TV5’s New Shows to Watch This Second Half of 2015

‘Happy Truck ng Bayan’ is one of several new shows that are on TV5’s pipeline this second half of 2015. (Photo credit: TV5/Happy Truck ng Bayan Official Facebook)

TV5’s push for happiness continues.

The Kapatid network recently unveiled a set of new shows in the ‘Hi-Way to Happy’ trade launch at the Metrowalk Tent last June 12. The new shows were a part of TV5’s ongoing pursuit of spreading love and joy to its viewers, not to mention providing something different for people to watch.

Currently ongoing are two programs that premiered within days of the trade launch. They are:

Happy Truck ng Bayan

This variety show is held in various barangays, using a truck that is transformed into a stage. Hosted by Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Derek Ramsey, Gelli de Belen, Mariel Rodriguez, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Empoy Marquez, Tuesday Vargas, Mark Neumann, Shaira Mae dela Cruz, Akihiro Blanco, Chanel Morales, Sophie Albert, Vin Abrenica, Kim Idol and Tom Taus, it premiered last June 14 and airs every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Hi-5 Philippines

The local franchise of ‘Hi-5’ from Australia features virtually the same basic elements as the original, with a Filipino spin of course. Hosted by Rissey Reyes, Gerard Pagunsan, Alex Reyes, Fred Lo, and Aira Binas, the show airs twice every weekday, at 8:30 a.m. and at 3:45 p.m.

A few other shows are expected to premiere this July. They are:

KISPinoy

This talent search show features aspiring singers who aim to become the next K-Pop stars. Hosted by Richard Gutierrez and Jinri Park, and features judges Rico Blanco, Gelli de Belen and various K-Pop experts, ‘KISPinoy’ premieres on July 11 at 9:00 p.m..

LolaBasyang.com

Starring Boots Anson-Roa, the series will feature the retelling of Lola Basyang’s tales with the use of modern gadgets. ‘LolaBasyang.com’ premieres on July 11.

#ParangNormal Activity

The horror/comedy sitcom will star Ella Cruz as the pretty ghost, starring alongside a trio of nerds played by Shaun Salvador, Ryle Paolo Santiago and Andrei Garcia. ‘#ParangNormal Activity’ premieres on July 11.

No Harm, No Foul

The new sports-themed sitcom will feature Ogie Alcasid, Randy Santiago, Tuesday Vargas, Long Mejia, Eula Caballero, Valeen Montenegro and Sophie Albert, alongside basketball stars Willie Miller, Gary David, Beau Belga, Kiefer Ravena, and Yoyong Martirez. ‘No Harm, No Foul’ premieres on July 5 at 8:00 p.m.

TV5’s new offerings should once again serve up a smile in the viewers’ faces. With that, best of luck to them.

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1995 Flashback: The Boom of Educational TV Shows

Led by the award-winning ‘SineSkwela’, educational programs in the Philippines received a big boost in 1995. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

1995 was a memorable year in Philippine television. As part of a year-long special, From the Tube will look back at a year full of historical debuts, unforgettable moments, and celebrated feats in the history of television in the country.

It’s back to school for students across the Philippines.

School year 2015-16 is now underway in every public school in the country, with private institutions starting theirs the week after. For big-name tertiary schools such as UP, Ateneo, La Salle and UST, opening of classes would come a few months later, as part of their alignment with the academic calendars of other countries.

Back in school year 1995-96, a surge in educational TV programs took place. The said school year saw the establishment of two different series of educational programs: ABS-CBN’s ETV (Educational Television), and PTV-4’s CONSTEL (Continuing Education via Television).

ABS-CBN’s ETV series initially consisted of the following programs:

SineSkwela – the flagship program of the ETV series which tackles a variety of topics related to elementary science, health and technology.

Hiraya Manawari – focuses on fantasy stories with lessons on good values and morals.

Bayani – discusses historic Filipino heroes through a dramatic retelling of their struggles and triumphs.

