Willie Revillame continues to redefine primetime

Love him. Hate him. It doesn't really matter because at the end of the day, Willie Revillame owns primetime.

No need to put a hyperlink on the words Willing Willie. By now, every Filipino knows, or has at least heard of, Revillame's new show on TV 5.

Picking up where it left off last year, Willing Willie continues to hog TV ratings and influence our evening viewing habit. And with competition offering little resistance, it seems it would stay that way, unless ABS-CBN and GMA can come up with a really, really good show to pit against primetime's new champ.

Very few shows can replicate Willing Willie's success. After all, it is rare for a show to get off to a good start and maintain such pace for a longtime. I believe even Wowowee, Revillame's previous show, didn't get this much attention during its first few episodes. Meanwhile, some shows, like Etheria, failed to capitalize on promising pilot episodes, losing audiences with each passing episode.

And while three months is not an indication of longevity, the way people are flocking to Novaliches is a sign that Willing Willie could be around for a very, very, very long time.

Of course, credit goes to the guy where the show got its name.

Willing Willie benefits from a huge following established by Willie back when he was still running Wowowee. Remember, this guy has charisma that can cause stampedes. So it doesn't come as a surprise that a lot of his die-hard fans would follow him wherever he goes, or in this case, whatever time slot he shows up in.

Speaking of time slot, you really have to admire Willie's guts to go against the grain. I have to admit I myself was accustomed to seeing nothing but news in the evening. But Willie changed all that.

He took advantage of the fact that people are getting sick of the news. I mean, we get it in the morning, late at night (and with some newsflash in between), online, on TV, radio, and on print media. So shouldn't we be spared from it in the evening when we get home from work or school?

Of course, anything out of the ordinary will initially be welcomed with skepticism. But soon, everybody realized that we're better off watching a variety show during primetime than a bunch of talking heads.

Oh, and did I mention Willing Willie is also a reality show?

Using the lessons he picked up from ABS-CBN, Willie puts drama where it's not needed to turn a hard sale into something salable. Or as one of my college professors like to call it, selling emotions. And in a market like the Philippines where people ogle over soap operas and reality shows, emotions sell like pancakes.

And it doesn't get any real than Willing Willie. Just take last night's (December 06) (January 06) episode for example. While it didn't catch a lot of attention, I'd like to consider it a milestone in Philippine TV. Imagine: Club dancers and GROs competing against each other on a game show.

Now in the Filipino context, club dancers and GROs could be anything from the real deal, to strippers and to  prostitutes. Though none of the said contestants admitted it, judging from their stories which were cleverly extracted by Willie with some interviewing, it is implied that they are part of the sex industry.

Sex workers are a common sight on Philippine TV. In shows like Imbestigador, Bitag and XXX, they are often featured, their faces pixelized to hide their true identities, during raids conducted by the NBI and PNP in brothels or pubs.

But last night, we saw some of the faces behind the pixels. There was crying, cussing, and of course, some dancing. I repeat, it doesn't any get real than that.

In addition, Willing Willie thrives on its host's spontaneity. On the spot, Willie would scold cameramen who fail to capture faces of studio audiences who express strong emotions. He can think of new gimmicks on the fly and at his whim, summon members of the production crew to produce some sort of peripheral that would compliment his ideas.

And if ever you get tired of the contestants, Revillame is always there to renew your interest in his program. Aside from singing and teasing Shalani Soledad, Willie never runs out of interesting things to say, especially about his former TV station and bosses.

As they say in basketball, take whatever the defense gives you. While others disapprove of Willie's methods in dealing with contestants, I'd say he's just taking advantage of the opportunity that comes his way.

If there's anyone shamed while on Willing Willie, it ain't Revillame's fault. People know what they're getting into the moment they set foot on Willie's turf. They know how it goes down - he needs emotions to get ratings and people want prizes and a few seconds of fame in return. I'd say it's a good deal.

And since Revillame also has some fans outside of the country, without any TFC to turn to, he uses the power of the Internet to get reacquainted with his followers abroad via podcasts.

The only chink in this primetime giant's armor is the lack of coordination with TV 5 management, the lack of other hosts and the dancers.

Willie, your dancers are getting chubby. I mean have seen the bulge in Lovely's and Congrats' respective tummies? Yikes! Do something about it man. You don't want to scare away those hormone-enraged male viewers now do you?

And training them gals to turn into hosts takes time. And while Shalani is showing signs of life, sad to say, she's still a work in progress. You know how these variety shows work man. They don't take day offs. When you get sick, whose going to pick up the slack? You need someone to relive you of some of those hosting chores to keep yourself healthy, and you need someone to take over when you're not around.

How about Valerie Concepcion? She's up for grabs.

And being TV 5's number one ratings getter, I think management should do more to support Willie. Update your website for goodness sake. Willing Willie isn't even included in your current program lineup. And instead of turning to another website, Revillame's podcasts should rightfully be viewed in TV 5's website. As Willie mentioned in tonight's (December 07) (January 07)  episode, you (TV 5 management) should be helping each other out. Promote his program so you can use Willing Willie to promote other shows aired on TV 5.

Willing Willie still has a long way to go before it becomes a larger than life TV show. But if said problems were addressed, it's on its way there. Primetime will never look the same, all thanks to a certain Willie Revillame.

*Marlone's Note: As you've noticed, I underlined that December dates. This post was made on January, but I referred to an episode of Willing Willie saying it was aired yesterday, only to say I saw it in December. Negligence on my part I guess. A shout out to my boss, Ms. Beth. Thank you for bringing this typo to my attention. And do keep reading my blog. =)