Happy Truck Becomes Happinas Happy Hour

‘Happy Truck’ No More: TV5 will relaunch ‘Happy Truck HAPPinas’ as a gag show entitled ‘Happinas Happy Hour’. (Logo courtesy of TV5)

‘Happy Truck HAPPinas’ has a new format and a new name.

Starting tonight, the one-time Sunday afternoon variety show will be relaunched as a gag show entitled ‘Happinas Happy Hour’. Taped as live, it will air every Friday at 9:00 p.m. after the PBA games.

‘Happinas Happy Hour’ will feature virtually the same cast as its predecessor, led by Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs. Other cast members include Gelli de Belen, Tuesday Vargas, Mark Neumann, Eula Caballero, Ella Cruz, Kim Idol and Alwyn Uytingco.

 

In contrast to ‘Happy Truck”s ‘Eat Bulaga’-like approach, ‘Happinas Happy Hour’ will employ a setting similar to ABS-CBN’s ‘Banana Sundae’. This means that the presentation of the show will be made in front of a live audience, similar to those seen in comedy bars and on live stand-up comedy concerts.

‘Happinas Happy Hour’ will be TV5’s first gag show since’ Tropa Mo Ko Unli’, and the first under the VIVA regime. It is expected to draw comparisons with GMA’s ‘Bubble Gang’, but neither show will directly compete with each other (‘Bubble Gang”s first 20-30 minutes will be up against ‘Happinas Happy Hour”s final 20-30 minutes).

While ‘Happy Truck Happinas’ (and its predecessor ‘Happy Truck ng Bayan’) was not bad of a variety show, it still suffered due to the intense two-way battle between ABS-CBN’s ‘ASAP’ and GMA’s ‘Sunday PinaSaya’. As a result, TV5 and VIVA decided to play it safe and converted ‘Happy Truck’ into a gag show, along with a change of timeslot so as not to directly with compete with programs of similar genres.

It will be interesting to see how ‘Happinas Happy Hour’ can become a viable alternative to the teleseryes of ABS-CBN and GMA. But even if the viewers fall in love with ‘Happinas Happy Hour’, it is still up to TV5 on whether or not they will be able to sustain the show, considering their penchant for cutting promising shows short.

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Kano Luvs Pinay To Fill Void Left By Misterless Misis

TV5 didn’t waste any time creating a new sitcom after ‘Misterless Misis’ was shelved.

Enter ‘Kano Luvs Pinay’, a new concept which focuses on the complex, colorful and exciting world of intercultural relationships. As the title suggests, it will be a story of a Filipina who fell in love with an American man via a dating website.

The sitcom will star Filipina comedienne Tuesday Vargas and American actor Lee O’Brian. O’Brian is no stranger to real-life interracial romance, having fell in love with ABS-CBN’s resident comedienne Pokwang, his co-star in the movie ‘EDSA Woolworth’.

Joining Tuesday and Lee on the sitcom are Wilma Doesnt, Kiki Baento, Martin Escudero, Eula Caballero, Boboy Garovillo, Ces Quesada, and Cho Chok Venida. ‘Kano Luvs Pinay’ is based on a 2013 Cine Filipino entry ‘Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin’, whose director, Randolf Longjas, will also be at the helm of the new sitcom.

The entry of ‘Kano Luvs Pinay’ comes at a period of change for TV5, which underwent employee retrenchment and realignment of programming, among other reasons. The series is also created to fill the void left by ‘Misterless Misis’, which was shelved after only two episodes just for the said realignment.

It will be interesting to see how the recent changes on TV5 will affect ‘Kano Luvs Pinay’. One can only hope that the new sitcom will not suffer the same fate as ‘Misterless Misis’.

Produced by TV5 and Unitel Productions, ‘Kano Luvs Pinay’ airs starting this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. on TV5.

TV5’s New Shows to Watch This Second Half of 2015

‘Happy Truck ng Bayan’ is one of several new shows that are on TV5’s pipeline this second half of 2015. (Photo credit: TV5/Happy Truck ng Bayan Official Facebook)

TV5’s push for happiness continues.

The Kapatid network recently unveiled a set of new shows in the ‘Hi-Way to Happy’ trade launch at the Metrowalk Tent last June 12. The new shows were a part of TV5’s ongoing pursuit of spreading love and joy to its viewers, not to mention providing something different for people to watch.

