‘Duel at high noon’ for competing TV shows

Last Saturday, the already intense “battle” of the noontime TV shows was pushed up another notch when “Eat Bulaga” staged its in-show talent tilt finals involving some of its many cohosts, which “It’s Showtime” tried to counter with its own “Clash of Celebrities” “mash-dub” competition.

To score an added advantage, “EB” featured a rare full performance number by “Yaya Dub” (Maine Mendoza), who along with Alden Richards has boosted the GMA 7 show’s ratings in a big way for the past two months.

ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime” has tried to counter with its own “reality” search for a boyfriend for “Miss Pastillas,” but the jury is still out on the effectivity of that gambit.

In any case, last Saturday’s “duel at high noon” was more between the competing shows’ respective talent tilts, and it soon became clear that the production numbers in the “Bulaga Pa More” tilt were bigger and had better production values that its rival.

Some of them were even scarifyingly “buwis-buhay” (dangerous) in their all-or-nothing attempts to edge the other numbers out on point of audience reaction (—don’t try this at home!).

The standout numbers were performed by Paolo Ballesteros in all his cross-dressing and “aerialist dancing” glory; Ruby Rodriguez being hurled this way and that by many cheerdancers, despite her daunting weight and girth—and child sensation Ryzza Mae Dizon doing a “split-gender” mash-up of songs by Elvis Presley and Beyoncé!

Complicated routine

On point of surprise value, it was Ryzza’s number that stole the show, except for the fact that it went on and on, until it overstayed its welcome. Still, the juvenile performer should be credited for getting the complicated routine down pat.

As for Yaya Dub’s number, it should have been the highlight of the “finals” show, because her full-performance appearance was such a rare and thus big event on the program.

However, it turned out to be not as creatively conceptualized and well-executed as it should have been, so it was roundly upstaged by Paolo, Ruby and Ryzza’s showcases.

For the record, it was Paolo’s number that deservedly romped off with the top prize. But, the entire tilt last Saturday was a superior achievement, all told.

On “It’s Showtime,” the competing numbers were similarly diverting, but less memorably staged and performed. Still, viewers were impressed with the droll way in which some of the numbers did montages of miniscenes that visualized a constantly repeated word in a lip-synced song, like “Push Mo Yan, ’Te.”

Another witty series of scenes took humorous liberties with the most serially repeated word in “Next In Line.”

It doesn’t look like the “Yaya Dub” phenom will end its successful run anytime soon (what with her mysterious mother about to enter the picture)—so each Saturday will continue to be celebrated as a special “week-sary” on the show—a reality that “It’s Showtime” will just have to factor into its own production and counter-gambit reality.

What new brainstorms will both shows come up with to further make this Saturday sizzle? Abangan—at panoorin!