Copycats

I find it pretty funny how local TV is aping the current popular trends on cable and foreign channels. The demand for horror started by Asian movies like Ringu resulted in Nginiig: The Hidden FIles and rival Walang Kukurap. The reality-TV craze spawned things like Extra Challenge and other star-making vehicles. I find particularly funny is one show about dancing that is imitating American Idol, with a panel of judges who make comments and throw barbs or challlenges at the contestants. The crappy thing is, WHO are these judges? Do they have a right to even judge these contestants?
Another pretty apish new local show is Kamao, a reality-TV boxing show which is an obvious imitation of the about-to-be-shown The Contender with Sylvester Stallone. Wow, that was fast.

Well, whatever works and sells, I guess. The local channels really need to make money.

I suppose it could be worse. In another world, we might have Alyas, a drama-action series about a female deep-cover NBI agent posing as a courier in a crime syndicate who likes to wear red wigs... or maybe Ligaw, which has an ensemble cast of characters stuck on a deserted island with bloodthirsty aswang... or maybe CSI Manila, with local techniques like torture substituting for forensics and technology. Hey, these things actually don't sound that bad. Heh.