Currently ongoing are two programs that premiered within days of the trade launch. They are:

Happy Truck ng Bayan

This variety show is held in various barangays, using a truck that is transformed into a stage. Hosted by Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Derek Ramsey, Gelli de Belen, Mariel Rodriguez, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Empoy Marquez, Tuesday Vargas, Mark Neumann, Shaira Mae dela Cruz, Akihiro Blanco, Chanel Morales, Sophie Albert, Vin Abrenica, Kim Idol and Tom Taus, it premiered last June 14 and airs every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Hi-5 Philippines

The local franchise of ‘Hi-5’ from Australia features virtually the same basic elements as the original, with a Filipino spin of course. Hosted by Rissey Reyes, Gerard Pagunsan, Alex Reyes, Fred Lo, and Aira Binas, the show airs twice every weekday, at 8:30 a.m. and at 3:45 p.m.

A few other shows are expected to premiere this July. They are:

KISPinoy

This talent search show features aspiring singers who aim to become the next K-Pop stars. Hosted by Richard Gutierrez and Jinri Park, and features judges Rico Blanco, Gelli de Belen and various K-Pop experts, ‘KISPinoy’ premieres on July 11 at 9:00 p.m..

LolaBasyang.com

Starring Boots Anson-Roa, the series will feature the retelling of Lola Basyang’s tales with the use of modern gadgets. ‘LolaBasyang.com’ premieres on July 11.

#ParangNormal Activity

The horror/comedy sitcom will star Ella Cruz as the pretty ghost, starring alongside a trio of nerds played by Shaun Salvador, Ryle Paolo Santiago and Andrei Garcia. ‘#ParangNormal Activity’ premieres on July 11.

No Harm, No Foul

The new sports-themed sitcom will feature Ogie Alcasid, Randy Santiago, Tuesday Vargas, Long Mejia, Eula Caballero, Valeen Montenegro and Sophie Albert, alongside basketball stars Willie Miller, Gary David, Beau Belga, Kiefer Ravena, and Yoyong Martirez. ‘No Harm, No Foul’ premieres on July 5 at 8:00 p.m.

TV5’s new offerings should once again serve up a smile in the viewers’ faces. With that, best of luck to them.

The Return of Juan Direction, Plus Wattpad Stories Premiere on TV5

The Fil-foreign quintet known as ‘Juan Direction’ is back.

Michael McConnell, Daniel Marsh, Brian Wilson, Henry Edwards and Charlie Sutcliffe return for a two-week special starting tonight. They will be joined by a new set of hunky Fil-foreigners: male supermodel and 2014 Mr. World Philippines winner John Spainhour, American Ninja Warrior finalist Shane Daniels, and Cosmopolitan centerfold hunk Wil Dasovich.

The ‘Juan Direction’ special will be known as ‘Islanders’. As the title suggests, the original ‘Juan Direction’ and their Fil-foreign visitors will be stranded on the islands of Masbate and experience their fair share of adventures and misadventures in an isolated setting.

Since debuting in October 2013, ‘Juan Direction’ has become one of TV5’s top programs. This led to bigger opportunities for the quintet on other Kapatid programs; their most recent project, ‘One of the Boys’, aired from May to July of this year.

The upcoming ‘Juan Direction’ special is not the only new offering on TV5, however.

As part of TV5’s deal with the Canadian-based company Wattpad, the Kapatid network will air a drama special called ‘Wattpad Presents’. The first offering from the series, ‘My Tag Boyfriend’, premieres tonight and will run throughout the week.

Starring real-life couple Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Sam Concepcion, ‘My Tag Boyfriend’ tells the story of a Facebook addict whose accidental tag of a campus hearthrob on her status post went viral. A series of funny encounters eventually led to a relationship between the two.

In addition to ‘My Tag Boyfriend’, three other stories from Wattpad are in production and will be aired over the next few weeks: ‘Mr. Popular Meets Ms. Nobody’, starring Mark Neumann, Shaira Mae dela Cruz, and Diego Loyzaga; ‘Poser’, starring Akihiro Blanco, Chanel Morales and Sam Rodriguez; and ‘Almost a Cinderella Story’, starring Eula Caballero and Carl Guevara.

The entry of ‘Wattpad Presents’ should bring good vibes to Filipino Wattpad writers and romance enthusiasts. Having penetrated the big screen via the likes of ‘Diary ng Panget’, ‘She’s Dating the Gangster’ and ‘Talk Back and You’re Dead’, Wattpad now hopes to enjoy a similar level of success on the small screen, something TV5 is more than willing to provide.

‘Wattpad Presents’ and ‘Juan Direction: Islanders’ will air back-to-back starting at 7:00 p.m. later tonight on TV5.

Killer Karaoke and Singing Bee Debut Today

Today will officially mark the first episodes of two sing-along game shows: ABS-CBN‘s ‘The Singing Bee‘, and TV5’s ‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman’. Both programs have been hyped heavily over the past couple of weeks, so expect a whole lot of fun watching the two programs.

