Back to Zero: Kapag Nahati ang Puso Exits with No Replacement in Sight

Consider this yet another epic series of failures for GMA in the late-morning slot.

On All Souls’ Day, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ will air its final episode. But without a replacement in sight, all signs point to ‘Kapuso Movie Festival’ taking over its soon-to-be-vacated timeslot.

‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’, which starred Bea Binene, Benjamin Alves, Sunshine Cruz, Zoren Legaspi and Bing Loyzaga, first premiered on July 16, 2018. Unlike its predecessors ‘Ang Forever Ko’y Ikaw’ and ‘My Guitar Princess’, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ had a more serious and darker tone.

While it enjoyed a decent 80-episode run, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso”s overall performance did not inspire confidence from its audience. ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ averaged a mere 10% in the ratings, even though it came close on a few occasions to beat ‘Sana Dalawa ang Puso’ and ‘Playhouse’.

Suffice to say, the change of strategy did not affect GMA’s fortunes in the late-morning slot. Once again, GMA management has to wonder why this timeslot continues to frustrate them at every turn.

Looking back at the three previous attempts at unseating the likes of ‘Sana Dalawa ang Puso’ and ‘Playhouse’, it was clear that GMA was scared to compete from the start. Let’s face it, both ‘Ang Forever Ko’y Ikaw’ and ‘My Guitar Princess’ were epic failures just by looking at its respective number of episodes.

If a drama series only finished at 38 and 50 episodes, then it is obvious that something is wrong. Either that GMA is not convinced enough that both are compelling or is not satisfied with the production.

Then again both series were produced by GMA Public Affairs which is infamous for short-run dramas. Still, its intent to air for a brief period is inexcusable considering the circumstances.

In fairness, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ ended with 80 episodes which is a slight improvement. Then again, its ratings were not that impressive and GMA realized that late-morning dramas are not their bread and butter.

Perhaps GMA should just stop this charade and go back to airing ‘Kapuso Movie Festival’ in that timeslot. The network simply had no chance there; not even blocktimer TAPE can help them.

This Friday, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ will conclude its run. But don’t expect GMA to give it a proper farewell because they are in no mood to do so.

Update: The Koreanovela ‘Woman of Dignity’ will replace ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ starting Monday. Still, this is a clear sign of GMA once again conceding to ABS-CBN when it comes to the late-morning slot.

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Kapag Nahati ang Puso: A Worthy Challenger or Another Footnote to Sana Dalawa ang Puso

This time, GMA is taking things seriously to the late-morning slot.

After failing to hit paydirt with the light romantic comedy ‘Ang Forever Ko’y Ikaw’ and the light musical drama ‘My Guitar Princess’, GMA decided to go with a much heavier approach. The new series, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’, is uncharacteristic for a late-morning drama in which the story is more serious and emotional.

Coincidentally, ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ will star Bea Binene, who will once again encounter the faces of ‘Sana Dalawa ang Puso’ in Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap. The last time JoChard and Bea faced each other was in 2012, when the former’s ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ sent the latter’s ‘Cielo de Angelina’ packing after only a few weeks.

And much like their previous encounter, JoChard’s light-heartedness (with some sprinkling of Robin Padilla in between) will clash with Bea’s serious and dramatic demeanor. So how will this latest installment play out?

But back to ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ in general. In the series, Bea plays Claire, a young woman who grew up without any memory of her parents.

Her biological mother is Rio (Sunshine Cruz), a simple island beauty who soon falls in love with Nico (Zoren Legaspi), a rich and happy-go-lucky tourist from Manila. However, Nico’s ex-girlfriend Miranda (Bing Loyzaga) thwarted their relationship, causing Rio to lose her family and leaving Nico to take care of Claire.

When Rio later returns to the Philippines a successful woman, she and Claire cross paths not knowing that the latter was the former’s mother. Both would end up falling in love with Joaquin (Benjamin Alves), and along with a jealous Miranda, will soon threaten to destroy both of their lives.

Also part of ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ are David Licauco, Raquel Villavicencio, Robert Ortega, Sharmaine Santiago, Geleen Eugenio, Nar Cabico and Freddie Webb in a special participation. The series is directed by Gil Tejada Jr.

Considering the streak of good fortune for ‘Sana Dalawa ang Puso’, GMA will once again be hard-pressed to give this series a run for its money. That said, the network can only hope that ‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ will not turn into yet another 35 or 50-episode bust of its predecessors and instead become a decent 80-episode series that viewers will always talk about.

‘Kapag Nahati ang Puso’ airs weekdays before ‘Eat Bulaga’ on GMA.

