The week that was

Carla Abellana

Everybody was surprised when at the final part of GMA’s trade show at the A. Venue Mall, a 20-year-old lass was introduced. What was interesting about this beautiful young model,who graduated from De La Salle University, is that she’s going to do the remake of Mexican telenovela, Rosalinda. Another fascinating fact: She is the daughter of 80’s heartthrob Rey ‘PJ’ Abellana.

Reports last year said that the project is specially prepared for Marian Rivera so the announcement came to be a big surprise. It actually made good impressions because it implies that GMA is keen to discovering new artists and eager to give equal opportunities to its stars. We hope it was the same thing they did with Zorro. They conducted an audition attended by newbies just to get known artist to play the lead roles.

TNS

Taylor Nelson Sofres is one of the world’s biggest market research and market information group. Like AGB Neilsen, TNS also specializes in broadcast media by providing ratings for television. As AGB being marred with controversies, more people, and media outfits are beginning to take notice of the service TNS provides.

If you are going to check television ratings in the internet, the source used to indicate AGB Neilsen, now, another table is being shown taken from a different source, which is the TNS.

What’s interesting about TNS is that it reflects the ratings provided by AGB Neilsen’s Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) that covers 95% of urban areas in the country. Meaning, broadcast giant ABSCBN leads the ratings game among urban cities. There is only one question that we would like to raise: Do we now have more credible ratings or we are just given another chart that would later be questioned?

May Bukas Pa

The title itself simply entails hope and faith: hope that ABSCBN shows could still post higher ratings and faith for the audience that they could still watch wholesome programs on primetime TV.

May Bukas Pa debuts with an outstanding 26.4 percent viewership in Mega Manila. In a survey conducted by TNS, it leads the primetime raise with 36.9 percent rating.

Child actor Zaijan Jaranilla is definitely a treat to everyone for he doesn’t just get the attention of very young age group, grownups also take notice of this boy. Truly, hope and faith also come in small packages, literally.

Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang (ABHSAT)

Gone are the days when Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes tandem sees a 40 or 50 plus ratings in Greater Metro Manila area. Their first television appearance as onscreen couple was in phenomenal series Marimar, it generated a milestone rating for GMA network with 52.6 percent. Meanwhile, their second outing as a love team was seen on Dyesebel. The fantasy series premiered with 44.6 percent viewership.

As  Marian and Dingdong mark their third team-up, ABHSAT got a disappointing rating of 32.9 percent for its pilot episode and we can see a trend as their newest series showcases more intimate scenes which are not advised to be viewed by young audiences.

Queeriosity International Film Festival (QIFF)

Queer plus curiosity and you get queeriosity. But mind these people who are behind the first ever QIFF that their bold move to push sleazy gay films to a higher ground is such an absurd idea. It is a milestone for a very small market to come up with a festival if the films they have to offer are worth watching for, but looking at the lineup of films to be screened (aside from Jay and Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros), we can’t help but just sigh while scratching our heads.

Instead of staging this festival, which is not really of international standard, why don’t they just channel their energies and money in creating sensible and exceptional gay films? Do we still have to say that these independent filmmakers have to learn from Gus Vant Sant who directed the gay milk Milk that is up for eight Oscar nods?

KC Concepcion

The country’s flag bearer on the campaign against hunger is usually absent whenever there’s an important event concerning the program. KC was appointed to be the face of UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) in the country, but during the recent turnover of donation from a popular restaurant chain, the young actress was a no show. It was not the only time that Sharon Cuneta’s daughter didn’t appear on the event organized by the WFP.

It’s so funny that during the photo shoot of the promotional ads in Mindanao and another international event like the one held in Hong Kong , KC was able to show off her presence. She snubs small occasions and simply reasons out that she is confronted by tight schedule as if she’s the only person in the world who is busy.

The year that was

By Billy Bong

We posted this entry with the knowledge that 2008 is really over and that 2009 will be another year of ups and downs in the world of showbiz.

