AGUSTIN. Portrays a bullied boy who’s given a pet colt.
So many new teleseryes are surfacing on the small screen that viewers are having a hard time telling them apart from each other. To make the task easier, each new drama series is given a “hook” or unique selling factor.
For instance, on “Little Champ” on ABS-CBN (before “TV Patrol”), the signature attraction is: Talking horses!
—That’s it: Like “Francis, The Talking Mule” and “Silveria” decades ago, this new series for young viewers and the whole family is about a bullied boy (JB Agustin) who is given a pet colt that turns out to possess magical powers to protect and defend other victims of juvenile violence and harassment.
The series’ initial telecasts briskly established its back story, showing that the colt had a racing champion for its father, but its mother was “only” a native mare, so its prospects for greatness were deemed nil.
Thus, when the colt’s “powers” eventually come to the fore, they prompt young viewers to “realize” that even unheralded creatures, like the colt and his little, bullied master, have the stuff of potential heroes in them!
—That’s an inspiring thought, but we hope that the series vivifies it in terms that are not too “fantasticating” to be believed!
“Little Champ” stands out from other series because it’s set on a ranch for racehorses. The expansive views liberate the production from the stultifying “studio” look of some other shows.
“Little Champ” is more difficult to shoot than some other series, because of its extensive use of horses. It’s hard to make even trained animals move and “act” on cue, so some of its scenes come off as awkwardly staged. Specifically, the digitized way the show makes horses’ mouths open and close as they “talk” is patently fake.
Other productions like “Babe” that feature talking animals use a more sophisticated digital animation process, so the effect is more natural and believable, but it could be too pricey for a local TV show to employ.
As for the performances in the new show, new child star JB Agustin’s portrayal of Caloy is relatively natural, and we also like it that he doesn’t come across as the usual “pretty-boy tisoy” type that’s favored in these “colonial” parts.