‘Bossing & Ai’ was cancelled by GMA after only 20 episodes and low ratings opposite ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’. (Logo courtesy of GMA Network)
Once again, no one can stop ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’.
The latest victim of this ABS-CBN Sunday night talk show was ‘Bossing & Ai’, a game show/talk show hosted by Vic Sotto and Ai-ai delas Alas. Following its last episode on February 4, GMA quietly cancelled the program without any explanation.
First premiered on September 24, ‘Bossing & Ai’ marked Vic Sotto’s first foray into late-night television after years of producing primetime sitcoms. It also became his first television project with Ai-ai delas Alas following a string of box-office films.
From the moment it first aired, however, it became clear that ‘Bossing & Ai’ was destined to fail. The program only mustered an average of 6% in the Kantar ratings whereas ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’ scored around 11%.
The mismatch between ‘Bossing & Ai’ and ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’ was of no surprise considering that ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘It’s Showtime’ are also running in the same vein in recent years. It can also be said that Vice Ganda has had Vic Sotto’s number on television unlike in the Metro Manila Film Festival where the two comedy legends seem to be evenly matched.
Overall, ‘Bossing & Ai’ only aired a total of 20 episodes. While it was still eight episodes better than ‘Pare & Pare’ and nine more than ‘Para Sa ‘Yo Ang Laban Na ‘To’, the run of ‘Bossing & Ai’ remains short by GMA’s standards.
After the cancellation of ‘Bossing & Ai’, GMA reverted back to airing ‘Sunday Night Box Office’ opposite ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’ (with occasional airings of Manny Pacquiao’s drama anthology ‘Stories for the Soul’ in between). Perhaps this is their last resort considering the numerous shows that failed against Vice Ganda’s talk show.
It remains to be seen whether or not GMA will once again try to beat ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’ with a program of their own. But if ‘Bossing & Ai’ is definitely the last straw, then what a way to wave the white flag of surrender and concede to an unbeatable opponent.
From the Tube 
>It can also be said that Vice Ganda has had Vic Sotto’s number on television unlike in the Metro Manila Film Festival where the two comedy legends seem to be evenly matched.
Really? Vic Sotto’s MMFF films have had a mixed performance in recent years. The one with Bimby did okay but his other films underperformed and Meant to Beh had a disappointing run, being beaten even by Siargao and Haunted forest. Unlike Jose Marie Viceral, who’s gone from strength-to-strength of a bunch of films with mixed reviews but ultimately highly successful box-office runs.
Also, what’s with GMA shows being cancelled with little-to-no fanfare or promotion? Not even simple messages or teasers? Even ABS-CBN’s poor performers tend to get more vocal send-offs (Bet ng Bayan not withstanding).
It’s really sad to see what has become of GMA in recent years. In past years they were a formidable opponent to ABS, but the post-AlDub peak era has been disappointing in many ways. AGB may say they’re winning, but it masks the fact that they’re only really putting up a fight in Mega Manila, but are losing to ABS everywhere else (and even to TV5 of all channels in some areas). You know you’re in deep trouble when your platinum record-winning top singer Julie Anne San Jose is not a household name, and whose concerts more-or-less flopped.
Vice is becoming more profitable, yes, but Vic is not that far behind even if his films are losing some quality of late. As for TV the former is just too far for the latter to chase.
Anyway, regarding GMA’s silent treatment of cancelling shows it’s probably their excuse to hide those failures. They’re basically humiliated to the point that they just stop airing a show without warning. Honestly, it’s a disrespectful act on their part and in many ways maintain their sense of ‘yabang’ to the viewers.
Also, I guess the kayabangan of GMA extends even to their showbiz news reporting (like Chika Minute). I cringe every time I hear Lhar Santiago and Nelson Canlas say “update sa showbiz happenings!” in that oddly boastful and annoying accent. Compared to Mario Dumaual and other ABS showbiz reporters who sound more professional and less boastful since they just say “ABS-CBN News” at the end of their reports. I can’t really consider Santiago and Canlas to be “updated sa showbiz happenings” if all they care about is details of Kapuso shows and actresses, and sometimes the news they report isn’t even newsworthy. Star Patrol is guilty of some of the same mistakes but at least they aren’t as boastful.
Honestly, showbiz reporting in both ABS and GMA is mostly biased since they only report on their own stars’ news and are unfair to the opposition. Too bad we don’t have our own Entertainment Tonight, TMZ or The Insider to make it fairer.
Anyway, it’s typical for GMA not to mention ‘GMA News’ at the end of their reports. They only do things on News TV newscasts, but not on 24 Oras and Saksi. Lack of consistency is perhaps the one drawback their highly accomplished news division will ever have.
We used to have Juicy and Paparazi on TV5 during the Ka-Shake era, though they went away when the Kapatid era began.
Paparazzi was aired after the Kapatid era started. Anyway, the showbiz talk show in the Philippines is all but dead now due to social media, which is why The Buzz and Startalk vanished. The only talk shows now are of the general entertainment variety such as GGV.
Parang di katulad ng ABS, kalimitan kahit flop ang show inaadvertise pa rin nila na patapos na. It’s like ABS is not afraid to fail.
Mabuti pa ABS may natututunan. Eh yung GMA kaya? Halos wala pa. Mostly the coward’s way out ang ginagawa.
Just look at shows like Born For You, TIMY, or even Pusong Ligaw. They didn’t really do as well as they hoped, but ABS had the guts to somehow accept defeat and give these shows a proper farewell. Kahit di sila ganung ka-successful yung mga palabas na iyon, they still had their loyal fans, so kahit paano pinakita pa rin ng ABS na they still cared, even if the shows fell short in the end. Kahit nga The Promise of Forever, one of their biggest flops in recent years, had “Last Week” teasers. Kita mo talaga na professional ang ABS pagdating sa failure: they are not ashamed about their failures and if things go wrong, they at least try to find ways to get some good out of them.
To GMA’s credit they also do that in their teleseryes. It is in their other shows that they don’t give any respect when it comes to cancellations; they simply pull the show out without warning.
Some GMA fans are shouting, “Itapat si Super Tekla kay Vice!”
I crazily imagine that show to be titled “Gandang Gabi Tekla.”
But is Tekla even a worthy rival to Vice? He’s not even main attraction material and his comedy skills need improvement.
I think their best hope would have been Michael V, but Pare and Pare didn’t fare very well, and besides he already has Bubble Gang and Pepito Manaloto to keep him busy.
Celebrity Bluff could also help, but only if KMJS is cut to an hour as a condition and a replacement program for Saturdays is produced.
GMA is really out of touch. Vic Sotto and Aiai Delas Alas aren’t the millenials preferred TV personality today. Admit it or not, they are (sorry to say) laos na in some ways. Yes they are both GMA’s comedy king and queen, but they are not intact with what is in for people like us, the millenials.
Even worse for GMA is that they lack the younger artists with a greater focus for humor. Si Michael V lang yata ang relevant nilang comedian ngayon, which doesn’t help their cause.