There are guaranteed facts in showbiz. People will rise, get famous and fade. Some of them might stay on top for a longer time but the cycle is irreversible. Top rating television series will become the past, box office records will be wiped out by a much better movie that will make cinematic history, stars will get married (Raymond Bagatsing married a sexagenarian), some will get pregnant (Angelika dela Cruz) but will not tie the knot (Vina Morales and Nancy Jane), more actors will undress for a magazine and for an indie flick (too many to mention), take drugs and go to the rehab (hard to mention), and some will breakthrough and glint in the limelight for a short moment.

The year 2008 was truly a cacophony of smiles and teardrops, and of victories and defeats. The ugly distortion of imitation of life in the world of entertainment however, defines what had happened in the year of hypes and intrigues.

Television

People witnessed sad goodbyes from Rudy Fernandez and Marky Cielo, but there were more intriguing and groundbreaking news that stirred local showbiz.

Marian Rivera

Angel Locsin already had her years as the primetime queen but O-eight was definitely the year of Marian Rivera. Before the meaningful smile of Karylle, who made a controversial station loyalty shift, Marian made waves (literally) by wearing the mythical tale of Dyesebel. It’s not just the most watched series, it’s even one of the shows on TV that resonated with great audience recall, and we are giving the consolation to Dyosa.

The hype of Marian even forced GMA Network and ABS CBN to saturate their programs with fantasy series. This could probably the reason why many Filipinos are contented with just dreaming in the broad day light because they are being bombarded by fictional images that did not even mobilize them to combat mediocrity.

As 2009 is being ushered by new a bevy of programs from the country’s giant television networks, the clamor for intelligent, appealing, and quality programs rises. They should do away with fantasy series, they must also stop reviving old movies and creating serialized versions, and most of all, as we draw 2009 with a safe knowledge that Kapuso and Kapamilya networks will showcase more localized versions of foreign television dramas, they should also think that network war also means battle for excellence and not just with who-makes-a-crappy program thing.

There are more competitions outside the country just like the Asian Television Awards. Rival networks must contemplate why they don’t get more awards from foreign award giving bodies. It’s obvious and we don’t have to rub it on the faces of the head honchos of these television networks; they are more consumed with raking huge profits rather than providing their viewers with top quality programs.

Movies

If many people thought that Marian Rivera is currently the hottest item in the world of Philippine entertainment, they should also check the statistics and not just the Neilsen’s ratings. One True Love, the film that also starred E! Entertainment 3rd Sexiest Man Alive Dingdong Dantes, was not able to secure a spot in the 2008 top-grossing local films.

Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd starrers in A Very Special Love under Star Cinema and Viva Films made history by raking P180 million in the box office. It’s only some millions behind all-time top-grosser Sukob.

It is still a year for Star Cinema because it had produced three movies that broke the 100 million peso mark. Sharon Cuneta’s Caregiver earned P139 million while her daughter’s launching film with Richard Gutierrez For the First Time posted P134 million gross at the box office.

While some of the films earned big, there were some that suffered big losses and failed to run for weeks at the movie houses. The country’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film of the 81st Academy Awards Ploning, APT Films’ animated film Urduja, and Viva Film’s sexy flick Torotot, were among the big flops in 2008.

In 2007, fifty movies were exhibited in commercial theaters. Truly, gone are the days when the Philippines was the world’s fourth largest movie producer. The local industry produced almost a hundred films in 1999, but due to crisis and other factors, production has decreased over the years.

Including the eight entries in the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival, Philippine Cinema has produced more or less forty films in 2008, and that also includes digital or independent films.

The number of independent movies has risen due to the advent of easy on the pocket video cameras, and to the eagerness of some novice filmmakers to make it in the mainstream. Whether people would agree or not, indies are not the salvation of deteriorating local movie industry. A total halt of independent film production however is not a suggestion because it’s still a good training ground to other artists, but people behind indies must also consider or should welcome the fact that indies don’t have an audience except some college students and gays who crave for sleazy flicks.

