BY NESTOR CUARTERO
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JUST A THOUGHT: “To be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel
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WELCOME NEWS: Revivalist network TV-5’s offer to hire displaced workers, including actors and creatives, from ABS-CBN is good news in a world made dreary by politics and COVID-19.
The closure of ABS-CBN has encouraged TV-5 to activate its long dormant entertainment division. Channel 2 had under its employ majority of the industry’s key players who are now without jobs. TV-5’s decision to reopen its entertainment section comes at a most opportune time, indeed.
Many in the entertainment industry, from big stars to the smallest crew member, are without work. TV-5 can seize this opportunity to cast displaced actors on scale, at a price lower than their old rate at ABS-CBN.
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SYMBIOTIC: In the end, it will work out both ways. TV-5 gets reinvented with a fresh coat of established stars, or those already known to the public.
Jobless stars can find employment, as well as maintain their visibility in their halfway house.
Two ABS-CBN talents, Jessy Mendiola and Pokwang, have signed up for new shows under TV-5. Expect more to follow them.
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BLOCKTIMERS: Perci Intalan, representing TV-5, says the station is open to co-production or block timers.
Actors who dream of becoming producers or directors, can take advantage of this special offer, now a rarity in the TV industry.
They can probably produce TV movies or mini-series, just like the way they do it in South Korea, where drama shows run for 16 weeks only, at one episode per week.
They can be shorter too, say four or five episodes only.
Such format will give our viewers wider choice. At the same time, it can attract new viewers for TV-5.
