Free TV

Since we got cable, my viewership of local channels has significantly decreased. It's not that I'm trying to be snobbish or anything, but I find the current shows on free TV quite unappealing. I attempted to watch them for a week, but I simply couldn't bear it.

The ongoing battle between the two network giants rages on, and we, the innocent bystanders, find ourselves caught in the middle of the turmoil. The unfortunate truth is that they seem to be running out of fresh ideas. Competition is not inherently bad, but competition fueled by recycled concepts is disheartening. Primetime slots are now dominated by franchised game or reality shows, dubbed Mexican and Korean soap operas, Filipino adaptations of foreign shows, movie-to-series adaptations, and "fanta-seryes" (fantasy series).

I can't help but wonder if their researchers aren't doing their jobs properly or if these shows genuinely reflect what Filipinos want to see. And that is truly disheartening. Aren't our local celebrities attractive enough? Aren't their dialogues too cheesy? Why do we have to import soap operas? What's even worse is when they remake these soaps with local celebrities taking on the roles and market it as an innovative idea. It's the same storyline; they just unnecessarily prolong it into thirty-minute segments (including commercials). Apart from making the villains more malicious and the protagonists more pitiable, the plots are essentially the same.

Then there are the game shows. The prizes they "generously" give away on these shows are a minuscule fraction of what they earn from their SMS promos. They know how to manipulate us. They understand that we are easily captivated by this kind of content. They exploit us while maintaining their own image. Sound familiar? It's reminiscent of our government. They take a lot from us and give us mere scraps in return. Most of it ends up in their personal bank accounts. Yeah, I said it. Sue me.

The most absurd game show I have ever watched has to be Kapamilya Deal or No Deal. I'm not a fan of Kris Aquino, and I never will be. She probably wouldn't like me either, but I couldn't care less. Here's a suggestion for future contestants of this game show: don't shout. The value of a briefcase remains the same, regardless of how loudly you shout "lower." The same goes for the banker's offer when you shout "higher." This is a game of probability, meaning you'll either go home with a significant sum of money or nothing at all. At the very least, spare your throat from getting sore.

Now, let's talk about those fantasy series, or as they generously call them, "fanta-seryes." I believe they serve as an excuse for producers to showcase their celebrities' physical attributes. Where else can a young actress be partially exposed and still be considered wholesome? Not that I'm complaining, of course. That's probably the only aspect worth watching in these shows.

If the Kapamilya or Kapuso networks genuinely aspire to be at the forefront of the industry, they should strive to create something new and original. They need to stop feeding us sugar-coated pieces of garbage and deceiving us into thinking that's what we truly desire.