Cathode raves
The phrase “May you live in interesting times” was supposedly meant to be a curse, although it now reads as understatement. The subtlety of its phrasing surely is lost on us now — living, as we do, in an era where everything becomes interesting only because nothing ever truly is to us anymore. (It would be more apt to term it more as “arousal” than “interest.” Though we’d accept that some things do “arouse interest,” they rarely achieve it. After all, the allowance of 140 characters on Twitter used to be only enough for the pick-up line.) Thank heavens for television then.
Yes, you read that right: television is good. Much derided (and, in the past, rightfully so) as being responsible for the shortening of our collective attention spans or just making all of us dumber, it has been superseded by the Internet, albeit with rather more panache and respectability. So much so it may have driven the younger generations back to books — even though a lot of what they read is drivel, calling to mind a line made by a character from Ghost World (the movie, haven’t read the comic): “This is so bad it’s gone past good and back to bad again.” But as one prescient novelist quipped before, not watching television is even worse than never reading a book. And this not only refers to series like The Sopranos or Lost — and now HBO’s latest, the excellent Boardwalk Empire — that we all watch on DVD’s but just basic local programming. Believe us, there’s more there to interest you than mere titillation.
(The legs of a local cable news anchor may be said to be a sight well worth probing, but it can be argued that this particular set is rarely seen and therefore inaccessible so that it’s become a subject of interest rather than just an object of mere arousal. You can even call it “engaging.”)
Conan O’Brien was right: “Television allows you to watch things just like you would on your computer or cell phone, except while seated in a more comfortable chair.” And it’s once we’re all comfortably seated that things can actually start to become interesting.
Lupet (TV5)
A clip show isn’t supposed to be interesting but this one is. Hosted by Lourd de Veyra and Shawn Yao, the segments directed by R.A. Rivera and Jun Sabayton are loaded with superb non-sequiturs, absurd but knowing humor and colloquial flavor that ranks it as the Philippines’ answer to a Monty Python sketch. Why didn’t they do this before?
Storyline and Truths (ANC)
Although different in its objectives, these two docu-series are nothing less than a triumph of local broadcasting. These are shows that matter when so little anywhere does anymore. Storyline focuses on certain people while Truths focuses on particular issues but the subject is essentially the same: being a Filipino in this world now. Helmed by acclaimed directors Paolo Villaluna and Kiri Dalena, the fact that the shows themselves are already compulsive viewing don’t require us to make them mandatory.
iWitness Documentaries (Channel 7)
Just simply read the names that make iWitness and it should already be enough to convince you that each episode should not be missed. Kara David, Sarah Aguinaldo, Jay Taruc and Howie Severino have their particular styles and interests but that’s what makes this pioneering series so dynamic and entertaining to watch. Even though it sometimes airs much too late for a lot of us to watch when first aired, they series is thankfully compiled into DVD collections with the fifth in the series just newly released. Don’t just buy for yourself but buy them to give as Christmas gifts.
Headstart (ANC)
A veteran anchor of news programs, Karen Davila’s morning program is a welcome change for the award-winning broadcast journalist. It’s casual but never at the expense of its intent. The highlight of the show is the interviews that Davila conducts with various guests, whether it’s the usual politicians, the captain of the Balangay, memory athletes or, more recently, Freddie and Hubert Webb the day after the latter’s acquittal by the Supreme Court, she not only manages to make each interview of substance but also palatable for morning viewer. (That’s not as easy or facetious as it sounds.) There’s no other better way to, indeed, “start your morning.”
The Brew (ANC)
Hosted by proclaimed “brew-ha’s,” this is the newest of the bunch cited here but it certainly doesn’t suffer for credentials for it. The show’s hosts — Twink Macaraeg, Nadia Trinidad, and Gang Badoy — have enough “cred” between themselves already but the real excitement is watching these three independent and very vocal women talk to each other or with their guests. Girls talking? Whoever would’ve thought that would be a compelling television? But it sure is. Whether it’s about the fact Gretchen Barretto would rather not wear anything at all than resort to cheap underwear, Loren Legarda denying that she’s a cougar, or just their comments on anything — like the interview between Kris Aquino and Ted Failon during TV Patrol. The comments by Macaraeg on the latter, wondering if it was a ratings stunt, was particularly welcome, an assurance of the network’s news department’s continued credibility after the departure of Maria Ressa. They may have lost one helluva woman but, if this show is any indication, we’ve got three reasons to still tune in.
Eat Bulaga (Channel 7)
“Mula Apari hanggang Hulo…” Need I say more? Didn’t think so.
