Good for the soul

AUNOR

Time was when Holy Week gave our TV people permission to take a long break, with networks either shutting down or screening old “bathrobe” dramas.

Of late, however, the TV biz has become so eventful that more “inspirational” films, religious documentaries and spiritual drama specials are being produced and shown.

Last Holy Week, for instance, we dutifully took note of the special movie events that featured Nora Aunor’s starrer, “Himala,” and Vilma Santos’ counterpart acting showcase, “Ekstra.” Also choice was the screening of Laurice Guillen’s “Tanging Yaman,” which never fails to move and inspire viewers to want to become better people.

Featuring standout performances from Gloria Romero, Johnny Delgado, Edu Manzano and Hilda Koronel, “Tanging Yaman” is inspired by the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, which is made relevant to today’s times and issues.

The recent visit of Pope Francis prompted the production of many documentaries, some of which were replayed last Holy Week. Series like “Superbook” and “Catholicism” were also shown.

SANTOS

Marathon screening

Uniquely interesting and instructive was the marathon screening of “Oh My G” last Black Saturday (12 noon to 6 p.m.). The teen series is about God’s abiding presence in a young girl’s troubled life, so it’s deemed “just right” for spiritual viewing.

Even more uniquely “swak” or appropriate for Lenten viewing is the GMA 7 series, “Pari ’Koy,” which is about a parish priest who gets involved in the messy lives and conflicts of his “colorful” parishioners.

Last Holy Week, the series made it a point to tackle controversial issues like baptism for illegitimate children, and all-too-human and flawed parish lay leaders.

All of these more varied and dynamic viewing options are welcome, but we hope that the success of series like “Pari ‘Koy” and “Oh My G” will make TV producers realize that they don’t have to wait for the Lenten session to conceptualize and produce TV drama series and films that address man’s spiritual concerns, rather than just his fixation on melodrama.

As theater artists who create religious plays and musicals have long realized, there’s a huge audience out there that’s spiritually hungry for artistic “nourishment” that’s—good for the soul!

For instance, our most popular religious musicals have been viewed by as many as 7,000 viewers for just a single performance. Even the biggest and most star-studded commercial shows would have a hard time topping that!