Pinoy pop quiz
Without Googling, can you name Ryan Seacrest’s co-host in the first season of American Idol?
Of course, successfully answering this type of question implies a couple of things. First, that you are old enough to have witnessed the reality juggernaut’s teething years in 2002, when a considerably less curvy Kelly Clarkson became the show’s original champ. Second, that you are geeky enough to actually remember the ephemera you consumed eight years ago. As I am both, here’s the answer: Brian Dunkleman. He left as the series wrapped that year, resurfacing as a contestant on Celebrity Fit Club in 2008 and sliding back into irrelevance soon after. Relax those furrowed brows — his name is not expected to ring any bell whatsoever.
Friends and co-workers are constantly amazed by my ability to store a vast treasure trove of pop cultural crap in my brain and my power to summon them for icebreaker duties. Believe me, a mastery of minutiae does come in handy most of the time. In fact, there’s even a new game show that considers it its raison d’être.
Trivia As Its Beating Heart
ABS-CBN’s Panahon Ko ‘To!: Ang Game Show ng Buhay Ko has trivia as its beating heart. The Kapamilya network’s first all-Pinoy offering tests its contestants’ knowledge of stuff from the past decades and rewards the sharper ones with decent cash prizes.
Of all the segments, “Hot Na Hot” is, to me, the most interesting. Like Trivial Pursuit with hints, three teams try to answer questions about the 1960s to the 2000s. As all major age groups are represented in each squad — one player is age 13-19, the next is 20-45, and third is 46 and above — it becomes a matter of recalling what you were into during your formative years.
That said, the hosting duo of Luis Manzano and Billy Crawford — reminiscent of Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, now that I think about it — lend a friendly fratboy vibe to the two-week-old program. Following their stint at Pilipinas Got Talent, they appear to be the right fit for this latest venture. If the hosts had been younger, Panahon Ko ‘To! would’ve been less credible; if they had been slightly older, the show would’ve resembled a late ‘90s quiz show.
Totally Relevant Timewarp
In a TV genre overrun by dumbed-down adaptations of foreign franchises, Panahon Ko ‘To! is refreshing in that it mixes Filipino pop cultural elements with global ones, resulting in a very enjoyable and totally relevant timewarp. Its competitors on GMA — Wipeout and Hole in the Wall — now come off as unimaginative and dated.
As a person professionally sensitive to nuance, I can more or less guess how old someone is based on his or her pop culture references. (The Internet has done a great deal to school me on past gems and stuff I missed out on, but to repurpose a quote from The OC’s Summer Roberts, “I don’t get references before 1990.”) In my case, I am most familiar with the millennium onwards, as it’s the era that shaped — and continues to shape — my world view. From obscure shows on The WB before it became The CW (Do Over, Grosse Pointe) to this year’s crop of hipster-y bands (The Drums, Bad Rabbits), I think I’ve got that period covered; most Pinoys have a death grip on the ‘80s. I find that oddly fascinating.
That said, I may be forward-thinking, but I’m also a sucker for nostalgia as any other person. But now, with Panahon Ko ‘To! at least, it’s good to know that looking back can also lead to big bucks.
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