Noontime Nostalgia!

Ibang-iba ang noontime shows noong araw.

Before, competitions among shows were not as cut-throat as today. Before, artists may guest from one show to another. And before, Vic Sotto was just Vic Sotto.  Matagal pa bago siya naging Bossing.  

“Eat Bulaga” during my college days was just a collection of different game portions (This has been brought to you by… blah, blah, blah).   

Weekday episodes (one and a half hours) had at least 3-5 sponsored game portions plus a beauty contest for young ladies (She’s Got The Look), or young gentlemen (Mr. Pogi),  or little girls (Little Miss Philippines), or little boys (That’s My Boy) or even for not young nor little but ageless gays (Super Sireyna). 

When “Eat Bulaga” transferred to GMA 7 from ABS-CBN, things got a bit competitive.

“Sang Linggo nAPO Sila” stayed on air for three years (never really reached the masa with their high-brow humor).  Then, on November 1998, “Magandand Tanghali,  Bayan” piloted over ABS-CBN.  With it, I must say, noontime television went into suspended animation. 

Competition went into high gear. Both shows tried to outdo each other. Both shows unabashedly copied from each other. Dumating sa puntong magkamukha na ang dalawang shows.  At this point, Eat Bulaga was eating MTB’s dust. 

John Estrada, Randy Santiago and Willie Revillame lorded it over. They were the smug “kings of the world” as they set a new  standard for being uncouth and vulgar. They were hailed to be the new Tito, Vic & Joey (without the talents).  At this point, almost everybody was saying eulogy for Eat Bulaga.

It wasn’t until February 2003 when MTB had its farewell episode.

The three were re-introduced on “Masayang Tanghali, Bayan”  which was just a rehash from the earlier program. And before that year ended,  Willie resigned and  well… floated like a soul in purgatory. He made his presence in the Kapuso network by guesting in Paolo Bediones’ show, “Extra Challenge” shot in Bali (it garnered the show’s highest rating with 47 %).  People thought that his fall from grace had been an eye-opener for him and the Kapamilya big bosses.  Mali pala. They were secretly hatching a new program.  

 Thus… “Wowowee.”  Thus... a baby monster (ABS-CBN was the nurturing mother). 

Over the other network, Eat Bulaga was busy re-formatting trying to re-gain its former glory. While Wowowee was busy hugging the limelight, the Bulaga Team was quietly drawing up its battle plan.  

And then, the unexpected happened. The untouchable king was finally dethroned. The monster had been clipped of its fangs as he, for the nth time, fell from grace. Still conceited, he left his nurturing mother and transferred to the Kapatid network. After a slew of bad behavior in TV5, people just got tired of him. Now, he's old news. Filthy rich but still old news.  

As for Eat Bulaga? Well, they smarted from the last ugly battle with Wowowee.  That period taught everybody a very big lesson and have armed everybody all the necessary artillery for another battle.

Oh, I purposely left out “Happy Yipee Yehey.” There’s absolutely nothing in that show worth mentioning (mas lalo namang ang "Pilipinas Win na Win"). That show was just an afterthought and like any bad idea, disappeared into thin air.  

So, who's the new contender?