PHOTO: Courtesy of angeludeleonrivera@Instagram
“Na, na, na, na.. Na, na, na, na, na..”
Every Filipino ‘90s kid knows this opening line from Paul Westerberg’s 1992 hit song “Dyslexic Heart,” the theme song of the most iconic ‘90s teen drama “T.G.I.S” or “Thank God It’s Sabado.”
It had such a huge influence on the youths of the ’90s that 23 years after the show started, its stars still capture the attention of many fans.
Launched in 1995, the drama catapulted the careers of many celebrities who were then in their teens.
Some of the original cast members who comprised Batch 1 included Angelu de Leon, Bobby Andrews, Michael Flores, Rica Peralejo, Ciara Sotto, Raven Villanueva, Onemig Bondoc, and Red Sternberg.
Batch 2 included Chantal Umali; who first shot to fame via the iconic “Goodbye, Carlo” hotdog commercial; Sunshine Dizon, now among GMA Network’s most bankable actresses, as well as Dingdong Dantes, dubbed as the Kapuso Primetime King.
“T.G.I.S” fans won’t forget the iconic farewell line of their favorite Saturday barkada. Flores reminded in his social media post, “So paano mga migs, sa susunod na Sabado ulit?”
Aside from that signature line, they also had a signature gesture, the “group hug.”
The “T.G.I.S.” cast recently reunited in a gathering hosted by Sotto, prompting fans to ask if they will have a reunion movie.
Peralejo reminisced about the good old days, sharing in her post: “ We lived in a very different time. It was when songs didn’t have copyright if you used them on TV, so we had a perfect song for every moment. We also didn’t have internet. The nation watched us on Saturdays. On TV.”
She also mentioned that in her two decades of work in the showbiz industry, “T.G.I.S” would have to be thing that she will always be proud of.
She said she was so “proud to have lived during our time.”
The show’s success led to two movies featuring the entire T.G.I.S. crew: “Where ‘D’ Girls ‘R” in 1996 and “T.G.I.S.: The Movie” in 1997. /vvp