ABS-CBN AT GMA, MAG-IIWASAN?

Author: Billy Balbastro
Column: Take Billy

FINALLY the competition lines are drawn: After a lot of speculation, the Monday of the forthcoming Valentine week will be big day � no, night � for competing ABS-CBN and GMA 7.

A cry baby in a soap-na-soap series vs. the amazing ladies as super twins.

So it�s Maria Flordeluna vs. Super Twins in primetime evening of Jan. 12. May iwasan kayang mangyayari? tanong sa amin ni Reina Inglatera, our neigHBOr. Malay!

ABS-CBN relies on an old soap, originally in radio more than 20 years ago which later became TV�s Flordeluna which Jun Jison produced with Tony Carandang. Yes, the series which made pre-teen Janice de Belen out of oblivion.

Since they failed to get the right to the TV soap, they banked on radio soap owned by a Cebuano family.

After a nationwide search, ABS-CBN settled on Eliza Pineda to play the young heroine with Nash Aguas as younger brother Reneboy.

Since the soap is a family story, a story of Col. Leo Alicante and his family, its cast is star studded, starting with Albert Martinez, Vina Morales, John Estrada, Eula Valdez and Liza Lorena.

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If GMA�s Super Twins reminds you of an earlier Chinese soap series Amazing Twins, its director Dominic Zapata insists such is only coincidental since they have an original story in this drama-adventure.

Forget Captain Barbell which reminds us of Smallville and the Superman Story. After all, Zapata who directed that also insists that Superman is a copy of the story of Christ. Oh yes, Christ can fly to the heavens and scale buildings too, the orig Superman!

For a change, Super Twins, with its original story, starring ace stars Jennylyn Mercado and Nadine Samonte, as twins who possess mysterious rings which can transform them into superheroines.

Dennis Trillo makes that powerful discovery possible to make this a basis of a fascinating tale to regale us Monday to Friday evenings.

The "powerhouse cast" includes Patrick Garcia, Camille Pratts, Bianca King, Cristine Reyes, Gabby Eigenmann, Mura, Tanya Garcia, Ian de Leon, Marian Rivera, Luz Valdez and Tetchie Agbayani.

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SHOW NOTES: After the success of their Cebu show, Pinoy Dream Academy Final 6, Yeng Constantino, Jay Siaboc, Ronnie Liang, Panky Trinidad, Irish Fullertin and Chad Peralta bring their Dream Concert Tour to Clark Field, Pampanga on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Tickets to this PDA sa Pampanga show are available at Live Artists (920-2643), Ticketworld, TicketNet, Expo Filipino and Nepo Mall Angeles.

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BOX-OFFICE: The adventure-comedy Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller topped the Philippine box-office with a total gross of P38.66 million during its first five days when it opened last Jan. 24.

The movie is the second No. 1 release of 20th Century Fox after Era-gon which opened last Jan. 8. Glorietta 4 cinema ranked the highest with P1,649,908 gross receipts followed by SM Megamall with P1,640,876.

The movie is now showing nationwide.

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SEARCH: Boylets 2007 search is on at Club Manhunt along Arquiza corner M. H. del Pilar in Malate, Manila starting tomorrow evening.

Ten new faces will be competing in this weekly search. For info, just contact #0927-5358015.

Source: Abante