New IBC-13 weekend lineup focuses on comedies

January 7, 2017

IBC-13 opens the year 2017 with two new comedy sitcoms lightens up the weekend lineup and focusing on light entertainment, ergo, comedies.

(photo: Francis Magundayao (school uniform), Justin Ward (school uniform), Harold Rementilla (school uniform), Keith Cruz (school uniform), Raisa Dayrit (school uniform), Joyce Abestano (school uniform)): Like the original one featuring the Escalera brothers, IBC-13 and Secarats-produced sitcom Iskool Bukol, inspired by the original sitcom Iskul Bukol, will center around their lives of Escalera sisters, Jenny (Keith Cruz) and Anne (Joyce Abesnao) and Kylie (Raisa Dayrit), in Diliman High School.

“IBC-13 is really into comedies. So it’s [all about] sports, dramas and light entertainment,” Wilma V. Galvante, head of Entertainment TV Group, told BusinessWorld during the launch of the newest sitcom, Iskool Bukol tonight, January 7. Another new sitcom Vic & Leen, which replace The Million Peso Money Drop tomorrow (Sunday, starring January 8).

Iskool Bukol is inspired by the original sitcom Iskul Bukol and will be the teen sitcom combining high school and comedy as it follow their lives of three high school classmate girls of Diliman High School: an ordinary high school teenager Jenny (Keith Cruz), an attractive and intelligent high school teenage girl Kylie (Raisa Dayrit) and the pretty high school girl Anne (Joyce Abestano), who are achieve to study for subject. In high school, they meet with Tito (Francis Magundayao), a popular classmate boy who paired with Jenny; Chester (Justin Ward), a high school teenage boy who deveops a crush with Anne; and Joey (Harold Rementilla), a boy who achieve to study with Kylie.

“High school is a very popular (with teenagers)... so we wanted to [show] the lighter side of their three girls because it educate them and as a teen sitcom, it targets a teen audience: they portray life but it a humorous, funny way. You see them in junior high school and senior high school as their high school classmates and then you see another side of them that’s fun,” Ms. Galvante said.

The show will also be the high school teen girl in her first acting job, which Abestano descrived as a “pretty classmate girl” while high school  remained popularity.

“We’ve coordinated our teenagers in an effort to educate every Saturday so we can rest and at the same time devote several hours of regular school time after the taping -- it's a regular class on weekdays, much like high school... their tapings are only on Saturday so it’s their once a week,” Joyce said in vernacular.

“There’s still in high school already study it should be for teens,” Ms. Galvante said, explaining the network’s aggressiveness when it comes to comedies and light entertainment in general.

Joining the cast of Iskool Bukol are the the loveteam Angelu de Leon and Bobby Andrews, Desiree del Valle, Boom Labrusca, Nova Villa, Smokey Manaloto, Tanya Garcia, Mr. Fu, Alodia Gosiengfiao, JC Tiuseco and Neil Coleta, along with Patrisha Samson, Aries Ace Espanola, Lianne Valentin and Miguel David. It is under the direction of Bert de Leon and written by Kay Conlu-Brondial and Mary Lhuvirizz Martin.

Vic & Leen is, of course, a romantic comedy about the officeman Vic (Victor Anastacio) and the sizzle heiress hottie girl Leen (Valeen Montenegro), who paired for love with their romantic relationship, He works in the office who determined as an officemate, while she does in the sizzle hot for love. Will Vic and Leen fall in love for relationship? Joining Victor and Valeen in the sitcom are Joey Paras, Wendy Valdez, Caloy Alde, Aiza Marquez, KC Montero, Rufa Mi, Tricia Santos, John James Uy, Chienna Filomeno and Julian Estrada.

Iskool Bukol airs tonight, every Saturday starting January 7 at 7:45 p.m. after Express Balita Weekend; and Vic & Leen airs tomorrow, every Sunday, starting January 8 at 7:45 p.m. after Express Balita Weekend on IBC-13.