No Surprise: Aljur Abrenica Joins ABS-CBN

It was a transfer three years in the making.

On Monday, July 31, former GMA contract artist Aljur Abrenica officially joined ABS-CBN in a deal that was of no surprise to everyone. Welcoming him on the Kapamilya camp are ABS-CBN executives and producers Laurenti Dyogi, Deo Endrinal and Cory Vidanes.

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Visitor of the day @ajabrenica with ABS-CBN bosses Deo Endrinal @montie08 Lauren Dyogi @laurentidyogi and Cory Vidanes @cvvidanes

A post shared by EJS (@ericjohnsalut) on Jul 31, 2017 at 1:33am PDT

A GMA contract artist and a ‘StarStruck’ alumnus for 11 years, Aljur’s tenure with the network has had some ups and downs. While the early part of his career was a fruitful one with a few successful projects, the last few years saw his stock drop dramatically.

In 2014, Aljur filed a petition to rescind his contract with GMA Network in hopes of restarting his career. Although Aljur and GMA settled the dispute nearly two years later, it was clear that his popular appeal was waning.

Proof of that was Aljur’s final GMA project ‘Once Again’. Paired alongside Janine Gutierrez, Aljur’s swan song turned out to be a bust, as ‘Once Again’ lasted only 59 episodes and was completely overwhelmed by the LizQuen-starred ‘Dolce Amore’.

Aljur was given no further projects by the network following the failure of ‘Once Again’, and his contract officially expired in March 2017. A few months later, speculation run rampant when Aljur suddenly appeared inside the ABS-CBN compound, hinting at the possibility of joining the network.

Although Aljur has yet to ink an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN, the network said a few projects and appearances are lined up for the actor. That said, it is likely that Aljur will be seen on ABS-CBN noontime shows ‘It’s Showtime’ and ‘ASAP’, and talk shows such as ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ while his upcoming projects are being planned.

There is also a possibility that Aljur and brother Vin will be seen together, but that will be for another time. In any case, Aljur’s decision to join the network should help resurrect his career, given that ABS-CBN has had a reputation of reviving an artist’s declining fortunes.

It remains to be seen if Aljur will be the latest in a series of Kapamilya reclamation projects, but with the right mindset, he could be on the path back to success. Good luck.

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Early Live Edition of Bandila Part of DZMM TeleRadyo’s New Slate of Programs

Two editions of ‘Bandila’ begins tonight.

ABS-CBN announced that ‘Bandila’ will now be seen and heard on DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 and DZMM TeleRadyo at 10:00 p.m. starting later tonight. The newscast will continue to air live on Channel 2 after ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’, marking an unprecedented milestone in which one Filipino late-night newscast has two live editions spread across two channels.

Both editions of ‘Bandila’ will be anchored by Julius Babao, Karen Davila and Ces Oreña-Drilon. The newscast is now ABS-CBN’s longest-running Filipino-language late-night newscast, having first aired in 2006.

In addition to ‘Bandila’, DZMM TeleRadyo will air five different programs at the 2:00 p.m. slot on weekdays. They are:

• Rated K (Mondays)
• Matanglawin (Tuesdays)
• Ipaglaban Mo (Wednesdays)
• SOCO: Scene of the Crime Operatives (Thursdays)
• Mukha (Fridays)

Both ‘Rated K’ and ‘Mukha’ are also seen on ABS-CBN Channel 2 and the ABS-CBN News Channel, joining ‘Sports U’ and ‘My Puhunan’ as the only shows to air across three Kapamilya channels. ‘Matanglawin’, ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ and ‘SOCO’ also air on Channel 2 during weekends, with the latter having its own radio program on Saturday nights.

These programs will only be seen on DZMM TeleRadyo (radio listeners will still hear ‘Dr. Love: Always and Forever’ on the said timeslot). DZMM TeleRadyo will likewise continue to air TV-exclusive current affairs programs at 9:30 p.m. on weeknights (radio listeners will still hear ‘Usapang de Campanilla’ on that timeslot).