The ETV series introduced three other programs a few years later, consisting of:

Math-Tinik – features lessons related to elementary mathematics.

Epol/Apple – examines the proper use of elementary English in everyday conversations.

Pahina – analyzes classical Filipino literature through dramatization of said stories.

The ETV series initially aired on ABS-CBN during weekday mornings for much of the mid-90s. The debut of Knowledge Channel in 1999 soon prompted the network to move the ETV programs to the said channel, leading to a change in ABS-CBN’s early-morning landscape that remains to this day.

The ETV programs also aired on Studio 23 (now ABS-CBN Sports+Action). Videotapes and DVDs of the said programs were also sold and donated to schools through ABS-CBN Foundation.

Meanwhile, PTV-4’s CONSTEL series consisted of the following programs:

Science Made Easy – a telecourse for elementary students that features lessons on basic science.

Chemistry in Action – a telecourse for high school students that features lessons on chemistry.

Physics in Everyday Life – a telecourse for college students that features lessons on physics.

CONSTEL English – introduced a few years later, the series was a telecourse for high school students that features lesson on English language and grammar.

PTV-4’s CONSTEL series was produced by the network in cooperation with what is now the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Foundation for the Upgrading of Standards in Education (FUSE). The series continues to air on a sporadic basis, even during the time PTV-4 was known as NBN under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The CONSTEL series was also picked up by Knowledge Channel and is currently airing on a recurring basis.

While ‘Fun with Math’ was also introduced around this time, it was not considered part of the CONSTEL series. Nevertheless, the program served a similar purpose in promoting education through television.

The resurgence of educational TV programs was a big moment in Philippine television in 1995. Today, these programs continue to benefit teachers in any way possible, and influence a young generation of students everywhere.

TV5’s New Shows Premiere This Quarter of 2015

The Padilla brothers may have taken different paths acting-wise, but on ‘2 1/2 Daddies’, they will join forces on TV5’s newest sitcom, one of several upcoming programs gracing the Kapatid network this week. (Photo credit: TV5)

The blanks have been filled once again on TV5.

Two brand new shows premiered on the Kapatid network today. ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’, hosted by RR Enriquez, LJ Moreno-Alapag, Danica Sotto-Pingris and Jeck Maierhofer, and ‘Solved na Solved’, hosted by Arnell Ignacio, Gelli de Belen and TV5 legal expert Atty. Mel Sta. Maria, debuted following the conclusion of the network’s coverage of Pope Francis in Manila earlier this morning.

Tomorrow will see two other shows make their way into the TV5 lineup. The local version of the Australian kids’ show ‘Hi-5’ premieres at 8:30 a.m., while ‘Healing Galing’, a spinoff of the Radyo5 program hosted by Dr. Edinell Calvario, will air at 10:00 a.m. with Hayden Kho as co-host.

The Padilla brothers (Robin, Rommel and BB Gandanghari) will join forces on the sitcom ‘2 1/2 Daddies’, which will air starting this Saturday at 8:00 p.m.. Another sitcom, this time starring Derek Ramsay and Empoy Marquez, will be titled ‘Mac and Chiz’ and will air starting this Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

A pair of talent shows will also spice up TV5’s weekend programming. ‘Move It’, a dance show hosted by Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Tom Taus, premieres this Sunday at 7:00 p.m., while ‘Rising Stars’, a singing competition show hosted by Ogie Alcasid and Venus Raj, will be aired next month.

A new season of ‘Wattpad Presents’ will also see the light of day, as new love stories featuring television’s rising young talents will be featured starting tonight at 9:00 p.m. And for those in need of love advice, call Papa Jack and his new show ‘Call Me Papa Jack’, which airs starting this Saturday at 10:00 p.m.

