with both John Lloyd and Vilma.

The only thing that must be resolved right now is the conflict between SM and Star Cinema. They should act on it fast because they will both lose big time if "In My Life" will suffer from the same fate as "And I Love You So."

Pinoy Rosalinda Looks More Like Fedra

The Pinoy version of Rosalinda is about to start so the local boob tube is filled with the faces of newcomer, Carla Abellana who is going to play the title role, with Geoff Eigenmann as the chubby version of Fernando Jose.

In fairness to the two, they look so much alike, especially their eyes. They can pass as siblings. Carla has the potential to make it big, but this kind of role could become more successful if GMA 7 had chosen Heart Evangelista to play the lead. This could be her reunion project with Geoff and that would be something to look forward to because they had good chemistry with the soap that they had done with ABS CBN ages ago (hence I can no longer remember the title).

As for Carla, the main reason why I don't want her for this project is because she reminds me so much of the original Fedra, the one who played as the main antagonist on the Mexican version of this soap opera. Fedra was played by Mexican actress, Nora Salinas.

Here they are, Mexican actress Nora Salinas and Pinoy Rosalinda, Carla Abellana. Do you see the similarities or is it just me?