Apparently ABS-CBN does not realize the difference between American and Filipino series.
Such is the case for ‘Jane the Virgin’, the Tagalized American comedy-drama series that premiered in the Philippines last March 28. The series, which starred Gina Rodriguez as the titular Jane, was recently renewed by the American cable network The CW for a third season.
Yet ABS-CBN insists that ‘Jane the Virgin’ will come to an end soon. A teaser for its presumed conclusion was recently released by ABS-CBN and has been airing on the network during commercial breaks (see trailer video below).
If the ABS-CBN management were smart enough, they should know the difference between a typical Filipino teleserye and an American series. Look at these contrasts.
American series
- A season consists of at least 20 episodes
- An American television season lasts from October to May
- An American series airs weekly, with a few preemptions for special events in between
- If successful, they are usually renewed for another season, otherwise they can be cancelled
Filipino series
- A season ranges from at least 60 episodes to at most 160 episodes, usually divided by ‘book’
- There is no such thing as a Filipino television season; programs air year-round
- A Filipino series airs five times a week, except during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
- Cancellations rarely happen in Filipino series, but renewals to extend its run take place
From the perspective of ABS-CBN, it appears that the reason why ‘Jane the Virgin’ is about to ‘end’ is because of ratings and a desire for another experiment. As it currently stands, ‘Jane the Virgin’ averages around 7% per episode, which is good enough to beat a GMA Asianovela but not against comedy programs ‘A1 Ko Sa ‘Yo’ and ‘Bubble Gang’.
This means that based on ratings alone, ABS-CBN might not bring back ‘Jane the Virgin’ in the foreseeable future. Even though a third season is expected to air in the United States this October, there is a possibility that it may not be aired at all in the Philippines.
If this is indeed the end for ‘Jane the Virgin’ in the Philippines, expect nothing less than an impressive finish. Hopefully ABS-CBN can reconsider its so-called ‘decision’ on this beloved American series, otherwise they will have to regroup.
From the Tube 
They should have a teleserye that lasts four days a week lasting 55 minutes per day and have Jane The Virgin air devote on one day. Plus, I already made that post on distinguishing the TV series scheduling and my planning to fix the schedule based on US TV season way back September 2014.
Truth be told, according to my Pinoy Nostalgia friends, very vertical ang sked ng weekdays kaysa weekends from morning until late night.
When will they realize that after Jane the Virgin experiment? Perhaps, they never will. With two deaths of directors associated with the network, DOLE responded to it and issued an advisory to restrict work hours of filming and news but they disliked it. They don’t want to hurt their love of profit as they love their employees (talents in news and entertainment).
The differences in our scheduling compared to that of the US makes it difficult for American series to fit in with the local teleseryes. In essence, Jane the Virgin was a bad fit. Better leave American series to the cable networks that cater to upper class audiences (unless you’re TV5).
For me, US TV series are the best forms of tv entertainment. But it is also a form of Do-Or-Die if one series will pop or flop. I don’t watch any US series until I started watching Daredevil and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It fascinates me watching these kinds of shows, it gets me hook while at the same time, lets me know what will happen next week. Unlike here, its like a daily soap opera on primetime tv.
There is no such thing as creativity on Philippine TV these days. In the US, because they air every week and on a seasonal basis, they can prepare for an upcoming episode or season much longer than ours, thus maintaining its quality. But great quality doesn’t usually result to impressive ratings, which is why some tend to end so soon. As for us, it’s all about the money for these teleseryes, not the quality of the story.
That is the formula for a great show. Good storyline and great cast. That is how US Television works. Walang loveteam loveteam sa America. Just pure stories and great plots.
Diversity in the stories also reigns in American television. You won’t see that in our country.
Oo nga. Puro pera na lang ang inatupag ng ABS at GMA sa mga teleserye, most especially on GMA’s planned Encantadia requel.
As for ABS acquiring yet another US TV series, the odds are pretty low as of this moment since most US TV series caters to the upscale and middle-class, educated and English-literate audience.
And since they seem unwilling to import Koreanovelas, they’ll have a tough decision to make. Maybe the one option left now is to air Tonight with Boy Abunda immediately after Born for You.
Here’s my take: Honestly, ETC would’ve been a better local network to air Jane The Virgin, because: 1) They have the #1stonPHTV thing for same-day telecasts, 2) they conform to the US airing style, 3) it fits their young target audience.
However, Sony Channel already has the same-day rights for the show on cable, and it makes me wonder why ETC can’t at least air it delayed after Sony, like how Warner TV airs some of the DC superhero shows delayed after ETC and Jack TV?
We’ll never know. Probably ETC has too many shows at this point.
They’re way too pre-occupied with shows like The Flash, Supergirl and others. If you want to watch Jane The Virgin so bad, you need cable. Kung walang Sony Channel sa cable lineup, (I WILL NOT POST THE PREFERRED METHOD MY MOST NETIZENS, ESPECIALLY ON GETTING THE LATEST EPISODES OF GAME OF THRONES AND ANY OTHER US TV SHOWS BY ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS) would do the trick.
That only applies if you really love Jane the Virgin so much. If not, bahala ka kung gusto mong manood nito.
The show is ending its run because of the mere fact that ABS has run out of episodes to air at this point, nothing more than that. Ratings its been getting should suffice considering na filler lang naman siya para sa isang empty na timeslot.
It would suck though if ABS doesn’t bring the show back next year but let’s see what happens in the months ahead.
In the US, it’s called a season finale. But there’s no such thing as a season finale for our programs, which is why ABS implied na matatapos na si Jane the Virgin even though there is still another season to air in the States.
But like you said, it’s just filler, so it’s either up for renewal or out of the picture should they finally make a decision.