Independent filmmaking however is not the only source of rubbish flicks; we have seen all the film entries at the recently concluded 34th MMFF, and we will say this with conviction: Philippine movie industry is hopeless! Yes, Baler is one of the best local films we’ve seen in years, Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat put the Escalera brothers to their proper place, and Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elemtalia gave us a glimpse of what the future holds for Philippine animation, but the rest of the movies part of the film fest mirror how the quality of our movies has declined dramatically.

Music

Hate us or love us but we’re going to mention Marian Rivera for the nth time. Yes she released a dance album, and mind you people, the CD went platinum. Her compilation of dance remixes can be now part of the league of 2008 multi-platinum achievers like Sarah Geronimo, KC Concepcion, Sitti, Nina, Claire dela Fuente and Sharon Cuneta.

If Dingdong Dantes released an album we’re not sure if the album would fit the line-up that includes Spongecola, Bamboo, Martin Nievera, Jed Madela and Gary Valenciano. Novelties that are created for mass consumption proved that Willie Revillame was successful in his task to glamorize poverty on his show Wowowee because his album also went platinum.

Charice who dropped her surname Pempengco is still has to prove that she is not just an overnight YouTube sensation and a mascot during David Foster’s appearance on American shows. Her popularity must be translated to album sales first before we could adore her big voice that became her ticket to instant popularity.

When we talk about local music, Regine Velasquez must be present because she is the queen of the shouting sirens. Her album Low Key, an apt title because she can no longer belt high notes, turned gold after three days of release (current sales unknown). Her formula of doing covers still works but for the rest, we really don’t know.

As we beg music artists to stop doing revivals because they are just horrible distortion of classic music, we also ask them to produce masterpieces that could be instant classic. What contemporary song has become iconic and anthemic since the release of Pagdating ng Panahon, Noypi, and Hawak Kamay?

Since local artists failed to produce better music in 2008, we have seen foreign acts that answered why they sell better than our homegrown talents. International artists like Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Rihanna, The Click Five, James Blunt, and Avril Lavigne among many others, proved that raw music talent is not enough to make it big, technology is also an essential part of creating music that appeals to this generation of local music aficionados.

Yes, Filipino fans favor foreign acts that don’t do covers during their concerts, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that locals are eager to watch one-hit wonder foreign musicians who became famous decades ago and found their way here in the country to earn money because nobody talks about them in their country of origin.

New Year

Year 2008 was the year of many sorts and we can’t help but think that O-nine will nothing much of a difference. Maybe, many actors will still be haunted by controversies, another name will rise into superstardom, and Manny Pacquiao will have a new show and will be extra richer.

We bet, another actor will show some flesh in an indie movie, and another actress will wear nothing but her skin on a magazine cover, and another musician will bring back the old playlist.

Our energy shows no signs of slowing down and to kickoff 2009 with optimism and a prayer that everything would just turn out right, let’s call this year as the year after the hype of Marian Rivera or “the hype continues.”

ABSCBN dominates Star Awards

BY NICKIE WANG/ MANILA STANDARD TODAY

Network rivalry has never been this searing as Internet forums heated up few hours after the 22nd PMPC Star Awards for TV held at the SMX Convention Center on Nov. 30.

ABS-CBN Network dominated the event walking home with 25 awards while its rival station GMA-7 won 19 awards including the coveted Best TV Station.

Since 2004, the award for Best TV Station has been given alternately to the two local TV giants that next year, people will expect that the trophy will be given to ABS-CBN (unless miracle happens it would land on TV5).

GMA’s terrestrial channel QTV-11 won five awards while ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 got just one trophy. UNTV-37 and ABC-5 both won two awards each. RPN-9 and IBC-13 went home empty-handed.

This year’s nominees were programs aired from June 13 until July 1 of this year. Two special awards and 54 trophies where given out by the Philippine Movie Press Club.

The event that saw celestial shower was hosted by Paolo Bediones, Gabby Concepcion, Anne Curtis and Judy Ann Santos.