Wildflower’s Wildest Finale

‘Wildflower’ is coming to an end.

Friday night will mark the finale of this top-rating ABS-CBN series. In a run that spanned 257 episodes, ‘Wildflower’ became a big hit in more ways than one.

Premiering on February 13, 2017, ‘Wildflower’ became the first ABS-CBN drama to air in the 5:50 p.m. slot since ‘We Will Survive’. From episode one, the series ran roughshod over the competition, constantly earning ratings in the 20s while occasionally hitting the 30s.

As ‘Wildflower’ continued to reign over its timeslot, the confrontations between Ivy Aguas/Lily Cruz (Maja Salvador) and Emilia Ardiente (Aiko Melendez) also became viral on social media. Various news topics were lampooned using screenshots of Ivy/Lily and Emilia either strangling, shouting or slapping each other in the face.

Throughout its run ‘Wildflower’ saw its fair share of cast members arrive and depart. While the core cast features Maja Salvador, Aiko Melendez, Joseph Marco, Tirso Cruz III, Sunshine Cruz, Christian Vasquez and RK Bagatsing, the series also received a few contributions from the likes of Roxanne Barcelo, Dawn Chang and Zsa Zsa Padilla.

Despite its lengthy run and constant ratings success, it was too unfortunate that ‘Wildflower’ will not be able to join the ‘one-year club’ that featured fellow ABS-CBN dramas ‘Ang Probinsyano’ and ‘Doble Kara’. Friday’s ending will put them two episodes short of the anniversary mark.

Even viewers of the series found it hard to accept that ABS-CBN will pull the plug on ‘Wildflower’ after such a long run. In fact, ‘Wildflower”s ‘The End is Near’ teaser last January was trending on social media, with many clamoring for an extension which was never materialized.

Still, ‘Wildflower”s accomplishments were hard to deny. The series’ presence made the early evening slot of Primetime Bida relevant again, and Maja Salvador’s portrayal of Ivy/Lily only enhanced her craft as an actress.

Veterans such as Sunshine Cruz, Tirso Cruz III and Aiko Melendez were also given a second wind in their careers thanks to their portrayals of Camia, Julio and Emilia respectively. Even a cameo appearance by Zsa Zsa Padilla as Red Dragon was good enough to convince viewers that she is still a dependable actress.

Overall, ‘Wildflower’ is such a good series that reliving all 257 episodes on iWant TV would be more than enticing. Indeed, this series typified the ‘wild’ in every sense of the word, one that is unpredictable, moody and crazy to look at.

This Friday should be a wild finale for ‘Wildflower’. Enjoy the show.

LizQuen Returns via Dolce Amore

LizQuen is back, on the small screen that is.

The celebrated love team of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil has a new drama series coming up this Monday, as ABS-CBN launches ‘Dolce Amore’. The said series will take over the timeslot of ‘Pangako Sa ‘Yo’, who ironically replaced the LizQuen-starred ‘Forevermore’ nearly ten months earlier.

In ‘Dolce Amore’, Liza (as Serena) and Enrique (as Tenten) were raised without the guidance of their real parents. Serena grew up in Italy by her adoptive parents, while Tenten’s youth was spent in an orphanage.

Their worlds would soon collide once Serena landed in the Philippines. While searching for answers regarding her origins, she unexpectedly met Tenten, and the pair’s lovely adventures would soon take off.

Also joining the cast of ‘Dolce Amore’ are Matteo Guidicelli, Cherie Gil, Ruben Maria Soriquez, Edgar Mortiz, Rio Locsin, Kean Cipriano, Sunshine Cruz, Andrew E and Frenchie Dy. Mae Cruz Alviar and Cathy Garcia-Molina will direct the series.

Based on the love team’s success in ‘Forevermore’ and in the movies ‘Just the Way You Are’ and ‘Everyday I Love You’, ‘Dolce Amore’ is expected to become a hit anew for ABS-CBN. This should pose a problem for its upcoming rival, GMA’s ‘That’s My Amboy’, which has struggled out of the gate since its first week.

But while the series is poised to continue the recent winning streak of other ABS-CBN dramas, it will also face a lot of scrutiny. Just last month, an open letter addressed to co-director Cathy Garcia-Molina accused her of cursing and disrespecting two ‘Forevermore’ cast members, a accusation she denied.

Expectations aside, ‘Dolce Amore’ should give the LizQuen tandem an opportunity to expand their repertoire as actors. After breaking out in ‘Forevermore’, a more experienced and mature Liza and Enrique awaits viewers come this Monday.

‘Dolce Amore’ premieres February 15 after ‘Ang Probinsyano’ on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida.

