Istambay sa Looban: A Poor Man’s ‘Boy Pick-Up’

For the past few years, the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ segment served as a highlight of the gag show ‘Bubble Gang‘. But when Ogie Alcasid left GMA for rival TV5, the writers sought a new sketch that will serve as a worthy replacement. Thus came a new musical sketch called ‘Istambay sa Looban’.

The segment basically centered on a song ‘Istambay sa Looban’, with the lyrics modified by Michael V to fit in with a particular sketch. The song itself is performed by Michael V, with instrumental backing from Antonio Aquitania, Sef Cadayona and Roadfill Obeso. The title card was inspired from the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ sketch, featuring the same ‘spray paint on the wall’ sequence. In between the four choruses, a sketch related to the reworked song is performed by the cast, with the theme usually revolving on relationships and incidents revolving around the barangay.

In contrast to the hip-hop inspired gear worn in the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ sketch, the characters on ‘Istambay sa Looban’ wear stereotypical urban poor attire, with sleeveless shirts, denims and slippers. And from time to time, extras will also get involved in the skit.

‘Istambay sa Looban’ is a fresh and exciting concept worth watching. Here is the latest segment from last Friday, which centers on Paolo Contis as the father, Boy 2 Quizon as the alleged snatcher, and Carla Abellana (in her first televised appearance since the conclusion of ‘My Husband’s Lover’) as the snatcher’s girlfriend.

Mo Twister Returns to Radio This Monday

Mo Twister is coming back on air this Monday, but his air time will be uncertain.

Mo Twister, the controversial DJ now based in the United States, announced on his Twitter that his program ‘Good Times with Mo‘ will make its return on the FM band this Monday. And most of his loyal listeners were excited about his latest comeback. However, a lot of questions await on his return.

Just five months ago, Mo was suspended by Magic 89.9 management after an on-air conversation with Tin ‘Suzy’ Gamboa regarding a sex-related topic. In the days that followed, Magic acquired Sam Oh and Gibb from sister station 99.5 Play FM to host ‘First Thing in the Morning’ as a replacement program. And then co-host Noelle Bonus moved to Play FM as a co-host of ‘The Playground’ with Nikko Ramos, while Suzy reunited with CJ Rivera on ‘The Big Meal’.

In the meantime, Mo continued to record podcasts of ‘Good Times’ online. That said, ‘Good Times’ remained on the air, albeit as an independent product of the new media. Despite the fact that some listeners found a new outlet to ‘Good Times’, many still clamored for the program to return on the radio.

Which leads to his comeback plans. On that same tweet Mo said that ‘Good Times’ is still searching for a more favorable timeslot. Considering that Magic 89.9’s ‘First Thing in the Morning’ has enjoyed a favorable following, and with the program’s mature and increasingly ‘sexual’ content already inappropriate to the kid-friendly morning slot, it is unlikely that ‘Good Times’ will be slotted back to its original timeslot.

Perhaps facing ‘Boys Night Out’ head-on may be the perfect solution for Mo to announce his return. And why not? Both programs are adult-oriented radio talk shows that specifically cater to the hardcore and no-frills listener, featuring topics that tackle human interest issues. And they also feature a slew of outspoken personalities in the radio industry. However, that matchup will only be possible if Mo moves to a different station.

In addition, Mo will have to find new co-hosts. ‘Good Times’ has had a revolving door of co-hosts through the years, and some departed with a bad taste in their mouths. If Mo somehow hires a co-host which he finds friendly and cooperative, then ‘Good Times’ should be interesting to listen.

For now, Mo Twister is definitely scheduled to come back on the air this Monday. The question is, at what time and what station will he take over? We’ll find out.

New PBA TV Setup for the Season

The PBA will have a new broadcast setup, with most games airing live on TV5 and some on AksyonTV and Fox Sports Asia.

The new PBA season got underway Sunday with a three-city slate. The Manila leg pitted the San Mig Coffee Mixers and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the ‘Manila Clasico‘ rivalry, while at the same time sibling rivals Meralco Bolts and Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters faced off in Cebu. And in Davao, the Alaska Aces took on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. All of that was preceded by the customary opening ceremonies that kicked off the new season.

This season a majority of the PBA games will be aired on TV5, with some on AksyonTV and cable network Fox Sports Asia. Under the new arrangement, the second or the ‘marquee’ game will be seen live on TV5 during weekdays and Saturdays, with the first game airing live on both AksyonTV and Fox Sports Asia. On Sundays both games of the doubleheader will be seen live on TV5.

This new arrangement was made so that TV5 can still air their weekday news and entertainment programs in the late afternoon/early evening slot. Most importantly, it enables the network to select the matchups that are more compelling and intense for the viewer-rich 8:00 p.m. slot. As such, the San Miguel franchises, Alaska, Talk N’ Text and Rain or Shine will be featured regularly in the evening game.

As for the first game of the weekday doubleheader, it will air live on AksyonTV (and presumably Fox Sports Asia) to satisfy basketball fans’ demands, with the replay airing on TV5 later in the evening. The new setup is considered a test broadcast for the PBA in hopes of bringing a more versatile television coverage in all platforms. Viewers may not agree on this considering the weaker signals on the UHF band and the expenses of cable subscription, but it should benefit the PBA in the long run.

This is already the third season of the PBA’s television contract with TV5, and expectations should rise a bit after the banner season of 2012-13. And with the new broadcast setup, expect great matchups and high-end basketball action in all platforms.