Malaysia's remake of ABS-CBN's 'The Legal Wife' tops TV ratings

MANILA, Philippines — While the Philippines has made several adaptations of other countries’ primetime shows in the past, the tables have been turned now.

Other countries are now making adaptations of Filipino teleseryes, one of which is ABS-CBN’s hit primetime show of 2014, “The Legal Wife.” Malaysian TV channel Astro Ria acquired the rights to the teleserye, created a beautiful remake of it, and started airing it on Malaysian primetime last February. It has since been making waves and topping the TV ratings chart in Malaysia.

The adaptation, “Isteri Halal,” airs weeknights on Astro’s cable channel, Astro Ria, has been enjoying high TV viewership from Malaysian viewers. It leads the TV ratings race in the 6:00 p.m. timeslot, as reported by DTAM on April 29, 2023. Netizens have also been talking about “Isteri Halal” on social media, thus earning millions of views across Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok for the show.

Produced by Radius One, “Isteri Halal” stars Malaysia’s award-winning actors Isyariana Che Azmi, Aidit Noh, and Ugasha Senrose. It stays true to the original series, “The Legal Wife,” while at the same time highlighting Malaysian culture, a formula that appeals to its Malaysian audience.

“The Legal Wife” was first shown in the Philippines in 2014. Starring Angel Locsin, Maja Salvador and Asia’s Prince of Drama Jericho Rosales, it revolves around two childhood friends who both yearned for a father’s love and, eventually, the same man as their partner in life, causing them to get entangled in an affair filled with lust, deceit, and betrayal. The teleserye turned out to be so successful that it caught the attention of Malaysian producers.

The original series from 2014, "The Legal Wife"

Astro Ria's head, Norzeha Mohd Salleh, expressed delight with the show's overall quality and its reception from local audiences.

"The combination of its great cast and a great director makes “Isteri Halal” a must-watch nightly, certainly living up to the standards set by the original ABS-CBN series. We are also delighted with the viewership feats it has amassed since its premiere, and we are overwhelmed with the support from our avid audiences," Norzeha said.

Prior to “Isteri Halal,” Astro first adapted ABS-CBN’s  2009 drama series “Tayong Dalawa,” translated into “Angkara Cinta,” which was the most watched show on Astro Prima when it ended its run in 2020.

Apart from “The Legal Wife” and “Tayong Dalawa,” other ABS-CBN shows have been adapted internationally, including “Hanggang Saan” and “The Good Son,” whose remakes were aired successfully in Turkey.

Selling over 50,000 hours of content to over 50 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, ABS-CBN continues its pursuit of producing and distributing world-class Filipino shows all over the world.