Spiritual drama series compared

MARCO Antonio Masa plays “Nathaniel’s” resident guardian angel.

Quite unexpectedly for the cynical times, spiritual drama series have become quite popular on TV, with “Nathaniel,” “Pari ’Koy” and “Oh My G!” inviting viewers to see how God acts in real people’s lives.

“Pari ’Koy” is the most reality-based show of all, with a parish priest portrayed by Dingdong Dantes having to help his parishioners deal with all sorts of tough and believable problems and issues. Trouble is, the series sometimes gets waylaid into repetitive situations that test viewers’ patience and resolve.

For its part, “Nathaniel” has a resident guardian angel who helps even strangers solve pressing problems and become better people.

Its limitation is the excessively easy way that its signature cherub irons out flaws.

This robs the show of the credibility and ring of truth needed for viewers to feel with and for the series’ characters.

As we all know, life is far from easy-breezy, so when a TV series “facilitates” a solution, we look askance—
and aren’t moved.

It would really do the show a lot of good if its sub-stories’ denouements are desperately fought for, instead of just “angelically” achieved!

A third spiritual drama, “Oh My G!,” disarms with its effort to make religious matters and issues understandable and meaningful to young viewers, as represented by its teen lead, Janella Salvador.

This series should be encouraged, because it’s doing something important—and, in a believable way that makes it easy for viewers to implicitly “trust” its straightforward unfolding of events.

True, the show also has a heavenly “representative”—in no less than the Creator himself (Leo Rialp and other actors), but he’s portrayed so insightfully that he definitely doesn’t come across as an abstracted holy “Mr. Fix-It” who too easily solves people’s problems and soothes their raging hearts.

Take one episode’s story: Teacher Ninang (Janice de Belen) was in the Philippine south on a school assignment—and was unexpectedly trapped on her way back to the airport, due to blocked roads from a
supertyphoon.

Naturally, her “adopted” child, played by Janella, as well as Janice’s own children and husband, were fearful for her safety, prompting Janella’s character to accuse “G” of cruelty.

After all, she had undergone all sorts of childhood trauma—wasn’t that enough? Why did the Deity have to keep subjecting her faith to all sorts of tests and blows just to “prove” her fealty?

That question has been asked by many people in the throes of deep and painful problems, so the show’s viewers can readily identify with it.

Another factor working in the series’ favor is its use of social media as its young characters’ “instant” way to communicate with one another. The familiar “language” solidly establishes the show’s proceedings in the here and now—so, all told, “Oh My G!” is the most “accessibly viewable” spiritual drama series around.