AFTERNOON DELIGHT
Ebrigea said Bagong Umaga is still at its core a ‘drama’ but will have a different ‘flavor’ due to the friendship of the six characters
Can Bagong Umaga shake the afternoon viewing habits of drama-loving Pinoys?
The drama is finally going to air on 26 October right after
It’s Showtime. Bagong Umaga is going to be the first show to premiere on A2Z channel 11, the rebranded Zoe 11 that ABS-CBN airs its shows on after reaching a block-timing deal with Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s Zoe Broadcasting Inc. It will also be shown on other channels like Kapamilya Channel on select cable providers and streamed via Kapamilya Online Live.
It stars Tony Labrusca, Yves Flores, Michelle Vito, Heaven Peralejo, Kiko Estrada and Barbie Imperial.
Only Tony and Barbie remained from the cast of what should have been Cara Y Cruz, the drama announced as early as this year and that had its Zoom conference with then cast Tony, Barbie, Julia Barretto, Marco Gumabao and the LoiNie tandem, reel- and real-life sweethearts Ronnie Alonte and Loisa Andalio.
Julia signed with Viva Artists Agency this month after leaving Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent agency. Weeks after, ABS-CBN announced that it will premiere Bagong Umaga with the current cast.
Rizalina Ebrigea of RGE Drama Unit, one of the many units that produces ABS-CBN dramas, said that they have decided to move on with the past.
“Ano ang nasimulan, doon na kami pumunta (We’re going to continue what we started and let it run its course). We have to make sure to do the best. It’s really useless to go back. I am happy with the six bagets (youngsters) we have right now,” she answered when asked the absence of LoiNie in the cast.
Heaven shares the same optimism. She was given the biggest break among the female leads of the show as she gets to play what should have been Julia’s role.
“I am thankful for the chance to showcase my talents. I am grateful and pressured but happy to be pressured so I can do the role. It’s a blessing in disguise. I try to do my best,” she shared.
She added, “I belive there is no first or second choice. It’s all about the timing. What’s meant to be is meant to be.”
Heaven plays Tisay, a girl who gets adopted into a poor yet loving family. She lives with her adoptive brother Dodong (Yves) and grows up with him and her best friend Angge (Michelle).
She aspires to be a journalist and along the way meets Ely (Tony), who dreams of becoming a doctor and comes from a well-off family. He wants to succeed so he can escape from his abusive father.
He falls in love with Tisay but his childhood friend Cai (Barbie) will resent the budding relationship between the two as she secretly loves him. She’ll use means to separate Ely and Tisay by using Dodong. Adding to the mix is Otep (Kiko) who will use Tisay for his own revenge plans.
Ebrigea said Bagong Umaga is still at its core a “drama” but will have a different “flavor” due to the friendship of the six characters. Unlike the usual two central characters, the six leads will be fleshed out, their challenges and successes will be shown. Their lives are intertwined, as the show’s trailers suggests multiple births at the same time and, perhaps, a mix-up in between. Their parents’ pasts will haunt their present and affect their future, but, they will meet as friends first before they will discover their connections and will be burdened with dilemma — of keeping their friendships and blossoming romances amid lies, envy and anger.
Possible pairings
The afternoon slot of free TV programming had always been reserved for revenge or extra-marital dramas pre-pandemic. Currently, it shows reruns of past hits. Bagong Umaga hopes to break that mold, as explained by Ebrigea and by the storyline it presents.
It is also noted that there are six lead characters, not two or four, and there could be multiple love teams born that could also lead to a love triangle or love square. ABS-CBN is making an experiment here as many of the actors are not identified with any love teams.
Any TV viewing fan knows that love teams bring in the money on TV and on the big screen. Tony was supposed to build a pairing with Julia after they both starred in iWant’s thrilling series I Am U. But he ends up with Heaven, who can also end up with either Yves or Kiko.
It’s the same for Barbie and Michelle. Barbie had her owns dramas, she even was paired with JM de Guzman in the sexy afternoon drama Araw-Gabi which was based on a Tagalog paperback romance. Michelle has been playing support for so long until this show.
With so many possible choices of pairing and admittedly a refresing set of leads, even with such a familiar storyline and plot, Bagong Umaga may shake things up and even create a new money-making pairing for ABS-CBN.