Is this the start of the “better days” host Vice Ganda was alluding to in a past episode?
In a report by news publication Pilipino Star Ngayon on Friday, March 15, it shared that ABS-CBN’s longest-running noontime variety show ‘It’s Showtime’ is making a major switch soon.
The Kapamilya program will soon be seen on the noontime slot of GMA Network’s main channel, instead of its secondary channel GTV.
The said slot was recently vacated by TAPE Inc.’s noontime show ‘Tahanang Pinakamasaya,’ which was canceled on March 2, 2024 after a brief nine-month run.
Although, the same report detailed that both GMA and ABS-CBN have yet to formalize an agreement about the possible switcheroo.
But if ‘Showtime’ does move to GMA’s flagship channel, it has been rumored that the program will cease to air on other platforms like the Kapamilya Channel on pay television and A2Z on free-to-air television.
Currently, GMA and ABS-CBN have not yet released any comment on the matter.
However, in an episode of ‘It’s Showtime’ this week, host Vice Ganda hinted about “better days,” a phrase she usually uses whenever there are milestone events for the show — such as the debut of A2Z in October 2020 and the move to GTV in July 2023.
The phrase also garnered much attention from the program’s loyal followers who were intrigued by Vice’s statement.
‘IT’S SHOWTIME!’
‘Showtime’ began airing as a late-morning talent show of ABS-CBN in October 2009, and originally hosted by Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Jugs Jugueta, Teddy Corpuz, Kuya Kim Atienza, and Vice Ganda as a ‘resident hurado.’
After a more than two-year-run on its original slot and format, it was relaunched as the Kapamilya network’s flagship noontime variety show in February 2012, following the cancelation of ‘Happy, Yipee, Yehey.’
‘Showtime,’ with the influence of teleserye ‘Be Careful With My Heart,’ eventually became the formidable noontime programming ABS-CBN had hoped for in the years after the end of ‘Wowowee’ in 2010, as well as the departure of ‘Eat Bulaga’ for GMA in 1995.
Not counting the AlDub phenomenon in 2015, ‘Showtime’ had been generally stable, and at times, even closing the gap or leading against the institution that is ‘Eat Bulaga’ in the ratings game.
Following the ABS-CBN network’s shutdown in 2020, the show had its reach severely limited and was only seen via Kapamilya Channel and A2Z.
In July 2022, it became part of the line-up of ABS-CBN shows on TV5.
However, when networks ended their blocktime agreement following the move of ‘Eat Bulaga’ to TV5, ABS-CBN sought a partnership with GMA to air the show on the network’s secondary channel GTV.
Since the start of this year, ‘Showtime’ was able to overtake ‘Bulaga’ in the TV ratings game, thanks to the strong performance of its segment ‘EXpecially For You.’
GMA NOONTIME WOES
While things were looking up for ‘It’s Showtime,’ the same cannot be said for GMA’s noontime slot.
Following the departure of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon from TAPE, Inc. in May 2023, the network struggled to maintain its foothold on noontime.
While the Isko Moreno and Paolo Contis-led iteration of ‘Eat Bulaga’ produced by TAPE remained competitive at times from its debut in June 2023, it was the loss of the title in January 2024 that signaled a shift for the program.
As ‘Tahanang Pinakamasaya,’ it lagged behind rivals TVJ’s ‘Eat Bulaga’ on TV5 and ABS-CBN’s ‘It’s Showtime,’ which also airs on GMA’s GTV channel.
Ergo, on Saturday, March 2, TAPE unceremoniously ceased the production of ‘TP,’ as it did not have a formal farewell episode, nor message to its viewers.
The program formally ended its run on March 7 with a rebroadcast of the March 2nd episode, along with a statement from TAPE.
Since March 8, GMA has been filling the lull with an interim ‘Lunchtime Movie Hits’ block, as well as an earlier time slots for Afternoon Prime dramas like the top-rating ‘Abot-Kamay na Pangarap.’
Following the cessation of ‘TP,’ rumors have sprung up left and right about the possible permanent replacements.
Aside from ‘It’s Showtime,’ the other options that floated around were pre-noontime variety show ‘Tiktoclock,’ Willie Revillame’s ‘Wowowin,’ a new program from TAPE, and even an entirely new show produced by GMA themselves.
At the moment, speculations suggest that GMA is aiming to revamp its noontime lineup in early April 2024.