‘Kris TV’ shows the way

KRIS Aquino and Chiz Escudero on the show’s first episode

He turned out to be an inspired choice, because his taciturn temperament provided a bracing contrast to Kris’ signature breeziness. Best of all, their contrasting personalities sometimes revealed an unexpected compatibility that made some viewers muse, “Hmm, they could end up as good friends—at the very least!”

Both are public figures in the different but not all that dissimilar fields of politics and show business (which have often proven to be not so strange bedfellows).

But while their styles—and lifestyles—are markedly different, what Kris and Chiz share is with-it candidness that made their conversation spark and sparkle with energy and a certain “flirtatious” excitement.

The returning talk-variety show host and her new program’s first guest made for a viewable hour that was made even more eventful by shared activities like cooking and, most unexpectedly and thus really surprising choice, tree-planting!

We want to focus readers’ and viewers’ attention especially on this aspect of the first telecast of Kris’ new show, because we believe that it’s an important and relatively unusual production thrust that should be emulated by other programs.

Much too often, we criticize local shows for being too “diversionary” in their approach, with “shallow” entertainment as their first and last objective, the better to attract more viewers to get higher ratings, which in turn lead to more advertisers wanting to run their commercials on those popular shows.

We submit that what Kris and Chiz did recently is nothing less than another relatively new option that can be beneficial to everyone concerned: Without diminishing the commercial attractiveness of that first telecast of “Kris TV,” it was able to add an extra infotainment element that did the country the service of encouraging viewers to do what Chiz and Kris did—plant tree seedlings.

The feature was made even more valuable by Kris’ candid revelation that this was a new experience for her. But she was able to overcome whatever “ickiness” she may have initially felt, because she understood its “mirroring” value to other people, especially the youth.

This “value-plus” use of television for the good of the environment and Filipino society as a whole is worth underscoring further, because if more TV shows do it, it can help transform attitudes and practices in this country in a substantial way. No extra expense is involved, just the savvy use of popular and enlightened personalities to show viewers the way.

We hope that, at least once a week, “Kris TV” will do other infotainment features as naturally and successfully as its tree-planting “how-to” demo. This definitely is the way to go, and thanks to Kris and Chiz for so winningly initiating it!