Still to come for the Kapatid network are:

• ‘E5’, a showbiz, lifestyle and fashion show hosted by KC Montero, Grace Lee, Tim Yap, IC Mendoza and Divine Lee
• ‘Extreme Challenge: Kaya Mo Ba ‘To’, an adventure reality show hosted by Derek Ramsay and features select teams of ‘The Amazing Race Philippines 2’
• ‘No Harm No Foul’, a sitcom starring Ogie Alcasid, Ritz Azul and several PBA players
• ‘Kontrabando’, a news satire show hosted by Ramon Bautista, Lourd de Veyra, Jun Sabayton and RA Rivera
• ‘Last School Standing’, a game show featuring the top high schools in the country

This is definitely a good start for TV5 in 2015. That said, expect the network to plug in more holes as the weeks go on, as they look to stabilize their programming lineup for this year.

‘ABClassics’ is a Hoax: A Message to Mr. Carlo Abellanosa

The old ABC-5 logo during the mid-to-late 90s. (Logo courtesy of ABC Development Corporation via Wikia Logos)

Disclaimer: This article is written in response to Mr. Carlo Abellanosa’s absurd and preposterous comments regarding TV5’s current state of programming. The views and opinions of this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of TV5, Manny V. Pangilinan, or the MVP Group of companies.

Since 2010, TV5 has been the property of media and telecommunications mogul Manny V. Pangilinan. The station has had some glimpses of success, but they still cannot escape their standing as the ‘No. 3 network’.

In fact, the station’s standing has remained the same since the MVP takeover, mainly due to its frequent airings of reruns and Tagalized foreign films, constant programming and timeslot changes, and big-budget signings that failed to meet expectations.

With another programming revamp set to take place in early 2015, it is clear that even with the deep pockets of the MVP Group, TV5 continues to be a work in progress. And for some, the feeling of desperation and impatience is increasingly obvious.

Just ask Mr. Carlo Abellanosa.

Carlo, a.k.a. Eririn on the From the Tube comment boards, recently made a suggestion that did not sit well with myself, fellow blogger Timow Paragas, and other readers of this blog. He suggested that classic ABC-5 programs would be re-aired on TV5 under the name ‘ABClassics’, even going as far as saying that the said block would have its own channel in the near future.

Let us clarify Carlo’s claims. First of all, ‘ABClassics’ DOES NOT EXIST. Contrary to what Carlo said in one of his posts, TV5 DID NOT make any statement, let alone announce anything with regards to ‘ABClassics’.

Second, it will be very ridiculous and unreasonable for MVP and his group if they were to bring back old ABC-5 programs from the Cojuangco years. TV5 has definitely moved on, and re-airing old programming from ABC-5 doesn’t make any sense.

And finally, it is possible that the archives from the Cojuangco regime are no longer within TV5’s grasp. This should explain why ‘Wow Mali’, a holdover from the ABC-5 era, airs only archival footage from as far back as 2011 under the ‘Wow Muli’ segment.

To the loyal readers and followers of From the Tube, this should bring a valuable lesson to all of you. If possible, write your comments that are informative, factual and logical. Never comment something that is contradicting, unrelated and deceiving.

And to Mr. Carlo Abellanosa, if you don’t have anything to say that is factual and logical, STAY AWAY FROM THIS BLOG!!! Let this be a humbling experience to a hoaxer like you.

Solar News Channel Out, 9TV In

Solar News, along with the Solar News Channel, will officially become 9News and 9TV, respectively. The change will take effect on August 23. (Logo courtesy of 9News)

Channel 9 on Philippine free TV has a new name.

On August 23, Solar News Channel will officially rename themselves as 9TV, leaving behind its iconic ‘sun’ logo and blue and yellow scheme in favor of a more generic blue and red branding. In addition, the Solar News organization will change their name to 9News.

The announcement was first made on August 13 through a Twitter post of 9News senior anchor Jing Magsaysay. According to the said statement, the network’s rebrand ‘marks the beginning of the channel’s thrust to reach a wider audience and to strengthen its presence on free TV RPN-9.

