How to reinvent a classic comedy sitcom into a curriculum-based sitcom for public high school

Janaury 28, 2017

Keith Cruz (school uniform)

Director Nilyano Retna admits that the transformation and revival of the classic comedy sitcom into a curriculum-based sitcom as the millennial high school era for the new Iskul Bukol (produced by IBC-13 and Secarats Talent Management Services) required great effort.

“After all, the show boosted the popularity of TVJ (comedians Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon),” Retna points out. “Viewers, especially those who watched the original sitcom, which will be transform into a new one for three high school girls along with a mix of junior and senior high school classmates, teachers and a gay principal rolled into one as a new format to target millennials,” according to Reyna.

Iskul Bukol, which aired from 1977 to 1990, tells about the lives of students in the now-defunct Wanbol University. Now, the millennial high school era of the sitcom, which will be topbilled by Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit, Joyce Abestano and Tonton Gutierrez, dubbed as the “King of All Media,” will focus on the lives of three high school teenagers in the public high school Diliman High School, which started airing on IBC-13 on January 7.

Joyce Abestano (school uniform)

Like the original, which centered on three characters (Tito and Joey Escalera and Victor Ungasis), the curriculum-based sitcom will focus on the three young girls: the Escalera sisters, the ordinary high school teenager Keith (Keith Cruz) and the cute and sassy high school girl Joyce (Joyce Abestano); and an attractive and intelligent high school girl Raisa Ungasis (Raisa Dayrit), who just studied at the public high school Diliman High School where they learn the lesson about the classmates' friendship of high school life. They learn a very valuable lesson in life for the girl classmate friendship at Diliman High School when Keith and Joyce's father Tonton Escalera (Tonton Gutierrez) involve in a high school level. In the classroom at Diliman High School, they meet Teacher Alodia (Alodia Gosiengfiao)  a very nice teacher who rewarded their classmates and involve on the friendship of the Escalera sisters and her favorite classmate Raisa. Tonton involve Teacher Alodia to teach and learn the high school classmate Raisa as they involve the friendship of the Escalera sisters Keith and Joyce.

“In an implementation of the K-12 high school curriculum regulated by the Department of Education (DepEd) where the achievement level of public high schools, it will learn their good values while teaching the lession in a high school level,” says Reyna.”

Reyna tells Inquirer Entertainment how tough it is working with three girls at the same time. He shares the lessons he learned from director of the original sitcom Bert de Leon and geared towards among the public high school students for teens and young girls.

What’s your biggest challenge in directing the show?

“We also go to school like ordinary teenagers because we know that their high school education is important,” Keith says.

Keith is already studied at APEC Schools under home school program, while Raisa at English Christian Academy, and Joyce attend her second year (Grade 8) high school studies at Merry Knowledge Academe, Inc.

Both public junior and senior high schools are also provided as learner-centered on the issue that young learners and viewers in terms of the optimum development of the Filipino teenagers (K-12 Toolkit: Reference Guide for Teacher Educators, School Administrators, and Teachers) by using the Iskul Bukol title. There’s pressure to please the older viewers, who got to watch the original and now is a high school education as the curriculum-based sitcom aligned to the K-12 high school curriculum as part of the education reform program under the Duterte administration. This was why we opted to come up with a high school classmates rather than recreate the old one, the millenials have powerful influence in the content market as a trend-setters.. Our young audience whose demographics targeted among the public high school students were teens and young girls at 13- to 19-years-old and above attend in public high schools.

What is it like directing with Bert de Leon?

Whenever I watch him work, nababaliw ako. I also direct the sitcom for IBC-13 including Iskul Bukol. T.O.D.A.S. and Dingdong n' Lani, alongside the top-rating noontime show Eat Bulaga! of GMA-7.

What is revamping the sitcom into a curriculum-based sitcom?

IBC-13 entered into a deal with Secarats in 2015 and the first television program in 2016 to remake the 2011 Korean drama Glory Jane as the very first school-themed drama.

Secarats Talent Management Services (STMS) is IBC-13's production partner, provider and line producer led by the owner and producer Francis Custodio Abuan, Jr., revived and revamped Iskul Bukol into a curriculum-based sitcom as the millennial high school era, the sitcom will educate its viewers about Philippine basic education and Filipino learners.

What made you say this?

The millennial generation, indicating those from the 80s to early 2000s, where the platforms ranging from traditional television to mobile, while they target for public high school teenagers.

The directive from the production of IBC-13 and Secarats would like to concentrate on a high school education on how funny I am in real life to the small screen by providing the learners. I thought it was easy until I realized that one has to know me first to appreciate my sense of humor. Only my close friends find me funny.

At what point did you realize this about yourself?

When we were already taping. Under the sitcom, the public high school system (Diliman High School) is a mix of junior high school and senior high school rolled into one. You see, we were trying to do with a mix of high school and family rolled into one in helping educate our teenagers. We wanted the teen actresses to be able to deliver and act. I observed that every time we tape, they improve, they learn about their characters. That’s what we’re doing, introducing each millennial high school character to the audience.

How complex is each character in the show (a mix of junior and senior high school classmates, teachers and a gay principal)?

