By NEIL RAMOS
There’s a new talent show in town.
Dubbed, “PoPinoy,” it aims to prove that Filipino talents can give foreign acts a run for their money.
In the competition, homegrown boy bands and girl groups will vie for the top spot to earn the chance to become the ultimate Pinoy Pop idols.
It is more than your average talent search show.
“PoPinoy,” will combine cutting-edge production, a rigid selection and training process, and A-list hosts and judges to come up with their winners.
It is set to deliver dynamic and upbeat productions that showcase the musical and dance prowess of the contenders.
Fans will get to know the individual personalities of each group member and how well he or she meshes with the group through every high-energy performance.
Moreover, it will chronicle the journey of these aspiring new talents; from their humble beginnings, their exacting training, and right up to when they take center-stage in the grand finale concert.
Tasked with the all-important job of honing the aspirants into world-class performers is a rock-solid list of mentors & guest judges. The PoPinoy mentors, or headhunters, form a veritable who’s who in Pinoy showbiz: Maja Salvador, Jay R, DJ Loonyo and Kayla Rivera.
As headhunters, they will be closely watching the aspirants’ every move, analyzing each step, and evaluating every note, with the goal of pointing them in the right direction towards becoming the ultimate Pinoy Pop sensation.
To help mount PoPinoy, TV5 is teaming up with telco brand TNT, which has been known for championing local talent and Pinoy pride.
“Through our partnership with TV5, we aim to give our talented artists a platform to shine and fulfill their dreams while celebrating our original and rapidly-evolving Pinoy Pop music.” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
“PoPinoy” is to extend beyond the weekly Sunday episodes on TV5.
While waiting for the main show on weekends, viewers can also watch “Idols of Pinoy Pop: Manila Sound to KPop, ”a one-episode documentary by Lourd de Vera that will premiere on June 6, 8 pm on TV5 and 9:30 pm on Colours.
There’s also “PoPinoy All Access,” a streaming show that will air on weekdays, across all TNT and Popinoy’s social media platforms, that will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes, auditions, and an all-access backstage pass.
There’s more.
“POPDates,” a recap show of the day’s highlights will air on weekdays at 9:30 pm beginning June 14 as hosted by Anikka dela Cruz.
Further in the competition, viewers will have access to more content that focuses on the aspirants’ journey: “POpinoy UpClose,” a chat-musical with interviews featuring those who have advanced to the Top 10, will premiere on July 9 at 9:30 pm on Colours and “Journey to the Finish,” a more intimate feature-focus show on each of the Top 3 girl-and-boy groups, will premiere on October 9, 9:30 pm, both hosted by Adrianna So.
“We are excited and proud of this collaboration with TNT and Archangel Media. Our vision to promote and showcase the best of our new Filipino talents is now being realized with the launch of PoPinoy. We’ve always believed that our country is a repository of world-class talents who have been acknowledged not only here in our country, but around the globe. This is what we envision for these young men and women of PoPinoy as they make their own impact in the world of entertainment,” Cignal’s First Vice President for Channels and Content Management Sienna G. Olaso said.
TNT will also launch its online show, “TNT POP Show,” hosted by Asia’s Pop Heartthrob, Darren Espanto, which will feature exclusive PoPinoy content such as behind-the-scenes, interesting stories by aspirants, and fun games, among others.
“We are very happy and proud to share PoPinoy with everyone. It is the result of the collaboration of many brilliant and creative minds from TV5, Cignal, Archangel Media, and TNT. We are thrilled about this partnership as it will showcase world-class Filipino talent here and abroad,” Cignal and TV5 President and CEO Robert P. Galang said.
Hosted by Maine Mendoza and Paolo Ballesteros, the primer to “PoPinoy” will air June 6, 8pm on TV5, a week before its premiere on June 13, 7 pm.
“PoPinoy” will also have a catch-up airing on Colours on Cignal ch. 202 HD and 60 SD on Sundays at 9:30 pm.
TV5 and Colours are also accessible on Cignal Play, free for Android and iOS users.