Other than the brand change, the staff, objectives and values, and programming will be retained. However, the previously announced Kids Weekend, originally slated to premiere last August 16, will now be launched this Saturday, alongside other programs aimed towards a bigger audience.

The seeds of Channel 9’s rebrand were first sown in November 2013, when Ramon Ang acquired Solar News and a stake on RPN-9 from Solar Entertainment. Soon after, SNC and ETC traded channels, with SNC moving to RPN-9 and ETC to SBN-21.

Then in late July and early August, all news programs of SNC dropped the ‘Solar’ name, while the ‘sun’ logo and Solar News signage were taken off the network’s studios in Mandaluyong. And in a sign of things to come, all reporters of the said network are now required to use the 9News name after every report.

That said, the rebrand of the Solar News Channel to 9TV will officially mark the end of Solar Entertainment’s decade-long relationship with RPN. Solar was essential in privatizing RPN after two decades of government sequestration, but the loss of finances also led to their sale of Solar News and RPN to Ramon Ang, who promptly changed the direction of Channel 9.

This Saturday will mark a new era in Channel 9’s storied yet tumultuous history. And for 9TV, it is time to start fresh.

Is RPN-9 Destined to Return?

The RPN name and logo was last used on air in 2012, after which Solar Television took full control of the network’s airtime. (Logo courtesy of the Radio Philippines Network)

All eyes are on Channel 9 and a possible return to the RPN name.

On July 21, Solar News Channel decided to drop the word ‘Solar’ from its news programs. Consequentially, the renamed programs are now simply known as ‘Daybreak’ (morning), ‘The Headlines’ (news updates per 15 minutes), ‘Newsday’ (afternoon), ‘Cebuano News’ (Cebuano language afternoon), ‘Kapampangan News’ (Kapampangan language afternoon), ‘Network News’ (early evening), ‘Nightly News’ (late evening), and ‘Sports Desk’ (sports).

In a related development, Media Newser Philippines also reported through a network insider that News9, the news department of the original Radio Philippines Network, will also be revived to replace the Solar News name, with a target launch slated for the last quarter of 2014. The report came after Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation acquired RPN’s stake from Solar Entertainment.

Then starting August 16, cartoons and educational programs will take over SNC’s weekend morning programming. SNC’s ‘Kids Weekend’ will feature the return of ‘Sesame Street’ to Philippine television, as well as other memorable cartoons such as the ‘Care Bears’, ‘Strawberry Shortcake’, ‘Batman’ and the DC Comics Universe, and ‘Pokemon’.

With all these developments, does this mean the old Radio Philippines Network name will return on the air? Or will this lead to an even bigger plan?

Let’s face it, Channel 9 is and will always be known as RPN-9. Not Solar News Channel, C/S 9, Solar TV, ETC, or any other incarnation in its history. RPN has been an iconic brand on Philippine television, and through good times and bad, the network always provided a great show for its viewers.

More importantly, with SNC’s slow move away from a purely news-oriented network, the possibility of bringing back the RPN name on air seems certain. Even the revival of the long-running but recently retired newscast ‘NewsWatch’ is bound to happen.

But there is one problem. Ramon Ang recently acquired a 30% stake of GMA Network, which means that he now has two stations in his watch. According to Media Newser Philippines, a merger between GMA and Solar News is inevitable, unless Ang gives up partial ownership of Channel 9.

Ang’s ownership of both networks will certainly affect the fortunes of both parties. Since GMA News and Public Affairs is the more recognizable and more credible of the two, they will be more than happy to absorb Solar News into their department. And as far as viewers are concerned, Solar News remains an unproven commodity even after three years of continuous operation.

Then again, these are all possibilities and might be subject to change in the near future.

It is clear that the sun is definitely setting on Channel 9’s latest incarnation. As the ‘Solar’ name is quietly being retired from the brand, a new era in the history of the Radio Philippines Network is about to take place.