According to ABS-CBN, the addition of these programs are part of DZMM’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its programming as strives to deliver the best and most relevant news content for Filipinos all over the nation round-the-clock. Not only that, DZMM’s increased presence in radio, cable TV and digital TV (via ABS-CBN TVPlus) made it possible to add new shows exclusive to the channel.

The addition of ‘Bandila’ and five other ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs programs is just the continuation of DZMM TeleRadyo’s ongoing evolution. After ten years, this channel is no longer a mere simulcast of an AM radio station, but rather a more hybrid and complete news channel in more ways than one.

Tonight with Boy Abunda Turns One

‘Ang Probinsyano’ is not the only primetime program with a one-year anniversary celebration.

On the same night Coco Martin made his television return as a crime-fighting cop, Boy Abunda decided that he’ll be better off working on a talk show alone. His show, ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’, premiered on September 28, 2015, replacing ‘Aquino & Abunda Tonight’ which he co-hosted with erstwhile ABS-CBN star Kris Aquino.

Initially thought of as a ‘transitional’ show, ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ managed to stay on the air longer than anyone could have imagined. The show was a decent hit in the ratings, even though late-night television tends to draw fewer viewers at this point in time.

Throughout the past year, ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ provided some memorable interviews with several of the country’s top subjects. The anniversary episode last Wednesday was no exception, as Boy’s guest Amy Perez talked about the latest news of her life and career.

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Kagabi sa TWBA: Chang Amy Perez with the King of Talk! Ibinahagi ni Amy na ipagdiriwang nila ng asawa niyang si Carlo Castillo ang kanilang 10th anniversary as a couple this year.

A post shared by Tonight With Boy Abunda (@twbaofficial) on Sep 29, 2016 at 12:19am PDT

In an age where late night talk shows are a rare breed in the country, ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ continues to stand tall. Although the show lasts for 15-20 minutes, the time duration is more than enough for Boy to grill his guests with the same explosive style that he has been known for all these years.

The seeming seriousness of the show may be intentional at times, but ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ has quietly carved out a loyal following since its premiere. And while the show is not as ‘comedic’ as other talk shows, Boy’s knack for bringing out the best in his subjects will always be an asset.

Now that it is on its second year, expect more explosion and revelation on ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’. The show may have survived its first year, but the best is yet to come.

KPC to Stay Despite Premiere of Temptation

‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ will remain on GMA Telebabad for the next two weeks.

The said movie block will stay on the lineup despite the premiere of the Koreanovela ‘Temptation’. The latter, starring ‘Stairway to Heaven”s Cholo and Jodi (Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo respectively), will air starting tonight after ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’.

The reason behind it is that ‘That’s My Amboy”s premiere will not take place until January 25. ‘The Half-Sisters’, an ongoing Afternoon Prime series that also starred Barbie Forteza and Andre Paras, will air its final episode this Friday, and premiering ‘That’s My Amboy’ tonight would cause a conflict of interest.

Keeping ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ would also maintain the balance of GMA’s Telebabad lineup in check. However, this won’t help the viewers of ‘Saksi’, as they will be forced to watch the newscast at a much later time than usual.

Over the next two weeks, ‘Temptation’ will air five times a week, a rare occurrence for late primetime Koreanovelas on Telebabad. It will air Mondays to Thursdays at 10:45 p.m., after ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’, and Fridays at 9:15 p.m., in between ‘Because of You’ and ‘Bubble Gang’.

This means that every Monday to Thursday will see ‘Temptation’ go up against both ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ and the early part of ‘Bandila’, while on Fridays, it will go up against ‘On the Wings of Love’. While they may have a chance to win from Monday to Thursday, albeit with a reduced viewership, the same probably can’t be said for Friday.

Of course, this will only take place for the next two weeks. Once ‘That’s My Amboy’ premieres, expect ‘Temptation’ to revert back to a four times a week broadcast on the late primetime slot.

