I'm a Baby!

When I auditioned for “Out!” sinabi kong “I can be a good host because I’ve worked with some of the best and the worst.” Needless to say I didn’t get the job. That honor went to JM Cobarrubias (tama ba spelling?), Avi Sawa (na – at the risk of sounding bitter - many friends insist is not gay) and Jigs Mayuga (na nakasama ko sa aking first-ever pictorial, but that’s another story).

Still, here’s my list of showbiz’s best and worst TV hosts “in no particular order” (ika nga sa Miss Universe).

BOY ABUNDA - I had the pleasure of working with him sa “Diretsahan.” I was required to fax my script to him days before the taping, which is unusual since hosts only get to read the script at the studio. And though it’s a request that I would normally not be too pleased to do, naisip kong may K naman siyang mag-demand ng ganu’n. After all, he is Boy Abunda.

True enough, hours before roll, during the customary briefing of the hosts by the writer, Boy discussed with me every point of my script, segment per segment! Was I impressed! He practically memorized my script. Better than memorized, he actually read and understood what I wrote – ‘yung perspective na pinanggagalingan ko, ang gusto kong ma-focus. Nahimay niya ang purpose ko sa bawat segment. I didn’t mind that he didn’t agree with some of them kasi na-discuss din niya kung ano ang atakeng gusto niya. I’ve never experienced such a rich discussion on the script with any of the hosts I’ve worked with! Galeng!

Sa floor, he barely needed the idiot boards kasi naiintindihan niya ang script. Nata-tackle niya ‘yung bawat focus ng usapan in his own words at alam niya kung saan papupuntahin ‘yung show. Working with him was like apprenticing for a master.

In fairness, marami na naman talaga akong naririnig na mga kuwento about Boy and how he got to be this good. Well, aside na rin siguro sa natural gift of gab, he’s one host who does his homework. Sila nga raw ni Kris Aquino hindi kelangan ng script. Binibigyan lang sila ng research material about their interviewees tapos sila na mag-iisip ng mga tanong. When Boy was still host of Startalk, pinapanood daw niya ang mga interviews niya after each show tapos kini-critique niya ang sarili niya – kung saan mali ang bato niya ng tanong, for example. Kaya ngayon, as far as I’m concerned, Boy Abunda is the best host on Philippine television.

JANICE, GELLI, CARMINA - Sige na nga, love your own. That’s why nilista ko ang tatlong ‘to rito. Pero I’ve worked with these girls since Day 1 of Sis (or in Carmina’s case, since Day 1 niya as host ng Sis sometime last year) at talaga namang nakita ko ang vast leaps ng inimpruv nila as TV hosts. Proof na lang ang pagiging number one ng Sis. Admittedly, it wasn’t an easy journey. The De Belens are first and foremost good actresses, but not hosts. Kelangan silang i-guide all the time (batuhan ng questions na itatanong, for example). At nu’ng namamayagpag ang “Morning Girls with Kris and Korina” talaga namang nalalampaso sila ng chemistry, spontaneity at wit ng tambalang Aquino-Sanchez. That’s about the time we had the idea of turning Sis into a wacky mix of music, games and circus freaks. Hindi man makakapag-in-depth interview ang aming hosts, hindi naman makekeri ng dalawa sa kabila ang magpakasaya-saya to the max! Essentially, it was a matter of playing to your host’s strength, instead of molding them into your own idea of what a good TV host should be. Ngayon, pinupuri na ang pagiging comfortable, natural at game na game na hosts nina Janice, Gelli at Carmina.

