Tadhana: Another GMA Public Affairs’ Intervention to Entertainment

Another drama anthology will hit GMA screens this Saturday afternoon.

This time, the focus of this up-and-coming series will be on the lives of OFWs whose trials and tribulations abroad are well-documented. Their struggles to fit in another country and bring a better life to both country and family will be told every week on ‘Tadhana’, presented by Marian Rivera.

As is customary to all drama anthologies, celebrity guests will portray a particular subject(s) week after week. For the premiere of ‘Tadhana’, Kris Bernal will portray Elvie, a former Saudi Arabia-based OFW who was constantly abused by her employer, played by Ms. Cherie Gil.

Unsurprisingly, GMA Public Affairs will be responsible for the production of ‘Tadhana’. Considering their recent dabbing into non-news programming, this bit of news should once again add insult to injury to Lilybeth Rasonable and GMA’s Entertainment group.

So what challenge awaits ‘Tadhana’? For starters, this drama should pose another obstacle to ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ and ‘SOCO’ when it comes to performance.

Not only that, GMA also hopes to see a carry-over in ratings from ‘Ika-6 na Utos’ to ‘Tadhana’. With the former enjoying impressive ratings since its extension to Saturdays, the network now banks on the latter to maintain the momentum, something that ‘Karelasyon’ was not able to do.

However, expect a lot of alienation from more traditional viewers who view ‘Tadhana’ as another cowardly attempt by GMA Entertainment to get bailed out by the news division. It’s a shame, since Rasonable and company have done nothing right to salvage whatever pride they have left.

If this is indeed a production of GMA Public Affairs, ‘Tadhana’ should have been a docu-drama instead, with one of GMA News’ reporters presenting the show plus reenactments from various no-name actors and interviews from the subject involved. That said, their decision to use Marian Rivera and bring to life a story by using Kapuso actors leave a bitter taste in one’s mouth.

For now, the verdict is on ‘Tadhana’ to defy all prognosticators. Come this Saturday, this show should experience a baptism of fire.

‘Tadhana’ airs every Saturday after ‘Ika-6 na Utos’ on GMA.

Advertisement

Karelasyon Officially Cancelled by GMA

The one-time archrival of ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ is now history.

Last Saturday marked the 108th and final episode of the GMA drama anthology series ‘Karelasyon’. Hosted by (and occasionally featured) Carla Abellana, the series focused on love and relationship stories that has hostility, jealousy, temptation and infidelity written on it.

‘Karelasyon’ first premiered on April 11, 2015, and as such, it was GMA’s own response to rival ABS-CBN’s revival of ‘Ipaglaban Mo’. While the series had some moments of ratings glory during its run, it was no match to the more superior and compelling stories that ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ presents.

On September 3, 2016, ‘Karelasyon’ was demoted to a later timeslot, which remained for the rest of its run. The change did little to improve ratings, as ‘Karelasyon’ regularly fell short to its new opponent in ‘SOCO’.

So why did ‘Karelasyon’ fail to pan out? Looking at its format, it was clear that the show has no place in GMA’s Saturday afternoon lineup due to these factors.

Similarity to Wish Ko Lang

Anyone who watches ‘Wish Ko Lang’ lately know that the program is no longer the wish-giving public service show that the now-ABS-CBN News personality Bernadette Sembrano once hosts. Under Vicky Morales, ‘Wish Ko Lang’ became just another drama anthology in GMA’s scheme of things.

That said, the similarity between ‘Karelasyon’ and ‘Wish Ko Lang’ made viewers too uncomfortable. GMA would have been smart to cancel ‘Wish Ko Lang’, but instead they gave ‘Karelasyon’ the boot.

Case Solved and Imbestigador

‘Case Solved’ and ‘Imbestigador’ also added to ‘Karelasyon”s issues. Both shows may have the words ‘public service’ and ‘docu-drama’ written all over it, but their occasional focus on love stories that end in tragedy may have also turned viewers off.

Entry of Ika-6 na Utos to the Saturday Lineup

When GMA decided to extend the weekday afternoon drama ‘Ika-6 na Utos’ to Saturdays, it turned out to be the last straw for ‘Karelasyon’. The former continued its momentum that it established on weekdays, while the latter sunk even further.

Despite airing for over two years, ‘Karelasyon’ will forever be remembered as a show that was aired at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Its format alone may be intriguing, but from the looks of it, GMA concocted a grave mistake on their part.

Thanks for the good (and bad) memories, ‘Karelasyon’. This show is worth forgetting for.

Case Solved Adds to GMA’s Saturday Afternoon Madness

It is safe to say that GMA’s Saturday afternoon lineup is an absolute mess.

Since ‘Startalk’ left the airwaves nearly two years ago, three successor shows have tried to fill the void that the former left. Unfortunately, neither ‘CelebriTV’, ‘Laff Camera Action’ nor ‘#Like’ were able to make an impact.

