Janella Salvador as IBC's Only Primetime Princess

March 24, 2014

Janella Salvador as only primetime princess and a teen mermaid tale in her first IBC fantaserye, titled Janella in Wonderland, which airs weeknights

MANILA, Philippines - Drama is the princess of primetime, says IBC-13 teen star Janella Salvador. After playing the most promising character as Nikki-Grace Lim in ABS-CBN's daytime teleserye Be Careful With My Heart, the Kapinoy network puts the gamble to go head to head with the soap operas of competing network with the first fantaserye Janella in Wonderland which already premiere last January 6, Janella's first daily primetime series with the network since her cross-over from ABS-CBN last November 29, 2013 as part of the network's contract.

Her mother for singer-theater actress Jenine Desiderio says that Janella as the only primetime princess. She graduated grade school from St. Paul College Pasig and is also being a home-schooled as well. The 15-year-old singer-actress was celebrated on its 16th birthday party on March 30, she is purposed to do fantasy drama as her first fantaserye for IBC-13.

When she signed up with the network last January 18, that means viewers will be seeing her Monday to Sunday since she is part of the cast in Friends 4Ever (Sunday at 3 p.m.), a youth-oriented light drama also stars Marlo Mortel, Sue Ramirez, Khalil Ramos, Francis Magundayao, Liza Soberano and Diego Loyzaga. Janella is also appeared in the feel-good sitcom Maya Loves Sir Chief (Saturday at 7 p.m.) which is topbilled by Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap alongside Mutya Orquia and Jerome Ponce, while a singer-dancer for being a regular performer and co-host as part of Hey it's Fans Day! family.

When the network decided to change into horizontal programming strategy last January 6 by airing a fantasy series from the success of heavy drama series. The primetime block will also aired with TreseBella favorite telenovela The Two Sides of Ana (Dalawang Mukha ni Ana) (5:45 p.m.), the high-rating newscast Express Balita (6:30 p.m.), Mario Maurer and Ingrid dela Paz' romantic comedy-light drama Only Me and You (8:30 p.m.), Cristine Reyes' drama Maghihintay Sa'yo (9:15 p.m.) and Viva Box Office (9:45 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.). The critics has discovered a fantasy with Mutya Orquia’s Carita de Angel as a pre-programming to Express Balita. Now, the network is hoping the gamble will dominated with the fantasy series Janella in Wonderland, since the first fantaseryes in 2004 are Marina and Marinara.

Janella's popular expression "Oh my gee!" which had stated several times for the entire episodes of the weeknight fantasy series Janella in Wonderland, the feel-good sitcom Maya Loves Sir Chief and the Sunday afternoon teen drama Friends 4Ever.

She said it has such a fantasy, light-hearted drama, adventure, action and romantic love story. "Oh my gee, she's here because it's feel-good that IBC-13 is running third in the ratings behind ABS-CBN and GMA 7. We need to be able to come up with fantasy and drama series that will enjoy watching," Janella says when she asked about the Sirena Wars, she is facing now as a superstar of the Kapinoy network.

Because of the popularity of IBC's Janella in Wonderland, ABS-CBN and GMA put up a fantaseryes that will dominate, like Dyesebel and Kambal Sirena. They were pitting Janella against Anne Curtis and Louise delos Reyes, while Janella in Wonderland also instantly became the #1 most-watched fantaserye on its timeslot.

With that, Janella in Wonderland completes a new trio of primetime dramas for IBC-13's Kapinoy Primetime lineup. Earlier in March, TreseBella's The Two Sides of Ana (Dalawang Mukha ni Ana) starring Ana Layevska also became the #1 telenovela on its timeslot during its 5:45 p.m. slot. Express Balita also became the #1 most-watched newscast on its timeslot during 6:30 p.m. timeslot dominated by TV Patrol and 24 Oras. After Janella in Wonderland, the romantic comedy series Only Me and You topbilled by Mario Maurer and Ingrid dela Paz at 8:30 p.m. since premiered in March 10, Cristine Reyes' drama series Maghihintay Sa'yo, has been consistently ranked the #1 teleserye on its 9:15 p.m. timeslot. And the primetime movie block, Viva Box Office (VBO), has showing the Viva Tagalog movies and has became the #1 on its timeslot at 9:45 p.m.

