On July 1st, three iconic noontime shows in the Philippines made their much-awaited broadcast that dazzled viewers across the nation.
The debut of ‘It’s Showtime’ on GTV and the first-ever episode of the TVJ’s ‘E.A.T’ on TV5 put tough competitions for TAPE’s ‘Eat Bulaga.’
TVJ and the Legit Dabarkads made their successful comeback on noontime via their TV5 show ‘E.A.T.’ Vic Sotto expressed gratitude as the Dabarkads have remained united amid the challenges they have faced throughout their 44-year journey.
“Darbarkads, hinihintay pa rin namin ang pag-uwi sa pangalan na tinawag sa’min for almost 44 years. Sa ngayon, Dabarkads, ang mahalaga ay sama-sama kami, sama-sama tayo, may nagkalinga po sa’min nung panahon na ‘di namin alam kung papano at saan kami dadalhin ng tadhana,” Vic said emotionally.
While the show’s name initially remained unclear, Vic Sotto clarified that the show’s new name would be ‘E.A.T.: Everyday Ang Tawanan.’
“Title po namin ay ang title na alam niyong tawag sa’min. Ipinapangako po namin na E.A.T: Everyday Ang Tawanan,'” Vic Sotto confidently announced. He was supported by Tito Sotto who explained that the acronym stands for ‘Eto Ang Tunay.’ Joey de Leon playfully added, ‘Eto Ang Title.’
The show commenced with TV5 Frontline Pilipinas anchors Gretchen Ho, Kaladkaren, and Mikee Reyes introducing the hosts, namely Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros, Wally Bayola, Maine Mendoza, Allan K, Ryan Agoncillo, Ryzza Mae Dizon, and Carren Eistrup.
Megastar Sharon Cuneta captivated the audience as she performed ‘Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko’ with TVJ.
In addition, exciting segments of the show were announced such as ‘Babala, ‘wag kayong ganuuun,’ ‘Wala Ka Sa Apo Ko,’ ‘That’s My Boyfriend,’ ‘Gimme 5,’ and ‘Vortas 5,’ all promising fresh entertainment for loyal viewers.
Simultaneously, history was made as ‘It’s Showtime’ debuted on GMA’s GTV, bringing together artists from both networks for a spectacular stage performance. Led by Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda, the show kicked off with a bang. Vice Ganda exclaimed, “It’s really happening! Wala nang titindi sa pinakamatinding plot twist ng taon!”
A hyper-energetic dance number was performed by former Kapamilya artists Rodjun and Rayver Cruz together with Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario. Amy Perez, Jolina Magdangal, and Pokwang delivered a nostalgic rendition of ‘Together Forever.’
Highlighting the collaboration between the two media giants, Vice Ganda was brought from the ABS-CBN building to the GMA Network grounds via a helicopter ride.
Meanwhile, former Manila Mayoor and ‘Eat Bulaga!’ host Isko Moreno extended his congratulations to TVJ and assured Filipino viewers that the revamped show would continue to offer joy and hope to the public.
“We will try to make your afternoon full of joy and hope, dahil ang gusto namin araw-araw sa tanghalian tulong at saya ang handog namin sa inyo,” Isko said.
Paolo Contis also expressed his excitement about ‘It’s Showtime’ becoming their new neighbor, hinting at future collaborations between the two shows.
Based on Nielsen TV ratings, TVJ’s ‘E.A.T.’ won the battle with with 8.4 percent followed by ‘It’s Showtime’ with 4.0 and ‘Eat Bulaga’ with 2.62 percent.
‘E.A.T.’ also dominated the online viewership with a staggering 532k viewers, surpassing ‘It’s Showtime’ with 325k viewers and ‘Eat Bulaga’ with 1.7k viewers at 12:30 noon. However, by 2:30 PM, ‘It’s Showtime’ took the lead with a margin of 50k viewers.
In the end, the pilot episode of ‘It’s Showtime’ on GTV made waves online and broke records with a total of over 85 MILLION views within a mere 24 hours. This edged out the view counts of ‘E.A.T’ (56 million) and ‘Eat Bulaga’ (2 million).
