Iskool Bukol

Iskool Bukol is a Philippine school-oriented teen situational comedy of IBC. It is a revival of Iskul Bukol, the longest-running primetime comedy sitcom in Philippine television history that aired on the same network. Produced by IBC and Secarats Talent Management Services and directed by Bert de Leon and Nilyano Retna, it is topbilled by today's hottest female teen stars Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano, together with veteran actor Tonton Gutierrez and actress Erich Gonzales. Prior to Gonzales, the sitcom was topbilled by cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao before eventually turned into a supporting role. The sitcom premiered on IBC and worldwide on Global IBC on January 7, 2017, almost 27 years after the end of the original TV sitcom. It is aired every Saturday after Express Balita Weekend.

Like the original sitcom, which centered on three characters, the school-oriented teen sitcom centered on their lives of three high school classmate girls (Keith and Anne Escalera and Raisa Ungasis) of the fictional Diliman High School.

This is the first sitcom of IBC partnered with Secarats. It is also the first sitcom of Tonton under IBC.

About Iskool Bukol
A revival of the original classic hit sitcom Iskul Bukol is now in a millennial high school level in the Saturday primetime sitcom Iskool Bukol. The light and funny school-oriented teen sitcom which will bring back the glory days of primetime comedies that will be the high school teen level. The sitcom is set in the fictional public high school Diliman High School by introduce some three high school characters. Funny and interesting characters revolves around the academic friendship of high school life. They become the best of girlfriends, and learning their good values and will surely the viewers laugh while teaching the lession in high school.

Plot
Iskool Bukol centered on their lives of three high school classmate young girls of the fictional Diliman High School: the ordinary high school teenager Keith (Keith Cruz), an attractive and intelligent high school girl Raisa (Raisa Dayrit) and the cute and sassy high school girl Anne (Joyce Abestano), where they will study and learn the lesson about the academic friendship of high school level.

They learn a very valuable lesson in life for the girl classmate friendship in Diliman High School when Keith and Anne's father Tonton (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 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 Escalera sisters Keith and Anne.

Main Casts

 * Keith Cruz as Keith Escalera - an ordinary high school teenager. She is one half of the Escalera sisters as a high school classmate, the daughter of Tonton and Mariel and Anne's half-sister, who involve an academic friendship in every episode.
 * Raisa Dayrit as Raisa Ungasis - the attractive and intelligent high school girl. The Escalera sisters often study on her during class. She is a high school classmate of Diliman High School.
 * Joyce Abestano as Anne Escalera - a cute and sassy high school girl. She is the other Escalera sisters as a high school classmate, the daughter of Tonton and Keith's half-sister. In the sitcom, Chester has a crush on her.
 * Tonton Gutierrez as Tonton Escalera - Keith and Anne's father. Later in the sitcom, Tonton involve a relationship with Teacher Erich at Diliman High School.
 * Erich Gonzales as Teacher Erich Mendoza (February 5, 2017-present: episode 5-present) - the teacher girl of Diliman High School as Tonton's love interest who learned on the study of the Escalera sisters and her favorite classmate is Raisa Ungasis.

