Local TV is currently on ?revival? mode in a very big way. Many new productions are either local versions of hit ?Asianovelas,? or TV re-workings of blockbuster Filipino movie plots, like ?Tinik sa Dibdib,? ?Florinda,? ?Darna,? ?Kambal sa Uma,? ?Katorse,? ?Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit? and ?Dahil may Isang Ikaw.?

What?s happening here? Are most local TV scriptwriters experiencing writer?s block? Have their creative juices dried up due to sheer exhaustion? Could be, but other factors exacerbate the situation:

Intense competition

First, the intense competition for TV ratings has compelled producers to churn out hits any and every which way?by hook, crook or shameless imitation. So, if a foreign TV series becomes a blockbuster, by all means do a local version of it, because its popularity is already ?pre-sold.? In other words, viewers who loved the improved original would be at least curious to see how the local version will turn out, on point of similarity or difference.

That?s it: ?Pre-sold? popularity has become the name of the game. Why risk everything on new, ?untested? material when ?old? is ?gold??

Question: Are local viewers so undemanding that they can tolerate?nay, get excited about?a ?warmed-up? version of something they?ve already enjoyed? Alas, the answer to that quixotic question appears to be in the dull and dismal positive.

The ?heated-up? versions are rating well, aren?t they?

The revival formula appears to work just as well when it comes to new TV versions of old Filipino movies. In their case, the argument takes a cross-generational turn: This isn?t just a warmed-up retelling, it?s a chance for young viewers to savor the delights of an old film ?classic??more or less.

So, aside from assuring a TV hit, the play is providing viewers a distinct cultural service, how about that? Instead of smelling something fishy and even fetid, we should be applauding the modern-day raiders of the country?s old movie vaults, catafalques and tombs?

Besides, the hallowed, old originals have been reworked and updated to appeal more to today?s audience. In fact, some of their plots have been gussied up so much that they bear little resemblance to the original ?classics.?

But, that?s part of the problem: The old material is sometimes jazzed up so much that its vaunted cultural contributions are diminished or even cancelled out.

So, the revival craze may be expediently productive and popular, but in our book, its scorecard ends up mostly in deficit territory.

Perhaps its most negative consequences is the fact that it has short-circuited the creativity of our scriptwriters. Now, that vaunted creativity may be held in question by some people, but after conducting so many writing workshops that have produced fine stage-TV-film scriptwriters we know that the country does have exceptional writers?only their outstanding scripts aren?t being produced, because the TV industry is currently on its shortsighted, short-circuiting ?revival? trip.

Let?s hope that this trend doesn?t last until the next two TV seasons. If it persists, by the time it finally ends, the creativity of our writers may be?beyond revival.

Special edition

S Magazine has released a special edition featuring over 100 talents of the GMA Artists Center. The issue?s cover girl is Rhian Ramos. Other spreads feature Iza Calzado, Marvin Agustin, Iwa Moto and Regine Tolentino.