“IBC-13 has already begun winning weekends, especially on Saturdays with PBA, DMZ-TV, Maya Loves Sir Chief, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and T.O.D.A.S., and on Sundays with PBA, The Million Second Quiz, Born to be a Superstar, Dingdong n' Lani and Sunday Sinemaks. Now on weeknight primetime, the addition of Janella in Wonderland, Only Me and You and Maghihintay Sa'yo for making IBC-13 truly the network to watch. It’s any programmers dream to have the primetime princess Janella Salvador, Thai superstar Mario Maurer and Ingrid dela Paz, and the jewel of drama Cristine Reyes in one network and on one night. And yet, despite having such big name superstars, the good thing about out weeknight lineup is that the three series are also focused on the audience, the shows all shine the spotlight on the people.

Perhaps, oh my gee, the fantasy drama series for Janella, who plays the lead character Janella Bernardo, a 15-year old girl who turning into a teen mermaid tale under the sea as the Princess of the Sea where the sea creatures rule in the island, at home, school and the mermaid into underwater. She's a student from high school who she wearing a school uniform and also she's a mermaid! Janella and her dolphin friend Zuma set off on an undersea adventure from Oceana. With help from her mermaid friends, Janella saves the ocean kingdom.

Marlo Mortel and Janella Salvador

Victor Fred, her boyfriend in the series played by Marlo Mortel, a popular boy who is crush in his girlfriend Janella Bernardo. He is Janella's love interest and she called "Mallows".

Janella's super kilig love team with Marlo Mortel who is also part of the cast and also played the character Nicolo Cortez in ABS-CBN's daytime teleserye Be Careful With My Heart admitted that he has a crush on her, as well as Precious Lara Quigaman, Bobby Andrews, Andrei Felix, Bettina Carlos, Shy Carlos, Alexandra Macanan, Nathan Barrera, Alyanna Angeles, Kiko Estrada and Joshua Dionisio. Also, the mermaids underwater are Alfred Vargas as King Triton, Jai & Joj Agpangan, Mikee Lee, Yen Santos, Paolo Serrano and Kat Alano, the villains are Alessandra de Rossi as Eris, Meryll Soriano as Ursula, and RJ Ledesma as Evil Beneath, and the voices of Louise Abuel as Zuma, Elmo Magalona as Sebastian, Jon Santos as Shrimp, Pia Magalona as Fisher, Timothy Chan as Dreamfish, Josh Padilla as Remo and Chienna Filomeno as Whale Shark

Salvador knows the show is a big risk for IBC-13, a David to ABS-CBN and GMA-7’s primetime drama Goliaths, considering the audience is still accustomed to drama on weeknights.

Marlo and Janella are the Kapinoy network's hottest love team, known for their moniker MarNella while answer to other love teams like KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla), KimXi (Kim Chiu and Xian Lim),

“Oh my gee, we're so exciting for major player we’re continue to capture the Asian market. We just want to offer heavy dramas, very entertaining, drama-wise,” she muses. Oh my gee, kasi naman sa primetime ang princesa ay drama. Talaga sila sa fantaserye kung sirena."

Janella in Wonderland airs weeknights after Express Balita on IBC-13's Kapinoy Primetime.

Primetime Princess
ABS-CBN GMA IBC
 * Julia Barretto (Mirabella)
 * Kim Chiu (Ikaw Lamang)
 * Julia Montes (Ikaw Lamang)
 * Maja Salvador (The Legal Wife)
 * Kim Rodriguez (Paraiso Ko'y Ikaw)
 * Joyce Ching (Paraiso Ko'y Ikaw)
 * Louise delos Reyes (Kambal Sirena)
 * Janella Salvador (Janella in Wonderland)