Fantaseryes and telefantasias

in all the channels.

Critics argued that too many foreign soaps deprived local artists of their livelihood and talents were hindered their own mark in coming up with originals.

Several years later in 2003, TV viewing landscape shifted with the Taiwanese soap “Meteor Garden.” The new generation was as crazy as the previous one that got hooked to Marimar in the ‘90s.

Marimar was to be localized 13 years later on GMA Network, with Marian Rivera playing the lead and Dingdong Dantes became the swashbuckling hero, and Katrina Halili as the villainess. The Filipino version made Rivera the primetime queen with her subequent shows and started her off-cam relationship to Dantes that ended in marriage.

In 2015, GMA came out yet again with a version starring Miss World 2013 Megan Young as Marimar.

At ABS-CBN, the translated Colombian “Betty La Fea” (October 25, 1999 to May 8, 2001) became localized in 2008 with Bea Alonzo playing the lead, opposite John Lloyd Cruz. It ran until May 28, 2010. Original fantaseryes (ABS-CBN term) and telefantasyas (GMA term) also became the trend in mid-2000s. “Marina” starring Claudine Barretto had audiences glued as she swam as mermaid and walked as human.

“Mulawin” became the audience’s favorite with its half-human half-bird creatures. The group of enchanted creatures from “Encantadia” became a separate show by itself with the four Sang’gres — Amihan, Alena, Dayana and Pirena — became a byword, even putting new words in the vocabulary

somebody “animal” or “beast”); “avisala” “ssheda” (meaning halt or stop). different chapters. It was to be given a

From komiks, Mars Ravelo’s ‘Darna’ had been incarnated to the screen, both wide and small, with Marian Rivera (left) and Angel Locsin (right) essaying the role of the local superheroine on