What to expect in 2014; GMA risk- taking pays off

MANILA, Philippines - There were “hits and misses” in 2013, but GMA Entertainment TV was happy with the bold programming risks it took in the year that was.

“Of course, if you look at the whole year, there were hits and misses and it was also very challenging,” said Lilybeth Rasonable, SVP for Entertainment TV, during a presscon announcing the Kapuso network’s first-quarter drama programs. “But what is sure is that we have put up a good fight. We have many successful TV shows on primetime like Mundo Mo’y Akin, AnnaKarenNina and of course, My Husband’s Lover, the most successful of them all, and what was more important for us, to drive home the point to the televiewers that GMA Drama always comes up with groundbreaking (projects). We changed the (TV) landscape, we’re proud to say that with My Husband’s Lover.”

Rasonable admitted that they toyed with the idea of doing a Book 2 to My Husband’s Lover because of a “strong clamor” but did away with it because aside from the pressure of trying to outdo its forerunner, “Kailangan alam mo rin kung ano ang ikukwento mo na hindi mo pa nakwento.”

GMA also defended another daring move it made in the last quarter of 2013, the apocalyptic drama Genesis. “Genesis was really a short-run soap to begin with,” said Rasonable in reaction to speculation that it was cut short purportedly because of ratings and the “ill-timing” of its storyline.

The pilot episode of Genesis featured an earthquake, and it so happened a 7.2-magnitude quake hit Visayas, then the series shot a tsunami scene and Supertyphoon Yolanda, which brought tsunami-like storm surges, tore through central Philippines.

“(The coincidence) was really uncanny and kind of strange,” Rasonable said, “admittedly, we tempered it after that. But (Genesis) was an old concept that we thought we’d take a risk on because it’s a disaster soap, apocalyptic soap, and it was a risk we bravely took. It didn’t do naman bad... if anything it showed how good Dingdong Dantes is as an actor. We just build on that and learn from the risks we took.”

As they take on the new year with a brand-new line-up of programs, Rasonable said, “We’re now concentrating on improving the quality — whether that is storytelling or maybe a casting combination or a timing or programming issue, yun yung mga nag-vow kami na di namin uulitin so it’s different elements in creatives or production.”

Nevertheless, they consider 2013 as successful “most especially (because we’ve shown that) we’re not satisfied with doing just traditional drama, (with usual plotlines) naghahanap ng nanay, nawawala ang tatay, sampalan dito, kidnapan dun. Of course, when you take risks, sometimes those risks don’t succeed. But that’s the risk you have to take when you do something new. And this 2014, that’s the challenge posed by what we did in 2013: We have to do something that will again challenge us to present something different to the audience.”

The most novel, perhaps, among the newest offerings (at least in terms of casting) is Carmela, the primetime opening salvo on Jan. 27, which experiments in the “unconventional” first-time pairing of Primetime Drama Queen Marian Rivera (recently named Most Favorite Foreign Actress in Vietnam’s Today TV Face of the Year Awards) and Alden Richards, whom AVP for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy described as the next big leading man of the network. “We wanted to come up with a different love story wherein the woman is older and the man is younger, that’s really the concept,” Sy said. In real life, Alden, 22, is seven years Marian’s junior.

Another primetime opener is Rhodora X which will be the reunion soap of pioneering StarStruck batch members Jennylyn Mercado, Yasmien Kurdi and Mark Herras. The show also stars Mark Anthony Fernandez.

Formulaic themes like love, deception and obsession are tackled in The Borrowed Wife, which stars Camille Prats, TJ Trinidad, Rafael Rosell and Pauleen Luna, and premieres on Jan. 20.

Another upcoming series is Kambal Sirena, which casts Louise delos Reyes in her first topbiller sans her popular love team partner Alden. It is also expected to attract comparisons with ABS-CBN’s revival of Dyesebel.  

Explaining why Louise was chosen to play the coveted lead, Sy said, “It’s about time to elevate her.”

Rasonable added that the thrust of the network is to develop more artists, and Kambal Sirena “aside from it showing skin, is an acting piece” because of the dual characters Louise has to flesh out. “With Louise, even when she wasn’t in GMA yet, we already saw that she has the acting talent. We started giving her more challenging roles and she delivered. It’s just right that we give her this project.”

Other teleseryes in the offing are Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw starring Kristoffer Martin and Kim Rodriguez and the afternoon series Innamorata topbilled by Max Collins and Luis Alandy.

Conspicuously absent in the roster of stars in the first-quarter dramas are My Husband’s Lover’s trio Tom Rodriguez, Dennis Trillo and Carla Abellana. “They cannot be idle so we have proposals for each of them,” said Rasonable.

Another familiar face who might make a TV comeback this year is Sarah Lahbati. After a public “spat” with her mother network last year, Rasonable revealed  that they have been talking anew with the StarStruck alumna for a possible return. It will be recalled that the network and Sarah filed charges against each other, after the latter wanted to be released from her contract in late 2012. Said Rasonable, “Because we’re managing her, we still have to take care of her career.”

Gigi Lara-Santiago, AVP for Alternative Productions, added, “(Sarah is) staying fit, she’s preparing to come back. We’ve been talking about what projects she wants to do, open naman kami for her to do stuff outside if that’s what she wants.”

Rasonable also confirmed that they are having talks with Maricel Soriano as well as Robin Padilla but for a guesting only in his daughter Kylie Padilla’s teleserye Adarna, but denied having any with Willie Revillame (after he wrapped up his TV show on TV5).

They were also clueless and surprised about Kris Aquino’s much-buzzed-about “transfer” to GMA over the holidays. The Kris rumor surfaced amidst reports that TV5 chairman Manny V. Pangilinan is negotiating again with the Kapuso network.

But Kris, who is vacationing abroad and initially left people guessing, had already said on social media that she has remained Kapamilya but admitted to having talked with MVP but not with anyone from GMA.

Rasonable said, “Because we knew it wasn’t true, we didn’t mind the (rumor) that much.”