Kicking away the TELENOVELA format
Philippine television seemed to have caught the telenovela format from it's Latino predeccesors... Filipinos now fully-embrace the 30-minutes a night format for almost all of its primetime programs: from drama series to the fantaserye fad. Networks have adapted the format, solely to create a continuum; as the 30-minute show ends with a cliffhanger, viewers are forced to watch the next episodes for the next few days... keeping their ratings high intact for the whole week.
Of course, this is brought about by the fact that the networks think that the Filipino audience has low attention span, and the usual once-a-week TV show cannot maintain the curiousity and interests of the viewer.
In comparison, in the U.S., the best and most popular and legendary TV shows are the once-a-week shows like 'The West Wing', 'CSI', '24', among others. Daily thirty-minute shows are contained in daytime soaps, which majority of viewers think is 'cornball'.
Here in the Philippines, fond memories of 'John en Marsha', 'TODAS', 'Plaza 1899' and the like come back, informing us that the golden age of television may have passed years and years ago.
The questions are: has the telenovela format destroyed the once-a-week format? Will the destruction (pardon the expression) of the soap opera format eventually bring about a development in viewing habits?
Of course, this is brought about by the fact that the networks think that the Filipino audience has low attention span, and the usual once-a-week TV show cannot maintain the curiousity and interests of the viewer.
In comparison, in the U.S., the best and most popular and legendary TV shows are the once-a-week shows like 'The West Wing', 'CSI', '24', among others. Daily thirty-minute shows are contained in daytime soaps, which majority of viewers think is 'cornball'.
Here in the Philippines, fond memories of 'John en Marsha', 'TODAS', 'Plaza 1899' and the like come back, informing us that the golden age of television may have passed years and years ago.
The questions are: has the telenovela format destroyed the once-a-week format? Will the destruction (pardon the expression) of the soap opera format eventually bring about a development in viewing habits?
5:11 PM | Read Entry 
6 Comments:
in the US, they have most of their soaps in daytime slots (targeting stay-at-home market). philippine networks are placing the teledramas at night to maximize viewer exposure, but unknowingly contributing to pinoys' fatigue. imagine coming from a long day's work, to only see more drama and hardships on the tv. then it's every single day of the week pa! how draining!
we need something that would boost us up intellectually (not emotionally) and weekly format shows ARE a good solution. while they haven't been entirely scrapped over teleseryes, they're limited to one-story segments (yes, blame it on pinoy's short-attention span), like comedies or mini-teledrama movies.
notes with weekly shows:
- ..actors get to rest. then rehearse more to really get into their characters
- ..other artists, writers, et al can be given more exposure with the inclusion of more shows
- ..production not only has more time to polish, but also to view viewer reactions form aired episodes, and make the appropriate changes
- actually, teleserye shows (like encantadia) are good candidates for weekly formats.
That is automatically done. innocentyears must not leave blank his display name so the code will work properly.
That's my guess at least. :)
Lumalalim..
Ako gusto ko rin na may primetime show na hindi Monday to Friday. Nakakapagod eh.
Enca, walang masyadong iyak-iyak, pero pinapanood.
While TV is stuck in its own limitations, pwede pa rin namang lampasan yan, eh. Pakonti-konti. Gaya nga ng sabi mo matthew, grade 1, grade 2.. :)
In reaction to matthew's... My best friend for life.
E di kung ganun din lang naman, itigil na natin itong 'Kapuso Proactive' na ito. Let's just accept the fact that we can't develop the viewing of the so-called 'masa'. Let's just stop this nonsense of thinking about how to improve the television experience and just accept all of this. Yes?
Ang hirap kasi, without going through the explanation of how our culture is damaged beyond repair brouhaha, is that the producers think that the 'masa' will stay 'masa' forever.
I can sense somehow that the producers think that "if it works, don't change it". Although there's nothing wrong with this belief, I think it does not leave enough room for improvement. Diba? What varga was saying is that the telenovela format is done quickly in order to cope up with the daily schedule; and, in the process, good narrative and dialogue is sacrificed. Dahil nga sa bilis, di na sila nakakapag-isip ng mabuti.
just a reminder, the object of this blog is how to improve the TV viewing experience, and that's what we're doing.
audience can identify with the chars. if it's a melodrama..nakaka-identify ang masa sa bidang inaapi. why? e api din ang masang pinoy e (natanggal sa trabaho, napilitang magnakaw, mag prosti, nakulong. ang totoong buhay ng masa-- parang soap).
your research is well recieved, though alam na natin lahat ito na the biggest audience share belong to the CD ek-ek audience. What they want to watch on TV is that how other people are more miserable than them...
kasi in real life, ang masang pinoy, di niya kayang lumaban (inaapi na siya ng amo niya..liit sweldo etc.. pero di siya makaimik. di makalaban. takot siya mawalan ng work e. so tiis na lang siya). so lahat ng galit niya..lahat ng sama ng loob niya...pag uwi niya sa bahay..iiyak niya while watching soap. soap ang excuse para umiyak.
para maisip niya na may mga taong mas api sa kanya.
the above comment by you... Isn't this a bit negative for someone like you who's defending present TV? Ako naman, i'm defending these same people that you think are weak. I beg to disagree. With the proper knowledge, they can think of a way to better their lives. TV can do that. And while TV in its present state is not intelligent, how can we use it as a powerful tool to better the lives of people?
