‘Eat Bulaga’ clobbers ‘It’s Showtime’
The Kapamilya Network finally pulled the plug on the comatose "Happy, Yipee, Yehey" and on Feb. 6 pinned its hopes on "It's Showtime" to revive ABS-CBN's fortunes on the noontime slot. After all, "Showtime" was performing well on its late-morning slot because of its group talent contest and scheduling it half an hour before "Eat Bulaga" might persuade lazy viewers not to switch channels at noon.
Sorry, Vice Ganda and company, the audience continues to be loyal to Vic Sotto and his dabarkads. If published surveys of AC Nielsen and Kantar are to be believed, "EB" is clobbering "Showtime" by a wide margin. The reason is simple, Except for Vice, the Kapamilya show doesn't have a deep bench to match the regular hosts of "EB." Aside from the unbeatable duo of Vic and Joey de Leon, "EB" also counts on its rising stars, Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola . Jose and Wally are so popular they now have a regular show on TV5 and are headlining a show at the Araneta Coliseum March 2 like Vice did. Then, there's Michael V who also has his own following. They are supported by Pia Guanio, Pauleen Luna, Ruby Rodriguez, Jimmy Santos and Ryan Agoncillo.
Let's face it. The "EB" gang has an unbeatable "masa" appeal that "Showtime's" Anne Curtis, Karylle, Billy Crawford and Kim Atienza don't have much of. To be fair, Vhong Navarro tries his best to lure the viewers but "EB's" hold on the audience is just too much. Just like that song from "My Fair Lady," "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" says, watching "EB," has become "a habit one can always break and yet…" It has become the national noontime habit. .
"EB' also excels when it comes to its gimmicks. "Pinoy Henyo" is now an institution with its easy-to-understand format derived from the old "20 Questions" game. Its "Juan for All" segment where Wally and Jose visit lucky households and giving away cash and grocery items is also closely followed.
"Showtime" on the other hand only has its group talent show as its popular attraction and making it bigger by airing remote feeds from the provinces has not boosted the show's ratings. Its other game portions are still grasping for attention. The karaoke portion is not going anywhere because members of the audience are not always familiar with the songs. The P500,000 jackpot prize is a good incentive but it requires a combination of knowledge and luck to win. The game where the hosts act out the answers to the multiple choice questions is interesting and should be exploited.
Viewers love show biz intrigue and "EB" uses it to whip up more interest in the show. This means playing up the love life of Vic who used to be lovey-dovey with Pia Guanio. All that publicity in gossip columns and talk shows benefited "EB" even when there was talk of the two breaking up. When they finally did, interest grew even more. Now, the focus is on Vic's new love interest, Pauleen Luna. "Showtime," on the other hand has not generated enough lineage in gossip columns with the romantic entanglements of its hosts. Vice's love life is not the stuff that fans would be interested in.
Maybe ABS-CBN should just raise the white flag and give up altogether on a variety show for the noontime slot. It's time to consider counter-programming and come up with a totally different format that will interest viewers. A teleserye, perhaps or a different kind of show biz talk show or even a game show.
Admittedly, the viewers have not tired of "EB" even after 33 years but that time will come. "Student Canteen" was a consistent top rater for a long time until "EB" came along. It's going to be difficult but the viewers are just waiting for a fresh noontime format that they can switch to when they tire of watching "EB."
