This was recently confirmed by the TV5 AniMEGA Facebook page, posting this short statement that brought some excitement to anime fans in the country. Soon after, they announced that Dreamworks’ ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’ will be the first AniMEGA show to move to primetime effective March 20.
It can be recalled that during the Ka-Shake era from 2008-10, TV5’s AniMEGA block was aired on primetime opposite ABS-CBN and GMA’s teleseryes. While the response was enthusiastic, the block was eliminated as part of new owner Manny V. Pangilinan’s futile quest to go head-on with both ABS-CBN and GMA.
Now that wounds were mended between TV5 and its legion of anime fans, one can only hope that AniMEGA on primetime will be here to stay. It will be interesting how this experiment will turn out the second time around, so good luck.
As expected, ‘That’s My Amboy’ was a non-factor in its final episode.
The just-concluded GMA drama series ended its run Friday with a national rating of 16%. In contrast, ABS-CBN’s ‘Dolce Amore’ continued to roll, winning the night with a 33.3% rating.
Overall, the final week of ‘That’s My Amboy’ mustered only a 15% average rating, while ‘Dolce Amore’ scored 33%. The expected low ratings was a result of GMA’s unwillingness to promote ‘That’s My Amboy”s final episodes in favor of its successor ‘Once Again’.
Now that ‘That’s My Amboy’ ended with a whimper, what chances does the more serious ‘Once Again’ have? Considering the questionable tactics of the Kapuso network, expect the latter to do more of the same.
‘We Will Survive’ found itself in a tough spot upon moving to a new timeslot, thanks in large part to the show’s delayed broadcasts in the regional networks. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)
‘We Will Survive’ is in a crisis.
The ABS-CBN drama series is off to a slow start in its new 5:00 p.m. timeslot, registering ratings of 10.7% (April 18), 10.9% (April 19), 9.8% (April 20) and 9.9% (April 21) during a four-day span. This was in contrast to the show’s 13% average ratings in its original timeslot of 5:45 p.m.
Clearly, ABS-CBN has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to ‘We Will Survive”s low ratings. Regional networks are unable to air the series at the same time as Metro Manila due to the presence of local ‘TV Patrol’, and instead, it is aired the following day at 9:00 a.m. in place of ‘Naruto Shippuden’.
This predicament easily led to ‘We Will Survive’ losing to GMA’s ‘Wowowin’ in a majority of the regional areas. And it didn’t help that the delayed broadcasts are being aired in a timeslot that is also not viable ratings-wise.
It is a painful truth that the regional networks of ABS-CBN have no choice but to commit to 30-45 minutes’ worth of ‘TV Patrol’ in their respective dialects. However, it also hurts that the network decided to place a teleserye in a timeslot that is not expected to draw viewers from the provinces.
Considering ABS-CBN’s reputation for successful teleseryes, this is a strategy that does not work at all. And it is also not good that the network decided to fill almost 2/3s of their lineup with teleseryes; excluding ‘TV Patrol’, ABS-CBN’s lineup from 3:15-10:45 p.m. features a streak of seven teleseryes and an imported series.
That said, for Pokwang, Melai Cantiveros and the show’s braintrust, this is a battle that they cannot survive from. Positive messages notwithstanding, ABS-CBN should consider closing the book on ‘We Will Survive’ as soon as possible, knowing that it would be consequential to viewers in the provinces, as well as viewers who are tired of watching teleseryes for many hours straight.
If not, find a way to get a better timeslot for the show. After all, it is for the network’s own good.
This Friday marks a rather short conclusion to ‘Walang Iwanan’.
Premiering on October 19, ‘Walang Iwanan’ managed to air just 35 episodes, which is shorter than a typical ABS-CBN teleserye. No one expected this to happen, considering the Kapamilya network’s high standards when it comes to their teleseryes.
But there are some reasons why ‘Walang Iwanan’ had to end sooner. Beauty Gonzales is due to give birth either within this month or early next year, while Jhong Hilario will be busy running for public office next year.
As for ‘Walang Iwanan”s ratings, the series averaged a 10% rating throughout its run. On the other hand, GMA’s ‘Destiny Rose’ managed a 14% rating per episode according to the Kantar national ratings.
The same goes to AGB Nielsen’s Mega Manila ratings, where ‘Destiny Rose’ performed better than ‘Walang Iwanan’. Overall, ‘Walang Iwanan”s ratings was a letdown from its predecessor ‘Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita’.
Still, it was not an excuse for them to have a short run. After all, there are other circumstances that led to its tenure of over two months.
Next up for ABS-CBN will be Julia Barretto’s first teleserye since 2013’s ‘Mirabella’. Julia’s new series, ‘And I Love You So’, will feature her and Miles Ocampo as stepsisters turned archrivals, all for the love of one man, portrayed by Inigo Pascual.
