In the battle for primetime supremacy, the programs occupying the earliest slots naturally lord over other shows in the line-up.
That was not the case for the 2009 edition of the Kapamilya reality show, Pinoy Big Brother, which reigned as the number one show, both in Mega Manila and Nationwide ratings, despite its ‘very’ late timeslot.
Interestingly, PBB Double Up didn’t start strong in the rating game.
For its Primetime Bida debut on October 5, 2009–it failed to beat GMA-7’s reality TV show, Survivor Philippines: Palau, having rated only 19.3% in AGB Mega Manila households, compared to the latter’s 21.4%. The other rating provider, TNS Media (which later merged with Kantar and published national ratings)–favored the Kapamilya reality show, recording 18% national ratings, or higher than its Kapuso rival.
On its Primetime Bida premiere, PBB Double Up was fourth in the Kapamilya primetime block line-up. Back then–it was also comprised of the inspirational series May Bukas Pa, the local adaptation of Korean hit Lovers in Paris, and the Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales reunion project Dahil May Isang Ikaw. Among all post-TVP primetime programs, PBB Double Up also ranked fourth, rating-wise.
The show, after weeks maintaining a 20%-ish (sometimes, even lower), started to catch the attention of more viewers when it began to capitalize on the growing popularity of two of its housemates—Melai Cantivero and Jason Francisco. Shipped by fans as “MelaSon”, the couple quickly earned the admiration of the viewers, because of their adorable partnership. It also massively helped that Cantiveros was a natural comedian, which made audiences fall for her, and her relentless dose of humor and laughter.
By December of 2009, the show was already presenting serious challenges to GMA Netwok’s Darna (2009). It was then the number one rated program in Mega Manila.
PBB Double Up was already the number one Primetime Bida program, with AGB Mega Manilla household ratings, surging up to 30%—a rare feat, for any late primetime program. It even bested out Darna, as the overall number one program, in Mega Manila, on December 8, 2009, as it posted 33.6% rating–higher than Darna’s 32.7%.
By then, audiences were already smitten with the budding romantic link between Melai and Jason.
In January, the following year, PBB Double Up, had undoubtedly enthralled the entire nation. In Mega Manila, the swooning public made the program the overall top-rated show, for weeks. From January 4-8, 2009, for example, the reality show emerged as the most-watched program among all primetime programs in the country, even peaking at 35.7%, at one point.
