Wowowee

infobox television
show_name = Wowowee
format = Variety-game show


picture_format = 480i SDTV
runtime = 2½ hours (Weekdays),
3 hours (Saturdays)
creator = ABS-CBN
developer = Bobot Mortiz
director = Johnny Manahan
executive_producer = Cynthia Jordan, Harold Nueva
starring = Willie Revillame Mariel Rodriguez Valerie Concepcion Marietta 'Pokwang' Subong RR Enriquez ASF Dancers Luningning
country = flagicon|Philippines Philippines
network = ABS-CBN
first_aired = February 5, 2005 - February 4, 2006
March 11, 2006 - present
num_episodes = As of February 17, 2007, over 600 shows.
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
imdb_id=0441955

"Wowowee" is a noon-time variety and game show broadcasted by ABS-CBN in the Philippines.

The show premiered on February 5, 2005 and airs live weekdays and Saturdays. It is also broadcasted worldwide thru ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel.

"Wowowee" is hosted by Willie Revillame, with his current co-hosts Mariel Rodriguez, Valerie Concepcion, and Pokwang plus occasional special guest co-hosts.

Current games

Bigat 10

The new segment of "Hep, Hep, Hooray".

In this segment of the show, the audiences will be dancing to Willie Revillame's latest hits song [http://now.abs-cbn.com/episodedetails.aspx?showid=3&epid=29635&isep=1&showlink=0 Watch the new and improved Wowowee!] ] This opening song number is the theme tune for the choosing of the Bigat 10 contestants, the audience is warmed up for the public displays of talent, where Willie Revillame and his co-hosts will draw from the audience, from different sections including the TFC subscribers to dance the hits song.

The chosen Bigat 10s will be playing the newest game, "Hep, Hep, Hooray".

The object of the game is to repeat the words "Hep" "Hep" "Hooray". A co-host puts the microphone in front of a contestants face and they are supposed to say "Hep Hep" while clapping their hands together below the waist, then a co-host will put the microphone in another contestants face and they are to finish the cheer with a "hooray" and raising their hands in the air. If you make a mistake you are out. The unwritten rule is that they eliminate the young or affluent looking in order to allow an old or infirm person to win. This is a last person standing game. The one who lasts the longest wins, and plays the bonus round for more money.

Ituro Mo

There are 6 trays. The contestant picks a tray. It will have an amount of cash, which they will win.

*PHP5,000 (2)
*PHP10,000 (1)
*PHP20,000 (1)
*Vaseline Jackpot PHP20,000(Increases every PHP5,000 every day)
*Energo PHP50,000

Willie of Fortune

The 6 people selected earlier compete in pairs in rounds of "Willie of Fortune" - where the in-house keyboardist plays a portion of a song, and the first person to name the song correctly wins 1 point. If the player can correctly sing the exact lyrics from that portion of the song, they will receive a 2nd point. 2 points are required to win the round - meaning that someone with a very good knowledge of the song can easily win in 1 song.

Tanong Ko, Sagutin Mo ("I Ask, You Answer")

The three remaining contestants compete for trivia questions for a chance to play "Pasalog". The first to answer 2 points gets to go to the next round for more prizes.

Pasalog (Pass and Shake/ PasShake)

In "Pasalog", the contestant has a chance at winning different prizes provided by sponsors, including a progressive cash jackpot increasing every show if not won. Dice containing logos and symbols are placed into compartments in beach ball like spheres. The balls are then passed around the audience (or sometimes rolled around the stage if there isn't enough time). When the pasalogs are returned, the compartments are opened. If the dice have a symbol or logo facing up, the player wins the corresponding prize. Pasalog was originally played with a similar cube shaped container.