Supporting Cast

 * Mr. Fu as Principal Oscar - the principal of Diliman High School where Keith, Raisa and Anne attended.
 * Mely Tagasa as Liwayway Gawgaw Tapia aka Miss Tapia - the resident high school professor of Diliman High School who often gets on the nerves of Principal Oscar. Although she admires Tonton Escalera as a father and her favorite classmate is Raisa Ungasis.
 * Alodia Gosiengfiao as Teacher Alodia Montenegro (January 7-28, 2017, main role: episode 1-4; February 4, 2017-present, supporting role: episode 5-present). - the very nice teacher of Diliman High School who involve on the friendship of Escalera sisters. Teacher Alodia is romantically connected with Principal Oscar.
 * JC Tejano as Rudolfo "Sir Rude" Valentino - the good-looking and smart adviser and high school newspaper editor of Diliman High School; later Teacher Erich's bestfriend who used to teach her.
 * Mariel Rodriguez as Mariel Escalera - Keith's mother and Tonton's wife.
 * Kira Balinger as Kira "Ate Kira" Mendoza (August 12, 2017-present: episode 31-present) - Teacher Erich's daughter and Keith and Anne's teacher of Diliman High School. Kira is the pretty high school classmate teacher girl with a school uniform who rewarded her classmates for the subjects.
 * Justin Ward as Chester Aquino - Tito's bestfriend in Diliman High School and Anne's love interest.
 * Harold Rementilla as Josemari "Joey" Montero - the male classmate of Raisa as a boyfriend.
 * Andres Muhlach as Adie Bautista - Keith's friend in Diliman High School.
 * Tess Antonio as Anita "Aning" Francia, - the cafeteria owner of Aning's Coffeeteria, a cafeteria near Diliman High School. She is patterned to Mang Temi of the original sitcom.
 * Aldred Gatchalian as Alwyn Tejada - Aning’s assistant and the cafeteria waiter of Aning's Coffeeteria.
 * Victor Basa as Raffy Arellano - the coach of volleyball in Diliman High School.

Extended Cast

 * Jennica Garcia as Maricar Ungasis - Raisa's mother.
 * Boom Labrusca as Luigi Ungasis - Raisa's father and Mariel's friend.
 * Patrisha Samson as Patrisha Vega - another high school classmate of Diliman High School who always copies homeworks from Raisa and Joey. She is also a pretty comedic pranks of the Escalera sisters.
 * Analyn Nacion as Alyssa Umali - A cutie classmate who plays a bestfriend of the high school girl in class of Diliman High School. She is also the good friend of the Escalera sisters.
 * Zonia Mejia as Zonia Garcia - Anne's classmate/friend in Diliman High School.
 * Dexie Daulat as Viviana "Bibeth" Ortega - Anne's classmate/friend in Diliman High School.
 * Aries Ace Espanola as Jimmy Pedrosa - Adie's classmate/friend in Diliman High School.
 * Miguel David as Dexter Romero - Adie's classmate/friend in Diliman High School.

Former Cast

 * Francis Magundayao as Joselito "Tito" Montero (January 7-May 27, 2017) - Keith's bestfriend in Diliman High School.

Production and development
Almost 27 years after the end of the original TV sitcom of IBC, this will be first revealed by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon on the November 17th episode of the top-rating noontime show Eat Bulaga! (aired on GMA). Tito, Vic and Joey voiced their ten-minute resentment over IBC management and Tonton Gutierrez will be accepting a sitcom for IBC. the former station of Tito, Vic and Joey (currently topbill for Joey in the Saturday primetime comedy gag show T.O.D.A.S.) as they brought back Iskul Bukol will be turned into a millennial high school level which will be topbilled himself by Tonton and will feature the pretty and cute Escalera sisters. "Magbabalik Na, Iskul Bukol, Nasa High School" trended on Twitter for several hours after the announcement. Five days later on November 22, IBC president and CEO Boots Anson-Roa announced that Iskul Bukol made a comeback, but this time not in Wanbol University because they unveiled the concept of a school-oriented teen sitcom which had a partnership of Secarats Talent Management Services, a production partner and line producer of the sequestered network led by the owner and producer Francisco Abuan, Jr. particularly involve the high school education regulated by the Department of Education (DepEd), a responsible for the K–12 basic education. The revival of the sitcom with a new format similar to ABS-CBN's defunct youth-oriented sitcom Luv U (2012-2016) which will be the same as the very popular school uniforms (Filipino: uniporme or kasuotang pampaaralan, "school attire") where the color scheme for the uniform are white blouse with pick necktie and black skirt for females and white polo with lining on the pocket and black pants for boys in which will be commonplace in the public high school for the sitcom.

During the trade launch of IBC on November 25, 2016 at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field in Taguig City, IBC and Secarats unveiled the original 70s and 80s sitcom was returned to Philippine television and revived on IBC under the new title Iskool Bukol which will be turned into a school-oriented teen sitcom featuring the three high school characters. Composed of today's hottest female teen stars under Secarats Artist Group: the Runaway Princess Keith Cruz, the Comedienne Princess Raisa Dayrit and introducing Bida Best 2016 gorgeous second runner-up and the Teen Model Sweetheart Joyce Abestano, collectively known as KRJ. The teen triumvirate is a 2.0 version of their counterparts Tito, Vic and Joey.

