Philippine television drama series (or usually known as “Pinoy Teleserye”) are soap operas that depict Filipinos’ lives and society. Since I specified my domain for the modern Pinoy teleseryes, it only encompasses those that aired during 2010–2020. The shows are available to be watched in the ABS-CBN channel — locally through television, or internationally in their online content platform iWant TV. But sadly, due to the shutdown of ABS-CBN last May 2020, the airing of the shows on their television channel has stopped, and on-going teleseryes have canceled. Despite that, finished dramas can still be watched online on their iWantTFC website for those people who are interested, or those who are newcomers in this domain.
History of Pinoy Teleserye
In 1949, a soap opera entitled Gulong ng Palad aired on the radio. It later on expanded into a drama television produced by ABS-CBN in 1963, where they released Hiwaga sa Bahay ng Bato as the first Philippine television soap opera. The next soap operas released were Larawan ng Pag-ibig (1963) and Prinsipe Amante (1966), and this media release has continued over time.
Categories of Pinoy Teleseryes and Some Adaptations
Although not explicitly stated in a list, categories of modern Pinoy teleseryes can be seen based on its story. I’ve noted that most teleseryes are about family and relationships, which touch the hearts of the Filipinos — since it is part of our culture to perceive family and relationships as something significant. Conflicts arising related to this make the viewers feel somehow “relatable” as most of the scenes portray familiar Filipino family realities and problems. Some notable examples include Mara Clara (2010), The Legal Wife (2014), Ang Probinsyano (2015), and Kadenang Ginto (2018).
Additionally, other teleseryes are romantic-type that makes the viewers feel the kilig — such as Got to Believe (2013), Forevermore (2014), and On the Wings of Love (2015). Another type of teleserye that I saw is the “fantaserye” or fantasy stories, which usually involve supernatural powers. Examples are Agua Bendita (2010), La Luna Sangre (2017), and Bagani (2018).
However, not all of the produced television series are original. Some of these are remakes and adaptations influenced by international dramas. These include Maria Mercedes (2012) and Pure Love (2014) from Mexican and Korean drama, respectively. Original versions of these shows are popular and are somehow similar to the characteristics of a Filipino TV series, so they created an adaptation of it. A complete database — of these Kapamilya dramas — can be found online in the official ABS-CBN website, in the iWantTV, and as well as on other free-content websites such as Wikipedia.
Different Forms and Genres
I’ve noticed that Pinoy teleseryes have different content based on the target audience. Some series have plots designed for adults and display some explicit scenes. Other genres include teen-dramas — that are usually about the school, romance, and friendship, and the child-friendly family drama — which I think is the most preferred, especially by the parents, because it teaches a good moral, and family importance. Examples of this are the famous 100 Days to Heaven (2011), Honesto (2013), and Starla (2019).
Understanding other elements of Pinoy Teleserye as a Domain
In order to become a part of this domain, no terminologies or specific languages are needed to be learned. Filipinos can easily watch and relate to the teleseryes because it caters to the mass, and it portrays the social reality, culture, tradition, and behavior of Filipinos that are common. As I’ve observed, some of it is just an assumption or a stereotype, yet it was still able to bring a plot that interests the viewers. It also manifests some social issues that people can easily relate to. Therefore, in my opinion, knowledge in this domain is socially-constructed.
The Audience of Kapamilya Teleseryes
There are certain characteristics that I’ve observed with people who usually watch Pinoy teleseryes. In my opinion, families who live in rural communities are more likely to watch these TV shows for pastime in their homes. People who live in urban communities have little to no time in watching these shows because they are more likely busy or stuck in the traffic, and or doing outside activities. This observation may be a bit stereotypical, but this case is true in terms of my family and relatives. As someone who lives in the city, I only got to watch teleseryes once to thrice every month whenever I only have time or when I was able to go home early. Moreover, our family doesn’t open our television that much — aside from when we are watching the news. Usually, we are outside our house and busy with our responsibilities. This life of our family is different from what my cousins and aunts have. They spend most of their time watching their favorite teleseryes with the whole family. They cannot go outside their house that much because transportation is difficult, and so they spend most of their free time staying at home.
Another characteristic that I observed is that most of teleserye fanatics are in Generation X. My friends and I once talked about how our grandparents are fond of watching dramas. They are more likely to be entertained with these kind of shows compared to the Millennials and younger generations who prefer new plot and non-cliche stories. Nowadays, teens and children often choose to watch on Netflix and Youtube rather than television shows.
Kapamilya Community
As more Pinoy teleseryes have produced by the ABS-CBN industry, more people have also become a “solid” Kapamilya. I’ve seen Facebook pages and groups established for the sake of interacting with other people who watch the same series as them. These groups are usually active when they are a fan of the starring artist in the teleserye. They share and disseminate information in that group — which somehow is a form of entertainment more than just watching the TV alone in their homes. Through this, they feel more involved and close to the community they are living in.
References:
[1] History of Philippine Television Drama Series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kokyGX5B_M
[2] ABS-CBN Teleserye List of TV Series Adaptations https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/142940/abs-cbn-teleserye-list-of-tv-series-adaptations-a724-20190430-lfrm2
[3] List of dramas produced by ABS-CBN https://tfc.tv/category/list/3937/drama
