Kimerald’s Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin Relegated to Late Mornings

Seems like the reunited Kimerald will have to pay their dues in the late mornings.

Once a successful duo on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida, the tandem of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson will now take their act to the 11:30 a.m. slot with a new series that centers around the world of triathlon. This new series is called ‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’.

Starring alongside another tandem in Jake Cuenca and Coleen Garcia, ‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’ centers around childhood friends Bianca (Kim) and Gabriel (Gerald), both of whom aspire to become successful triathletes in order to support their families.

Along the way, the duo encounter some obstacles that will test their love for each other. ‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’ will feature the following storylines:

• Bianca distances herself from Gabriel in hopes of saving her father’s life
• After a long period of separation, Bianca and Gabriel met anew in a triathlon event headlined by Carlos (Jake), a top triathlete in the country
• Carlos hires Bianca as an endorser of Tigershark, then falls in love with her to the dismay of his ex-girlfriend Isabelle (Coleen)
• Carlos and Gabriel become archrivals in both triathlon and in Bianca’s heart, but some secrets from the past soon threaten their lives

‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’ will also star Gina Pareño, Bing Loyzaga, Ayen Munji-Laurel, Michael De Mesa, Daniel Fernando, Dante Rivero, Nicco Manalo, Ivan Carapiet, Andrea Brillantes, and Grae Fernandez. The series will be directed by Dan Villegas and Onat Diaz.

Unlike previous romantic late-morning series in ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ and ‘Be My Lady’, ‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’ will have a more serious tone that is uncharacteristic for the slot. The storyline would have been a perfect fit for primetime, but with no slots available at the moment, ABS-CBN has no choice but to place this series before noontime.

Still, considering the past success of the Kapamilya network at the said slot, ratings should not be a problem for ‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin’. That said, the network only hope to see the viewers fall in love with this pensive drama.

‘Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin airs weekdays before ‘It’s Showtime’ on ABS-CBN’s PrimeTanghali.

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After Long Wait, Ryzza Finally Takes the Drama Route

‘The Ryzza Mae Show’ is now a drama series.

Yes, TAPE still calls it as ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’, but starting this Monday, it will now retire the talk show format that has been in place for over two years. In its place is a drama series subtitled ‘Princess in the Palace’, again starring the eponymous former Little Miss Philippines winner.

Ryzza Mae Dizon is no stranger to dramatic roles, having done so in ‘Eat Bulaga”s annual Lenten specials and in her life story in ‘Magpakailanman’. However, this will be the first time that she will play a major role in a weekday drama series.

As the title suggests, ‘Princess in the Palace’ will feature a story of a young and cheerful girl who was found and adopted by the President of the Philippines following an unexpected accident. From there, Princess (Ryzza) began to live a wonderful life as an adopted presidential daughter.

‘The Ryzza Mae Show Presents Princess in the Palace’ will also star fellow LMP alum Aiza Seguerra and seasoned actress Eula Valdes. Also playing supporting roles will be Boots Anson-Roa, Dante Rivero, Ciara Sotto, Neil Perez, Ces Quesada, Marc Abaya, Lianne Valentin, Miggy Jimenez, Vince de Jesus and Rocky Salumbides.

The transition of ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’ into a drama series came at a not-so opportune time. Ryzza’s budding career has taken a backseat with the AlDub phenomenon, and rival child actress Jana Agoncillo has made ABS-CBN’s ‘Ningning’ a must-watch since premiering in late July.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how Ryzza can adapt to a full-time role in a teleserye. Having shown glimpses of her dramatic ability in both ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’, she should have no problem making the move to serious dramatic actress after years of hosting and harnessing her comedic abilities.

‘Princess in the Palace’ is a big challenge for Ryzza, so good luck.

‘The Ryzza Mae Show presents Princess in the Palace’ premieres starting this Monday at 11:30 a.m. on GMA.

GMA Goes Value-Oriented with ‘Nino’

The new GMA Telebabad offering ‘Nino’ will begin on May 26.

With ‘Carmela’ about to finish its run this Friday, GMA decided to take a more simple approach in creating their teleseryes. The new series, titled ‘Nino’, is GMA’s latest attempt towards creating teleseryes that focuses on optimism, hope and good values.

This type of teleserye is not new to viewers. In fact, ABS-CBN  has capitalized on child stars such as Zaijan Jaranilla, Xyriel Manabat, and Raikko Mateo to create simple yet heartwarming teleseryes that were embraced by the viewing public. These usually consist of stories of faith (‘May Bukas Pa’), humility (‘100 Days to Heaven’) and honesty (‘Honesto’), and in each of the shows, the child star was the lead protagonist who sets the tone for the duration of the series.

Not to be outdone, GMA has attempted this formula a few times. However, the remake of the Julie Vega classic ‘Mga Mata ni Anghelita’, starring a young Krystal Reyes, and the Barbie Forteza-Joshua Dionisio starrer ‘Pilyang Kerubin’ failed to click with viewers. They decided to abandon this concept, that is, until the project ‘Nino’ came along.

The upcoming series centers on a mentally challenged teenage boy named Nino, portrayed by Miguel Tanfelix. Throughout the series, Nino will guide people to a journey towards inspiration, hope and optimism amid all challenges. And with the help of his ‘Tukayo’, played by David Remo, Nino is determined to change the life of his town through miraculous means.

The series will also introduce the ‘Naynay Commandments’, a series of values and good manners that teaches people the importance of integrity and honesty in everyday life. It also inspires parents to become responsible in raising their children.

‘Nino’ will also feature an all-star cast that features Tom Rodriguez, Katrina Halili, Lotlot de Leon, Neil Ryan Sese, German Moreno, Dante Rivero, Bianca Umali, Gerald Napoles, Ces Quesada, Luz Valdez, Gloria Romero, Renz Valerio, Julian Trono and Vincent Magbanua.

GMA executives should be optimistic about ‘Nino’. Having seen its rival ABS-CBN succeed with this type of teleserye, there is no question that ‘Nino’ has the potential to attract a big number of viewers. Still, it remains to be seen whether or not ‘Nino’ will pull GMA’s fortunes back on the green side.

Nino is slated to air this Monday, right after ’24 Oras’.