What now, Sharon Cuneta?
If it's true that Sharon Cuneta is moving to TV5 (the Inquirer's unconfirmed reports from the usual reliable sources state that she will be a Kapatid starting January 2012), ABS-CBN will probably not move heaven and earth to let her stay. Ratings play a major role in whether a show stays on the air or not and the main battlefield is the primetime segment where teleseryes of the three major networks are engaged in a fierce competition for audience share. Sharon's recent shows, which are few and far between and scheduled in the late evening, have not really figured prominently in the numbers game.
Sharon has only appeared as a host on TV specials like the "The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition" and "Star Power, Sharon's Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar." She also hosts "Sharon At Home." a talk show on the network's Lifestyle Channel with a limited audience on cable. Before these, she had a weekly show which combined talk and music on ABS-CBN.
This indicated to me that the Megastar no longer wanted to compete aggressively in the world of television or the network had given up on giving her a format that would give the Kapamilya network the ratings that it needed. I was told that many years ago, ABS-CBN asked her to do a teleserye which was the right vehicle for her since acting is really her forte. She reportedly turned it down because it would have required her to experience the rigors of overnight tapings. If she wanted to maintain her visibility, she should have accepted the offer but I guess she wanted a more laid-back schedule.
When she started gaining weight, the network could not have persisted in getting her to do a teleserye. There are very few roles for overweight leading ladies. So the network gave her a live talk cum musical show, "Sharon" on Sundays, which was probably fine for Sharon since she could go home after only a few hours in the studio.
Unfortunately, the bright boys at the Kapamilya network were unable to come up with good ideas for her show on a consistent basis. It became a run-of-the-mill production that did not attract a wide viewership. The competing channels had more interesting shows and even Shawie's most ardent fans could not give the show the ratings that it needed to keep it on the air. Eventually, "Sharon" was cancelled.
On the "Biggest Loser," Mega was not the main attraction of the show and was not even around in certain episodes. Her critics whined that while all the contestants were shedding excess poundage, the Megastar had not lost considerable weight or if she had, as stated in a press release, it was not enough. These criticisms were, of course, unfair because it takes more than a few months to really look physically fit but viewers expected her to lose as much weight as the participants in "The Biggest Loser."
"Star Power" was a better fit for her because music has been a major part of her life. She fared better here than in "The Biggest Loser" but again she shared the limelight with the contestants and her fellow judges.
If she does move to TV5, it's probably because ABS-CBN could not come up with attractive specials that would make use of her hosting and singing talent. Maybe, the Kapatid network made her an offer that she could not refuse. Some quarters are reporting that she was offered a one billion peso deal. I hear that TV5 is planning to give her a talk show. The creative people had better come up with a really unique show that will generate respectable ratings. Or else, it will just be a repeat of her Sunday show at ABS-CBN. I am certain that doing movies will most probably be a part of the deal if it pushes through.
I still think a drama is still the best vehicle for Sharon to create an impact on television. Now that she's gradually losing weight, she will be in a good position to tackle mature roles that will show everyone that she's still a major force to contend with on television and in the movies.
Disclaimer: The views and observations of the author do not represent the position of Yahoo! Southeast Asia on the issue or topic being discussed.
