Michael V: ‘Bubble Gang’ a reflection of society

Even if TV audiences are quite fickle, GMA 7’s gag show, “Bubble Gang (BG),” continues to tickle. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the show promises not to burst the bubble.

The brains behind the long-running comedy show, Michael V aka Bitoy has “bottomless creative juices.” Kudos to Bitoy and the rest of the “BG” team for keeping Pinoys’ sense of humor alive amid the nonsensical political circus. Thank you, “Bubble Gang,” for the gift of laughter.

Here’s my one-on-one with Bitoy:

What is the secret of “BG’s” staying power?

We always have to be two or three or four steps ahead of our competition. Passion has been developed in the core of our creative group, and I’m working hard to extend that to the whole cast. That’s what “BG” has, which other shows don’t. If you look at your show as a source of income, that’s when it becomes “just another show.” But if you treat it like family…We had no plans of lasting this long, but the show went on and on. The audience liked it! “BG” is a reflection of society. Maybe that’s why we click, because viewers see themselves in our show!

Tell us about the process of conceptualizing the show’s segments.

I believe the creative process can be broken down in four steps: 1) Members of the creative staff bring their ideas to every meeting. 2) We discuss each idea to improve or drop it. 3) Approved idea is assigned to a writer, who will write a script. 4) Actors are given a free hand to do their own take, or add a twist to the script to make it unique.

When “BG” started, all writers wanted to be unique. But sometimes, uniqueness borders on being “weird” which, often translates to “not being funny.” We then agreed that every gag or sketch should have this traditional formula for a joke: setup + punchline = funny.

We agreed to just stick to original material. A lot of them may have been influenced by an existing joke, but we made sure we changed either the setup or the punchline.

Of all the characters you’ve portrayed, which one is your favorite?

Junie Lee is the one that is closest to me. He is the side of me that I don’t want others to see—shy, awkward and unprepared. Just like in Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Proffesor” movie, Junie Lee is Professor Julius Kelp while I play Buddy Love. Junie Lee is the real deal!

How did Ogie Alcasid’s absence change “BG” and the cast?

I had no choice. Ogie needed to transfer. It was more of an obligation for him to help some people. Instead of moping about it, I chose to be professional and go on with what Ogie and I started. I thought of it as a new beginning. I had an epiphany that it’s my mission to train new talents and make something out of them.

How do you and the team handle artistic differences?

By being open to just about anything regarding the show.

What makes your marriage work?

I believe that behind every man’s success is a woman. My wife straightened me out. She has foresight. I used to think I was always right. Women have a certain wisdom that men can’t learn. I guess our personalities and sensibilities complement.

How do you want “Bubble Gang” to be remembered?

A lot of people from different parts of our society look at “Bubble Gang” differently. Some people will remember it as the worst comedy show while some, the best.

What I don’t want people to forget is that “Bubble Gang” was created not to earn money, not to gain ratings and most especially not to promote hate.

At its heart, the show was created to promote and generate laughter. Personally, the only regret I’ll probably ever have is when I can’t make anyone smile anymore.

When I’m gone, I just want the laughter to continue, one way or another. I know it sounds noble, but we all need a good laugh all the time.

Go Rah Rah Kapamilya

ABS-CBN Corporation received the coveted 2015 Agora Award for Marketing Company of the Year from the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) for its innovative, strategic, and effective marketing campaigns.