The Current State of Philippine Television

The Current State of Philippine Television

From meager beginnings, Philippine television has evolved through the years. Through the development of technology, Philippine TV has been given access to a plethora of international shows. Cable TV has paved the way for the Filipino audience to have the power to choose from numerous television stations to watch.

In the local television scenes, we have seen the emergence of the "Fanta-Serye", or series that now make use of special effects to enhance the show. For instance, in Mars Ravelo's Darna, we see a lot of special effects especially when portraying the given powers of the hero, Darna and her seemingly endless opponents. In "Kampanyerang Kuba", the popular show from rival station ABS-CBN, we often see the metamorphosis of lead actress Anne Curtis from a hunchback to a stunning young woman. In "Encantadia", such applications of technology are seen as well.

Television formulas that worked in the past continue to be employed today. Drama series that deals primarily with a love story or a rags-to-riches theme continue to play on TV. We have seen "Mula sa Puso", to "Pangako Sa Yo" and now "Mga Anghel na Walang Langit", "Vietnam Rose". Filipinos have a passion for love and it is manifested on the shows that are made for them.

Being a nation that loves humor, comedy shows have also sprouted like mushrooms. Shows like "Bora", "Bubble Gang", "The Adventures of Maverick and Ariel" and "Nuts Entertainment" have been household names. These kinds of shows give relief to the suffering people of the country, even for just half an hour.

The competition to deliver the day's news has also stiffened. Most of the broadcast stations have their own news program. ABS-CBN has "TV Patrol", GMA has"24 Oras", Studio 23 has "News Tonight" and ABC 5 has its own version of a news program. In fact, news these days are not only delivered at night but also early in the morning with "Magandang Umaga Bayan", "Breakfast" and "Unang Hirit". News updates throughout the day are also provided by TV stations. In addition to this, TV programs that concentrate on celebrity news and intrigues are also a hit. Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino deliver juicy celebrity news on Sundays with "The Buzz" while Richard Gomez, Paolo Bediones and Pia Guanio deliver their celebrity "chismis" on "StarTalk".

Variety Shows during noon are still popular to this day. Willie Revillame continues to entertain