When enough is too much

For more than three months now, the daily “AlDub” kalyeserye on “Eat Bulaga” has been delighting viewers with its serio-comic tale on “forbidden” love.

But, the lovey-dovey couple’s main oppositor, Lola Nidora, has finally approved of their budding romance—so, what happens now?

Last Monday, a sad portent emerged from the installment for the day, which once again had Lola on “virago” mode, peevishly miffed as heck over Alden’s having misplaced an all-important ring, which ostensibly meant so much to her and her snobbish, snitty clan!

Is this what’s going to happen before the kalyeserye finally, anticlimactically ends—that Lola will periodically be made to revert to her nasty ways and throw new wrenches in the path of the sweethearts’ romance?

Will she do this whenever needed to profitably stretch the conflict even more? Well, the new “missing ring” problem introduced last Monday failed to ring our bells.

If and when that ring is found, what will Lola think up next to rationalize the nth extension of the kalyeserye—a life-threatening illness? Yet another kidnapping? —Conclude the extended storytelling already, before it completely overstays its welcome.

Of course, AlDub’s many fans will disagree, because they’re happy just getting their daily fix of the trouble-prone romance, even if it’s getting to feel like a twice- or thrice-told tale.

OK, extend the story all you want, but keep it fresh and interesting, not just one trite and predictable complication after another. Given the miniseries’ already lengthy run, that’ll take a lot of creative doing.

Incidentally, lead players Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza are currently starring, not just in their kalyeserye, but also in many new TV-film commercials, for which they must be earning additional millions!

Flavors of the month

Good for them, but why are they the flavors of the month of the local advertising world? Because they’re newly popular, so the “old” products they endorse are given a fresh and trendy look and feel, even if no big changes or improvements have been made on some of them.

In this regard, last Monday’s “EB” telecast was an impressive showcase because, at one point, it featured many of AlDub’s new commercials—back to back! First came a milk ad, then a chicken meal, then a soft drink, a sardine brand, a cell phone, etc.

For good measure, the series of spots was followed by a plug for a beach resort. It didn’t star AlDub, but it did feature two of the miniseries’ comedians, Wally Bayola and Jose Manalo, whose own careers have also been boosted by the kalyeserye’s success.

Make no mistake, we congratulate all of them on their series’ unexpected popularity—but they have to know when enough is—too much!

Read more...