Bea Alonzo, too flighty and shallow para sa papel na book critic!

Author: Billy Balbastro
Column: Take Billy

WE who still believe that soap will always be part of every Pinay housewife�s life and every homebody�s typical day have to thank ABS-CBN sticks it out with old-fashioned soap series like Mga Anghel Na Walang Langit, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin and Vietnam Rose.

And we hope that they�ll feature the old time favorite, Mga Gulong ng Palad, a dear old radio-turned-to-TV soap. In those days, radio soaps were aired at cooking time (10 to 12 in the morning) or after lunch rest time for people at home.

It�s a pity that the Koreans and the Mexicans seem to make better soap for television. Proof: Our networks run many of them and executives of networks tell us that they are "cheaper and better," "with less squalor and more grandeur."

Since some TV bosses have no resources to meet this TV invasion head-on, they come up with fairy tales (Encantadia) and adapted fantasies which retain only titles but change plots all together (Darna, Kampanerang Kuba) to beguile viewers, for the ratings.

It�s time to pat the backs of people who stick it out to all-time soap. They may not soar with the ratings like stories of the flying human machines and talking birds, of enkantadas and enkantos, of magic frying pans and candles, but they stay to be part of our day.

Good news to us is the extension of Maryo J. delos Reyes� Mga Anghel Na Walang Langit for another season. A riveting, heartful stories of children combined together to make an interesting evening series.

Ang galing-galing ng mga bata. Magaling din ang mga ruthless characters (Rez Cortez, Sylvia Sanchez, Cloyd Robinson as Jaguar). And this is a reunion of an old, reliable team-up � Direk Maryo J. and scriptwriter par excellence Jake Tordesillas (creative consultant).

Every episode of Vietnam Rose runs like a movie with Maricel Soriano, Angelica Panganiban, John Estrada and Ricky Davao in lead roles. The pacing adds more interest to the narrative and good visuals.

Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin is enjoyable too although the focus on the John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo can be disarming since Bea as book critic is miscast � too flighty and shallow for the role ang dating sa amin. But a new Diether Ocampo and an inspired Claudine Barretto are worth viewing the soap. Good combination. A love triangle in a restaurant, nice. Angelika dela Cruz is a revelation.

But the character of Hilda Koronel, who�s strong in the beginning and who even storms to Carmi Martin�s love nest and quarrels with her, she having the upperhand, later breaks down when she sees husband Tirso Cruz III in Carmi�s arms in the pair�s lovenest? Parang biglang naging out of character to an alcoholic wife who had seen worst incidents. Mabuti hindi nag-suicide ang poor big rich girl who is Hilda here.

All told, I still enjoy my evenings with soap. Some people behind these shows who think theirs are the best in the land won�t agree with me. But they cannot dispute my assertion that I am a regular viewer of their soaps. And that is the ingredient of good criticism.

Yes, I would rather have these brainless ladies in scenes where kids seem too intelligent (Marianne dela Riva with Dodong, Marissa Sanchez with John Manalo, etc.) than flying humans and underground kingdoms. They make me understand real life and human beings more.

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MAGPAKAILANMAN: GMA 7 takes on real life with stories of people in Mel Tiangco�s Magpakailanman which features Bobbi Mercado�s story tomorrow night.

Strange but in her teens Bobbi � daughter of TV celebrity Eddie Mercado and Vicky who was Mila Ocampo�s sister � was showbiz. Many offers to join showbiz were rejected by her well-meaning parents.

But drugs and staying in the US kept her from the probing eyes of media. A broken marriage, a wayward affair which made her live in the streets, two sons and the recent death of her mom (last May) with his ailing father bring�out�Bobbi Mercado before the cameras tomorrow night.

We just hope that Mel and Argel Joseph will do justice to the tale by telling doses of truth and reality rather than giving us bouquets of paper roses and plastic flowers.

Chynna Ortaleza plays Bobbi while Chinchin Gutierrez, her mom Vicky. Ariel Rivera portrays Eddie Mercado and Dino Guevarra is Troy. Others in the cast: Gio Alvarez, Sid Lucero, Symon Soler and Stella Ruiz.

Source: Abante