The Kids’ Choice Fails to Deliver Despite Good Ratings

Call it a win that actually isn’t.

For ‘The Kids’ Choice’, it is true that they are winning in the ratings. But in hindsight, it is more of a moral defeat than an actual victory because the numbers tell more of a losing battle.

While Kantar figures suggest that last Sunday’s finale of ‘The Kids’ Choice’ was a success, in reality it is not. Its 26.8% rating was a major drop-off from the second season finale of ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids’ which hit 45.6%.

"The Kids' Choice" grand finals topped weekend programming as it recorded 24.8% last Saturday (Nov 3) and 26.8% last Sunday (Nov 4). #KantarMedia pic.twitter.com/mkN1XMS3Rr

— ABS-CBN PR (@ABSCBNpr) November 5, 2018

In terms of overall performance from start to finish, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ failed to deliver as well. None of its episodes cracked the 30% barrier, with its highest-rated episode being the first which received 29%.

Again, this was a huge step back from ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids’ which routinely hit the 30% mark or higher in its run. To make matters worse, GMA took advantage of ‘The Kids’ Choice”s ineptitude, as ‘The Clash’ came to within 1% of the latter in its finale last month.

With such a pitiful performance in spite of the show’s good ratings, it is no secret why ABS-CBN pulled the plug on ‘The Kids’ Choice’ after only 20 episodes. The concept may be original, but in the eyes of the viewers, the Just Kids League is simply too raw and too young to process some serious critical thinking.

Not even the shift from ordinary kids to celebrities last month made the difference. Overall, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ had potential written all over, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

To ABS-CBN’s credit, however, they at least gave it a try. A round of applause should dim all the pain.

Still, much like the ill-fated GMA talent show ‘Anak Ko Yan’ a few years ago, only a few will reminisce about ‘The Kids’ Choice’. This is one forgettable show that ABS-CBN would like to get rid of, and for good reason: it simply did not resonate with the masses.

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Marian Rivera Won’t Face Angel Locsin in Primetime

Instead of facing Angel Locsin, Marian Rivera will face Kathryn Bernardo as ‘Carmela’ debuts this Monday opposite ‘Got to Believe’.

GMA has announced the airing schedule for the upcoming series ‘Carmela’ and ‘Rhodora X’. And as expected, Marian Rivera will not face Angel Locsin in the same timeslot, even as fans of both camps clamor for the two ex-Darna stars to clash at the same time.

‘Carmela’ will face ‘Got to Believe’ on its timeslot. The latter series, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, have been on a roll of late thanks to high ratings and social media returns, and the entry of ‘Carmela’ gives them the opportunity to battle another veteran star in Marian Rivera. Previously, ‘Got to Believe’ toppled the Dingdong Dantes-starrer ‘Genesis’, leading to its rather premature finish before the end of 2013.

On the other hand, Angel Locsin’s new teleserye ‘The Legal Wife’ will be up against Jennylyn Mercado’s series ‘Rhodora X’. In a lead-up to their upcoming primetime face-off, Mercado made it clear that she wanted no part in her ex-boyfriend Luis Manzano’s reconciliation with Locsin, and she wished them good luck in their romance. Mercado last appeared on the GMA Network via the reality competition series ‘Anak Ko Yan’, which once faced ‘Minute to Win It’ hosted by Luis Manzano. Meanwhile this is Locsin’s first teleserye since ‘Imortal’ in 2010, and during that span, she co-starred in the sitcom ‘Toda Max’ and made several movies.

In addition to ‘Carmela’ and ‘Rhodora X’, GMA will roll out another teleserye in its ‘Telebabad’ block. ‘Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw’ will replace ‘Prinsesa ng Buhay Ko’ in the sunset slot. The new teleserye, starring Kim Rodriguez and Kristoffer Martin, will be the latest in a series of attempts to topple the long-running ABS-CBN series ‘Annaliza’, which has defeated both ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Prinsesa ng Buhay Ko’ since debuting in May 2013. And like Julie Vega in the original series, Andrea Brillantes has been splendid in playing the titular character, leading to its consistently high ratings.

