‘Complete creative freedom’ in TV5 shows
WILLIE REVILLAME has been given “complete creative freedom” as host and co-producer of the game show “Willing Willie,” TV5 Creative and Entertainment Production head Percival M. Intalan told Inquirer on Monday.
TV5, through chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, recently signed a co-production deal with Revillame’s Wil Production Inc. “Willing Willie” is scheduled to premiere third week of October in a slot that pits it directly with the evening news programs of ABS-CBN (“TV Patrol”) and GMA 7 (“24 Oras”). Also in the works, said Intalan, is “Born to be a Star,” a talent show with Revillame as host.
“Willie is the best choice for these shows,” said Roberto Barreiro, TV5 executive vice president and chief operating offier. “We believe in handling creative people like him in a way that’s comfortable for all.” Revillame hosted the top-rating ABS-CBN game show “Wowowee” before it went off the air in August.
Will Revillame be allowed to engage in “casual advertising” as he did in “Wowowee?”
Barreiro said, “We struck a a co-prod deal with Willie, different from from his deal with ABS-CBN.” He did not elaborate.
Beefing up news
Barreiro said the network is also beefing up its news department “in a major way.” He explained: “We recently bought 45 cameras and we’re buying more vehicles. We also bought a news automation system. Everything will soon be fully-digital. We’re hiring more reporters and fine-tuning operations so we can improve news gathering and presentation by leaps and bounds.” A new studio in Mandaluyong City will soon be opened, he added.
The Broadway Centrum studios in Quezon City will be home to three TV5 shows— “PO5,” “Star Factor” and “Face to Face,” Intalan reported.
Intalan commented on “Face to Face,” a show hosted by Amy Perez and patterned after the US tabloid talk program “The Jerry Springer Show,” where quarreling neighbors confront one another. The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board recently called the network’s attention after viewers complained of violence on the show.
“In a meeting with the board, we explained that it was inevitable to run into incidents, given the nature of the program,” Intalan related. “Now we make sure every episode ends in a resolution.”
Perez was a perfect pick for “Face to Face,” said Intalan. “Other networks reportedly wanted to create rival shows but their big challenge was finding the right host.”
Intalan also had nothing but praise for Ryan Agoncillo, host of the talent search program “Talentadong Pinoy.” He said, “He’s not an exclusive talent but he’s kept his word like a real gentleman. He promised to stay with ‘Talentado.’ ABS-CBN gave him ‘Pieta’ and then ‘Fear Factor.’ We simply worked around his schedule.”
TV5 hopes to build its own stable of talents through the talent search “Star Factor,” said Intalan. (Actor-director Audie Gemora is head of the talent management division).
Meanwhile, Sinemabuhay, the network’s movie arm, is producing “Rosario,” an entry to the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival in December. Albert Martinez directs.
Also coming soon is an international TV channel. Meanwhile, an FM station, Radyo5 92.3, starts broadcasting today.
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