Fantaserye and telefantasya

Fantaserye or Telefantasya is a genre of Philippine television which mixes soap opera, fantasy, myth, magic and enchantment. The episodes are usually 30 minutes long, and has a daily slot in the evening primetime row.

Usage and The First called Fantaserye and Telefantasya

The term "fantaserye" is often used to refer to ABS-CBN's fantasy series. The first official fantaserye was Marina, a series about a girl cursed to become a mermaid, while "Telefantasya" often refers to the creations of GMA Network. Their first telefantasya was Mulawin, a series about a humanoid bird who fell in love with a girl who was later revealed to be part-bird. ABS-CBN also reinvented the name of their fantasy TV depending on its origin, like Krystala, named superserye (pertaining to superhero) and Ang Panday as sineserye (cinematic origin) However, both are still regarded by many as "fantaseryes".

History

The Fantasy genre of television has been around even before the word was conceived. Probably the first Filipino Fantaserye could be regarded as "Okey Ka Fairy Ko! [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344696/ 1] " produced by TAPE, Inc. in 1987 and broadcast originally on IBC Channel 13, moved to ABS-CBN until TAPE Inc. transferred its programs to GMA after its contract expired with ABS-CBN.

"Okey ka, Fairy Ko!" is a story about "Taga-Lupa" ("Earthling" in English) Vic Sotto who married "Engkantada" (a fairy) Alice Dixson. They had children who were half-earthlings and half-fairies. The fairy, a princess in her world, had a stern mother, Ina Magenta (Charito Solis) who visited the neighborhood everyday, criticizing their lifestyle on earth (sometimes battling with evil from the dark world).

Fantaserye's origins were more rooted towards situational comedy than soap opera (today's fantaseryes and telefantsayas are lined up in evening prime time along with other soap operas), and "Okey ka, Fairy Ko!" is proof of that. The series had a run of about seven years and was aired on one day of the week for about 60 minutes per episode. Other notable series with similar nature are "Wansapanataym" of ABS CBN and "Beh Bote Nga" of GMA Network.

Telefantasyas or Fantaseryes need not only depict magical worlds in space or underwater. They may also depict future settings. Pintados, launched by GMA, could also fall under the same genre. Pintados was about a band of painted warriors (Pintados) with the power to control the elements on a mission to save the world. Nowadays, several titles fall under this genre. However, the most popular "fantaserye"s or "telefantasya"s are the ones shown weeknights during primetime television. Once-a-week "fantaserye"s are also included under the same genre but do not receive as much viewership as the ones shown every weeknight.

"Fantaserye"s weren't given as much as attention earlier and thus were usually shown on a once-a-week basis with each episode running for one to one hour and a half. In 2003, ABS-CBN introduced a new genre of teleserye which mixes soap opera, fantasy, myth, magic and enchantment on a nightly basis. This genre was called fantaserye, with such shows falling under this genre broadcast on a nightly basis during primetime. The first "fantaserye" that was shown on primetime TV was officially Darating ang Umaga. However, it was commercially a failure. Fantasy themed TV series have been around for while already in the Philippines prior to the launch of the series Darating ang Umaga although they weren't popular on television. in 2004, ABS-CBN took another risk by showing yet another "fantaserye" called Marina. Unlike its predecessor, Marina set a benchmark for fantaseryes on television when it garnered consistent high ratings during its entire run. The ratings and audience share of the said "fantaserye" were even higher than the usual more established primetime teleseryes. Because of this, the television series Marina was officially the one that popularized the genre. Today, fantaseryes are the most viewed TV program in the Philippines. Recent surveys by media research firms AC Nielsen and AGB state that fantaseryes have the highest ratings in the evening primetime block.

