Batibot's problems on a Saturday morning

When TV5 was just starting out as the Kapatid network back in 2010, one of the very first shows it announced on its roster was the return of the well-loved children’s educational show Batibot, after more than 20 years of airing on various channels.

The move gave plus points to the station immediately from parents who had grown up with Batibot and its characters Kuya Bodjie, Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. With teacher Feny at the helm, they knew they could entrust their children to the show.

Naturally, there were changes in the new show. Kuya Bodjie had moved on to be a staple in teleseryes and theater shows as Tatay Bodjie, even Lolo Bodjie. He has been replaced by the younger set of Ate Maya and Kuya Fidel, and Koko Kwik Kwak. Instead of being a Monday-to-Friday show, it is aired Saturdays at 8:30 a.m., which we would catch precisely to see if it still connected with today’s children.

Penguins of Madagascar as children’s fare

Kids are now obviously lured by other matters. The new Batibot has tried to serve these interests and we see more and more student-made puppets, even animation to keep up with the trend. But sandwiched between Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at 8 a.m. and Ben 10 with its fantasy, animation and science fiction at 9 a.m., we find Batibot hard to compete even within its own network.

What’s worse is that My Chubby World and Tropang Potchi on GMA 7 are airing at exactly the same time block as Batibot, and are also original children’s educational shows. Chubby World, co-produced with Rebisco’s Chubby Candy, went from a straight educational format to one of an educational challenge race with kid contestants from Metro Manila schools, naturally widening its coverage and audience.

Tropang Potchi, an original children’s show on GMA

Tropang Potchi, sponsored by Columbia International Food Products, moved from the now-defunct Q11 to GMA 7 and is another original Filipino game show challenging children’s mental and physical abilities.

ABS-CBN’s Go! Diego! Go! at 8:30 a.m., which is running smack against Batibot, is an American animated series featuring eight-year-old Diego Marquez who rescues animals around the world. Penguins of Madagascar, airing at 9:15 a.m., is another American animated TV series airing on Nickelodeon starring nine characters from the DreamWorks animated film Madagascar. 

But what to us would be the ultimate challenge to Batibot is that while it is competing with Pinoy children’s shows on GMA 7, and top-rated American kiddie animated series on ABS-CBN, Batibot is now facing at 8 a.m., every Saturday a show called I Got It.

This is produced by broadcasters from nine Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institute and UNESCO that answered the need for educational content and knowledge on television. The plan is to involve all 11 ASEAN countries, including Singapore and East Timor, in a co-production venture.

Vietnam’s water puppet show in I Got It

While waiting for Batibot to air, we happened to tune in to I Got It and found ourselves following a kid from Vietnam watching a show on water, with puppeteers behind the stage as they manipulated the puppets, making them move, dance and spout water. After the show, we followed the kid to see how the puppets were made from malleable fig tree trunks. This was absolutely engaging that we almost forgot to turn the dial to TV5.

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