We Will Survive’s Ratings on a Tailspin After Change of Timeslot

‘We Will Survive’ found itself in a tough spot upon moving to a new timeslot, thanks in large part to the show’s delayed broadcasts in the regional networks. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

‘We Will Survive’ is in a crisis.

The ABS-CBN drama series is off to a slow start in its new 5:00 p.m. timeslot, registering ratings of 10.7% (April 18), 10.9% (April 19), 9.8% (April 20) and 9.9% (April 21) during a four-day span. This was in contrast to the show’s 13% average ratings in its original timeslot of 5:45 p.m.

Clearly, ABS-CBN has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to ‘We Will Survive”s low ratings. Regional networks are unable to air the series at the same time as Metro Manila due to the presence of local ‘TV Patrol’, and instead, it is aired the following day at 9:00 a.m. in place of ‘Naruto Shippuden’.

This predicament easily led to ‘We Will Survive’ losing to GMA’s ‘Wowowin’ in a majority of the regional areas. And it didn’t help that the delayed broadcasts are being aired in a timeslot that is also not viable ratings-wise.

It is a painful truth that the regional networks of ABS-CBN have no choice but to commit to 30-45 minutes’ worth of ‘TV Patrol’ in their respective dialects. However, it also hurts that the network decided to place a teleserye in a timeslot that is not expected to draw viewers from the provinces.

Considering ABS-CBN’s reputation for successful teleseryes, this is a strategy that does not work at all. And it is also not good that the network decided to fill almost 2/3s of their lineup with teleseryes; excluding ‘TV Patrol’, ABS-CBN’s lineup from 3:15-10:45 p.m. features a streak of seven teleseryes and an imported series.

That said, for Pokwang, Melai Cantiveros and the show’s braintrust, this is a battle that they cannot survive from. Positive messages notwithstanding, ABS-CBN should consider closing the book on ‘We Will Survive’ as soon as possible, knowing that it would be consequential to viewers in the provinces, as well as viewers who are tired of watching teleseryes for many hours straight.

If not, find a way to get a better timeslot for the show. After all, it is for the network’s own good.

 

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Animes Return to ABS-CBN, But Problems Still Persist

ABS-CBN’s Team Animazing was dealt a huge blow with the pullout of ‘Haikyuu!!’. A new timeslot for the said anime is still to be determined. (Photo credit: ABS-CBN Animation Official Facebook)

ABS-CBN’s Team Animazing is back, but more problems await them.

Just one week into its run, ABS-CBN abruptly decided to remove the volleyball-themed anime ‘Haikyuu!!’ from the Umaganda lineup. In its place was the re-run of ‘Wansapanatym”s ‘My App Boyfie’, which currently airs as part of the seasonal version of ‘Wansapanatym’ called ‘WansapanaSummer’.

The pullout of ‘Haikyuu!!’ leaves ‘Naruto Shippuden’ as the lone remaining anime on the Umaganda block. The latter now airs after ‘Kris TV’, displacing the Filipino-dubbed Nickelodeon cartoon ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ in the process.

This sudden decision by ABS-CBN left anime fans boiling with anger. Reactions were overwhelmingly negative on social media, with some netizens questioning the motives behind ABS-CBN’s puzzling move.

Though ABS-CBN did promise to air ‘Haikyuu!!’ on a new timeslot soon (along with a new season of ‘Kuroko’s Basketball’), the bad blood over the pullout remains fresh from the minds of the Kapamilya anime fans. It was an unwise move on the part of ABS-CBN, simply because of the wrong timing surrounding the change.

The ‘Haikyuu!!’ row was the latest in a series of discouraging decisions involving ‘Team Animazing’. Just recently, ABS-CBN temporarily pulled out ‘Team Animazing’ in favor of Japanese adaptations of classic stories such as ‘Princess Sarah’, Cedie: Ang Munting Prinsipe’ and ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’.

For Kapamilya anime fans, the situation is simply demoralizing.

Things will only get worse once the NBA playoffs begin. ABS-CBN is expected air some playoff games on a delayed basis within the next two months, so anime fans will have to wait a little bit longer.

Right now, though, the pain of ‘Haikyuu!!’s sudden disappearance will have to be endured. Fans can only hope that the pain will dissipate once the Kapamilya network announces a new schedule for the said anime.

The Decline of ABS-CBN’s Team Animazing

Animes on ABS-CBN are suddenly out of commission with the re-airing of classic adapted Japanese cartoons such as ‘Princess Sarah’ and ‘Cedie’. (Photo credit: ABS-CBN)

Hard-hitting animes on ABS-CBN are now a thing of the past.

With new seasons of ‘Naruto Shippuden’ and ‘Kuroko’s Basketball’ still months away from their premiere, ABS-CBN decided to re-air their popular 1990s Japanese adaptations of classic novels on the said block. This despite the fact that they have the backing of sister channel Hero to bring in new animes.

It is clear that Team Animazing, once a formidable rival to GMA’s Astig Authority block, is on the decline. And here are some reasons why.

It all started when ABS-CBN took advantage of ‘Princess Sarah”s renewed popularity on social media by re-airing the series in October. Then in a more desperate move, the Kapamilya network re-aired ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, ‘Cedie: Ang Munting Prinsipe’ and ‘Dog of Flanders’, much to the dismay of their anime fans.

Worse, ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ continued to air on the said block, even though it is clear no one is in the mood to watch the Nickelodeon icon in Tagalized and heavily edited form.

As a result, Astig Authority overwhelmed Team Animazing in the ratings, even though they were frequently criticized for re-airing old animes regularly. But Team Animazing’s problems go beyond low ratings.

