From Phenomenal love team that shook not only the Philippines but the entire world to a Flopmenomenal love team on their first ever teleserye.
On May 26, AlDub’s 1st ever teleserye “Destined To Be Yours” bade farewell to the world on television without any much fanfare. Of course for the die hard it was, but seeing numbers from both survey rating agencies and social media noise, “Destined To Be Yours” has silently exited from the world of teleseryes.
Reported by AGB Nielsen NUTAM People survey, the AlDub series ended with a rating of 10.8%, 1.8% higher than rival My Dear Heart’s 9.0%.
But although “Destined To Be Yours” managed to get past the Kapamilya rival, the finale week showed how this AlDub series received a lukewarm if not cold reception from Kapuso fans.
ABS-CBN’s “My Dear Heart” dominated “Destined To Be Yours” finale week spending 3 out of 5 days on top.
While DTBY topped Monday, May 22 and its last day May 26. the Kapamilya teleserye took 3 stright days in a row from Tuesday, May 23, to Thursday, May 25, giving them higher overall weekly ratings average of 10.1% compared to Destine To Be Yours 9.8% average on its finale week.
Seeing that figure, it’s really not hard to say that AlDub didn’t sell on primetime.
Destined to be flop?
Knowing the power of AlDub Nation showed during the height of ‘KalyeSerye,’ it’s unimaginable for AlDub’s first teleserye not to make it as one of the most successful primetime series. But with how it has turned out, is the tandem of Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards destined to flop in primetime?
Long before GMA Network produce AlDub’s first primetime teleserye, die hard AlDub Nation were up in arms to ask the network management to give the beloved AlDub love team their own primetime series.
Basing from the success of ‘KalyeSerye’ which brought the two artists to unprecedented popularity, AlDub Nation has valid reasons to ask for it. Million tweets record, record-breaking attendance at the Philippine Arena for the “Tamang Panahon” concert and skyrocketed TV ratings were complete elements that I think enough to give-in to AlDub Nation’s request for a primetime program.
But it took a while before GMA Network gave its go signal. In fact, there were issues floated that GMA Network will pair Alden to another female star because AlDub is a creation of TAPE Inc. not GMA Network.
But as it prolongs, AlDub’s popularity dwindles.
From sky-high ratings it went steadily down, making its rival “It’s Showtime” regain momentum and finally taking the lead again causing the demise of their phenomenal appeal.
When “Destined To Be Yours” premiered last February 27, it didn’t have that much impact to the audience compared to their ‘KalyeSerye’ popularity days. Its gap against rival teleserye was very insignificant, an unbelievable outcome from a phenomenal love team.
As the show progressed it didn’t show any sign of pulling away from competition, it even succumbed to “My Dear Heart” in many occasions. And that prompted the controversial remark from GMA Network’s creative consultant Suzette Doctolero tagging the program as flop.
Doctolero was bashed for her honesty, but indeed she’s just being brutally honest. Why would you deny the show from being a flop when from a phenomenon it can be beaten by a teleserye led by a childstar and an experimental pairing of Zanjoe Marudo and Bela Padilla.
Yes it is painful for solid AlDub Nation to see how “Destined To Be Yours” fared in ratings but there’s no better way to heal but to accept the defeat and accept that not every time is winning time.
Fan burnout because too much exposure
But what really contributes to the outcome of this AlDub’s first primetime outing?
For what I see, it was fan burnout. Given the exposure that the two had and the immense time that they were seen on TV together, “Destined To Be Yours” came out too late, that the non-solid block of AlDub Nation reached its saturation point.
From TV commercials to daily updates on GMA Network’s primetime news to their regular exposure in “Eat Bulaga!,” the AlDub brand has become an overly sold TV commodity.
Had GMA Network decided early on to give-in to the fans request of a teleserye when the two were still on the height of their fame and popularity it might have been diffrent.
“Destined To Be Yours” came at the time when AlDub was no longer a trend but a regular product that needs exceptional and extra special flavor for televiwers to get hooked again.
Unfortunately, the show lacked that element of freshness and unadulterated concept, because it was just another mediocre love story top billed by an untested phenomenal love pair.