The story of ‘And I Love You So’ will revolve around the rivalry between the characters of Julia and Miles, who soon found out they were stepsisters. Their lives would change, however, when their parents, portrayed by Dimples Romana and Tonton Gutierrez, reunite and become engaged.
But just as they begin living a normal life, the latter’s first wife, portrayed by Angel Aquino, returns after years of estrangement and seek revenge on his new fiancée. With it comes a series of events that will test the family’s determination to stay together and mend some old wounds.
‘And I Love You So’ will be the latest collaboration between ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment, whose track record of producing successful teleseryes has been well-documented. But for Julia Barretto, it is about redemption, especially after an inauspicious debut as a lead star in ‘Mirabella’.
That said, ABS-CBN hopes that ‘And I Love You So’ will help bring the best out of Julia. But whether or not it will translate to better ratings remains to be seen, so good luck.
‘And I Love You So’ premieres this Monday after ‘All of Me’ on ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya Gold.
‘You’re My Home’ is off to a slow start, losing to its Kapuso rivals during its first week. (Photo credit: PhilStar.com, ABS-CBN)
It seems that ABS-CBN is not used to airing a fifth primetime teleserye at 10:10 p.m.
This was the case when ‘You’re My Home’ premiered last week to replace the top-rated ‘Pinoy Big Brother: 737’. So far, the series is off to a slow start, mainly because viewers are still trying to get used to watching another teleserye at night.
The maiden episode of ‘You’re My Home’ last November 9 earned an 8.8% rating in Kantar. In contrast, ‘My Big Bossing’ on ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ garnered a 10.6% rating.
The same held true in AGB Nielsen, although they only counted Mega Manila ratings. ‘You’re My Home’ finished with a 10.2% rating, compared to ‘My Big Bossing”s mark of 15.3%.
For the week, ‘You’re My Home’ only managed around 9% ratings in Kantar, compared to the average combined rating of 10.5% for ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ and ‘Bubble Gang’. In AGB Nielsen, ‘You’re My Home’ averaged 5% less than its competitors on the Kapuso network.
Although ABS-CBN is starting to divert away from imported programs with this move, airing too many teleseryes on primetime appear to take its toll on viewers. Predecessor ‘Pinoy Big Brother: 737’, for example, performed well in the ratings, and that’s only because it aired as a reality show, thus providing a bit of a break for viewers.
Even the Asianovelas that preceded PBB performed well for the same reasons. That said, it’s hard to see why the Kapamilya network decided to gamble on yet another teleserye on Primetime Bida, despite the fact that it may create the possibility of a viewer’s burnout.
Nevertheless, it’s too early to tell how ‘You’re My Home’ will perform as the weeks wear on. Yes, it’s been only two weeks since it premiered, but ABS-CBN can only hope that the ratings will improve as the story intensifies.
ABS-CBN officially launched its new HD channel last Saturday, part of a continuing transition to digital high definition television for the network. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)
ABS-CBN’s conversion to high definition continues.
On Saturday, the network officially launched ABS-CBN HD, the first-ever HD free TV channel in the Philippines. It is currently available on Channel 167 for SkyCable and Destiny Cable subscribers, and Channel 700 for provincial subscribers.
Viewers with a high-definition digibox can enjoy some of ABS-CBN’s most popular programs in crystal clear HD. As of this article, only ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’, ‘Wansapanatym’, ‘Ipaglaban Mo’, ‘ASAP’ and Kapamilya Gold and Primetime Bida teleseryes are currently shot with HD cameras, with other programming to follow suit.
ABS-CBN began to experiment with high definition television when it launched Balls HD in 2009. The channel’s launch coincided with the opening of UAAP Season 72, which became the first local event to be broadcast in high definition.
Two years later, ‘Budoy’ became the network’s first teleserye to be shot with HD cameras, which was then followed by the network’s other dramas. And just two weeks ago, ‘ASAP’ became the first non-drama program on the network to be shot with HD cameras.
All in all, ABS-CBN’s forays with high-definition and other technologies were signs that the network is seriously preparing for the conversion to digital television here in the Philippines. Not bad for the pioneering television network which was established in 1953.
With the launch of ABS-CBN HD, let’s just hope that in the near future, the other networks will follow suit. This will not be an easy task for the other local networks, but with digitization fast approaching, time is definitely of the essence.
Note: Balls HD, which formerly occupied Channel 167, is now assigned to Channel 195 for SkyCable and Destiny Cable subscribers, and Channel 701 for provincial subscribers. ABS-CBN HD can also be seen on iWanTV.
From the Tube 