Ties and tenets of local TV’s new Teleserye Culture

So many teleseryes are being produced these days, that they have pretty much taken over the local programming scene, with multiple drama series being telecast throughout the day.

They have radically altered the entire complexion and makeup of local television, to the great prejudice of other program types, which should be adequately represented on the TV spectrum for the industry  to live up to its promise to provide the viewer with balanced programming that positively impinges on his entire person.

So, why do our TV networks do it? Because it enables them to make a lot of money and to trounce or at least keep  up with the competition?

Even more relevant is the question: Why are they allowed to get away with it? Because industry and government overseers do a poor job of upholding viewers’ rights.

So, why do viewers take it with nary a peep of protest? Because they don’t know their rights—or don’t care enough to uphold them. A pretty odoriferous kettle of fish all around!

The teleserye glut has become so pervasive and overwhelming that it’s created a new pop-cultural phenomenon, which we’re dubbing our very own Pinoy Teleserye Culture—the first in the world, how about that?

Like other sub-cultures, it has evolved its own rules, conventions and preferences, which have radically altered the practice and very nature of dramatic entertainment in these parts.

What are some of its key innovations? For one thing, real drama generally no longer exists on the tube, it’s almost totally been replaced by melodrama, which upholds the excessive display of emotion for emotion’s sake, not to develop an organic plot, character or theme.

Due to the shallow and over-the-top nature of the new “teleserye culture,” characterizations have become so obvious and high-strung that even our best actors can no longer come up with a truly deep and moving portrayal. Since everything is for show and for effect, they are limited to depicting lurid types instead of real people.

Worse, hit teleseryes are extended for months, way beyond their original story arc’s intentions, so new and even more high-strung conflicts have to be thought up to keep viewers interested.

As a result, characters are made to do contradictory things, never mind the established rules of logic and believable development and motivation!

Faced with the impossible task of making sense out of a senseless situation, even our best talents end up simply going through the overwrought motions—and crying all the way to the bank!

Worse, teleserye culture has made negative motives and hidden agendas “interesting” instead of reprehensible. Decent, “ordinary” people are now regarded as boring, and viewers are much more strongly attracted to scandalous characters and outrageous conflicts—siblings versus siblings, children against parents, rich vs poor, and villains and viragos having the run of the place!

Good still triumphs over evil at the very end, but only nominally, so—and floridly nasty characters are conveniently made to repent—after having the time of their lives!

If the teleserye situation is so dire, what does the future hold for us? We pray that viewers will soon get tired of all those lurid clichés, and ask for real drama and believable characters, so that genuine sense and sensibility will finally return to our fractured and fractious screens—and other program types can once more be given their due!