Novel reality series vie for viewers’ attention

MICHAEL V. Hosts Pinoy version of “dreaded” or “dreadful” singing tilt.

Don’t look now, but TV5 is about to come up with a Pinoy version of the “dreaded” or “dreadful” novelty singing tilt, “Killer Karaoke.”

Set to start telecasting on Nov. 16, the local edition has Michael V. on top of its proceedings as the new show tries to top the US original’s sadistic schemes to (painfully) prevent contestants from singing a song straight, from start to finish, despite their best and most masochistically resolute efforts!

That sounds like a lot of sadistic “fun,” but we wonder how in blazes the local edition will be able to upstage—and out-ouch!—the original.

After all, the US show has already resorted to all sorts of eeky, yucky, scary and painful ploys to foil its contestant-victims’ best efforts and survival tactics, including ripping away all their body hair and zapping them with jolts of electricity as they act as waiters and try to serve a full-course dinner and sing at the same time!

What keeps us hoping for the best is Michael’s presence. Surely, he will make sure that his new show does not disappoint?

Unsolicited advice: To rack up viewership credits and plaudits of its own, imitating or emulating the original show’s already successful gambits is not the way to go!

Family frolics

Another new production that some viewers are eager to sample is the Gutierrez family’s reality show shot on a posh cruise ship’s Asian tour. Billed as the Philippine version of the US TV’s omnipresent Kardashian clan, the Gutierrezes are similarly in-your-face in projection, and cannot be denied—or ignored!

GUTIERREZ. Member of highly visible and voluble show biz clan.

The prospect of seeing them interacting and getting into each other’s hair and soup in the close confines of a cruise ship’s cabins is decidedly appealing.

True, Ruffa and her extended family have been such public figures that viewers think they know most anything about them, but surprises and even shockers may be in store, so the novel reality miniseries is a should-see.

To be sure, this isn’t the first time that a show biz family has allowed TV cameras to poke their cold, hard noses into their private affairs. Some years ago, Joey “Pepe” Smith and his children similarly bared, if not their bodies and souls, at least some of their private activities and “issues” for “uzi” viewers to gawk at and go tut-tut over.

But, the Gutierrezes are even more antic and possibly frantic than the Smiths, so on with the show!

Other highly visible and voluble show biz families we’d like to see on local “reality” TV include the combative Barrettos, the peripatetic Padilla clan, the edgy Eigenmanns, Pilita and her progeny—and all of the Magalonas!

—Well, we can dream, can’t we?