That new show on TV
Even if I don’t have the figures, there is no doubt that a lot of people watched the pilot episode of ABS-CBN Cebu’s MagTV last Sunday. Whenever there is something new, people would always check it out for curiosity’s sake. And don’t forget, MagTV replaced the successful talk show Jud Morning. People are intrigued if it will match if not surpass the remarkable performance of its predecessor. Or it will be different from the old format or not.
These are just few of the things that surely crossed the mind of every Jud Morning fanatic who did not miss last Sunday’s MagTV debut. And “does it have something new to offer?” could very well be another question that has fanned public interest in the show.
I love the format. Events now unfold before our very eyes. And it’s not time consuming too. All in all, the pilot episode was glossy and classy. The downside of such format though is sustainability. The rival show, Oi!, which keeps on improving and experimenting every week, tried that format before, but ceased it eventually. Another thing with magazine type of shows is that it’s always canned, taped and edited, therefore it’s hard to determine how much effort the host has put into the end product. When you say edited, it’s not natural anymore as corrections have been done already. That is why I always love it live because it is the real test of guts, talent and grace under pressure.
Back to the pilot episode or to be more appropriate, first issue. MagTV has three main hosts—Charlene Go, Genesis Dacua and Blinky de Leon. There were three features, showbiz (handled by Charlene), Boytalk (how to pursue a girl who is an achiever by Genesis) and Mix and Match (fashion segment by Blinky). All were good topics, but they could have been more interesting and less boring. So if the topic was good, the problem could be with the host. The audio that went with the video was lifeless. I would like to believe it’s the pacing that needs to be corrected.
Blinky was lousy but I could understand her, after all she is a neophyte. And I love her for admitting with all humility that this hosting stint is very much new to her. I could sense her interest to learn it fast and well. Maybe I’m biased when it comes to Blinky because the first time I saw her was when she was a first-time candidate in the 2006 Miss Mandaue, which was won by Nicole Schmitz, I already knew she would be going places. She was oozing with potential. She can dance, sing and talk. She did not place in the pageant but she made a mark in my mind.
While her nervousness showed during that pageant, there was something in her aura that would mesmerize the beholder. Plus, she looks fresh. Therefore, I would say given the proper training, it would not be a surprise if Blinky becomes one of our few fine hosts to date in the local spectrum.
She is also a member of the top print and runway modeling agency, Models Association of Cebu under Chicoy Tomol, so I won’t be shocked if I’ll see her in bigger pageants soon. Since she is doing the ramp in various fashion shows now, there is no doubt her confidence will be given a boost and her runway potential polished.
Then there is Genesis, the only male host of the show, who is no newbie in local television. He was part of GMA Cebu with the defunct Singgit Cebu show a few years back and briefly with “Oi.”After finishing his Psychology course at the University of Cebu, he landed a job at a call center where he is still connected up to the present. Now he is back on TV, and this time at the competing network.
Genesis has gained weight, very much different when he first caught my interest some years ago. Watching him last Sunday did not thrill me. Genesis is eloquent and he still has the boy next door appeal that could tickle the fancy of many among the female species, but his facial expression (read: pa-cute effect) was irritating to the point that it came across overacting. For me he does not need to a make a funny face on camera because he is handsome already he could very well steal somebody’s attention.
He was energetic but I felt it failed to reach the intensity level I was expecting; that kind of level that would keep you glued on the screen and dare not miss a single scene. To be kind, Genesis’ performance in that taped episode was half-baked. I know he could give more and that is what I hope to see in future issues.
The third host is Charlene Go, a former VJ and presently a DJ, who once played villain role in the ABS-CBN Cebuanovela “Summer Sunshine,” that ended last June.Flipping through the pages of the PR materials that landed on my table last week, I came to know that Charlene is tasked to handle entertainment and inspiring features for the show. If that is the case, then Charlene has a lot of homework to do. Why so? For me, her Toni Gonzaga interview was simply a failure. There was nothing to new to it that would draw the interest of the fans of this multimedia personality. To think that Charlene proudly said it was a “one-on-one,” and so I was expecting for a revealing and insightful interview.
But again there was nothing juicy about it. For one, Charlene asked Toni about his ideal man. That was a question that should have been thrown at Toni last year and not recently because the people of the Philippines and those who subscribe to The Filipino Channel abroad know very well that the TV host, actress/ singer is deeply and madly in love with young director Paul Soriano. And the entertainment press had been feasting on the couple’s romance since two months ago.
Obviously Charlene did not do her homework because she excitedly asked Toni about Sam Milby. She inquired if there was something interesting about this Amboy that Toni wanted to share. My dear Charlene Go, Sam Milby is already history in Toni’s life. And Toni even mentioned Paul’s name in your interview but you failed to take that cue. If only you knew the role of Paul in Toni’s life, you could have started from there and came up with the kind of interview that would thrill her fans the more. As Toni has expressed in many interviews, Paul is not just an ideal man, but a “gift, an answered prayer.”
Why am I reacting this way? Simple, as an entertainment columnist and Banat’s Hugyaw editor who is so passionate of my job, I felt that Charlene just thought of showbiz reporting as an easy task that can be accomplished by flashing a rehearsed smile rather than throwing well-researched and sensible questions to the interviewee. She came to the interview unprepared and I hated it because it suggested that she does not value the entertainment reporting business at all. People might think of showbiz as shallow, nonsense and effortless. But I beg to disagree because it takes a lot of hard work to come up with a single article that would appeal to the interest of those who view showbiz news in such way. But with her performance, Charlene all the more put down the image and impression of entertainment reporting. I’m hoping she would do better next time.
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