Booboo Tube

(I would like to thank Migs and Cris2 for pointing out my inaccurate memories regarding a couple of shows. Thanks guys! The following episode of The McVie Show thus has been re-edited accordingly.)

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Last night Leigh and I bumped into Joey C., distinguished creative director of a top ad agency, Ricky V., sought-after photographer turned TV commercial director, and Jessica Zafra, queen of all media. We joined them for dinner at Serendra. There we got to reminiscing about unforgettable moments in Philippine television. We bemoaned that none of them was on YouTube. Future generations of Pinoy couch potatoes should know them to appreciate efforts of television past and to get a sense of history and continuity. Kris Aquino and ilk must be immortalized!

So we identified those moments; obviously the moments we knew betrayed our ages. Below are some in no particular order:

• Kris Aquino’s swan song-and-dive – It was for a production number of GMA Supershow. She was singing and dancing as she walked down a flight of stairs on stage. Suddenly she disappeared off camera. Turned out she fell through a weak portion of the set. Media frenzy followed. (At that time her mother was still president.)

• Divina Valencia drives home her point to Rey de la Cruz – In the showbiz program Rumors, Facts and Humor, they had as panel guests Ms. Divina Valencia, aging actress, and Dr. Rey dela Cruz, then-hot talent manager of many bold starlets. I don’t remember what the two were arguing about, but at a certain point Divina got so peeved that, to shut up Rey who was still talking, she grabbed a microphone and hit him on the head. On live television. A hasty commercial break followed.

• Inday Badiday, outed! – Before The Buzz, before S-Files, there was SeeTrue, the mother of showbiz gossip shows hosted by the late Inday Badiday. She then followed it up with Eye-2-Eye, her public service program where poor people could go on-air to ask for help from kind-hearted viewers. One time Inday Badiday had as guest a special child; he was crying and obviously disoriented by the studio set-up:
Inday: “Kilala mo ba ako?” (“Do you know who I am?”)
Kid (sobbing): “Opo.” (“Yes, ma’am.”)
Inday: “O, sino ako?” (“Well, who am I then?”)
Kid (still sobbing): “Bakla po.” (“You are gay, ma’am.”)
And the director mercifully cut to a commercial.

• Joe Quirino introduces Jean Saburit – Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino was one of the longest-running variety shows on television. The host was known for inviting the prettiest female celebrities as guests. One time Joe Q was going to introduce an up-and-coming actress. Unfortunately he read the cue-card wrong. So he said: “Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Jean Saburat!” with matching flourish.

• Alma Moreno guests dead people – Nora Aunor was a guest in Alma Moreno’s show Lovli-Ness, but true to form she was extremely late for the show. When she finally arrived to do her song number, Alma introduced her this way: “Ladies and gentlemen, the late Nora Aunor!”

• Ricky Belmonte introduces a band – I don’t remember the show, but it could be Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino. Anyway, actor Ricky Belmonte introduced a band by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the band who call themselves—” and stopped. He forgot the band’s name. So he turned to one of the band members and asked, “And what do you call themselves?”

• Eat Bulaga contestant reveals the ingredient for a long-lasting marriage – In one of their game portions, Joey de Leon asked the female contestant, “What is the common name of sodium chloride? Clue! It is what you put on your husband’s eggs every morning.” Flustered, the woman answered, “Uhm, powder?” (The anecdote is funnier in Filipino.)

Do you know of any other unforgettable moments in Philippine television? Do tell! And if you know anyone who has copies of the above-mentioned moments, please, please, puh-leez ask them to upload them to YouTube and tell us about it. Now na!