To make matters worse, the block now features three shows that appear indistinguishable from one another. ‘Karelasyon’, ‘Wish Ko Lang’ and ‘Imbestigador’ may be different shows in name, but their formats are way too similar to each other, especially now that the latter two employ greater amounts of dramatization than before.

Now add a fourth show with a similar premise. Starting this Saturday, GMA will introduce the docu-drama series ‘Case Solved’, to be hosted by Dingdong Dantes.

Here is an excerpt from the GMA Network Public Relations Department:

Case Solved features sensational and controversial real-life cases ranging from nonaggressive to violent circumstance derived from Philippines’ Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) handled by the country’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), judicial agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ), Supreme Court and Bureau of Corrections. More than presenting how the crime is committed, it further explains how the crime is solved.

Hosted by none other than Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes, this program presents solved cases that will empower and educate the viewers in predicting the probability of a crime before it occurs.

Let’s face it, does GMA need another ‘Imbestigador’ at this point? Because based on the description, ‘Case Solved’ is just another crime-solving program that GMA concocted, even though they already have one in ‘Imbestigador’.

That said, the addition of ‘Case Solved’ does not solve anything as far as their Saturday afternoon lineup goes. The lack of diversity in the block is something that might concern viewers, especially now that ABS-CBN is pulling away in the ratings with ‘Ipaglaban Mo’, ‘SOCO’, ‘Mga Kwento ni Marc Logan’ and ‘Family Feud’.

A moral victory or disaster awaits ‘Case Solved’. GMA can only hope that the show can defy the odds and at least make their block more interesting than ever.

‘Case Solved’ airs starting this Saturday after ‘Eat Bulaga’ on GMA.

GMA’s Unstable Sabado Star Power Continues

Saturdays have been a source of frustration for GMA.

Once again, the Kapuso network decided to make a change in their Sabado Star Power afternoon lineup. Gone was ‘Laff, Camera, Action’, and in came ‘#Like’, the newest reality talent show hosted by Tom Rodriguez and internet sensation Balang.

‘#Like’ is a talent show featuring online sensations battling against each other in a barangay setting. To the surprise of no one, it is just another concept produced by the GMA Public Affairs team, whose penchant for producing non-news shows becomes more infectious and more criticized than ever.

The premiere of ‘#Like’ took place last September 3, but instead of replacing ‘Laff, Camera, Action’ on its 4:30 timeslot, GMA decided to air the said show after ‘Eat Bulaga’. As a result, this is the how the schedule looks like:

• 2:30 p.m. – #Like
• 3:00 p.m. – Karelasyon
• 4:00 p.m. – Wish Ko Lang
• 5:00 p.m. – Imbestigador

However, the change did little to improve the ratings. All four of GMA’s post-‘Eat Bulaga’ afternoon programs were on the losing end, with ‘Wish Ko Lang’ the least impressive at 9.4%.

Let’s face it, would’ve been better for ‘#Like’ to go up against ‘Mga Kwento ni Marc Logan’ instead of the last half-hour of ‘It’s Showtime’? Probably, given that Marc Logan’s show also features internet sensations and GMA would’ve loved to see that matchup.

Still, GMA had no regrets in making the change once again. However, they would have been better off if ‘Wish Ko Lang’ and ‘Imbestigador’ were to be cancelled, since they are no longer the same programs as they once were.

Meanwhile, another new program premiered last Saturday on the said network. The new show, ‘Superstar Duets’, replaced ‘Lip-Sync Battle Philippines’, whose run finally ended after seven months.

Based on the format alone, ‘Superstar Duets’ appears to be the second coming of ‘Celebrity Duets’, except that the celebrities in the show were paired alongside impersonators of foreign singers. The show is currently hosted by Jennylyn Mercado, with Allan K, Aicelle Santos and Christian Bautista serving as judges.

The premiere of ‘Superstar Duets’ didn’t quite impress many, as it earned a 13.2% rating. On the other hand, ‘Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7’ fared much better with a 16.4% rating.

This is going to be a tough battle as far as ‘Superstar Duets’ were concerned. Though it has the potential to run just as long as ‘Lip-Sync Battle Philippines’ did, the possibility of winning remains tricky at best.

Has Time Ran Out on Wish Ko Lang?

‘Wish Ko Lang”s transformation from a public service program to a drama anthology has not worked well for GMA. Promotional posters such as this found on ‘Wish Ko Lang”s social media accounts made it clear that the show no longer serves a purpose. (Photo credit: GMA Network)

‘Wish Ko Lang”s magic is slowly disappearing.

Once known for granting wishes to ordinary citizens, it has now turned into a drama anthology that seems more appropriate to rival ABS-CBN’s ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’. The purpose of ‘Wish Ko Lang’ has now turned into a joke, where the title of the show is no longer applicable to its new format.

It has been that way for nearly a year now, where host Vicky Morales has turned herself from the face of the show into a background character, overshadowed by the Kapuso actors that the show assigns. Even ‘Karelasyon’, a similarly themed drama anthology, is now outplaying ‘Wish Ko Lang’ in the ratings.

