Last Saturday’s “Maala-ala Mo Kaya” episode started out as a quietly and deeply moving dramatization of the tragic story of a mother (Ai Ai delas Alas) who went crazy, and subjected her husband and children to great pain and misery.
When we watched the premiere episode of “Bayan Ko” on the GMA News Channel, we wrote glowingly about it, categorically citing it as the best TV drama in town. Privately, however, we fretted that, as usually happens in these parts, the hard-hitting political drama could end up being watered down, or losing its firm focus, or resting on its laurels.
The biggest success story of the current TV season in the States is the unexpectedly strong showing of the limited drama series, “The Bible,” which has been viewed by more than 80 million people on the History channel. The series has been sold to 13 other countries, so its success story will continue to be told.
We were shooting the breeze with some psychologists last month, when the casual talk and banter veered more productively to a discussion about TV shows’ ability to “teach” viewers how to live their lives better.
Janice and Gelli de Belen have been stellar performers for many years, but it’s striking to note that the star siblings are currently having one of their best years yet. —Time for some sibling revelry, indeed!
Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Andi Eigenmann were given attention-calling and challenging lead roles in their new co-starrer, “A Secret Affair,” but they all fell short, and the “passionately” romantic film’s viewers were the poorer for it. —What went wrong?
NOW that Iza Calzado has moved over to ABS-CBN, the channel has been resolutely trying to beef up her reputation as a topnotch actress. It’s latest effort in this regard was her stellar portrayal on “Maala-ala Mo Kaya?” last Sept. 15.
AS the storytelling on “Lorenzo’s Time” continues to unfold, we are heartened to note that its dramatic musings about time, age, youth, love and related topics are proceeding apace, hopefully to viewers’ benefit.
MANY new teleseryes start out with a big bang, then quickly deteriorate into predictability and confusion, as their initial focus and impetus are compromised by contrary inputs and afterthoughts. It’s still early days, but we trust that “Be Careful with My Heart” will be able to resist and avoid that standard tailspin, because its first telecast last July 9 was a bright and breezy treat.
SHAKESPEARE said it first: All the world’s a stage in which we are merely players. These days, however, the teleserye craze has influenced our view of life so much that, in some instances, real events play out or are perceived as “reality TV’s” versions of soap operas!
THE first telecasts of the new soap, “Walang Hanggan,” attracted quite a lot of viewers, who were drawn to the debuting teleserye by its potent mix of come-ons, led by the pairing of two thespic icons, Susan Roces and Helen Gamboa (with Eddie Gutierrez thrown in for good measure) and the revival of the ’80s love team of Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez.
LAST Jan. 31, we were among the “lucky” few to be invited to preview the pilot episode of the hit HBO drama, “Luck,” starring Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and other proven talents. The show elicited our special interest because it’s about racing, and racehorses have impressed us ever since we were invited to “go to [...]