Three Teleseryes Debut on ABS-CBN This Monday

A trio of Kapamilya teleseryes will be launched on the same day.

To kick off its 2015 slate of new programs, ABS-CBN will have its ‘Kapamilya Thank You Day’ on January 19, and as part of the occasion, three teleseryes will have their pilot episodes aired throughout the day. The new teleseryes are:

Flordeliza

Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin will headline this upcoming teleserye, making it their first project together on the Kapamilya side since 2002. They will be joined by Desiree del Valle and child actresses Ashley Sarmiento and Rhey Bustamante.

‘Flordeliza’ will focus on two families whose daughters will become the best of friends, only to be torn apart by a heartbreaking revelation. The title itself will be based on the names of the aforementioned lead cast.

The series will also feature Carlo Aquino, Elizabeth Oropesa, Tetchie Agbayani, and Juan Rodrigo in supporting roles.

Oh My G!

Once a supporting cast member of ‘Be Careful with My Heart’, Janella Salvador will now headline her own teleserye with ‘Oh My G!’

The new series will focus on a teenager’s struggles following the death of her parents, and is said to be inspired by the teachings of St. Teresa of Avila.

Joining Salvador in the light-hearted series will be fellow ‘Be Careful’ castmate Marlo Mortel, ex-‘Pinoy Big Brother’ housemate Manolo Pedrosa, and veteran actors Sunshine Cruz, Dominic Ochoa, John Arcilla, Edgar Allan Guzman, and Janice de Belen.

Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita

‘Pinoy Big Brother’ housemates Jane Oineza, Loisa Andalo and Joshua Garcia will be front and center on the upcoming series ‘Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita’.

The series, which focuses on a daughter’s search for her lost father, will be based on the 1986 film of the same name.

Written by famed scriptwriter Ricky Lee, ‘Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita’ will also feature Vina Morales, Denise Laurel, Christian Vasquez, and Jerome Ponce in supporting roles.

Notwithstanding their dominant performance the previous year, ABS-CBN knows that there are still some improvements to make. The afternoon block Kapamilya Gold, for example, has been left in ruins thanks to the network’s decision to air ‘Kapamilya Blockbusters’ in the midst of rival GMA Afternoon Prime’s string of success.

That said, bringing Kapamilya Gold back to relevance will be ABS-CBN’s priority for the early part of the year. Two of the three new teleseryes will likely be seen in the afternoon, while one will take the place of the seasonal drama ‘Give Love on Christmas’, whose finale will be aired this Friday.

For ABS-CBN, a good start to 2015 is all they need to keep the streak of good fortune going. And three teleseryes premiering on the same day is a great start.

Two Asianovelas Debut on TV5; Pure Love Premieres on ABS-CBN

The season premieres of ‘Face the People’ and ‘Let’s Ask Pilipinas’ begin today, but these are not the only shows that Kapatid fans look forward to.

TV5 has announced that ‘Bride of the Century’ and ‘Two Guys, Hot Ramen’ will also premiere today. The two Asianovelas were slated to air at 9:00 p.m., but due to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals being extended to another game, they will be aired at 7:00 p.m.

‘Bride of the Century’ and ‘Two Guys, Hot Ramen’ will be the first Asianovelas aired on TV5 since ‘Likeable or Not’ early this year. The two shows’ premieres are part of the Kapatid network’s ‘Signal No. 5: Umuulan ng Saya’ campaign for the third quarter of 2014, which included both upcoming and returning shows.

Pure Love Premieres Today

Former Kapatid star Alex Gonzaga makes her debut as a leading protagonist on an ABS-CBN teleserye with ‘Pure Love’. The Filipino adaptation of the Koreanovela ’49 Days’ will replace ‘Mirabella’ starting today.

The original Koreanovela series first aired on the Kapamilya network in 2011, and received decently high ratings throughout its run.

Also starring in the remake are Arjo Atayde, Yam Concepcion, Yen Santos, Arron Villaflor, Joseph Marco, Matt Evans, and Anna Luna. Providing supporting roles in the series are Sunshine Cruz, John Arcilla, Anna Capri, Bart Guingona, Dante Ponce and Shey Bustamante.

The younger sister of Toni Gonzaga recently left ‘Pinoy Big Brother: All In’ to concentrate on her role in ‘Pure Love’, as well as one of the co-hosts of ‘The Voice Kids’. Prior to ‘Pure Love’, her previous acting experience on the Kapamilya network were on ‘Gokada Go’, ‘Pangarap ng Bituin’ and ‘My Girl’.

‘Pure Love’ premieres tonight before ‘TV Patrol’. The teaser to the upcoming series can be viewed below.