ABS-CBN’s interim replacement Kapamilya Channel is now airing on several cable and satellite TV operators nationwide. The channel was launched on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at around 5:30 in the morning. But like many other TV channels, they’re still testing the waters. For us at Trendrod Box, it’s an opportunity to suggest how their schedule could look like in order to achieve stability.

For the very first article in the ‘Schedule Suggestions’ series, we’ll be featuring the new Kapamilya Channel.

Background

A few days ago, ABS-CBN News showbiz reporter MJ Felipe posted the channel’s schedule on his personal Twitter account.

In his following tweet, however, he said that “it is still subject to change.”

True enough, ABS-CBN then posted the final schedule a few days later.

This feature article shall refer to the latter as it is the official schedule.

Weekdays

Today, the channel bared its lineup consisting of both returning and new programs on the channel. Kim Chiu’s Love Thy Woman will be primetime’s Coco Martin-led FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano‘s equivalent in the afternoons. Moreover, the channel will also air a lot of rewinds of previous ABS-CBN shows and movie blocks to fill the channel’s schedule.

Right now, here’s how the Kapamilya Channel weekday lineup goes:

5:30am – Kapamilya Daily Mass
6:00am – Teleradyo
8:00am – Magandang Buhay
9:30am – Familiar Wife
10:00am – Kapamilya Blockbusters
12:00nn – It’s Showtime
2:30pm – Love Thy Woman
3:15pm – The General’s Daughter Rewind
4:00pm – Kapamilya Gold Hits
6:00pm – News Patrol
6:30pm – I Can See Your Voice Replays
7:20pm – Meteor Garden 2018 Rewind
8:00pm – FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano
8:45pm – The World of A Married Couple
9:30pm – A Soldier’s Heart Season 2
10:15pm – Pinoy Big Brother Balikbahay
11:45pm – Banana Sundae Rewind
12:45am – W: Two World Apart Rewind
1:30am – Movie Central Presents

With this set of shows, it is noticeable that ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast TV Patrol missed the boat and was replaced by the shorter-but-longer edition of hourly news bulletin News Patrol. It also does not help that while TVP airs on other channels and platforms, the interim ABS-CBN is airing something else, resulting to a competition.

We suggest that KC can place main TVP in the schedule as a simulcast like It’s Showtime and Ang Probinsyano on Jeepney TV and CineMo, respectively.

That said, both I Can See Your Voice, Banana Sundae, and Meteor Garden can be moved elsewhere in the lineup.

Furthermore, we also suggest to bring back Umagang Kay Ganda and other shows that are currently exclusive only through online like Tonight With Boy Abunda, among others. This would help create a balance to the (sorry to say) bland mix of shows on the channel.

This is how the weekday lineup could look like.

5:30am – Kapamilya Daily Mass
6:00am – Teleradyo / Umagang Kay Ganda
8:00am – Magandang Buhay
9:30am – Kapamilya Blockbusters
11:30am – Familiar Wife
12:00nn – It’s Showtime
2:30pm – Love Thy Woman
3:15pm – The General’s Daughter Rewind
4:00pm – Meteor Garden 2018
4:45pm – Kapamilya Gold Hits
6:30pm – TV Patrol simulcast
8:00pm – FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano
8:45pm – A Soldier’s Heart
9:30pm – The World of A Married Couple
10:15pm – W: Two Worlds Apart Rewind
11:00pm – Tonight With Boy Abunda
11:15pm – I Can See Your Voice Replays
12:15am – PBB Balikbahay
1:30am – Movie Central Presents

Saturdays

As the channel launched on a Saturday, viewers first had a taste of how the Kapamilya Channel would be through this schedule:

5:30am – Kapamilya Daily Mass
6:00am – Epol Apple
6:25am – Sineskwela
6:50am – Bayani
7:15am – Hiraya Manawari
7:40am – TEAM Fitfil
8:00am – KB Family Weekend
12:00nn – It’s Showtime
3:15pm – Kuha Mo
4:00pm – SOCO
4:45pm – Kapamilya Action Sabado
6:45pm – Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan?
7:30pm – The Voice Teens
8:30pm – The Best of MMK
10:00pm – Super Kapamilya Blockbusters
12:00mn – KB Family Weekend Rewind
2:00am – Movie Central Presents

Like on weekdays, TV Patrol Weekend is also nowhere to be found on the lineup. As it seems, people might even perceive the channel as a movie channel as it aired a solid 13 and a half hours of movies for its Saturday showcase. This is where change must be implemented in order to change that perception, like airing more entertainment shows or by near mirroring ABS-CBN’s Yes Weekend Saturday to make viewers more comfortable with the channel.

