ShareThisTelevision host Willie Revillame is back on television after more than five months of hiatus hounded by controversy over his old network.
And Willie is back with a vengeance although he has a new name for his show, new studio and a new time slot, from noontime to nightime.
Willie Revillame
Willie’s new show on TV 5, “Willing Willie,” debuted last week and based on the ratings survey conducted by AGB Nielsen Media Research (Philippines) and provided by TV5, Willing Willie’s pilot episode topped the ratings, beating the shows aired in the same time-slot by his former home studio, the ABS-CBN, and GMA Network .
Willing Willie’s audience share ratings in Mega Manila (Metro Manila and nearby provinces) last Saturday night was 33.8%, three percentage points higher than the ratings posted by the airing of the Filipino movie “Ang Darling Kong Aswang” aired on ABS-CBN Channel 2. “Wish Ko Lang!,” the public service program aired on GMA Channel 7 during the same time-slot received a rating of 28.8%, according to the same research firm.
The controversial television host, singer and actor, said he was overjoyed with the ratings of his new show.
“We did not expect to be on the top right away,” Willie said in Filipino during the broadcast of Willing Willie last Wednesday, according to a report of Businessworld’s Jeffrey O. Valisno.
Willing Willie airs 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday. On weeknights, the show airs 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., pitting it against top news programs TV Patrol of ABS-CBN Corp.’s Channel 2, and 24 Oras of GMA Network, Inc.’s Channel 7.
ABS-CBN countered that another survey conducted by Kantar Media showed that “Ang Darling Kong Aswang” which stars top Philippine comedian Vic Sotto and a Brazilian actress who has made Manila her home, topped the national ratings with 22.6%. “Willing Willie” scored only13.6%, followed by “Wish Ko Lang!” with 11.2% based on the survey provided by ABS-CBN.
Willie responded to his former studio’s claim. He said in Filipino: “To those who say we got a lower rating, believe what you want to believe. Just wait when we get to improve TV5 signal in the provinces.”
Businessworld also reported that despite ABS-CBN’s claim that the airing of Willing Willie did not affect its ratings, ABS-CBN is reportedly preparing a new variety show to pit against Willing Willie on the 6:30 p.m. weeknight time-slot.
The BusinessWorld report also stated that ABS-CBN will have a new show called “Shoutout” featuring its young contract stars and the show format will be similar to that of youth oriented variety show “That’s Entertainment” hosted by German Moreno, which aired on GMA Network during the 1980s and early ’90s.
Willie’s new television show debuted last week after ABS-CBN failed to secured a temporary restraining order to stop the airing of the show, Willing Willie.
Willie’s new show appears like his old show as it has the same format, with almost the same songs as his “Wowowee” noontime show on ABS-CBN. “Willing Willie,” however, airs from 6:30 p.m after TV 5’s “Aksyon Balita.”
The new show’s set also has striking similarity, with practically the same staff working to keep everything in order, as his old show.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Luisito Cortez had denied ABS-CBN’s petition for a temporary restraining order against Mr. Revillame, saying that the network’s motion was “without basis.” Willie, however, had to post bond amounting to P400 million or so.