FOR YEARS NOW, MANY LOCAL teleseryes have been TV adaptations of old hit movies, like the current ?Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang.? The trend may be winding down and slowly but surely being replaced by new series mining an even older source: ?Classic? children?s tales and adventure yarns.
The first teleserye to head off in this direction is ?May Bukas Pa,? obviously ?inspired? by ?Marcelino Pan y Vino.? The European tale about a boy who talks to an image of Christ on the cross has been updated to a localized story about a foundling brought up by monks, who also converses with a statue of Jesus, which comes alive and turns the boy into a healer?not just of ailments, but also of troubled relationships.
?May Bukas Pa? has surprised the local TV trade with high ratings, indicating that televiewers here are eager to watch inspiring shows.
Right in the nick of time, another inspiring series is about to be aired?the new Dolphy starrer, ?Utoy.? It derives its tale from the centuries-old story of Pinocchio, the toy boy carved out of wood by old Gepetto, the character to be played by Dolphy. (Makisig Morales will portray Pinocchio.)
Interestingly, the Marcelino and Pinocchio stories are similar in one key aspect. They involve statues that come to life! How about that? More instructively, both new series are based on ?classic? tales rather than hit movies. If ?Utoy? turns out to be as successful as ?May Bukas Pa,? the incipient trend could become the way to go for teleseryes this year.
Adding to the excitement is the imminent start of a third teleserye, ?Zorro,? with Richard Gutierrez playing the title role. Granted, this is more of an old adventure tale rather than an inspiring story, but the ?classic? inspiration still holds true.
We welcome this new development on the teleserye front, because we?ve had it up to here with all of those silly, outrageous fantasies and turgid, sexy melodramas that our TV networks have been churning out for years. Let?s hope that they?ll be of better service to viewers, and inspire them with free takes on time-tested stories of faith, hope and renewal.
Feedback
From Ray R. Montinola, Sky Cable?s VP for marketing: ?We at Sky Cable would like to express our gratitude for EWTN. It contributed a lot in alleviating the complaints our office received regarding the issue on EWTN. You were right in stating that we listened and deferred to our subscribers? wishes when we put EWTN on analog channel 161. There is no truth to rumors surrounding the initial transfer of EWTN to channel 161. The Filipino household is our inspiration in crafting a dynamic programming lineup that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of our subscribers.?
NUT?S NOTES: We would like to take this occasion to request Sky Cable to add an arts and culture channel to its programming line-up. This is something that Filipino viewers really need, and it would go a long way in boosting the nation?s appreciation of the arts as a key component of our collective lives.
We assure Sky Cable (and other cable TV companies, for that matter) that an arts channel will enjoy good viewership in this country, since many Filipinos feel there?s a lack of culture in the broadcast media, and will go out of their way to support any move to make up for that slack.
Arts-related TV networks that our cable channel providers may be able to tap for shows include: Classic Arts Showcase?includes video samplings of art, music, ballet, theatrical performance and classic films. Ovation?a US cable-TV network devoted to arts programming, available to some four million households from Maine to California. Free Speech TV Cable Project?brings the best of progressive television to seven million homes, by acquiring works from independent film and video artists, activist organizations and community-based media groups. Public Television?features some shows on arts and cultures for educational TV use in and out of school. Turner South?provides shows on Southern culture, movies, etc. Smart Digital Television?live Internet feeds from dozens of networks around the world.
