Are you excited for Star Cinema's Sa'yo Lamang?

 The 17th anniversary offering of ABS-CBN's film production arm, Star Cinema is Sa'yo Lamang, a family drama directed by Laurice Guillen. It stars a multitude of Kapamilya's biggest stars such as, Lorna Tolentino, Christopher de Leon, Enchong Dee, Bea Alonzo, Diether Ocampo, Zanjoe Marudo, and Coco Martin.

The movie dwells on the return of the character of Christopher de Leon after 10 years away from his family and the repercussions of his return on the family. It is obviously charged with very strong emotions, where each of the daughters and sons of Christopher and Lorna have their own reaction to their father's return. One expresses resentment, another anger, and...you get the point.

Read more to watch the trailer and share your opinion about it.

Match Airing! Another Reason to Send Our Love to Solar's ETC

If you're from countries outside the United States, the legal avenue of viewing your fave TV shows is to wait for your local channels to pick them up, and air them locally, which more often than not, results to a delay of one whole season or a couple of episodes. The other route for avid viewers is to rely on Megavideo or by downloading them via torrents. Often the reason is that people already watched the previous season, so they want to be as updated as the people in the U.S. The challenge then is to air episodes as close as possible to when the show goes live in the U.S, so these channels don't lose viewership.

A couple of years ago, Studio 23 brought us Fresh U.S. Episodes (FUSE), where the delay was only a week or an episode. The consensus was that it was an amazing step towards lessening the wait, but ultimately it was still delayed. And then last year, Solar Entertainment revolutionized S23's F.U.S.E. by way of airing Glee via satellite. In other words, the delay was mere hours! In fact for the downloaders, this would become the easier route, since it freed up storage space, wait time for the download for slow connections, and predictable viewing times!

This year, Solar Entertainment pushes the boundaries again via the shows airing on ETC. Apart from Glee, they've added E! News, the Daily Ten, TMZ, and The Vampire Diaries to this same day airing scheme. Aptly called, "Match Airing," I'm pretty sure this is a welcome relief for avid TV viewers and a definite step forward towards a "smaller TV world."

Good job ETC and Solar Entertainment! You definitely love your viewers!

EDIT 8/24: I forgot they're also airing Gossip Girl on the same day! :)
EDIT 8/26: And of course, I forgot to add America's Next Top Model, How I Met Your Mother, and Hellcats. (That last one surprised me a bit, since it's new and the buzz driving it is Ashley Tisdale cheerleading. The trailer did look good though!)

TV Profile: AMC's Mad Men

Let's venture into some familiar territory. Mad Men has been on the air for the past four seasons, and has been showered with awards and critical acclaim. It won the Emmy for the Outstanding Drama Series twice, awarded by the Screen Actors' Guild for the Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and countless more nominations and wins spanning not just the acting, but the different parts of the production, such as set design, cinematography, and even opening sequence! There is reason behind all this success. Simply put, Mad Men is an amazing and high quality television show!

Mad Men is set in a post-World War 2 world, when Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy were at one point still alive. Smoking could be done inside offices. Drinking alcohol during work hours were acceptable. Oh, and the women and African Americans were yet to achieve equal rights. The story finds it home in an advertising agency, Sterling Cooper, along Madison Avenue, New York. Even then, the frantic and glamorous life of advertising men were celebrated, and at the same time, shown for what it is.

We follow the life of Don Draper, the head honcho in the creative department, and his wheelings and dealings inside the advertising world, and his personal space, his home. The mystery, intrigue, and the interplay of the different facets of the characters bring to life this period piece and the people in front and behind the camera breathes to life the world these Mad Men lived in, and what they had to face.

Let me stick more to what makes the current season of this TV show a must watch. And I definitely think, it's the cast and characters that populate the show!

Read about them after the jump!

Will Nike's Support Turn UAAP Stars Into Celebrities?

There was a time basketball players were popular with everyone. They were celebrities in their own right. Alvin Patrimonio and Benjie Paras even transitioned to doing movies at one point. Patrimonio starred in a movie with Kris Aquino, and Paras has forayed into a full time TV career.

The next wave came when UAAP started airing on Studio 23. They packaged the good looking and talented players from the premier universities, and that gave us James Yap, Chris Tiu, and were instrumental to breathing new life to the PBA. But in recent years, there has been a lack of stars in the UAAP. It could be just a lack of the mixture of a great game and face or just the challenge for marketers to find the right balance of looks and game.

Read more about Nike and watch its unique advertisement after the jump.