Tonton’s character is a father of Keith (Cruz) and Joyce (Abestano) who loves a high school classmates. The problem here is that, at this time and age when we already have access to cell phones, the Internet and the social media, how much of what’s out there was she deprived of when the whole world is just a click away?

Keith and Joyce’s characters Keith and Joyce are also the same, from the Escalera brothers and now reinvented into the Escalera sisters, who is very much pretty as the learn themselves. These girls and boys be partners in a classroom of Diliman High School.

Alodia’s character is a very nice teacher. Before entering showbiz, Alodia has been popular among anime fans as she is a well-known cosplayer who already won various cosplay competitions. She holds the crown as the cosplay queen of the country that would like to portray as a high school teacher.

A gay radio-TV personality Mr. Fu is a character Principal Oscar is a gay principal. He is known for his expression "may gano'n" (sometimes spelled as "may ganun" or "meganon").

Mely Tagasa makes her comeback as the only member of the original sitcom for the character, Miss Tapia is a resident teacher who often gets on the nerves of Principal Oscar (Mr. Fu). Although she admires Tonton Escalera and her favorite classmate is Raisa Ungasis.

In the sitcom, Joyce paired with Patrick Destura as the role of Patrick Loyzaga, the popular high school boy.

The Escalera family will include Cacai Bautista portrayed the role as Cacai Escalera, Keith's nanny and Tonton's wife; and Matthew Mendoza as the the foster father of the Escalera family Mr. Matthew. Ungasis family include comedienne Mariel Rodriguez as Raisa's mother Mariel Ungasis and Boom Labrusca as Raisa's father Luigi Ungasis.

How do you make sure the real-life high school issues you tackle are up-to-date?

While teens and young girls should go to school, we sit down with high school teenagers that will dominate the public high school twice a week to ask for their comments. Direk Bert admitted that it’s been a long while since the three young girls went to public high school (laughs). I try to go out with friends and observe how they behave. Ibang-iba na.

Were you shocked by your discoveries?

It used to be that you call or go out with a person if you want to know him well. Now, all a girl has to do is read the comments the boy posted on his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account and she can already form an opinion about him. This is also why, on their second date sila na agad.

Iskul Bukol airs Saturday nights after PBA on IBC-13.

The millennial high school era of Iskul Bukol (IBC 13)
Secarats Artist Group (Secarats Talent Management Services) Actors IBC Talent Center Comedians
 * Keith Cruz
 * Raisa Dayrit
 * Joyce Abestano
 * Patrick Destura
 * Justin Ward
 * Harold Rementilla
 * Andres Muhlach
 * Patrisha Samson
 * Analyn Nacion
 * Zonia Mejia
 * Dexie Daulat
 * Aries Ace Espanola
 * Leann Ganzon
 * Lorin Gabriella Bektas
 * Miguel David
 * Tonton Gutierrez - The King of All Media
 * Matthew Mendoza
 * Mariel Rodriguez
 * Boom Labrusca
 * Erich Gonzales
 * Alodia Gosiengfiao
 * Kazel Kinouchi
 * JC Tejano
 * Aldred Gatchalian
 * Victor Basa
 * Mr. Fu
 * Mely Tagasa
 * Tess Antonio
 * Cacai Bautista

Profile

 * KEITH ESCALERA
 * Keith Escalera is a student of Diliman High School and portrayed by Keith Cruz. She is one half of the Escalera sisters. Joyce Escalera is her half sister. She learned with her good friend Patrisha Vega and Alyssa Umali, and her bestfriend Chester and Adie. Her character is similar to the original sitcom's Joselito "Tito" Escalera (Tito Sotto).
 * Role: She is an ordinary high school teenager as the daughter of Tonton Escalera and Cacai Escalera and Joyce's half-sister. She is very beautiful and pretty. Her father raised the Escalera sisters as their two sisters when she learn they're sisters.
 * RAISA UNGASIS
 * Raisa Ungasis is a student of Diliman High School and portrayed by Raisa Dayrit. She studied the lesson that made a good value of Diliman High School. She learned a classroom with the friendship of the Escalera sisters and learned with her boyfriend Joey (Harold Rementilla). She is similar to Vic Ungasis (Vic Sotto), a professor of the original sitcom.
 * Role: She is an attractive and intelligent high school girl. She is a high school classmate who just studied at Diliman High School. She is the daughter of Mariel Ungasis and Luigi Ungasis. Her mother raised Raisa Ungasis when she involve the classmates' friendship.
 * JOYCE ESCALERA
 * Joyce Escalera is a student of Diliman High School and portrayed by Joyce Escalera. She is one of the other Escalera sisters. Keith Escalera is her half sister. She has a friends with Zonia and Bibeth, and a crush on her boyfriend Patrick Loyzaga. Her character is similar to the original sitcom's Josemari "Joey" Escalera (Joey de Leon).
 * Role: Joyce is a cute and sassy high school girl where she learned as a cute high school girl with her classmates. She is the daughter of Tonton Escalera and Cacai Escalera and Keith's half-sister. Her father raised the Escalera sisters as their two sisters when she learn they're sisters.