Ang hirap kasi sa TV ngayon, puro ratings! ratings! Commercials! Pera! Diba? Once again, education and development is sacrificed.
the abc audience and those so called "educated" kuno na audience.. di nila maintindihan why click sa masa ang soap e. they looked down on the masa audience. talagang di nila maiintindihan (sarap buhay nila e. me choice sila e. me decent life sila kaya ludicrous sa kanila ang fantastic na pangyayari sa soap e/g. nasunog na nabuhay pa etc etc) kaya tingin nila bobo ang masa. tsk. tsk. hindi ito usapin ng taste or intelligence. mas malalim ang dahilan.
And what is the deeper reason, may I ask? We in here believe that by sharing ideas such as these can help develop Philippine TV viewing... I believe that TV can be used as a powerful tool not just to entertain, but to educate people. Unfortunately, majority of the shows are just not at par with this kind of enlightenment.
Oh, and those same people you call "mayayamang ignorante na tingin nila bobo ang masa" are the same people who create these TV shows.
cultural. most pinoy's naghahanap ng hero figure e. kahit saang aspeto ha. political, personal, etc. gusto natin me "idol" tayo who will inspire us, who will fight for us. soaps has this formula of "bida" na against all odds e. a "bida" who is very moral, me good virtues, etc. kasi in real life, wala nun e. our leaders our corrupt, etc. parang ang soap..me psychiatric effect e. hahaha. tanggalin mo iyan, baka marami ang mabaliw.
Hmmm... interesting belief. Do you think that many people are now dependent to the point of hypnotized by these shows, if the networks remove them the audiences will go psycho? This TV problem is a lot deeper than I thought.
I think the masa male watches soap opera because he does not have a choice. Nasan na yung mga cop shows? Yung Calvento Files?
mula noon, hanggang ngayon, soap opera is the most misunderstood format or genre. why? though it is the most popular...it is also the most hated genre. macho remarks such as "pang babae lang ang soap" to the very snobbish comment such as "pang bobo" lang ang soaps... yan yung binabatikos sa kanya.
I don't think it's misunderstood. Otherwise, this soap opera thing couldn't have gone on this long. In the simplest explanation, I agree with Varga, that this format is just too speedily done, the good storyline and meaningful dialogue is sacrificed.
We didn't miss your point. We just think there's a better alternative to your soap opera.
tandaan: soap opera is most popular sa mga bansa na mahirap.
"Mahirap lang ako. Palibhasa mahirap lang ako." Battlecry of the loser. Dapat "Kaya ko ito! Kaya natin ito!" wouldn't you agree?
sa soap, me excuse tayong umiyak para hindi malaman ng lahat na ang totoong iniiyakan mo ay ang sarili mo. iyan ang reason kaya daming masanag nanonood nito.
Deep! Wouldn't you agree that it's time to change this?
that's just my take on this whole thing.
And, well said. Once again you've proven yourself to be a worthy adversary!
Amen.
In a nutshell, the soap opera genre is just too limiting. Yes, it may be too popular, but what we want to see such as universal themes, epic sequences, and deep storylines are sacrificed.
Imagine, comparing the 'one hour a week' format to 'thirty minutes daily' format: the soap opera thing is equivalent to TWO HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES a week of tape. That means longer hours of shoot, longer hours of pre-production, make up, and longer hours of writing. Right? Comparing it to the ONE HOUR a week of tape which transforms to shorter pre-production, writing, etc. Which means that there will be a lot more time for thinking about better ideas before production.
Nakakapanghinayang lang kasi, diba? It could've been a lot better, pulling not only the 'masa' audiences but also the AB audiences. Sayang talaga.
And I didn't put words in your mouth, man. You did that yourself.
Cheers!
sa tingin ko lang naman yung pagtingin mo sa soap ang limiting. hindi yung soap. napaka-dynamic at expansive ng soap. in fact, pwede kang maglaro. lahat itong universal themes, epic sequences and deep storylines ay DAPAT o PWEDE ngang ipasok sa soap.
Hmmm... Ok. So, kung pwede na ipasok yung mga universal themes, epic sequences, at deep storylines, where is it? Give me one that will stick forever in the minds of people, one that will create a big fanbase inspiring artisans and creators, then I will agree with you.
I see soap opera as limiting because IT IS LIMITING. So where is it?
para sa akin..nevermind the ab crowd (kahit anong gawin mo walang effect. they have to much money and so many places to go to kesa manood ng tv at pinoy tv pa)
O! Now that's what I call stereotyping. You assume that these people do not watch TV because they have too much money to burn. I beg to disagree. They do not watch TV because they do not have a choice; not with all the garbage on TV now. I don't believe that these people (who you loathe too much as I have read in your posts) are really this ignorant. Unless you've got proof, of course.
And like I've said, these same people are the ones who create these soap opera shows that you love so much.
the cde market are the real viewers. tap them..get their interest and you'll be tapping more than 85% of our population. so why bother with the 15? when you can have the 85?
kapag nasa iyo na ang 85..hehe the 15 will pay attn. wanna bet?
I can't. I'm just a poor and hungry writer with no money to bet. And like how youve stereotyped the 15, I would guess they will be too 'arrogant' to really care about your 85.
And I don't fight for the 15 or the 85 alone; I try to fight for all viewers in the Philippines.
And I'm interested in this little 'study' of yours. Do you have a link to a site somewhere?
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