Over the weekend two shows debuted on TV, one on GMA-7 and another on ABS-CBN. While AGB Nielsen and TNS Kantar Media are yet to release the ratings performance of these shows, feedback from social media have been overwhelming that it is safe to say that both shows were warmly received by television viewers.
MMK with a twist
Or more appropriately, Magpakailanman with a twist is how we can easily describe Dear Uge, touted by the Kapuso Network as the “first comedy anthology show on Philippine TV.”
In Dear Uge, host Eugene Domingo plays Urbana Genoveva Esperanza, a variety store owner who hosts a web show. Like Ate Charo and Mel Tiangco, Uge reads out a letter (email) and gives her advice to the letter sender. But unlike Charo and Mel, Uge has a cameo role in each episode giving audience a taste of her natural comedic flair not just as a host but as an actor as well.
Adding flavor to the interesting show is the inclusion of theater actress Divine Grace Aucina, who herself had broken the Internet when her appearance on Karelasyon trended on Twitter a few months back.
Eugene and Divine, together, change how local viewers consume comedy and it’s rather a good thing. Though the concept of the show is not new at all, the way it is delivered (based on its pilot) is a breath of fresh air. For sure, Dear Uge will not be the last show we would see Eugene and Divine work together.
With Dear Uge, and the program that precedes it, changing weekend afternoon TV landscape, we wouldn’t be surprised if GMA-7’s rival comes up with something similar, which we only hope will give audiences more and better options.
OPM goes global
We liked and shared posts on Facebook showing foreigners singing “Bahay Kubo,” “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko,” Ïkaw,” “Hawak Kamay” and that Pangako Sa ‘Yo theme song to name a few. And who can forget the vocal group The Lettermen who made our kundiman sound classy and sophisticated?
Let’s admit it, we are fascinated when, let’s say a Russian girl or a blue-eyed American man sings OPM (Original Pinoy Music). We feel this sense of pride when foreigners appreciate local songs and sing them with the same sensibilities but with a different accent.
Now, we don’t have to sift through YouTube or Facebook to find foreigners who love OPM because they are now on TV.
Last Saturday, Kapamilya Network introduced television viewers to I Love OPM (stylized as I ♥ OPM: Original Pinoy Music). Hosted by Anne Curtis and comedian Eric Nicolas, I Love OPM, which turns the spotlight on foreigners who can sing local songs fluently.
The show is all good amid having poor production budget. Though some contestants were obviously allowed to audition for entertainment purposes, I Love OPM is a groundbreaking show nonetheless.