TV Guide: ABS-CBN and GMA Are Moving Around Old Shows and Premiering New Shows

There seems to be a wave of changes in the programming of ABS-CBN and GMA. Have you noticed the noontime block of ABS-CBN? They've pushed Showtime to a later time to accommodate a pseudo new entry, Kapamilya Blockbusters, and considerable shortened Pilipinas Win Na Win. So now, we have an 11:45 - 3:00 of Showtime and PWNW to battle it out with Eat Bulaga. They also moved Banana Split to an earlier slot, just right after Simply KC. It seems to me, they're still looking for this show's audience, but can't seem to kill it.

The network has also premiered its new Primetime Bida offering with Cristine Reyes's Kristine, which looks amazing by the way. In the coming weeks, Agua Bendita will be replaced by the kantaserye Sarah Geronimo-starrer Idol. Imortal, on the other hand, seems to be pushed back. By the looks of it, the earliest it can see light would be once Momay ends, and if Noah is bumped off to the pre-TV Patrol slot. (I've been hearing lots of good things from those who are part of the cast. It seems like it really is connected to Angel Locsin's previous teleserye, Lobo. I'll talk about that more once more buzz comes my way.)

GMA, on the other hand, will be introducing a new game show in the next couple of weeks. The show is Asar Talo Pero Laging Panalo and will be hosted by Edu Manzano, who formerly helmed the Game KNB slot that Showtime now occupies. From what I've read about the show, it seems like it's lifting some of the traits from the game show Distraction.We'll also be treated to a new season of Survivor Philippines, which will feature celebrities instead of regular people. They're also building up Glaiza de Castro, as a lead, with her new show, Grazilda, already in production and scheduled to start airing in October.

All in all, the latter half of 2010 seems to be heavier for both networks. As for TV5? They've been ramping up original content, as well. In fact, I caught a promo spot of a new show starring Ryan Agoncillo, as a crossdresser. It's title is Lady Dada.

When's the Premiere of Your Favorite TV Show?

September draws nearer, and you all know what that means?! It's time once again for our favorite TV shows to premiere and grip our hearts and stomachs. So wouldn't it be nice to track the dates when the different TV shows come back? For my readers in the Philippines, you know the drill! Just push back the date by one day. Mark your calendars already!

To help us prep and get excited, I'm posting, as well, the teaser trailers for each show I listed here, as soon as they go live. In other words, I'll constantly update this page for the latest! :)

September 9

The Vampire Diaries

September 13

Gossip Girl

More shows after the jump!

Willie Revillame Will Definitely Have A New Noontime Show

The rumor mill is once again in full swing, trying to pin down where exactly Willie Revillame is headed to. What I'm sure of is that he's definitely planning a new show and the only question is where this new show will be aired. There have been reports that his camp secured a blocktimer agreement with TV5, but that's been disputed by TV5's management. The other options left would be in the other local channels, RPN9 and IBC13. It is doubtful he'll return to ABS-CBN, or GMA, currently the home of Eat Bulaga.

Alongside Revillame is a bevy of people behind the production of Wowowee, such as the show's business unit head, Jay Montelibano and choreographer, Anna Feliciano, and her ASF dancers. Aside from the two, there have been reports that half of the Wowowee staff has joined Revillame and supposedly, Revillame is paying their salaries, which are 20% higher than what they last received working in Pilipinas Win Na Win.

Is this connected with Mariel Rodriguez's indefinite leave from PWNW? Where will this new show air? Will Willie be able to capture the market of his now defunct show?

Willie Revillame was the host of hugely successful noontime show, Wowowee. But he was forced out of the show, when he challenged management to remove one of its other talents for supposedly deriding his show. Before Wowowee, Revillame hosted MTB, but was removed because of his penchant for using off color jokes. Even outside the spotlight, he continues to reap the benefits of his success with a loyal following from Filipinos living abroad to the masa market and his recent foray into real estate via Manny Villar's Vista Land.

Bea Alonzo + Maja Salvador = Bela Padilla

I've caught a couple episodes of Party Pilipinas, and really didn't know much of the names of their hosts. But one host caught my eye. Not necessarily because she was doing a phenomenal job or something extraordinary, but she reminded me of another actress. I couldn't thumb it down and then it hit me! This host looks like a cross between Bea Alonzo and Maja Salvador. Her name is Bela Padilla, by the way.

+ =

Amazing coincidence, wouldn't you say? Do you have other celebrities in mind who look like the fusion of other celebrities?

Jericho Rosales and the New Chowking Tender Beef Commercial

I'm sure you've seen Jericho Rosales's new commercial for Chowking's Tender Beef. Well, if you haven't yet, I've embedded it at the end of the post. I think it's pretty well known that Jericho came from very humble beginnings, and his journey (much like Sarah Geronimo's was) lends well to a cinematic storyline. In this case, the commercial tracks his kargador days. I have no real problem with the advertisement at all, but it did remind me of Jericho's other commercial for Extra Joss. I guess, it's just that the story is essentially the same, but highlights two distinct brand characteristics.

Chowking's Beef Tender TVC


Extra Joss's Bangon TVC


P.S. I love how clean the Extra Joss commercial was. The black & white treatment really transforms its simple look to something very classic and stylish.

The TMZ Clones: Tweetbiz and Dokumentado

Filipino networks have this penchant for copying shows from other countries. We've had clones of Dawson's Creek (ABS-CBN's Tabing Ilog), Dancing With The Stars (ABS-CBN's U Can Dance and TV5's Shall We Dance), and who could forget the many variations of the American Idol done by both ABS-CBN and GMA. From those competitions and occasional dramas, the networks have moved to include the entertainment reporting style of Americans.

If you watch some of the gossip shows, one would notice the similarities with Entertainment Tonight or the Daily Ten. But I think what has caught the Filipino's taste is the satirical gossip reporting of TMZ. To be fair, the original show is a riot, and the concept of making it seem like a conference of the gossip columnists on whether a story is worth a mention on TMZ's website transports us to a behind-the-scenes look on where the gossip is coming from. And of course, I have to mention the sound effects and side comments they always have when they throw the story up into discussion. It always cracks me up when they report on Justin Bieber, they always have this high-pitched voice doing the Bieber voice. Genius!

So what did the two shows copy and scrap? Read after the break!

Top 10 Leading Men in Philippine Entertainment

Let's move on from the Top 10 Leading Ladies, to who I consider to be the Top 10 Leading Men of Philippine Entertainment. For some odd reason, this was a tougher ranking duty. One, there are more male leads than ladies. Two, the eras aren't as clear cut, as many of the actors are able to still carry movies to success, so ages range from the early twenties to the early thirties. Lastly, there is some level of parity after the top three because most are either new to the business or they may be old but are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. To whittle down the list, I'll exclude Aga Muhlach and Robin Padilla and grant them the status of being "In Their Own League."

My criteria remain the same. I look at movies starred in, teleseryes, where they were central to the story, how successful these projects were in terms of box office earnings, buzz, critical acclaim and of course, ratings. The last component would be endorsements held, as this exhibits their crossover appeal, meaning they are not just known by Kapamilyas or Kapusos exclusively. I definitely put greater weight on recent success than past success. Having said that, I made sure I referenced the past, as well.

1. John Lloyd Cruz
The Why: He's leading the pack with a bevy of endorsement deals, numerous box-office hits, and starring roles in high rating teleseryes. He slowly transformed himself to a bankable leading man from his days as Rovic in Tabing Ilog. His success was tied to the Bea Alonzo-John Lloyd love team, but with the success of the Sarah Geronimo-John Lloyd love team, one has to consider already that he might just have needed flexibility to be able to carry a film on his own. It's good that he's mixing up his projects, and trying to improve and extend his acting skills more and more.
The brands that trust his star power: Lucky Me Pancit Canton, 555 Tuna, Sta. Lucia Properties, Biogesic, Greenwich Pizza, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Swatch, Joel Cruz Perfume and Body Care, Chocolava
Hit Movies: Miss You Like Crazy, In My Life, You Changed My Life, A Very Special Love, One More Chance, Dubai, Now That I Have You
Hit Teleseryes: I Love Betty La Fea, Maging Sino Ka Man, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin, It Might Be You, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay

2. Piolo Pascual
The Why: A few years ago, one could probably say Piolo Pascual would've been the numero uno leading man. But since this is a list made in 2010, one has to consider the lack of recent successful projects to back this claim. At the same time, even with the lack of success his extreme popularity among women despite rumors that hound him is a testament to the brand that he's built for himself. To be fair, his career seems to be in another upswing, but I wonder if he'd be able to recapture the magic he had with Judy Ann Santos that made him a household name in the industry and at the same time, made so many fans scream and shell out money to watch their movies.
The brands that trust his star power: BDO, Belo Medical Group, Bench, Century Bangus, Centrum, Century Properties, Smart, Timex
Hit Movies: Don't Give Up On Us, Milan, Till There Was You, Dekada '70, Kahit Isang Saglit
Hit Teleseryes: Lovers In Paris, Lobo, Sa Piling Mo, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka, Kahit Isang Saglit, Esperanza

For the rest of the list, click Read More!

Top 10 Leading Ladies of Philippine Entertainment

The rise of the teleserye as a vehicle for up and coming leading ladies has never been stronger as it currently is. Gone are the days where there were leading ladies in movies exclusively. The game now, is to be on teleseryes AND movies. It was a trend that must have started with Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Barretto, who starred in teleseryes made into movies. They've graduated to another level altogether, passing the baton, so to speak, to a new generation. We've truly entered a new era of leading ladies.

To come up with the list, I considered not only the success of their movies and television shows, but also looked at their influence, by way of the endorsements they currently have.

1. Sarah Geronimo
The Why: She's truly built a very strong brand for herself. She stands as the only true star that can be considered a triple threat. She sings, dances, and acts. She 's headlined sold out concerts, movies and has also starred in her fair share of television shows. While one can nitpick and say she has yet to prove herself in a drama, few can lay claim to truly establishing this goofy comedy she seems most comfortable in
Brands that trust her star power: Sunsilk, Cebuana Lhuillier, Robitussin, Elaia, 555 Corned Tuna, Lucky Me Pancit Canton, Belo Essentials, Globe Tattoo, Jollibee, Selecta Fortified Milk
Where did we see her? ASAP XV, A Very Special Love 1 and 2, Pangarap na Bituin, Hating Kapatid, Idol (upcoming series)

2. Marian Rivera
The Why: Out of the top three, she might have the most endorsements. She's proven herself to be a very dependable TV star with almost all her shows rating well. Her tandem with Dingdong Dantes has proven the test of time and the audience seems to want more and more of their love story. While one can say she has yet to prove herself in being a bankable movie star, she has proven that even without that star under her sleeve, she's gained the trust of marketers to endorse their brands, most probably because of her undeniable beauty.
Brands that trust her star power: Maxipeel, SM Residences, Jag Jeans, San Miguel Light, San Marino, Honda, Natasha, Phoenix Gasoline, Gran Matador, PLDT Touch Card, PLDT Landline Plus, Talk ‘N Text
Where did we see her? Darna, Marimar, Dyesebel, Endless Love (current series)

For the rest of the list, click the read more link!

The Week in Review: Farewell and Welcome the New Shows; Kris Aquino Tells All

From across the seas to our shores, no TV news is left unturned. Just the exact amount of crazy will be served. Anyway, this week's been pretty busy with Comic-con and all the goodies that came with it. I'm sure I'll be able to blog more about it, once I've digested all the news on my feed. Or I could do another highlight piece, just like this one! There's a LOT, I tell you!

Aside from that, we've been pretty much hearing more casting coups, and in this part of the world, more of both the most hated and crowd favorite, Kris Aquino. Of course, let's not leave the previews for next week unpublished.

• American Idol News: Ellen is leaving. Kara got fired. And what's this talk about J.Lo and Steven Tyler being snagged as the new judges? I doubt the last one is true.
• Kris Aquino returns to Manila and faces the intrigues. It wouldn't be Kris at all to scrimp on the details and do it in private, so she tells all to Boy Abunda and to the whole world.
• From the cryfest end of Wowowee to the beginning of Pilipinas Win na Win, which for at least a day was Pilipinas FTW.
• Friends-lovers rejoice! Jennifer Aniston and BFF IRL Courtney Cox will reunite in Cougar Town. After four years out of the picture, Matt LeBlanc is returning to our TV sets!
• Glee doesn't seem too shy about adding new cast members, and bringing the favorites back. Kristin Dos Santos of E! Online dishes on "who's in and who's out."
• If you haven't caught the teaser of Dexter's fifth season, then you seriously need to make time for it! This trailer is AWESOME.
• And while we wait for the new season, let's enjoy the summer fare and get excited for what awaits us this week. Pretty Little Liars is in for The Perfect Storm and the girls are ever more insecure of the ties that bind them together. Looks like there's trouble brewing inside The Gates and maybe we'll get to see what the "rules" say about killing inside the village. Annie's stuck in Zurich with a Mossad agent in next week's Covert Affairs. There seems to be some friction again between Neal and Peter in next week's White Collar.
• Lastly, let me sneak one in for Rubicon. Matt Roush of TV Guide asks, "Can a show be too intelligent?" His sluggish is my idea of letting it boil and simmer, so you get closer to the perfect end product.