DryedMangoez Recaps, Reviews and Commentary about Filipino television
Ahead of this weekend’s finale of Top Class, I’ve finally caught up with the Filipino audition program aiming to form the next hit P-pop group. And it’s been pretty good. Both on its own as a TV show and competition as well as a sign of P-pop’s rapid rise. Far from perfect, to be sure. But a solid production.
Last week, I ranted about Philippine entertainment’s seeming regression back towards a duopoly instead of an expansion of potential options. I talked about how the present trajectory of Philippine entertainment, particularly television, was contrary to what the “ideal” scenario would be. But what exactly does an “ideal” scenario entail?
I’m of the opinion that when it comes to television, the Philippines deserves more options. Not less. For almost two decades, the country’s entertainment and news options have been dominated by what has essentially been a duopoly between ABS-CBN and GMA Network. ABC-turned-TV5 has been a distant 3rd, despite multiple stop and start efforts to bolster their position in the industry.
Was it perfect? No. Was it everything I hoped it would be? Definitely not. Was it a refreshing change of pace from the typical Filipino teleserye? Absolutely. GMA Network and Regal Entertainment’s first full series collaboration Mano Po Legacy – The Family Fortune was a breath of fresh air.
October 11, 2013. (October 12, Philippine Time) I posted the appreciation article entitled “From Wowowee to Wowowillie – The End of an Era on Philippine Television… Again”. It was the day of the last airing of Wowowillie on TV5. And it appears today could be the end of another era. And potentially the beginning of a new one?
It’s been a while since I’ve regularly followed a Filipino teleserye. Biggest reason for that is we unsubscribed to GMA Pinoy TV back in the early days of COVID. $14.99 is $14.99, after all, and there wasn’t exactly new programming airing on Philippine TV at the time to warrant the extra expense. There is also an alternative to subscribing, but we weren’t about to watch low quality pirated episodes on sketchy blogs. Watching short, bitin clips on YouTube is never appealing either.
But one new Filipino series has caught my attention. And that is the GMA Network-Regal Entertainment co-production Mano Po Legacy – The Family Fortune.
When it was first announced that TV5 would be airing a Cignal/Viva Entertainment-produced Philippine adaptation of Korean drama Encounter, I was shocked and a little confused. Of all the Korean dramas they could adapt, they chose this Song Hye Kyo-Park Bo Gum romantic drama?
Asterisk Digital Entertainment’s My Extraordinary is both groundbreaking and heartbreaking, as well as maybe a missed opportunity. For being the first BL series on Philippine broadcast television, it is a big step forward for more to come in the future. As a series, it is a heartbreaking, painful, but hopeful story that can be relatable to a Filipino audience. But it also falls short in some ways.
That changed this week with the premiere of My Extraordinary on TV5. The AsterisK Digital Entertainment-produced series is the first original local BL drama to air on Philippine television. And for such a historic first, the series is so far able to rise to the occasion.
TV5 heralded its return to original local entertainment programming with the premieres of the APT Entertainment-produced game shows Fill In The Bank and Bawal Na Game Show. While neither show is going to drive a significant amount of new or returning viewers to TV5, they are both simple and accessible fresh programs during a time when such content is at a premium.