With that, here is the GMA Telebabad lineup for the next two weeks.

5:45 p.m. – The Producers

6:30 p.m. – 24 Oras

7:45 p.m. – Little Nanay

8:30 p.m. – Because of You

9:15 p.m. – Kapuso Primetime Cinema (Mondays-Thursdays)/Temptation (Fridays)

10:45 p.m. – Temptation (Mondays-Thursdays)

Quite a mess for GMA Telebabad to start the year. But oh well, good luck.

GMA Brings Back Kapuso Primetime Cinema

Once again, GMA is making some radical changes to its Telebabad lineup.

Just recently, the network announced that they will bring back the transitional movie block ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’. The re-premiere of the said movie block will take place on November 9, replacing the Koreanovela ‘Legendary Women’.

It can be recalled that GMA aired ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ two years ago, following the conclusions of ‘Genesis’ and ‘Akin Pa Rin ang Bukas’. GMA’s intent of airing ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ at the time was clear: to capitalize on low advertising revenue during the Christmas season and to give more time for the production of upcoming teleseryes.

As it turned out, the move backfired. Replacement dramas ‘Carmela’ and ‘Rhodora X’ failed to bring the desired results, and GMA was left wondering why their ‘Kapuso ang Una’ battle cry did not work out.

This year, GMA opted for a more different approach. Instead of replacing the network’s teleseryes like they did two years ago, they decided to place ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ on the timeslot normally reserved for Koreanovelas.

One possible reason for the move is that GMA intended to air ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ in order for ‘Saksi’ to match up better with ‘Bandila’. The presence of ‘Pinoy Big Brother: 737’ and ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ has led to a later-than-expected airing for ‘Bandila’.

There is one problem, however. ABS-CBN has announced that a fifth teleserye (‘You’re My Home’) will air on Primetime Bida at the conclusion of ‘Pinoy Big Brother: 737’, and as a result, a hopeless situation now awaits GMA and its embattled fanbase.

That said, GMA needs to realize that they need to concede defeat than continue their already lopsided rivalry with ABS-CBN. It is clear the both networks are headed into opposite directions, and with ABS-CBN already more dominant than ever, GMA knows that an overhaul is more than necessary at this point.

Boy Abunda Goes Solo Starting Tonight

The spotlight every late weeknights now solely falls on Boy Abunda.

Starting tonight, Abunda will be the host of the now-retitled ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’, which will take over the timeslot of its predecessor ‘Aquino & Abunda Tonight. This comes after erstwhile co-host Kris Aquino left the show due to health concerns.

‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ will carry some of the elements from its predecessor, except that Abunda will be joined by some guest commentators who will analyze some of the hottest stories today. As always, interviews with some of the country’s headliners will highlight the show, with the participation of viewers via social media.

While the transition to Boy Abunda going solo will not be a problem (he’s already used to hosting solo on ‘The Bottomline with Boy Abunda’), there is one problem concerning the title of the show. Some viewers may think that ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ is related to GMA News TV’s ‘Tonight with Arnold Clavio’, despite its differences in format.

If ABS-CBN were smart enough, they could have promoted Boy Abunda’s new daily solo show as a spin-off to ‘The Bottomline with Boy Abunda’. Perhaps ‘The Daily Bottomline’, ‘Bottomline 15’ or ‘The Bottomline in 15 Minutes’ would have been a more appropriate title, isn’t it?

Or they would just rename it as ‘ 15 Minutes with Boy Abunda’. Either way, ABS-CBN would have been more creative if they created a better program title instead of copy-pasting one that is already used on another network.

As for Kris Aquino, her departure from the show leaves her with just one program in ‘Kris TV’. Perhaps it’s only good for her to do only one show, given the recent health scares that affected her, not to mention other projects not related to television appearances.

All 15 minutes of Boy Abunda on his new show should be interesting. Let’s see how it pays off.

‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ airs weeknights after ‘Pinoy Big Brother: 737’ on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida.