A 3-way ratings race

Author: ISAH V. RED
Column: Life & Entertainment

It seems that the television landscape suddenly changed when ABC-5 faded out last week and TV5 faded in with brand-new shows meant to unsettle the now predictable ratings race between the two giant networks--ABS-CBN and GMA Network.

Whence several years ago, a TV addict is either a Kapamilya or a Kapuso, these days we should be anticipating a new groupie, a moniker of which has yet to be invented, cheering the new look of the once-ignored and nearly forgotten channel.

ABC-5, the corporate entity that still legally owns the franchise to broadcast, has, according to its CEO, Antonio (Tonyboy) Cojuangco (yes, he is Gretchen Barretto's much- touted treasured companion, so far,) invested millions of pesos for a new transmitter to ensure the make-over (in terms of program content) will not be for naught.

Already, some TV addicts are saying the signal (on antenna-fed broadcast) has improved considerably.

What's on TV5

Christopher Sy, TV5's main man, has been working day and night trying to come up with programming strategies to face the daunting challenge of breaking old viewing habits with shows meant for a more sophisticated youth nurtured in the culture of music videos, online gaming, Internet chatting, and maverick fashion sense.

And his creative team, mostly independent content providers (or what we knew eons ago as blocktimers), has come up with interesting formats, though untested with an audience that has been fed with nothing but mushy melodramas with murky plotlines and meandering narrative, should be able to shore up decent figures in the ratings in the next couple of months.

Monday to Friday, TV5 goes head on with the bigger networks, and we hope the retooled ABC 5 would be able to shake the solid ground upon which the two giants are trying to wrestle each other for bigger slice of the audience pie.

On Mondays, Paolo Contis (on loan from GMA-7) stars in the horror series, Midnight DJ. He is joined by Desiree del Valle (whose career is like a pendulum, sometimes she is Kapuso, but most of the time Kapamilya, and now trying to be a "shaker") and trying-hard to be controversial Jenny Miller (she tried to make a mountain out of a molehill during the Belo anniversary party with a less-than-dramatic encounter with Valerie Concepcion). On Tuesdays, TV5 gets literary with Love Books Presents. The series adapts romantic novels to a four-part episode the first of which is Have Baby, Will Date by Andrea Pasion. The televised version stars Valerie Concepcion, TJ Trinidad, Beth Tamayo, and Bobby Andrews.

On Wednesdays, the channel focuses on the glamorous life of models and model-wannabes. Audiences will be taken behind-the-scenes of a talent agency where only the bold and the beautiful survive. Resident hunks Dominic Ochoa and Bernard Palanca, the next IT boy Joem Bascon, well-known model Bruno Folster, dusky Krista Ranillo, lovely Valeen Montenegro and striking Ina Feleo star in Hush Hush.

Rakista, about people in rock music, shakes on Thursdays. Quark Henares directs the series with Carlo Aquino and Denise Laurel. With rock bands in every episode plus the coolest soundtracks, this unique teen show will steal the attention of rocking and rolling Pinoy youngsters. Quark has been inspired by the very daring 9 Songs. If you still don't know about it, go ask your favorite DVD vendor for a copy of Michael Winterbottom's sexually explicit film that fuses rock music and erotica.

Batang X, the movie by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, returns as a TV series on Fridays. It is now called Batang X: Next Generation with Gallaga and Reyes still at the helm and with a new batch of kids in the cast: Charles Hilado, Joshua Dionisio, Alec Romano, Jeon Macatangay and Angeli Gonzales.

New in local programming (which I have been suggesting to both networks before the advent of TV5) is "catch-up TV" on weekends. This means that if you missed your favorite shows on weeknights, you can watch it on Saturday noon (Midnight DJ ) and at 1 p.m. (Hush Hush).

Those who missed Love Books Presents can tune in at 12 nn on Sundays, and also those who missed an episode of Rakista and Batang X, the shows are being encored on Sundays as well at 1 p.m.

Now, this is going to be an interesting development to watch. Will TV5 catch up on the audience share of either ABS-CBN or GMA? And what if it does? Will the two networks start revamping their management to give way to young and more progressive minds?

Gabby on a roll

Believe it or not, Gabby Concepcion's fans are experiencing some kind of an epiphany. They trooped to the Music Museum in the last two weekends making his first ever concert in the Philippines a resounding success, considering he doesn't have any previous experiences as a performer on stage, and a singer at that.

Fans (and new admirers of this fortysomething matinee idol) scooped up all the tickets available at the concert venue's box office and ticket outlets and filled up the music hall to the rafters.