Even as GMA tries to counter ABS-CBN with their new primetime offerings, I expect another ratings beatdown from the Kapamilya network. Simply put, GMA cannot beat ABS-CBN anymore, and I have made it clear that the race has already been conceded.

More Programming Changes within GMA

This past week, GMA shook up its programming schedule in both weekday and weekend slots, in hopes of reversing the downward trend in terms of ratings. However, these changes do not seem to help the Kapuso network at all.

In the weekday morning slot GMA extended its anime block to nearly three hours. However, all they did was to re-air ‘Flame of Recca‘ and ‘Shaman King‘, which like ‘YuYu Hakusho‘ (Ghost Fighter) held a sentimental value to the network. Then ‘Kusina Master’, formerly a 30-minute ‘live’ program converted to a 15-minuter, airs shortly afterward. After Chef Boy Logro’s program, things seem to get interesting.

GMA’s extension of its anime block cost them two programs: the Mexican telenovela ‘Lola’ (original title Bella Calamidades), and the parent-child reality show ‘Anak Ko Yan’. The latter aired its series finale, with Jen-Jen Chubb crowned as the grand champion. The former, which replaced ‘With a Smile’ nearly two months ago, abruptly ended its run due to low ratings, even though more episodes were in the offing. In ‘Lola”s case, its abrupt cancellation has something to do with the viewers’ lack of interest towards Latin American drama series, which has fallen out of favor since the Asianovela invasion of the mid-2000s.

Meanwhile, the biography series ‘Tunay na Buhay‘ moved from the Saturday night slot to the weekday morning slot, to make way for another movie block called ‘Sabado Horror Night’. With the eight-part historical drama series ‘Katipunan’ currently airing, GMA had no room for ‘Tunay na Buhay’, thus moving it to the weekday morning slot. However, the ‘Sabado Horror Night’ block is deemed unnecessary, since GMA now has three movie blocks on Sundays and that ‘Katipunan’ runs for only a short period of time.

‘Sabado Horror Night’ also forced the variety show ‘Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman‘ out of its typical 12:00 a.m. timeslot. By all accounts, 12:00 a.m. is usually the best timeslot for German Moreno‘s program viewership-wise. But by forcing ‘Walang Tulugan’ out of its comfort zone, viewership losses are expected and many would be asleep by the time the show airs at 1:00 a.m.

Also this Saturday, the new game show ‘Picture! Picture!’, hosted by Ryan Agoncillo, will air after 24 Oras Weekend. In my previous blog, I wrote about GMA’s decision to pit ‘Picture! Picture!’ opposite wife Judy Ann Santos‘ game show ‘Bet on Your Baby’, and the reason why GMA wanted Ryan’s show to compete against Juday’s show is because of the poor ratings sustained by the children’s fantasy show ‘One Day Isang Araw’. Thus they answered with their own game show, which unlike ABS-CBN’s, is an original creation of the network.

And finally, GMA decided to cancel the docudrama series ‘Bingit’. The program, which is about stories of individuals surviving near-death experiences, aired its final episode last November 16, after which GMA decided to cease production of ‘Bingit’ out of respect to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

GMA’s programming changes were intended on improving its quality and viewership. However, with the kind of mediocre production they’re creating, it’s no secret why they were falling behind ABS-CBN in the ratings.

When Kids Take Over Showbiz

TV programs such as ABS-CBN’s ‘Bet On Your Baby’ have shifted their attention to young children making an impression in front of a television audience. (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

The age requirement for people entering the world of showbiz is getting younger. Some years ago ‘Starstruck’ and ‘Star Circle Quest‘ were responsible for extending their hand to teenage talents looking to break into the entertainment world. Now it’s the turn of ‘Bet On Your Baby’ and ‘Anak Ko Yan’ for encouraging even pre-teens and elementary school youngsters to make their mark.

