The new Tawag ng Tanghalan is a winner

MANILA, Philippines – In a six-round judging cycle, high-decibel singers are dominant winners of Tawag ng Tanghalan in It’s Showtime!, putting the soft, lilting-voiced contestants in the backseat. Nora Aunor, the original show’s most popular winner, will never win as she is less of a Birit Queen.

The revived Tawag ng Tanghalan’s third quarter finals had a kicker: The heartfelt rendition of Noven Belleza, the Bukid Boy of Negros, of the biographical song Kahit Ako’y Lupa failed to clinch for strong contender Jennie Gabriel a slot that he won with Eumee Capile.

This effectively broke what could have been an all-female line-up of finalists of Mary Gidget dela Llana and Maricel Callo of the first quarter and Marielle Montellano and Pauline Agupitan for the second quarter.

Nora Aunor holding her trophy as grand prize winner of Tawag ng Tanghalan in 1967

Answering the ratings advance of Eat, Bulaga!’s Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza’s phenomenon, the revival of Tawag Ng Tanghalan turned a show within a show. The programming strategy was good enough to catapult the ABS-CBN show to the leadership of the noon primetime that its long-running competitor naturally maintains a counterclaim.

This is not the first time that ABS-CBN revived a show to counteract Eat, Bulaga!’s lead. It revived Magandang Tanghali as originally hosted by Pancho Magalona with mainstays Cachupoy and Teroy de Guzman as Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB) when the Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon-hosted show switched channel ABS-CBN to GMA 7.

From left: Third quarter finalists Marielle Montellano, Maricel Callo, Eumee Capile, Noven Belleza, Pauline Agupitan and Mary Gidget dela Llana.

A takeoff from the hot acronym then of MTV (Music Television), it had the triumvirate of Willie Revillame, Randy Santiago and John Estrada as main hosts with Amy Perez and Roderick Paulate.

Retaining the singing contest format with a fancy stir of American franchises, it turned out a grand daytime show with its own hosts, plus an innovative two-level set, full orchestra, bow with a 13-person alternating celebrity jurors headed by Rey Valera.

It retained the original’s national coverage by presenting contestants from Metro Manila (or Luzon), Visayas and Mindanao. The gong elimination system is a takeoff of Eat, Bulaga! that kicks off with triple bangs.

It also maintains traces of the original. Senior comedians Lopito and Patsy were replaced by younger comics Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro, with Amy Perez, the vague reference of Eat, Bulaga!’s precursor, Student Canteen’s Leila Benitez/Helen Vela.

There is no doubt the revival will be a big winner awaiting its grand finals in a big venue location. Its grand champion will turn a big-name singer for ABS-CBN, known promotion savvy. But whether the revival will produce a Nora like the original is the biggest wait-and-see.

More than outstanding voice and performance, a fairytale story is a must to catch national imagination like Nora’s and Maine’s.