Here’s how it can look like:

5:30am – Kapamilya Daily Mass
6:00am – Epol Apple
6:25am – Sineskwela
6:50am – Bayani
7:15am – Hiraya Manawari
7:40am – TEAM Fitfil
8:00am – KB Family Weekend
12:00nn – It’s Showtime
3:15pm – Ipaglaban Mo (move back from Sundays)
4:15pm – SOCO
5:15pm – Kuha Mo
6:00pm – TV Patrol Weekend
7:00pm – Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan?
7:45pm – The Voice Teens
8:45pm – The Best of MMK
10:15pm – Banana Sundae Rewind (move from weekdays)
11:15pm – Super Kapamilya Blockbusters
1:30am – Movie Central Presents

Or it could also be something like this:

5:30am – Kapamilya Daily Mass
6:00am – Salamat Dok (replays) / Teleradyo
7:00am – Teleradyo / Salamat Dok (replays)
8:00am – Epol Apple
8:30am – Sineskwela
9:00am – Bayani
9:30am – Hiraya Manawari
10:00am – TEAM Fitfil
10:30am – KB Family Weekend
12:00nn – It’s Showtime
3:15pm – Ipaglaban Mo (move back from Sundays)
4:15pm – SOCO
5:15pm – Kuha Mo
6:00pm – TV Patrol Weekend
7:00pm – Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan?
7:45pm – The Voice Teens
8:45pm – The Best of MMK
10:15pm – Banana Sundae Rewind (move from weekdays)
11:00pm – Failon Ngayon (replays)
11:30pm – Super Kapamilya Blockbusters
1:30am – Movie Central Presents

Through these suggestions, viewers can at least see the similarities of Kapamilya with channel 2. Apart from that, there would be more variety on the schedule compared to what it is right now.

Sundays

If you think that the Saturday lineup is full of movies, Kapamilya’s Sunday block can surely rival that.

Take a look at their Sunday shows

6:00am – Healing Eucharist Mass
7:00am – Wikaharian
7:25am – Mathdali
7:50am – Bayani
8:15am – Hiraya Manawari
8:40am – TEAM Fitfil
9:00am – G Diaries
9:30am – KB Family Weekend
11:30am – ASAP Natin ‘To
2:30pm – Ipaglaban Mo
3:30pm – FPJ Da King
5:30pm – Starla
6:15pm – Iba ‘Yan!
7:15pm – The Voice Teens
8:15pm – Super Kapamilya Blockbusters
10:15pm – Sunday’s Best
12:00mn – KB Family Weekend Rewind
2:00am – Movie Central Presents

A fast scroll at the current scheule and one can’t surely help themselves from comment on the dependency of Kapamilya on movies for its Sunday schedule.

Here’s how it could look like if the number of movies were to be reduced from the lineup:

5:30am – O Shopping
6:00am – Healing Eucharist Mass
7:00am – Wikaharian
7:30am – Mathdali
8:00am – Bayani
8:30am – Hiraya Manawari
9:00am – Matanglawin (replays)
9:30am – TEAM Fitfil
10:00am – G Diaries
10:30am – KB Family Weekend
12:00nn – ASAP Natin ‘To
3:00pm – FPJ Da King
5:00pm – Starla
6:00pm – TV Patrol Weekend
7:00pm – Iba ‘Yan!
8:00pm – The Voice Teens
9:00pm – Rated K (replays)
10:00pm – GGV (replays)
11:00pm – The Bottomline (replays)
11:30pm – Sunday’s Best
1:30am – Movie Central Presents

In hindsight, one could easily see a less movie dependent Sunday lineup by filling the gaps with at least replays of previously aired programs or those who are still in hiatus now.

Footnotes

The new Kapamilya Channel is a welcome development to the current uncertain climate surrounding ABS-CBN. A few tweaks here and there could surely win over some Kapamilyas that missed the network.

As a sidenote, we would like to also suggest to put the channel on TVplus, as we have received fan messages that would like to demand the inclusion of Kapamilya Channel to the lineup. It is possible that it can replace the ‘free trial‘ Jeepney TV as KC also reairs a lot of ABS-CBN’s fan favorite programs.

That said, we wish the fledgling channel the best of luck.