Iza Calzado and Dingdong Dantes were the trivia hosts with a pre-taped segment entitled “Icons [sic] in the Philippine Television.”

The drama category was a battle between the novice and veteran actors. Child actor Joshua Dionisio bested other nominees like Dolphy, John Lloyd Cruz, Eddie Garcia, John Wayne Sace, and Gabby Concepcion for Best Single Performance by an Actor category via the Maalala Mo Kaya (MMK) episode “Sako.”

Angel Locsin, who graced the awards night with Male Star of the Night Luis Manzano, received the Best Single Performance by an Actress trophy for her first acting project on ABS-CBN through MMK episode “Pilat.” She went up on stage twice after receiving the award for Lobo as Best Primetime TV Series. Angel’s leading man Piolo Pascual was named Best Drama Actor for his performance in Lobo while Sunshine Dizon, who was in a psychedelic black dress, won Best Actress award for her moving performance in Impostora.

Boy Abunda was the most decorated personality of the night. He won Male Showbiz-Oriented Show Host for The Buzz and Best Celebrity Talk Show Host, with Kris Aquino, for Boy And Kris. The Buzz was named Best Showbiz-Oriented Show with Ruffa Gutierrez and Cristy Fermin tied for Best Female Showbiz-Oriented Show Host award.

Edu Manzano, who thanked Pinky Webb (if she blushed, it’s hard to guess but she turned her back on the camera) during his speech, won Best Game Show Host and his program Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba! was awarded Best Game Show. Perennial noontime rivals Eat Bulaga and Wowowee shared the award for Best Variety Program. Valerie Concepcion got the award for Best Female TV Host while Vic Sotto snatched the award for the male category. The Best Musical Variety Show went to SOP Rules.

As it has been predicted, in the News and Current Affairs category, the awards were split between the Kapamilya Network and GMA Kapuso, but UNTV-37’s Bitag surprisingly snatched the Best Public Service Program and Best Public Service Program Host for Ben Tulfo.

Best News Program went to TV Patrol World with Julius Babao winning the Best Male Newscaster. Best Female Newscaster was given to Vicky Morales for Saksi: Liga Ng Katotohanan. Best Documentary Program was won by I-Witness: The GMA Documentaries while its hosts Kara David, Howie Severino, Sandra Aguinaldo and Jay Taruc won Best Documentary Program Hosts.

Signos: Ang Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima, GMA’s special documentary on climate change and hosted by Richard Gutierez won Best Documentary Special.

This year’s Best Magazine Show Host Korina Sanchez went back-to-back receiving the PMPC trophy as Best Magazine Show.

The night of entertainment

The 22nd edition of the PMPC Star Awards for Television had seen great entertainment from the personalities who were nominated during the night, but the show it self was crappy that people would want to watch the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Philippines instead.

There were lively performances that made the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs like the dance number rendered by Rayver Cruz, Maja Salvador, Mark Herras, Erich Gonzales, Marky Cielo and Ryza Cennon. Other performances were simply rubbish. Regine Velasquez, who lip-synced just like the rest of the performers, rendered a mediocre performance. The opening number however was a great visual treat seeing Toni Gonzaga, Rachelle Ann Go and Karylle onstage covering Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You.”

Ogie Alcasid serenaded Senator Loren Legarda and Rosa Rosal who received the Excellence in Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award and Ading Fernando Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively.

One of the witty speeches came from Female Star of the Night Rufa Mae Quinto who also received the award for Best Comedy Actress. Not that she gave the most intelligent speech but she blurted some punch lines that truly justified her being the winner of the award in comedy. Boy Abunda’s speech was dedicated to all the gay men and women all over the world.

Most awards nights see several torpid-minded presenters, and the 22nd PMPC Star Awards is no exception. Lovi Poe was the only presenter who committed a mistake. This year’s Best New Male TV Personality Robi Domingo was about to announce the winner for Best Public Affairs Program Host, but Lovi, who probably was out of her mind, announced I-Witness: The GMA Documentaries as the winner.