In part of the new set on March 31,2008, Pasalog changed to three balls. [http://now.abs-cbn.com/episodedetails.aspx?showid=3&epid=29635&isep=1&showlink=0 Watch the new and improved Wowowee!] ]

Ms. Fitrum 2008

Miss Fitrum 2008 has started on April 7, 2008. It airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Weekly Finals on Saturdays. [http://now.abs-cbn.com/shows-variety.aspx?showid=3&cat=1 Miss Fitrum 2008] ] Filipina Girls from ages 18-24 years old can join. The grand winner for Miss Fitrum 2008 will win a trip to Singapore for two, PHP 500,000 cash, a contract with Star Magic, and a brand new car. The 1st Runner Up will win a trip to Hongkong, China for 2 and PHP 300,000 cash, 2nd Runner Up will win a trip to Boracay for 2 and PHP 200,000 cash, 3rd Runner Up will win a trip to Cebu for two and PHP 100,000 cash. [http://youtube.com/watch?v=LZNaa2IcLy4 MS.FITRUM contest] ]

Bigtime Pera o Bayong

Bigtime Pera o Bayong was a game brought from Magandang Tanghali Bayan. The game relaunched on October 6, 2008.

*EliminationA group of 50 people are asked a question with three answer choices labeled A, B, or C. They must stand near the letter they preferred to choose. This is last man standing, so the game is continued until one is left. The final person wins PHP10,000 and goes on to the next half of the game. .

*Jackpot RoundThe final contestant, then makes a choice from 10 "bayongs" (bags), and then the hosts have several bargaining sessions where they offer the contestants a cash offer in exchange for the chosen bayong. If the player stays with the bayong, he or she wins whatever is inside it. The three grand prizes are PHP1,000,000, A house and lot, and the Bigtime Bayong containing PHP1,000,000, a house and lot, and a brand new car.

*Bigtime Bayong: PHP1,000,000, House & Lot, Car
*PHP1,000,000
*House & Lot

The other bayongs contain corny "joke" prizes, such as peanuts for instance.

Discontinued games

[http://wowoweetv.com/wowgames_list.html Wowowee Game Lists] ]

*"Wilyonaryo" (portmanteau for "milyonaryo" - the Tagalog word for "millionaire" and Willie) became entangled in one of the more larger controversies associated with Wowowee when it debuted in August 2007. The 50 contestants who competed had to predict the result of surveys answered by audience members with remote controls. Some contestants were offered a chance to stay where they were, switch their guess, or walk away with a cash offer before the answer was revealed.

*"Coca-Cola 50M Family Panalo: Cash o Bukas?" was a game sponsored by Coca-Cola.

*"Merrygalo" replaced the highly controversial "Wilyonaryo" game on October 8, 2007. In a process very similar to Wilyonaryo, the 50 contestants were asked a Yes or No question on a specific category, with the contestants having 5 seconds to make their decision. Sometimes contestants were also offered a chance to switch their answer. The contestants who answered wrong were eliminated, and the contestants who answered correctly repeated the process until 1 person remained. The last person standing won PHP10,000 and got to play for larger prizes. The remaining contestant chose 3 of the 10 "regalos" (boxes), with each of the boxes either containing a circle, a square, or a star. If a box contained a star, the player won PHP10,000, if it contained a square, the contestant won PHP5,000. If all three boxes contained a circle, the player would win the jackpot. The contestant was also given a choice to swap their third box with one of the remaining boxes if they desired.

*"Guess the Presyo, Get the Premyo!" "(Guess the Price, Get the Prize)", sponsored by Mega Sardines, is a game which debuted on the November 19, 2007 episode of Wowowee. 5 players picked from the audience are assigned numbers and have to attempt to arrange themselves in the correct order to form the correct price of the day's prize in 90 seconds or less. The first digit of the price is always given. If the contestants get it right, they win the prize.