‘The Singing Bee’ makes its long-awaited return on the Kapamilya network. The original iteration was previously hosted by current Kapuso talent Cesar Montano, and aired from 2008-10. The new version of ‘The Singing Bee’ will be hosted by Roderick Paulate and Amy Perez, and will be joined by the dancing crew The Honeybees, the all-vocal ensemble The Songbees, and the instrumental band The Bandible Bees. The main objective of the program is to guess either the missing line or the lyrics, arrange a particular line of a song in the correct order, and guess the artist who sang a particular song.

The new edition of ‘The Singing Bee’ airs every Saturday at 3:00 p.m. following ‘Showtime’. The first guests of the show will be former Apo Hiking Society singer Boboy Garovillo, actresses Carmi Martin, Eric Fructuoso and Kiray Celis, and showbiz host Ogie Diaz. The program marks the reunion of ‘Dick and Amy’ on television, having first seen in the ‘Pera o Bayong’ segment of the defunct ‘Magandang Tanghali Bayan‘.

Meanwhile, TV5’s Pinoy version of the popular American game show ‘Killer Karaoke’ finally makes its highly-anticipated debut. The program, known locally as ‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman’, will be hosted by Michael V, best known for his lengthy service with GMA’s gag show ‘Bubble Gang’. The program’s first guests will be Ogie Alcasid, Arci Munoz, Eula Caballero, Shalala, Jayce Flores and Rufa Me.

‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman”s main objective is to sing while being subjected to a variety of challenges. These challenges range from the disgusting to the shocking, regardless of the difficulty. The final challenge will see the contestants being forced to sing while spinning on a turntable, with the last contestant standing adjudged as the jackpot winner.

‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman’ airs every Saturday at 8:30 p.m. after ‘Tropa Mo Ko Unli’, on TV5’s ‘Weekend Do It Better’. This will be Michael V’s first TV5 appearance since ‘Tropang Trumpo’, and his first solo hosting job since his defunct comedy shows ‘Bitoy’s Funniest Videos’ and ‘Bitoy’s ‘Showwwtime’.

New and Returning Shows on TV5

Changes are in the air once more for TV5, this time in hopes of attracting a younger audience.

As early as July TV5 has hinted of the changes in their programming lineup, in hopes of attracting a younger audience. With shrinking revenue threatening TV5’s long-term plans, it was revealed that the Kapatid network will cut back costs and focus on a younger viewership in an effort to gain revenue profits within three years. With that in mind, here are several new and returning programs that TV5 will unveil within the next few weeks.

As previously reported, Ogie Alcasid signed a new deal with TV5, not only as a Kapatid talent, but also as the head of the music business unit. Alcasid will headline two shows on TV5: ‘The Mega and the Songwriter’, and ‘Tropa Moko Unli’. On the former, Alcasid will join forces with Sharon Cuneta in the upcoming variety show, and on the latter he will be paired with old ‘Tropang Trumpo‘ castmate Gelli de Belen and young stars Vin Abrenica, Ritz Azul, Eula Caballero, Empoy, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Alwyn Uytingco, Edgar Allan Guzman, Valeen Montenegro,  and Tuesday Vargas. Cuneta will also star in her own teleserye ‘Madam Chairman’.

Alcasid’s former ‘Bubble Gang’ castmate Michael V will likewise have a new show on the Kapatid network. The current Kapuso mainstay will host the Filipino version of ‘Killer Karaoke’, a game show that test the contestant’s ability to sing while overcoming various obstacle courses. Other new programs expecting to debut soon include the showbiz talk show ‘Showbiz Police’ and the midnight musical/talk show ‘What’s Up Doods?’.

The ‘Pinoy Henyo’ duo on GMA’s ‘Eat Bulaga’ will also make their return to TV5. Joey de Leon will once again play host to a new version of ‘Wow Mali‘, titled ‘Wow Mali Pa Rin’. Like its prior incarnations, the returning show will again feature practical jokes, bloopers, and other forms of accidental comedy starring people from all walks of life. And Vic Sotto returns with a brand new season of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’, this time featuring new lifelines and game strategies that will bring new life to a long-running game show. And finally, the adventure show ‘Pinoy Explorer‘ returns for its second season, with host Aga Muhlach again travelling around the world in hopes of educating people regarding a variety of global cultures.

Meanwhile, it looks like TV5 has not found a replacement for ‘Face to Face’. Reruns of the program have been airing for nearly two months now and it seems that no effort was given to either tape new episodes or cancel altogether. I have written about the possible axing of ‘Face to Face’ before, but it appears that TV5 is not giving up on the said program. As it stands, there were still no reports at the moment regarding the status of ‘Face to Face’.

TV5’s September shakeup was just the beginning of the needed changes that the network will adopt for the next few months. Expect more news regarding the programming situation within the Kapatid network.