Blurring the Lines: Is CineMo Finally Ready to Accept Drama and Romance Films?

The movie ‘Ikaw na Sana’ was aired on CineMo as part of the CineKomedya block, but was classified as a romantic drama film. (Photo courtesy of Video48 and Viva Films)

Talk about a tone shift.

CineMo, an ABS-CBN digital TV channel, has been on the airwaves for the past seven years. However, its content has stayed basically the same, airing comedy, action, suspense, sexy and fantasy films from the get-go.

But in the past few weeks, movies from the romance and drama genres began to air on CineMo as well. Such films were aired on the channel’s CineKomedya block, but for whatever reason they do not feel like comedy films at all.

Take for instance the recent airing of the film ‘Ikaw na Sana’. The movie was an adaptation of the television series that aired on GMA some 20 years ago, and it starred Bobby Andrews and Angelu de Leon alongside Gladys Reyes and Jake Roxas.

Unfortunately for CineMo, ‘Ikaw na Sana’ was labeled as a romantic drama film. And considering the film did not have any funny jokes or comedic bits, it was not appropriate for it to air on the CineKomedya block.

There were also other films that aired on CineKomedya that do not appear to be humorous at all. Some of these films foreshadowed the modern romantic comedy drama series that air on ABS-CBN these days, but for the most part tears were shed more than laughs.

With that in mind, is it the perfect time for CineMo to accept romance and drama films to the fold? Considering that they have been repeatedly airing most of the same films over and over again, perhaps it is the right time to do so.

CineMo could launch new drama and romance blocks titled CineDrama and CineRomansya on timeslots normally reserved to action and comedy flicks. That way, films from the romance and drama genres can be aired without any confusion and concern from the viewer.

Not only that, CineMo will have a deeper reservoir thanks to these films. That said, having romance and drama films on the channel does help in attracting the young and feminine audience more, even though the channel is more catered to working-class males.

The ball is now on CineMo’s court to score. One can only hope that the channel will dig deep and go beyond their comfort zone with these tearjerkers.

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ABS-CBN Koreanovelas Find a New Home

Koreanovelas on ABS-CBN find a new partner in CineMo!. After ‘Blood’, the second Koreanovela on CineMo!, ‘You’re All Surrounded’, begins this Sunday. (Publicity photo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

The relocation of Koreanovelas on ABS-CBN is now underway.

With the flagship Channel 2 no longer committed to broadcast Koreanovelas due to various critical factors (e.g. low ratings, heavily edited content), ABS-CBN decided to move them to another platform. Fortunately, an exclusive channel of the network’s TVPlus platform came to the rescue.

Enter CineMo!, whose foray to the Koreanovela genre began May 1 with the series ‘Blood’. After ‘Blood’ aired its final episode last Sunday, CineMo! followed it up with another Koreanovela, titled ‘You’re All Surrounded’, which will air starting July 10.

If viewers on ABS-CBN were not happy with their harsh treatment of Koreanovelas, then they should feel relieved with CineMo!’s more relaxed approach. Unlike the weekday airing of Koreanovelas on Channel 2, CineMo!’s Koreanovelas air once a week, and on a near-uninterrupted and unedited basis.

This means that viewers will enjoy a more complete, unadulterated and free-flowing Koreanovela experience, something that Channel 2 cannot guarantee due to its stricter programming rules. More importantly, their entry should appease more consumers to purchase the ABS-CBN TVPlus digital box.

ABS-CBN’s most recent Koreanovela on the main Channel 2 was ‘My Love Donna’, which was either cancelled or concluded last April after a run of nearly one month. After the humiliating experience of ‘My Love Donna’, it was clear to ABS-CBN that Koreanovelas, like animes before them, are no longer a good fit to Channel 2’s current plans.

With the presence of digital channels such as CineMo!, ABS-CBN was able to accommodate some of their imported programming to their new digital counterparts. That way, Channel 2 can air more local programming which should satisfy viewers’ appetites.

As far as ABS-CBN is concerned, flexibility matters in this digital age. Now that Koreanovelas on ABS-CBN move to their digital partners, the network’s future becomes brighter than ever, and with a greater emphasis on local programming, expect them to continue their consolidation as the premier broadcast network in the Philippines.