*"Sinong Kumanta Ng Kantang 'To?" "(Who Sang This Song?)" is very similar to Questune, except instead of naming the song, the contestant must identify the original artist of the song. 2 points are required to win. The winner advances to the Bigat 10 round as the "Tigasen". The winner also receives another PhP 5,000.
*"Isang Talon Isang Sagot" - the 3 Questune contestants were asked questions, but the contestants jumped to "buzz in". 5 points (later 3) were required to advance to the Bigat 10 round. The game was later replaced by "Sinong Kumanta Ng Kantang 'To?"
*"Call A Kolokoy" - a Questune contestant and 2 other randomly selected audience members were asked questions, but the "buzzers" were located above them. If the Questune contestant won, the contestant advanced to the next round and won a prize, and the two audience contestants would get PhP 500. If one of the other contestants won, both won PhP 5,000. This game was later replaced by "Isang Talon Isang Sagot"
*"Doblado Sigurado" - played after Bigat 10, Doblado Sigurado offered a chance for the contestant to double their winnings. A box containing 5 chips (each one being black and white) would be passed around the audience, and the contestant would predict how many would come up White and how many would come up Black. If the prediction was right, the contestant's Bigat 10 winnings were doubled. If it wasn't, the player walked away with only PhP 10,000. This game was later replaced by Pasalog.
*"Green Cross" - one of the Pera o Bayong contestants was randomly picked from the group, and won PhP 5,000. In one of 3 bags was PhP 20,000, and the player had to guess which one contained the prize. If the player picked correctly, he or she would win a total of PhP 25,000. The game was sponsored by Green Cross, a Filipino soap brand.
*"Sketch On The Rocks" - A contestant attempted to draw picture of a word selected out of a fishbowl while other contestants attempted to guess what it was, but the paper on the board constantly scrolled up. After 30 seconds, the drawer would move to the "rock board", where the player attempted to write out what the answer was, but the board shook making it more difficult. If the guessers could figure it out, the drawer won a the prize that he or she selected beforehand. If the guessers couldn't figure it out after 30 seconds on the "rock board" and after 5 more final seconds, the drawer did not win anything.
*"Act-U" - A contestant tried to guess what a celebrity guest was trying to act out.

{| class="wikitable"

Special shows

World tours

Wowowee has broadcasted episodes from other locations in the Philippines, and has also went on World Tours to other countries such as Hawaii, the United States, Australia, Guam, and upcoming shows to Winnipeg, Canada, Dubai, Houston,Texas and London, UK [http://bigatinworldtour.com/ bigatinworldtour.com ] ] .

Alay sa Kapamilya

"Alay sa Kapamilya" was a program organized by ABS-CBN as an observation for the PhilSports Arena stampede victims. It preempted Wowowee for six days while the network decided over the fate of the variety show. The shows were a solemn tribute to the victims, featuring performances by ABS-CBN regulars. Eventually, ABS-CBN decided to temporarily cancel the variety show until its return on March 11, 2006. [cite web |url=http://www.abs-cbn.com/Entertainment/ent-020706-buzz.aspx |title=Willie still in mourning, Alay sa Kapamilya this week on Wowowee |accessdate=|format= |work= ]

Pangarap at Tagumpay, Mga Kwento Sa Likod ng Wowowee

In the leadup to the March 11, 2006 relaunch of Wowowee, ABS-CBN aired a 5 episode drama miniseries entitled "Pangarap at Tagumpay, Mga Kwento Sa Likod ng Wowowee" (Dreams and Success, The Stories Behind Wowowee). The five-episode drama package was broadcast March 6 to March 10, 2006 in Wowowee's usual timeslot. The show dramatized the lives of past winners and how their lives had changed since their appearance on the show.Fact|date=July 2008

Honoring Overseas Filipino Workers

In several occasions, the show has paid tribute to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) serving across the world. On the August 2 2006 episode, Wowowee with cooperation with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) produced a special edition saluting and featuring female OFW's who returned from Lebanon where a war was present in that country. They were all invited to attend and even participate in the show that day. The contestants during the first half that day were close friends of the OFWs, while an unspecified number of OFW's participated in "The Ultimate Pera O Bayong". All the winnings won in during the show were combined together and evenly distributed to all of the OFWs in the audience, with the grand total of winnings being PhP 1,390,000.Fact|date=July 2008

Armed Forces of the Philippines Join Wowowee

On September 1, 2007, about Five Hundred (500) soldiers came in full force to television noontime show Wowowee. Representatives from the Major Services, AFPWSSUS and Technical Services come to play and have fun during the show and take a crack at the grand prizes in different games.

