A History of Vic Sotto Sitcoms (Part 1)

The cast of ‘Okay Ka, Fairy Ko’ nearly 30 years after it first aired. Tweetie de Leon was the second actress to play the role of Faye. (Photo credit: Allan K Official Instagram)

It has been nearly 30 years since Vic Sotto left the shadows of TVJ and became a star himself.

On Sunday, June 19, his newest sitcom ‘Hay, Bahay!’ will officially premiere on GMA. This will mark Vic Sotto’s eighth sitcom as a solo artist, and ninth overall.

While he was better known as 1/3 of the fabled trio TVJ alongside Tito Sotto and Joey de Leon, and the host of ‘Eat Bulaga’, it was his individual comedic brilliance on television and film that cemented his legacy. Without further ado, let’s look back at his solo sitcoms over the years (in chronological order), starting with the first four on the list.

1. Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! (1987-97)

Aired on: IBC-13 (1987-89), ABS-CBN (1989-95), GMA (1995-97)

Notable co-stars: Aiza Seguerra, Alice Dixson, Tweetie de Leon, Dawn Zulueta, Charito Solis, Jinky Oda, Ruby Rodriguez, Larry Silva

The sitcom that started it all, ‘Okay Ka, Fairy Ko’ introduced viewers to Enteng Kabisote, the mechanic-turned-husband of the fairy Faye. The character then went on to star in nine box-office hit movies based on the sitcom.

2. 1 For 3 (1997-2001)

Aired on: GMA

Notable co-stars: Ai-ai delas Alas, Charlene Gonzales, Rosanna Roces, Nanette Inventor, Imee Marcos, Allan K, Mickey Ferriols

Believe it or not, ‘Hay, Bahay’ is not the first sitcom to star both Vic Sotto and Ai-ai delas Alas. When Charlene Gonzales left ‘1 For 3’ to host ABS-CBN’s ‘Keep on Dancing’, Ai-ai was introduced in the sitcom as one of Gene’s (Vic) housemates.

3. Daddy Di Do Du (2001-07)

Aired on: GMA

Notable co-stars: Danica Sotto, Maxene Magalona, Isabelle de Leon, Cindy Kurleto, Redford White, Ruby Rodriguez, Joonee Gamboa, Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros, Nida Blanca

The first sitcom to feature Vic and daughter Danica, ‘Daddy Di Do Du’ was the second in Vic’s sitcom filmography to feature a mystical theme. Unfortunately, just a few months into the sitcom’s run, Nida Blanca was murdered, and her character was written off afterwards.

4. Ful Haus (2007-09)

Aired on: GMA

Notable co-stars: Pia Guanio, Jose Manalo, BJ Forbes, Joonee Gamboa, Marissa Delgado, Mitoy Yonting, Sugar Mercado

Based on the Koreanovela ‘Full House’, ‘Ful Haus’ marked the debut of child star BJ Forbes, whose claim to fame was via the Tide detergent commercials as ‘Tolits’. This was also the first project for Mitoy Yonting prior to winning season 1 of ‘The Voice of the Philippines’ several years later.

For Part 2 of A History of Vic Sotto sitcoms, click here.

Note: ‘Hay, Bahay!’ will air every Sunday after ’24 Oras Weekend’ on GMA. All of his sitcoms are property of M-Zet Productions.

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The Buzz and Showbiz Inside Report Merge as Buzz ng Bayan

Last Sunday, ‘The Buzz‘ hosts Charlene Gonzales and Toni Gonzaga confirmed that they’ll leave the show. It was also announced that the program will undergo a ‘makeover’, which became official when news outlets confirmed the arrival of Janice de Belen and Carmina Villaroel from ‘Showbiz Inside Report‘ to join Boy Abunda on the ‘new’ showbiz program ‘Buzz ng Bayan’. The reformat effectively ended ‘The Buzz”s 15-year run.

‘Showbiz Inside Report’ aired for the last time on September 28, to make way for unnamed special programs. While the program decently rated well owing to the chemistry of Janice, Carmina and Joey Marquez, it could not equal or surpass the viewership of GMA’s ‘Startalk‘, which has been a staple of Saturday afternoon viewership since 1998. ‘SIR”s short run was just the latest of many talk show flops that ABS-CBN introduced to compete against ‘Startalk’, which led to another change in programming format.

While ‘The Buzz’ became virtually unbeatable on Sunday afternoons despite competing with ‘S Files’ and ‘Showbiz Central‘, its viewership soon declined after the departure of host Kris Aquino. Many agreed that Aquino’s presence, charisma and chemistry with Boy Abunda made the show a hit, and it earned numerous talk show awards during Aquino’s tenure. After Aquino’s departure, the program experimented with the likes of Ruffa Gutierrez, KC Concepcion and the aforementioned Charlene Gonzales and Toni Gonzaga, but neither were able to replicate the magic that Aquino created on the show. The program flirted with reformatting soon after, but it finally gave in last Sunday, leading to ‘Buzz ng Bayan’.

In an interview with Janice de Belen, she revealed that the format of ‘Buzz ng Bayan’ will feature audience interaction and panel discussion, something unheard of in a showbiz talk show. The program format appears similar to the one used on TV5’s ‘Face the People’, which also allows people to participate and intervene. This novel approach is worthy of a first look, so let’s see if they can pull that off.

‘Buzz ng Bayan’ will debut on October 20 after the successful teen comedy series ‘Luv U’.