Show biz highlights and low blows

Markki Stroem

The show biz year that’s just staggered its tattered way away often felt like a major drag and disappointment, but there were in fact glints of gold among the gray, black and bleak.

So, let’s celebrate them, before we go to the low blows that made 2016 overstay its welcome long before it officially ended:

Topping our “happy and hopeful” list is the Metro Manila Film Festival’s enlightened albeit unexpected decision to go back to the “quality” basics of its original mandate.

Many VIP toes were stepped on, so the refocused festival was expectedly controversial, but it did achieve its heroic objective, to film lovers’ delight.

Also decidedly upbeat was the emergence of new show biz talents whose fledgling careers could turn out to have “legs” sturdy enough for the long haul.

They include Awra Briguela, JC Santos, Darren Espanto, Markki Stroem, Bailey May, Gabbi Garcia, Derrick Monasterio, Aicelle Santos, Benjamin Alves, Julie Ann San Jose, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Sef Cadayona, Kyle Echarri, Jana Agoncillo, Lyca Gairanod, Morissette Amon, Atom Araullo, Julia Barretto, Neil Coleta, Zeus Collins, Joao Constancia, Tristan Ramirez, Tommy Esguerra and Xymon Pineda.

On the international scene, a number of shows turned out to be viewing treats, instead of cheats. They included “Bull,” “Shades of Blue,” “The Good Place,” “MyGrations” and “The People vs OJ Simpson.”

Viewers similarly appreciated the return of the “Star Wars” saga, the live performance of “Hairspray,” and Meryl Streep’s feisty acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.

More: Drake topped the charts for 15 weeks with “One Dance,” Lady Gaga drastically “classed up” her image, and some young comers like Hailee Steinfield and Alicia Vikander came into their own.

On TV, viewers doted on exceptional shows like “Downton Abbey,” “The Crown,” “The Good Wife,” “Game of Thrones,” “Veep,” “You’re the Worst,” “Full Frontal” and “Transparent.”

Now, for the low blows: Locally, teleseryes continue to not just dominate, but rule the TV programming spectrum, from dawn till yawn.

This constitutes direct flouting of the industry rule of balanced programming, so enlightened viewers should protest.

Internationally, some confounding and irrelevant shows cropped up, paced by the reality program on Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna’s insufferably smarmy and soppy saga.

Viewers fervently pray that the infelicitous infant will survive and thrive, despite its “damaged” parentage.

JC Santos

In addition: Too many stars’ demise left fans bereft, especially when Carrie Fisher died—and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, joined her in the entertainment world’s Elysian Fields after just one day.

“Perfect” screen couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt acrimoniously called it quits. Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, and her husband, Kanye West, experienced a psychological and psychotic meltdown.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard also split up, as did Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber, and James McAvoy and Anne-Marie Duff. And Mariah Carey bombed big time in NBC’s New Year “countdown” show.

What a show biz year that was! Can we just pretend it never happened?