Faith Restored: Halik’s High Ratings a Godsend for ABS-CBN Primetime Bida

ABS-CBN finally got it right.

It turns out ‘Halik’ was the series ABS-CBN needed to resuscitate the fortunes of its much-maligned fourth slot on Primetime Bida. The October 25 episode of ‘Halik’ garnered a series-high 27.1% rating according to Kantar, besting rival series ‘Pamilya Roces’ by 16.5%.

The episode in question featured an intense confrontation between Lino (Jericho Rosales) and Ace (Sam Milby) over the latter’s act of cheating. During that scene, Lino caught Ace and Jade (Yam Concepcion) cheating on him and Jacky (Yen Santos), leading to a fight between Lino and Ace.

‘Halik’ also became the most-viewed program on iWant TV, reaching over two million views per week. Thursday’s episode also trended on Twitter and memes related to the aforementioned confrontation scene also spread on social media.

In many ways, this episode of ‘Halik’ encapsulates what the fourth slot of Primetime Bida is all about. For Kapamilya audiences here and abroad, this timeslot always tingle their senses whenever they see scenes of confrontation, jealousy, anger, sensuality and desire.

No offense to the lighter-themed dramas that were aired on the fourth slot (e.g. ‘On the Wings of Love’, ‘A Love to Last’), but it is obvious that viewers wanted something that will keep them awake and tense deep into the night. And if ‘Halik”s ratings are of any indication, they are probably right in their assessment.

First aired on August 13, ‘Halik”s ratings have been on a gradual upswing from the start. The series started with an 18.2% rating during its debut, reached 20% by the end of August, and peaked at 27.1% last Thursday.

That said, it will not be a surprise to see ‘Halik’ reach 30% in the near future. This series has been by far ABS-CBN’s best offering in the fourth slot and if it continues to please audiences, it might as well enjoy a long and fruitful run.

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More of the Same: Pamilya Roces Premieres Monday

GMA’s status quo remains the same.

The third slot of GMA Telebabad remains the domain of light-hearted series that could either laugh or bore the audience. And the new series ‘Pamilya Roces’ is no exception.

Let’s begin with a little preview of the series courtesy of GMA’s Public Relations team.

On the outside, ‘Pamilya Roces’ is perfectly happy and whole. They have wealth, power, and they own the biggest jewelry empire in the country. But that is just an illusion because the truth is that the patriarch has not just one, not two, but three families.

And when he, unfortunately, gets a heart attack, each of his families rush to his side. With this revelation, things get complicated. Suddenly, three women and five sisters find their lives outrageously and well, hilariously, intertwined.

The series showcases different perspectives of a family that viewers will find amusing, but more importantly, witness relatable scenes that will tug at their heartstrings and endear them to its characters all throughout.

‘Pamilya Roces’ is led by Roi Vinzon as Rodolfo, the family patriarch who is the root cause of their drama. He has three families in all, and they are as follows.

Rodolfo’s legal family includes wife Natalia (Gloria Diaz), sister-in-law Camilla (Snooky Serna), and daughters Crystal (Carla Abellana) and Jade (Gabbi Garcia). Crystal is married to Hugo (Rocco Nacino) while Camilla has an adopted son in Gareth (Andre Paras).

His second family is composed of Violet (Elizabeth Oropesa) and her daughter Amber (Sophie Albert). Amber was the result of Violet and Rodolfo’s one-night stand and will later have a secret affair with Crystal’s husband Hugo.

Rodolfo also has a third family, led by Lily (Ana Roces), whom he considers his true love. Lily bears two daughters in Amethyst (Shaira Diaz) and Pearl (Jasmine Curtis-Smith), the latter of which falls in love with Gareth.

Three other individuals will also play key roles in Rodolfo’s life. Ralph (Christian Bautista) is the family lawyer and a secret admirer of Crystal; Donnatela (Mika dela Cruz) is Jade’s best friend; and Gil (Manolo Pedrosa) is a budding photographer who gets rejected by Jade.

Talk about an unpredictable story. In essence, ‘Pamilya Roces’ is one light-hearted yet complex series that should border towards the laughable.

Still, it remains to be seen if it will able to overcome the equally unpredictable ‘Halik’. That said, ‘Pamilya Roces’ should have a fighting chance and if things go their way, they might as well steal a few wins from the opponent.

Directed by Joel Lamangan, ‘Pamilya Roces’ airs weeknights after ‘Onanay’ on GMA Telebabad.