IBC and Secarats management conceptualized and developed the school-oriented sitcom will be cater to a young audience in the millennial teen demographics were preteens and teens (13- to 19-years-old and above), and aimed to target in both junior high school and senior high school.

Since November 29, 2016, IBC has started uploading all the throwback episodes of Iskul Bukol on the network's YouTube channel, as prior to the premiere of Iskool Bukol.

Casting
Iskool Bukol marks the first sitcom of Keith Cruz in her second project after Glory Jane; the second project of Raisa Dayrit landed in her breakthrough role after Hulog ng Langit and the first project of Bida Best 2016 gorgeous second runner-up Joyce Abestano in her major sitcom debut. The newly established trio of Keith, Raisa and Joyce (KRJ) created the primetime school-oriented sitcom which will be a laugh track. It also marks the first sitcom of Tonton Gutierrez in his leading role under IBC after 33 years of being show business and gained popularity itself as a father of Joyce. Mely Tagasa, who plays the role of Miss Tapia in the original 70s and 80s sitcom Iskul Bukol, is back on IBC and this time as the only member of the original sitcom to turned into a school-oriented sitcom as the resident high school professor of the fictional Diliman High School. Francis Magundayao also landed in his fifth project after the supporting role in 5 Girls and Daddy, the main role of Friends 4Ever, the supporting role in Princess Charm and another main role in Glory Jane, while Justin Ward also joined the school-oriented sitcom and his second project after Glory Jane and the third project of Harold Rementilla after Hulog ng Langit and the host of the afternoon kiddie game show Fun House.

In January 28, 2017, it was announced that Erich Gonzales will be a guest star in her fourth episode, However, her guesting eventually turned into a regular stint by joining the sitcom as one of the main cast after signed a regular contract with IBC in February 1, 2017 as her first Kapinoy appearance and portrayed the role as the teacher girl in Diliman High School and Anton's (Gutierrez) love interest.

Original story conference
On November 28, 2016 in Broadcast City, Captiol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City at 7:30pm, the story conference happened for Iskool Bukol was held with the original director Bert de Leon and Nilyano Retna. The stellar cast, production team and IBC and Secarats management and executives were present at the storycon. They watched some clips of the original sitcom whose enjoyed watching the sitcom that they grew up in the 70s and 80s in order to regain with a millennial teen audience, particularly involve the junior high school and senior high school level. The original concept of Iskul Bukol made a comeback, but not in Wanbol University due to a millennial high school level in terms of using a high school uniforms at the age of 13 to 19 years old and above, the school-oriented sitcom will now be set in Diliman High School, the public high school where Keith, Raisa and Anne attend along with most of the young childen and teenagers in order to attract the teen demographics.

Taping
The production began the pilot episode in the make-up room of IBC Production Studio where the taping of IBC and Secarats-produced school-oriented teen sitcom on December 3, 2016 at the studio set in Studio 5 of IBC in Broadcast City (for Escalera family (Keith, Joyce, Tonton, Mariel) and Raisa family (Raisa, Jennica, Boom) where the setting for the school-oriented teen sitcom will be in the public high school Diliman High School (a yellow building with the same lettering and Philippine flag: one classroom with a school desks (teacher's school desk in front of the chalkboard and 13 classmate desks) and a chalkboard, library, bathroom, school clinic, computer laboratory, cafeteria and school canteen/recess, while the characteristic in the public high school, including hallways, trophy cases, lockers, school pictures, school bells and field frips), just before the sitcom premiered on January 7, 2017.

Marketing
During commercial gap of IBC and Secarats-produced romantic-comedy series, You Light Up My Life, the teaser released on December 5, 2016 by using the locally-produced 3D-animated CGI teaser with some clips of the original sitcom on YouTube, Tito, Vic and Joey remembered the sitcom Iskul Bukol during the 70s and 80s, the original sitcom was aired on IBC from 1977 to 1990. Now almost 40 years, the original sitcom Iskul Bukol made a comeback and this time will be in Diliman High School under the new title Iskool Bukol.