For a show that has been on the air for over a decade, this is definitely insulting to the loyal audiences who have watched ‘Wish Ko Lang’ all these years. It hurts, isn’t it?

When ‘Wish Ko Lang’ debuted 13 years ago, it served its purpose well, granting wishes to ordinary citizens who sent letters of hopes and aspirations. For years, the show was a ratings winner, beating similarly themed programs such as ‘Willingly Yours’, ‘Simpleng Hiling’ and ‘Nagmamahal, Kapamilya’ (the latter show was hosted by ‘Wish Ko Lang”s original host Bernadette Sembrano).

Then came ‘Failon Ngayon’, whose more informative and engaging brand of public service began to upstage ‘Wish Ko Lang’. The show experienced a decline soon after, moving into three different timeslots which never worked out for them.

In August 2014, ‘Wish Ko Lang’ moved to its current timeslot, and soon after, it reformatted from a public service program to a drama anthology in order to compete against the newly-revived ‘Ipaglaban Mo’. It became clear, however, that older fans disapproved of the show’s transformation, and as a result, ratings continued to suffer.

Now GMA has to make a decision. Since ‘Karelasyon’ and ‘Wish Ko Lang’ offer a similar format, they need to choose between the two of them, and based on ‘Karelasyon”s impressive ratings, it may be better for GMA to finally let go of ‘Wish Ko Lang’ and create a legit public service program without the unnecessary dramatizations.

If they choose not to let go, they have to pick between these two options. Either they bring the old format back and move to a new timeslot, or rebrand the program if they intend to keep the new format.

It’s up to GMA to decide. They can only hope that this decision on the fate of ‘Wish Ko Lang’ is for the best interest of the network and its viewers, and will help GMA in the long run.

‘Ipaglaban Mo’ Has Finally Met Its Match

After a promising start, ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s fortunes have taken a dip in recent months. The entry of GMA’s ‘Karelasyon’ only made it worse. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

After dominating the post-noontime scene on Saturdays for the early part of its run, ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s luck appears to be running out.

Thanks to a rare stroke of genius by GMA management, the renewed success of the newly-revived ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ began to wear thin. A pair of programming moves by the Kapuso network gave ABS-CBN and the father-and-son legal team of Atty. Jose and Jopet Sison a lot to worry about.

In its first two months on the air, ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ made mincemeat of ‘Startalk’, whose return to Saturday afternoons failed to arrest their continuing ratings decline. Then on August 16, 2014, GMA switched the timeslots of ‘Startalk’ and ‘Wish Ko Lang’, and from there, ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s fortunes took a slight dip.

But it was the entry of ‘Karelasyon’ which gave ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ its stiffest challenge yet. After one month, the latter was just lucky to survive on ABS-CBN’s trusted provider Kantar Media, but the same cannot be said on the figures provided by GMA’s own partner AGB Nielsen.

Here is the comparative ratings between ‘Karelasyon’ and ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ according to both AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media.

April 11

Karelasyon (16.5%) over Ipaglaban Mo (8.1%) – AGB Nielsen

Ipaglaban Mo (14.8%) over Karelasyon (11.9%) – Kantar Media

April 18

Karelasyon (17.3%) over Ipaglaban Mo (8.6%) – AGB Nielsen

Ipaglaban Mo (14.7%) over Karelasyon (11.8%) – Kantar Media

April 25

Karelasyon (20%) over Ipaglaban Mo (7.8%) – AGB Nielsen

Karelasyon (13.7%) over Ipaglaban Mo (12.9%) – Kantar Media

May 2

Karelasyon (16.3%) over Ipaglaban Mo (10.3%) – AGB Nielsen

Ipaglaban Mo (16.3%) over Karelasyon (12.6%) – Kantar Media

May 9

Karelasyon (14.1%) over Ipaglaban Mo (10.1%) – AGB Nielsen

Ipaglaban Mo (15.2%) over Karelasyon (12.4%) – Kantar Media

Based on the figures, ‘Karelasyon’ proved to be a thorn on ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s side, at least according to AGB Nielsen. However, the only time ‘Karelasyon’ swept both Kantar and Nielsen to date was on the April 25 episode starring Rocco Nacino and Kris Bernal, defeating the ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ episode starring Andrea del Rosario and Yam Concepcion.

While ‘Karelasyon’ only managed to beat ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ once in Kantar so far, they proved to be a more competent program than the latter’s first two opponents in ‘Startalk’ and ‘Wish Ko Lang’, based on its double-digit rating performances.

That said, it is clear that ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ is no longer the ratings juggernaut it once was. The program’s initial run of dominance is now a distant memory.

‘Karelasyon”s surprising success should only strengthen ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s resolve. A tweak or two is needed to restore ‘Ipaglaban Mo”s former glory, otherwise everything will go ‘Karelasyon”s way.

And that should only concern ABS-CBN even further.