Unlike Astig Authority, which runs for over three hours, Team Animazing is only given half of what the former is allotted. This leads to fewer programs, and worse, heavily edited episodes, which does not bode well with viewers and the anime community in general.

And if there’s anything the Kapamilya anime fans want to blame, it is the presence of Kris Aquino in the mornings. ‘Kris TV’, which is now airing for four years but is struggling for ratings, continue to be honored by the network thanks to Kris’ ‘ironclad’ contract demands.

Team Animazing’s recent slump is only one of several problems that concern ABS-CBN today. That said, for the Kapamilya anime community, it is unfair for ABS-CBN to not commit towards new animes.

What’s the use of Hero if ABS-CBN won’t do favors to their anime fans? This definitely makes no sense.

Uncertain Mornings on ABS-CBN

With ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ ending this November, ABS-CBN now has an unenviable task of filling the show’s shoes, along with rebuilding the rest of its morning lineup. (Photo credit: ABS-CBN)

A state of uncertainty has finally reached ABS-CBN as far as their weekday morning shows are concerned.

A change in programming took place earlier this morning. Popular classic animes ‘Princess Sarah’ and ‘Marcelino Pan Y Vino’ began to re-air in place of ‘Kuroko’s Basketball’ and ‘Naruto Shippuden’, both of which took a brief season hiatus.

In addition, a re-run of ‘Da Adventures of Pedro Penduko’ replaced the recently re-aired ‘Precious Hearts Romances: Midnight Phantom’. As a result, three of ABS-CBN’s old programs now occupy the network’s mid-morning slot.

Coupled with the announcement that the final episode of ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ will be on November 28, ABS-CBN will now have the daunting task of rebuilding its programming schedule on weekday mornings. Easier said than done.

While ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ remained a popular show, at least according to Kantar’s totals, it is clear that the viewers’ patience are beginning to run thin. As a result, some have begun to tune out in favor of ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’, who suddenly proved to be more formidable than GMA’s previous efforts.

It would have made sense if ABS-CBN ended ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ at its peak. Instead, the show is expected to end with a whimper, unless a memorable and well-written ending is made to finish the show the same way they started: as a big hit with viewers.

Filling the shoes of ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ will be very complicated, so good luck to the Kapamilya network in trying to sort this out.

Going through the rest of ABS-CBN’s weekday morning lineup post-‘Umagang Kay Ganda’, there are more problems to consider. With the exception of ‘The Singing Bee’, all other programs seem not up to par with the standard of excellence that ABS-CBN is trying to create.

‘Kris TV’, for example, has not been a success ratings-wise. While it is obvious that Kris Aquino does not want the show’s schedule to move considering her endless amount of demands in her contract, it would be of the best interest for ABS-CBN and herself to change ‘Kris TV”s timeslot to something more viewer-friendly, that is, if Kris finally loosens the grip.

As for the re-runs, it is still puzzling to see why ABS-CBN decided to re-air them, despite the presence of Jeepney TV and Hero on SkyCable. They could have used this time period to air a new Koreanovela or some new anime, but instead they meekly go throwback mode in the same manner as GMA’s overt dependence on classic animes.

That said, the time to rebuild weekday mornings is now for ABS-CBN. It may be very difficult considering the circumstances, but it’s the best that they can do in hopes of earning some respect in this timeslot.

So good luck to them in making this work.

If ABS-CBN and GMA Traded Shows…

Mr. Bean will return to ABS-CBN, but the character may be better off showing his comedic artistry to the Kapusos at GMA 7.

While watching a Tagalized and ‘intentionally’ edited episode of ‘Spongebob Squarepants‘ on ABS-CBN, I saw a program advisory at the bottom promoting the return of the Mr. Bean series on the Kapamilya network. Ok, that’s a given, because they need a program to fill in the usually off-peak early morning schedules. But Mr. Bean? You got to be kidding.

Mr. Bean, as I know, has been the property of ABS-CBN for a decade now. It began airing on Studio 23 on Saturday nights, with the animated shows in the morning. Then it was moved to the main Channel 2, and aired sporadically on weekday mornings, regardless of the live or animated version. Before that it used to air on PTV 4 and ABC (now TV5).

I always don’t like the way ABS-CBN aired Mr. Bean. They tend to edit some skits and combine one from a particular episode with another from a different episode. Worse, they only allotted 15 minutes of airtime, as opposed to the 30 minutes in a full episode. The airing of Mr. Bean on the Kapamilya network is both an insult and a disgrace to loyal Mr. Bean faithful.

So what if ABS-CBN and GMA traded their morning programs for each other? It has been well-documented that a few shows would move from one station to another in order to either give way to other programs or to purchase airing rights for future production. I have seen several programs air on both Kapuso and Kapamilya stations; programs such as ‘Eat Bulaga‘, ‘Meteor Garden‘ and ‘Rosalinda’ come to mind. But if I were the boss of either networks, I would suggest that ABS-CBN must give up Mr. Bean and send it to GMA, and in return GMA will trade rights for the animes such as ‘Pokemon’, ‘Dragon Ball’, ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ (Ghost Fighter), ‘Slam Dunk’ and others in exchange for ABS-CBN’s ‘Digimon’, ‘Naruto Shippuden‘ and others. Of course, I would like to see a different morning look in both the Kapuso and Kapamilya stations.

In the meantime, ABS-CBN and GMA will continue to air ‘boring’ programming during the off-peak morning hours. Unless they make up their minds and trade their programs for each other, weekday mornings will continue to remain that way: ‘boring’.