Focus on ‘gray’ characters–for a change

We’re heartened to hear that ABS-CBN is coming up with a new drama series, “Written in Our Stars,” in which the four principal players are “gray” characters—meaning, they aren’t the usual black-and-white, either completely good or bad people usually preferred by teleseryes.

This preference is due to the simplistic belief that local viewers want everything laid out for them clearly, with no contradictions to confuse them, because they aren’t bright or sophisticated enough to figure things out otherwise!

It’s great to see that some TV people no longer feel limited by this narrow view of human nature, and believe that viewers will be fascinated by having to understand and empathize with “flawed” characters who aren’t consistently “good” or “bad” from beginning to end!

“Written in Our Stars” top-bills Piolo Pascual, Jolina Magdangal, Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga—a formidable stellar combination that should excite viewers.

In particular, the new show is a boon for Milby, who has been “missing in action” from the big and small screens for too long.

His new show should have him intoning Tagalog lines with no more concessions to his Filipino-American origins. After all, it’s been years and years since he launched his local career, so no more balikbayan roles and Taglish dialogue, please.

Focusing on Jolina, it’s great to see that the “returning” star has a follow-up vehicle to her afternoon series, “Flordeliza.” This proves that her old and new fans are supportive of her comeback bid, unlike other “mature” stars who try to make it in the biz again, but can’t quite generate the viewership needed to make their return permanent.

Minus Marvin

PIOLO Pascual has newfound edge and bite as an actor.

It’s also instructive to see that Jolina is acting without her “ka-love team,” Marvin Agustin. Her character in “Written” is “unconditionally” in love with Piolo—who however also gets “conditionally” involved with Toni—but they get separated, too—so, it isn’t clear who ends up with whom at the series’ final fade!

Well, that’s all to the good as far as keeping viewers productively mystified and interested goes—so, go for it!

While we’re happy to see that Jolina’s career is again on the up and up, we hope that ABS-CBN also has good on-cam plans for Marvin, even without Jolina. After all, he’s also successfully made his comeback by way of “Flordeliza,” so his follow-up stellar prospects shouldn’t get lost in the studio shuffle!

What about Toni? Her sticking point could be the fact that she’s now a married woman, and it isn’t clear just yet how viewers will “take” her in that new context, especially in a romantic drama like this new series.

Let’s hope that they’re now mature enough to be able to separate fact from fiction, and will not let her new status subject her career to—friction!

Finally, Piolo: He’s just had big-screen success with Sarah Geronimo in “The Breakup Playlist,” so this new drama series could end up as the “exclamation point” that enables him to make the 2015 season his career high!

We trust that his newfound edge, bite and texture as an actor will serve him in good stead in his latest TV drama series—the other leads of which will just have to play their best thespic game to keep up with him!

Enough said?