The two talent departments in GMA’s Artist Center and ABS-CBN‘s Star Magic have the responsibility of finding diamonds in the rough, regardless of age. However, in recent years the trend is on preschool and grade school children getting their seat warm. Last night ABS-CBN introduced another child wonder in five-year-old Raikko Mateo in the new teleserye ‘Honesto’, continuing what has been a hot trend for young children to enter the world of showbiz. And it has also extended to programs such as ‘Bet On Your Baby’ and on GMA’s ‘Anak Ko Yan’.

ABS-CBN’s ‘Bet On Your Baby’ focuses on toddlers trying to win various challenges in order to win the top prize of P 1,000,000. The game show proved to be a ratings hit in its first three weeks on the air, peaking after Dello Gatmaitan won the top cash prize of P 1,000,000. ‘Bet on Your Baby’ has been praised for its fresh format and its positive handling of toddlers during the show, and with the high ratings and reviews, it looks like ABS-CBN has found another winner in its long tradition of acquiring franchises of foreign shows.

GMA’s ‘Anak Ko Yan’ follows in the vein of prior reality talent search programs, where young children showcase their talents in hopes of becoming the ultimate winner. The format is nothing new; ‘SCQ Kids’ and ‘Starstruck Kids‘ have used this approach in the past. However, ‘Anak Ko Yan’ also pays attention to the children’s parents who will play key roles in guiding their children in every challenge. The series, while billed as a ‘fresh take’, has not been able to capture most viewers’ attention since it is basically reusing a tried and tested format from older reality series.

Both networks have found a new outlet in discovering talent from the preschool/grade school group. However, the talent centers remain the source of finding new talent. With the exception of a Ryzza Mae Dizon who became an instant celebrity simply by winning a noontime talent competition, most top child stars today came from the talent centers, and were extensively trained by experienced actors and directors. An example of that training is on the ABS-CBN comedy show ‘Goin’ Bulilit‘, whose priority is to prepare young children into more prominent roles later on.

It is not bad for children to become famous early in their lives. However, a little guidance and growth is needed to sustain that level of fame as they get older. And of course, education will remain a priority.

Jennylyn’s ‘Anak Ko Yan’ Rivals Luis’ ‘Minute to Win It’

GMA’s ‘Anak Ko Yan’ will premiere on Monday, and will be slotted in the same timeslot as ABS-CBN‘s ‘Kapamilya: Minute to Win It‘

Jennylyn Mercado and Luis Manzano are real-life sweethearts. But despite their love for each other, their loyalties were divided. Jennylyn is a proud Kapuso, while Luis is a true-blue Kapamilya. And when GMA‘s ‘Anak Ko Yan!’ begins this Monday, there is no such thing as true love.

‘Anak Ko Yan!’ is a new reality offering that features young children showcasing their singing and dancing talents. While children will be the primary focus, their parents will also be on the spotlight as well, not only as stage parents, but also as managers and mentors. The program’s teasers have been airing for the past few weeks; however, it was only last Wednesday on Eat Bulaga that the pilot episode and timeslot was announced.

Accordingly, it was GMA’s decision to put ‘Anak Ko Yan!’ on the 11:00 a.m. timeslot. Meanwhile, Jennylyn has told Luis about GMA’s decision to pit her show against Luis’ ‘Kapamilya: Minute to Win It’ on ABS-CBN, and both also decided not to talk while their shows were on air.

The new reality program is another attempt by the GMA management to stabilize its weekday morning programming. As it stands, their morning lineup after ‘Unang Hirit‘ consists of mostly reruns of anime programs (see Dragon Ball & Yu Yu Hakusho), a cooking show (Kusina Master), a kiligserye similar to ‘Be Careful with My Heart‘ (With A Smile), and a talk show hosted by a nine-year-old child wonder (The Ryzza Mae Show). Of these programs, only ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’ is enjoying a stable following, due to the fact that it acts as a lead-in to Eat Bulaga.

And with child stars like Ryzza Mae Dizon on the rise, GMA sought to capitalize on the young child star market with ‘Anak Ko Yan!’. Whether or not it will succeed on the ratings game remains to be seen. For now, however, the new reality program will give young children an opportunity to become a future child star, and pave the way for a future showbiz career.

In the meantime, no talking for Jennylyn Mercado and Luis Manzano, at least on the business side.