Highlights of the event were the interviews with the loved ones of Marines who lost their lives in the fight against the Abu Sayaff Group/ MILF rebels in Basilan last 10 July and 11 August 2007. Tearfully, loved ones recounted their last communication with the fallen Marines. Host Willie Revillame also asked each of them for a short message and everybody was moved to tears during the emotion-filled moment. AFP, PIO Chief LTC Bartolome Bacarro held back his tears but could not help it, just like the rest. Emotions rose again when candles were lit for the Marines. [cite web |url=http://www.crsafp.mil.ph/Others%20(Wowowee%20Experience).html |title=Soldiers Moved to Tears with WoWoWee Experience]

Controversies

Philsports Arena stampede

At around 06:30 AM local time on February 4 2006, at least 73 people were trampled to death and more than 300 were injured when a stampede broke out at the PhilSports Complex (formerly ULTRA) in Pasig City, where the first anniversary celebration of Wowowee would be held at noon. The crush began when the organizers of the show began handing out tickets to people in the crowd, many of whom had been camping outside the stadium for days.Fact|date=July 2008

Willyonaryo controversy

On the August 20, 2007 episode of Wowowee, a technical fault occurred during Willyonaryo game which led people to think (including the host of one of the show's competitors in its timeslot) that the game was or could be rigged.

Eda Nolan Wardrobe Malfunction

On the May 12th, 2007, episode of Wowowee, to promote ABS-CBN's new teen comedy "Gokada Go!", cast members from the show performed a dance number as part of the entertainment segment of the show. The tube top of one the dancers, Eda Nolan, became loose, exposing one of her breasts. Although producers claimed that Eda was wearing a skin-tone colored bra, Wowowee received a 3 day suspension from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. [cite web |url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=69988 |title=Wardrobe malfunction leads to ‘Wowowee’ suspension |accessdate=2007-11-15 |format= |work= ]

“Whitest Armpit” contest

In one of the Whitest Armpit contests before the Hep Hep Hurray, an elderly woman raised her right arm and exposed her right breast. [cite web |url=http://ricojr.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/another-wowowee-scandal/#more-11791|title=Another Wowowee Scandal |accessdate=2008-10-5 |format= |work= ]

Attractions among OFWs and Balik-Bayans

Wowowee is shown on The Filipino Channel (TFC) worldwide. Filipinos from all over the world who come back to visit their relatives in the Philippines are glued in on the TV show and are excited to attend and join in the program. This is evident on the number of expat attendees of their show which airs just after lunch time on ABS-CBN. The TFC subscribers known as balikbayans help studio contestants by donating a couple bucks just to be able to greet on-air. [ [http://www.pinoytravelblog.com/travel-oddities/74/wowowee-among-top-tourist-attractions-in-rp Wowowee among top tourist attractions in RP] ] The overseas Filipinos sometimes bring a non filipino coworkers/friends to the show as well.

See also

* List of Philippine television shows

References

External links

* [http://now.abs-cbn.com/shows-variety.aspx?showid=3&cat=1 Wowowee on ABS-CBN.com]
* [http://telebisyon.net/serye/Wowowee/detalye/168/ Wowowee Episode Information]
* [http://alfredo.palconit.com/archives/my-abs-cbn-wowowee-audition.html Accounts of a person auditioning to be on Wowowee]
* [http://forums.abs-cbn.com/124/ShowForum.aspx ABS-CBN Community Wowowee Forum]