Other winners of the 22nd PMPC Star Awards for Television are:

Best Talent Search Program—Shall We Dance, ABC-5;

Best Talent Search Program Host—Lucy Torres-Gomez, Arnell Ignacio and Dominic Ochoa (Shall We Dance), ABC-5;

Best New Female TV Personality—Patricia Gayod (Maalaala Mo Kaya / “Dagat” episode), ABS-CBN;

Best Youth-Oriented Show—Boys Nxt Door, GMA-7;

Best Horror or Fantasy Program—Komiks Presents: Volta, ABS-CBN;

Best Public Affairs Program—(Y-Speak) Studio 23;

Best Public Affairs Program Host—Jessica Soho (Hot Seat), QTV-11;

Best Morning Show—Unang Hirit, GMA-7;

Best Morning Show Host—Arnold Clavio, Susie Entrata-Abrera, Lyn Ching-Pascual, Rhea Santos, Jolina Magdangal, Winnie Monsod, Oscar Orbos, Regine Tolentino, Drew Arellano, Eagle Riggs, Love Añover and Lhar Santiago (Unang Hirit), GMA-7;

Best Lifestyle Show—Living It Up, QTV-11;

Best Lifestyle Show Host—Raymond Gutierrez, Issa Litton, Sam Oh and Tim Yap (Living It Up), QTV-11;

Best Reality Program—Gandang Ricky Reyes: Parlor Game, QTV-11;

Best Reality Program Host—Ricky Reyes (Gandang Ricky Reyes: Parlor Game), QTV-11;

Best Travel Show—Pinoy Meets World, GMA-7;

Best Travel Show Host—Katherine de Castro, Uma Khouny, Franzen Fajardo, Kian Kazemi and Jayson Gainza (Trip Na Trip), ABS-CBN;

Best Educational Program—Matanglawin, ABS-CBN;

Best Educational Program Host—Kim Atienza (Matanglawin), ABS-CBN;

Best Children Show—Art Angel, GMA-7;

Best Children Show Host—Pia Arcangel, Tonipet Gaba and Krystal Reyes (Art Angel), GMA 7.

Top-rating shows in the Philippines

 

The world...I mean the whole Philippines waited in bated breath while watching Pacman knocks out Morales.

I spend almost 50 percent of my day surfing the net and chatting with my friends through YM and Facebook. I use the net to research for materials that I would need for my school and for my work.

Almost everyday I encounter buzzwords and other information that I really find interesting. So as I exploit the power of the world wide web, I am coming up with a sort of a collection or a countdown or a list of twelve things that I found through the internet.

Today, after wondering through different websites, porn sites, blog sites, groups and forums, my first offering of Nix’s top 12 is the list of highest-rating shows in the history of Philippine television. Roll out the red carpet! Tantananan:

1. The Battle: Pacquiao vs. Morales (2006, ABS-CBN)(83.5%)(And crime rate was down)

2. Rosalinda (1999, ABS-CBN) (69.8%)(Thalia went mainstream)

3. Meteor Garden (2003, ABS-CBN) (63.8%)(The start of Chino and Koreanovela invasion)

4. Esperanza (1997, ABS-CBN) (63.5%)(April Boy sung the OST)

5. Ms. Universe (1994, ABS-CBN) (62.5%)(No other choice)

6. Pangako Sa’yo (2002, ABS-CBN)(62.1%)(Echo and Tin-tin were hot items)

7. Marimar (1994, RPN9) (61.7%) (It was a phenomenon)

8. Maria Mercedes (1996, ABS-CBN) (59.7%)(Oopps, she did it again!)

9. Ms. Universe (1999, RPN9) (58.4%) (Because of Miriam Quiambao?)

10. Bubble Gang (1997, GMA) (57.6%)(A lot of people are still watching this)

11. Maalala mo kaya (1991, ABS-CBN) (57.3%)(People were cocky)

12. Balitang K (1998, ABS-CBN) (56.6%) (Korina eavesdropped Pops and Martin )

Source:

The Composed Gentleman