Variety spices up new entertainment slate

PASCUAL AND PANGANIBAN. Team up in “Every Breath You Take.”

Everybody is watching TV these days, but the shows we view are stultifyingly predictable and limited in terms of program type: There are teleseryes, news and public affairs programs, cooking shows, lots of “imported” productions, but precious few local talk shows and “niche,” specialized programs.

Clearly, local TV programming is in a comfy, “commercial” rut, so it’s great to hear that, starting this month, a more varied slate of TV shows will start telecasting.

Topping the list is TV5’s new talk-variety-magazine program hosted by Sharon Cuneta. From past experience and evidence, we know that she’s a dependably talkative chatfest host, so the conversations that will ensue should at least be diverting.

Also on our should-see list is the new “Pare” talk-variety show that GMA 7 has lined up for popular hosting and comedy teammates, Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. Greater variety and unpredictable surprises are promised, and that’s all to the good.

Question

Which leads to the question: When will Edu Manzano also be given a chance to do what he does best, and host a new TV talkfest? Other stars with the gift of interesting gab include Mitch Valdes and Ali Sotto. New shows topbilling them should turn out to be winners, too.

And, thinking really far-out now, has anyone ever thought of coming up with a talk show for the adult Niño Muhlach? He was such a diverting chatterbox when he was 3 years old—maybe that rare ability is still there, in evolved form, just waiting to be tapped?

We trust that the incipient trend to revive talk on the tube catches viewers’ fancy, so that local TV programming becomes less limited and predictable.

Thinking of other program types now, here’s another brainstorm: If the musical-variety format revived by Sarah Geronimo’s new show catches fire, the  next such program should be hosted for GMA 7 by Rachelle Ann Go.

We’ve seen her sing, dance and talk on quite a number of shows, and she comes off as a young standout who deserves her own program. Just last week, we caught her performance in an extended “smorgasbord” musical number featuring a dozen other female singers, and she was the talent who stood out most, along with Aicelle Santos.

‘Every Breath You Take’

On the big screen, the notable production to view is “Every Breath You Take,” starring Piolo Pascual and Angelica Panganiban. Initially, it comes off as a regulation rom-com topbilling the usual contract stars of a major studio.

But, there are intimations of something different and perhaps edgier going on, and the relatively small production could emerge as big movies’ version of an indie film. We could be wrong, but those intimations are interesting enough for us to give the flick a hopeful look-see when it opens.

On the small and big screens, variety is the spice that will keep us from nodding off on a permanent basis. Vive le difference!