RICHARD GOMEZ - Nu’ng wala pa’ko sa industriya, hindi ko gusto si Richard Gomez. Still don’t. Hindi ako naguguwapuhan sa kanya, hindi ako nalilibugan kahit sa mga pictorials niyang naka-trunks, hindi ako nagagalingan sa kanya as an actor nor as a singer, at lalong hindi ako natutuwa sa politics niya. Pero he’s one of the most professional TV hosts I’ve ever worked with. Nu’ng bagong lipat siya sa SOP, siya lang ang tanging hosts na lalapit sa table ng mga writers and would ask to be briefed about his spiels. And mind you, since musical-variety show ito, these are usually short spiels (that’s why most wouldn’t bother reviewing the idiot boards before facing the camera), pero Goma would listen to the instructions and practice delivering his spiels. Ibang klase! No wonder he’s a wildly successful man.

MIRIAM QUIAMBAO - For the Araw Awards – ‘yung awards night for advertising – all the hosts and presentors were briefed about the proper pronunciation of the names of the agencies (e.g. Ogilvy & Mather is O-JILL-vee and MAY-ther). They were also warned that since the live audience is composed of a close-knit community that routinely employ dozens of experts and millions of pesos to produce a thirty-second material, they can be collectively mean to the slightest mistake. But I don’t think they were ready for the 1999 Miss Universe runner-up.

Atat ang audience ng Araw Awards sa Cebu nu’ng 2002. We actually had to start the show a lot earlier dahil nakapila na ang mga taga-ahensiya sa labas ng Main Hall ng Waterfront. During one commercial gap, pinasampa ko na sa stage si Miriam and another host Hans Montenegro na boyfriend niya at that time. Then unti-unti nang lumabas ang pagka-mean ng ilang tao. May ilang pumalakpak at humiyaw-hiyaw na parang ginagawa natin kapag masyadong mahaba ang mga trailer sa sinehan. But in true beauty queen fashion, Miriam respond to every “applause” with a sweet “Thank you. Thank you.” Upon hearing this natigilan talaga ako. Hindi ko siya kinaya. She actually thought they were applauding her! But then Hans just had to tell her in a very patronizing tone, “No, I think that’s their way of saying that we need to speed things up.” Now alam n’yo na kung bakit hindi sila nagtagal…At kung bakit first runner-up lang tayo.

G TOENGI - Nu’ng minsang nag-comeback siya sa SOP (hindi na siya regular by the time na nagsusulat ako for the show), sabi ko sa kanya, “G, you make every writer look good.” Ang galing niya kasi mag-deliver ng spiels. I feel the same way about Jaya, Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs when they’re bantering, and KC Montero.

PAOLO BEDIONES - This is one lucky guy. He’s ordinarily good-looking, ordinarily talented, ordinarily intelligent. Para siyang mga generic TV hosts ng mga American shows – they do their jobs well pero hindi sila tumatatak. Quick: ano ang pangalan ng host ng Survivor? O ng Amazing Race? See what I mean. Except for that rather irritating sing-song tone of delivering his spiels, there’s nothing distinctive about Paolo. Puwede mo siyang palitan sa anuman sa tons of shows that he hosts and yet hindi mo siya mami-miss. But he’s a good guy (biglang bawi, eh.)

BERNADETTE SEMBRANO - I’ve never actually worked with her. Pero I remember one time na nag-guest siya sa Sis and I asked her to deliver some spiels. Siya lang sa mga guests ko na mga reporters ding tulad niya ang nakapag-deliver nu’n na para bang galing sa kanya ‘yung mga words at hindi lang niya binabasa. It’s such a joy hearing your words owned by your host na parang hindi mo siya sinulat.

JOEY DE LEON - Ito ang isa pang master. Una sa lahat, napaka-professional. At matalino talaga siya. Babasahin niya ang script mo tapos kapag nakasalang na siya, dadagdagan pa niya ng mga punchline. Minsan nga sinasabi ko na lang sa kanya kung ano ang gusto kong mangyari tapos siya na ang didiskarte. Mas mainam nga naman na I leave the pagpapatawa sa kanya. At ang maganda sa kanya, kahit sanay siya sa TV, magaling pa rin siyang kumonek sa live audience niya. He carries himself with such dignity and credibility, things that are seldom successfully mixed with a sharp sense of humor.

(To be continued…sana)