Well, that should make Gabby happy. His show will have an encore, I am told, but in cities outside of the Philippines. There's even one, I guess, in Toronto sometime in October or November.

Recently, Gabby also agreed to put his face in the point of purchase materials for I/M, the new line of men's casual wear exclusively available at the SM Department Store.

Last Sunday, as early as 10 a.m. people massed at the gates of The Block at the SM City North Edsa where Gabby was expected to meet his fans from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

An exhibit featuring the photos taken by Mark Nicdao were put up on exhibit, while Gabby signed autographs.

Someone, I guess, isn't too happy with Gabby's second wind, and I'm not saying who.

Enchanting Charlie Green

Eleven-year-old Filipino-British Charlie Green recently visited the Enchanted Kingdom and treated the audience to a storytelling session with the park's in-house artists playing the roles of the various characters in the tale told by Charlie.

The celebrity storytelling is part of EK's advocacy wherein a participating celebrity gets to choose a charitable institution of his choice. Kids of the chosen beneficiary are then given free snacks and admission in the park.

After the storytelling, Charlie wowed the crowd as he sang to them several songs. The audience got so enchanted that they screamed "more, more, more" until little Charlie gave in to their unrelenting request.

Charlie expressed his delight in being invited as a celebrity storyteller and promised that he will return to EK on his next visit to the Philippines.

Life-changing haircuts

I just had a haircut at the Aqua salon in Trinoma (thank God the stylists aren't the usual limpwrist-cutting lot that Ricky Reyes institutionalized) and became more convinced, after watching You Don't Mess with the Zohan, that real men are better stylists than half-men.

Anyway, this also led me to ask myself, is my haircut doing anything for me?

The same question and more, like, could you do with a little more volume here, a little trim there? are being answered in the new issue of Metro hiM, the magazine for men published by ABS-CBN Publishing.

The magazine says that a few snips can make a world of difference in a man's hairstyle, and his overall look and confidence.

The four-year-old bimonthly features an 11-page special on hair, including styling solutions to facial features one wants to hide, the seven hair sins, and eight hair make-overs. There is also a special report on hair loss: the available solutions in Manila, the costs, the side effects and the view from the experts.

This new Metro hiM is graced by four of Manila's top male models on the cover: Victor Basa, Mikee Carrion, Carlo Adorador and Trishan Cuaso, a distinguished group of the modern Filipino man who reveals there is more to them than their good looks--they're funny, smart and have had their hearts broken. Which are the same qualities one will find in Rocky Salumbides, quite possibly the most successful Filipino male statuesque of the moment. Rocky, who recently signed up with Ford Models Inc., appears especially in the magazine's fashion story on the best rainy weather looks.

Win tickets to the Big Dome

Araneta Center is giving all its patrons the chance to win tickets to the season's biggest shows with the Araneta Center Win Tickets Promo.

For every P500 purchase at any Araneta Center establishment, you will be entitled to the chance to be among 10 winners of two tickets each to the Center's big shows.

All you need to do once you make your purchase is fill out raffle coupons at the redemption booths located at Gateway Mall, Ali Mall and Farmers Plaza.

Get to win tickets to watch Avril Lavigne (Sept. 3), Al Jarreau and George Benson (Sept. 8), Petula Clark (Sept. 13), and our very own the Apo Hiking Society (Sept. 20) at the Big Dome!

This promo runs until Sept. 16 only.

Nick paints the country orange

It's no extraordinary school year without the merry slimin' Nick cheer! That's why, Nickelodeon is coming back with the pack to slime the students silly. And this time, Nick Takes Over Your School invades the whole country!

Nick Takes Over Your School is a nationwide program dedicated to promoting fun, sportsmanship, team spirit and physical challenge among students and their mentors through clean and good fun. Now on its fifth year, more and more Pinoy Nicksters are getting geared up to be "Nick-ified." This time, Nickelodeon will go around Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and will paint 17 campuses orange.

Unique games, funky prizes and surprises, plus mess after gooey mess await all students. And because it's not really a Nick day without the kids' favorite Nicktoons, kids will be joined by SpongeBob SquarePants, Danny Phantom, Aang of Avatar, Dora the Explorer and Diego to celebrate the school invasion. And on this day of fun, students do not only get to rule their school, they also make friends or teammates out of their teachers.

So if you think school can't get any cooler, think again! You'll be sure to have the slime of your life right in your own school grounds. So, Nicksters, brace yourselves for an intensely out-of-this world Nicksperience.

Source: Manila Standard Today