On December 10, 2016, IBC also released the teaser trailer for the school-oriented sitcom on YouTube, using the locally-produced 3D-animated teaser featuring Cruz, Dayrit and Abestano in Diliman High School. Another 3D-animated CGI teaser followed on December 14, and once again featuring Cruz, Dayrit and Abestano in Diliman High School. On December 23, 2016, the full-length trailer was released. Soon after, the trailer became a top trending topic nationwide on Twitter. Two days later, the official poster was released.

Promotion
On December 29, 2016 at Rockwell Center in Makati City at 5:00pm, a press conference will be held for the introduction of the school-oriented teen sitcom. The media ask the members of the sitcom. The following media and the leading newspapers that published articles about Iskool Bukol are Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sun Star, ibc.com.ph, PEP.ph, Starmometer, BusinessWorld, showbiz-portal.com, Tempo, ShowbizNest, Malaya, Manila Standard Today, Abante Tonite, etc.

On January 1, 2017, the launch of Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano as their co-hosts and performer in the Sunday noontime youth-oriented musical variety show Hey it's Fans Day! as a teen comedy trio KRJ (patterned after TVJ) where they promoted the sitcom with Tonton Gutierrez and the cast of Iskool Bukol.

On January 6, Mely Tagasa guested in a celebrity player in the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as she placed in the hot seat to play for the P2 million, followed by another appearance of Gutierrez in the late-night entertainment news program Showbiz Unlimited. On January 7, before the pilot episode of the sitcom premiered tonight, Keith, Raisa, Joyce and Tonton visited the noontime variety show APO Tanghali Na!.

Iskool Bukol: The Album
Due to the success of the sitcom. the debut album composed of eight music tracks featuring Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano. It released on June 5, 2017 under IBC and Secarats Talent Management Services and distributed by Ivory Music & Video. The physical copy of the album is available in leading music stores and digitally via iTunes and the digital copy of soundtrack also available on Spotify.
 * 1) Iskool Bukol (composers: Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon) - Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano
 * 2) Estudyante Blues (composer: Freddie Aguilar) - Keith Cruz
 * 3) Tango Boogie Cha Cha (composer: Lito Camo) - Raisa Dayrit
 * 4) Paikot-Ikot (composer: Mon Espia, arranger: Albert Tamayo) - Joyce Abestano
 * 5) Doo Bidoo (composer: Danny Javier) - Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano
 * 6) American Junk (composer: Jim Paredes) - Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano
 * 7) Beh Buti Nga (composer: Dennis Garcia) - Tonton Gutierrez and Joyce Abestano
 * 8) Saan Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada (composer: Jim Paredes) - Keith Cruz, Raisa Dayrit and Joyce Abestano

Merchandise
IBC and Secarats advantage of the school-oriented teen sitcom discovered that KRJ merchandise and the partnership with Sari-Sari Kapinoy entitled Iskool Bukol Items, the merchandise that produce a toys, notebooks, pencils, eraser, dolls, bag, watches, ballpen, stickers, among others are also being sold available in the market, like supermarkets, supermalls, malls and much more in Mega Manila and nationwide in very affordable prices.

Trivia

 * The revival of the 70s and 80s sitcom is now part of Saturday primetime, instead of Tuesday primetime (in the original 70s and 80 sitcom) because of the daily primetime dramas.
 * The sitcom will now setting in Diliman High School, a fictional public high school because of the junior high school and senior high school as the teen demographic at the 13- to 19-year-old and above; instead of Wanbol University (in the original 70s and 80s sitcom) which focus on their college and university students.
 * It is the first sitcom of Tonton Gutierrez under IBC after 33 years in being show business.
 * It also marks the return of Mely Tagasa under IBC after 27 years (with the original sitcom Iskul Bukol). Mely is the only member of the original sitcom to turned into a school-oriented sitcom as she play the role of the resident high school professor at Diliman High School.