Although ABS-CBN started the "fantaserye" fad, its rival GMA network introduced its own fantasy-based series which they called telefantasya which has a similar meaning and nature as a "fantaserye". After Marina, ABS-CBN produced fantasy-based series under a different name but with a similar nature in the hope of saturating the ratings game such as "superserye" Krystala, "sineserye" Ang Panday and Super Inggo but never duplicated the ratings that its predecessor Marina received. In fact, Panday suffered both tremendous financial and ratings loss that ABS-CBN decided that they would go back to their strengths, the "teleserye" shows. On the other hand, rival GMA network started their "telefantasya" run during primetime with Marinara and the ratings winner Mulawin. Subsequently, it produced latter "telefantasya" series and proved to be a consistent winner in ratings during primetime. Because of this, GMA network has decided to focus on producing "telefantasya" shows as they dominate the primetime ratings game. As of 2006, GMA network has constantly won ratings on primetime block with its numerous "telefantasya" in Mega Manila as opposed to ABS-CBN reverting to the "Teleserye". But in the January 15, 2007 issue of BusinessWorld, a local broadsheet containing business reports, AGB-Nielsen Media Research, the official ratings provider, released for the first time the official results of its Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement to determine the TV ratings and audience share of local TV programs from the different urban areas in the Philippines, which revealed that ABS-CBN fantasy programs are the most watched programs in the Philippines.

Ratings

Telefantasyas and fantaseryes today can be arguably described as the most awaited part of the evening primetime blocks of GMA and ABS-CBN. Recent surveys by media research firms AC Nielsen and AGB state that these telefantasyas have the highest ratings in the evening prime time block.

Criticisms

Values Formation

A TV-magazine show's episode on November 5, 2005 pointed out that fantaseryes have a negative effect on the young children because they cannot clearly mark the borderline between reality and fantasy.

Also in this line, the themes of the telefantasyas often feature battles between two factions: good and evil. Although the good and evil parts of the battle are clearly marked, people, especially the children emphasize more on the fights rather than the victory of good over evil. The children imitate the fights scenes and thus inculcate them in their lives. Conservatives have always critiqued the showing of violence on television as detrimental to the children's values.

Social Constructionism

The theory of Social Constructionism is often used as defense by the critics not just of Fantaseryes, but of the television as a postmodern invention. This theory, by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann in the 1960s suggests that reality is constructed by the society in general, and individually, by the people who interpret and perceive reality.

In this case, television forms a reality in the minds of the people, specifically, as an "ideal" world on where to live in. The people perceive it and then in turn form the notion that "this is how life should be." This happens, when, in fact, it should not be, because the television is not the reality but life is the ultimate reality.

List of fantasy series in the Philippines

ABS-CBN's Fantaseryes

2004
*Marina (2004)
*Krystala (2004-2005)
*Spirits (TV series) (2004-2005)

2005
*Kampanerang Kuba (2005)
*Ang Panday (2005, 2006)

2006
* (2006)
*Super Inggo (2006-2007)

2007
*Kokey
*Rounin
*Mars Ravelo's Lastikman (2007-2008)
*Princess Sarah

2008
*Lobo
*Kung Fu Kids
*
*Dyosa

Considered ABS-CBN Fantaseryes

*Komiks (TV Series)
* Wansapanataym
* Hiraya Manawari
*
*
*Love Spell
*
* Bayani
* Marry D`Potter
*Mars Ravelo's Komiks Presents
**Kapitan Boom
**Varga

GMA Network's Telefantasyas

1996-2000
*Pintados
*Leya:Pinakamagandang Babae sa Ilalim ng Lupa

2004
*Marinara
*Mulawin (2004-2005) 2005
*Mars Ravelo's Darna
*Encantadia
*Sugo

2006
*Etheria (2005-2006)
*
*Majika
*Captain Barbell (TV series) (2006-2007)
*Atlantika (2006-2007)

2007
*Asian Treasures
*Super Twins
*Fantastic Man
* (2007-2008)
*Kamandag

2008
*Joaquin Bordado
*Dyesebel
*Captain Barbell Meets Darna
*Gagambino
*Tasya Fantasya

Considered Telefantasya
*L.U.V. Pow
*Magic Kamison
*Fantastikids
*Pintados
*Mahiwagang Baul
*Hokus Pokus
*Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang
*Beh Bote Nga

References

ee also

*Fantasy television
*List of fantasy television programs