Kalyeserye
Kalyeserye was a soap opera parody segment that was aired live on the Filipino noontime variety show Eat Bulaga! on GMA Network in the Philippines and worldwide through GMA Pinoy TV. The mini-show, as it has evolved, focused on AlDub, the fictional couple pairing — or "love team" as it is more commonly known in the Philippines — of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza's "Yaya Dub" character in which the two only communicate through lip-syncing to various pop songs and movie audio clips as well as written messages, and interact only on the show's split-screen frame. Richards is usually based in Broadway Centrum studio of Eat Bulaga! in Quezon City while Mendoza travels around to a different barangay.
With an initial runtime of a few minutes, the show soon expanded to over a half-hour for each episode, with specials running even longer and for more segments. Current runtimes are about 55 minutes on weekdays to about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the Saturdays. The show features live improvisation from Richards, Mendoza, Wally Bayola, Jose Manalo and Paolo Ballesteros who all play various roles while the other hosts of Eat Bulaga! in the studio serve as live commentators that interact with the characters and also the audiences. Kalyeserye has elements of comedy-drama, parody, romantic comedy and reality television. According to Anna Leah Sarabia, a Filipino anthropologist, the segment uses fairy tale and soap opera tropes. The term "Kalyeserye" is a play on the Filipino word teleserye and is a portmanteau of the Tagalog words kalye and serye. It was coined by Joey de Leon, one of the primary hosts of Eat Bulaga!, to refer to the location outside the studio which was usually shot out on the streets of Metro Manila or in the provinces of the Philippines that serve as the remote setting of the parody segment.
The portion proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media, resulting in a significant increase in viewership and popularity of Eat Bulaga! on its 36th year in Philippine entertainment. In addition, it has contributed immensely to the rise of the careers of Richards and Mendoza.
Kalyeserye temporarily ended on September 3, 2016 and returned on October 15, 2016 after a month-break. The segment went on a hiatus on September 3, 2016, and the entire segment concluded on December 17, 2016.
Overview
The show follows the love story of Yaya Dub, a girl who converses only in dubsmash, and Alden Richards, a regular guest on the "Juan for All, All for Juan" television segment, during which they begin flirting with each other by dubsmashing and exchanging waves. Yaya Dub's employer, Lola Nidora, is initially against the couple's budding romance. Lola Nidora then reveals her Book of Secrets/Secret Diary which contains various reasons for her disapproval. The appearance of other characters like the luxurious Frankie Arenolli and the socialite DuhRizz make things even more complicated for the amorous pair. As the story unfolds, characters from Lola Nidora and Yaya Dub's past are revealed as a part of their backstory. Lola Nidora turns out to be one of the triplet children of the Zobeyala family; the three are collectively known as the "de Explorer Triplets/Sisters". During the course of the series, Alden must prove his trustworthiness and love for Yaya Dub by engaging in several challenges.Since its return for the Season 2, it not only focuses on the continuation of the AlDub story as a fictional married couple but also focuses of De Explorer sisters who become hosts for a cooking show, with the real life mothers, as guests, who can cook.
Background
Casting
In 2015, Alden Richards, who had finished filming the mini-series Ilustrado, was invited to join Eat Bulaga! as a host for a month-long trial period, hosting various segments such as "That's My Bae" with radio disc jockey Sam Y.G.. A month later, Maine Mendoza, who had initially gained online popularity by posting her Dubsmash videos in various social media platforms, auditioned for the program after catching the attention of its producers. Mendoza eventually joined the cast in July 2015. She was initially selected to act as a lawyer for Eat Bulaga!s "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment but was ultimately cast as Yaya Dub, a nanny for Wally Bayola's "Lola Nidora" character. Mendoza's character would communicate only by lip synching to various pop song and film audio clips, and does not actually speak onscreen. Her character was portrayed as a very serious and snobbish nanny who does not even smile or laugh. Doña Nidora and Yaya Dub first appeared on July 4, 2015 in the Problem Solving portion of the "Juan For All, All For Juan" segment. Their presence filled the void left by Doktora Dora de Explorer's character, who has left the previous day because she has to attend a seminar in South Africa. However, the Kalyeserye segment officially started on July 16, 2015, when Yaya Dub sees Alden for the first time and thus, the AlDub tandem was born."Day 1" onwards
On the Eat BulagaDue to the audiences' positive reception to the pairing, the shows' producers decided to make a 30-minute portion under its daily "Juan For All, All for Juan" segment to replace the previous "Problem Solving" portion. Pegged as "Kalyeserye", it was characterized as a dramedy series with elements of parody of Philippine television dramas, romantic comedy and reality TV performed by improv acting, which was broadcast live from the streets of different barangays. Poochie Rivera, one of the program's directors, described it as "natural and unscripted", saying that "Nothing is rehearsed. We are trying to maintain the spontaneity because that is a big part of its charm." Aside from the AlDub love team, Kalyeserye also features comedians Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, and Paolo Ballesteros. The trio, collectively known as "JoWaPao", play various characters, but most prominently, as the three Lolas of Yaya Dub.
AlDub
AlDub is derived from a portmanteau of the show's main characters' names, namely Filipino actor Alden Richards, who portrays a fictionalized version of himself, and Yaya Dub, portrayed by comedian Maine Mendoza. Both joining the program's cast in 2015, Richards first appeared as a host of Eat Bulaga!s various segments, such as the "That's My Bae" portion; while Mendoza appears only as "Yaya Dub" in the "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment. The couple exclusively interact through the show's split screen frame and only communicate with each other by dubbing audio samples of popular songs, films and TV series as well as handwritten messages on screen. As of early October 2015, the AlDub couple have yet to meet in person.Some of the running gags and gimmicks throughout the parody series include a special gesture between Alden and Yaya Dub, called the Pabebe Wave. Another narrative involves Lola Nidora lobbying for a pairing between Yaya Dub and Frankie Arenolli dubbed as the "YaKie" tandem, with the couple almost ended up getting married. Other events include Lola Nidora issuing labor challenges to Alden to prove his love for Yaya Dub, and the incompetency of the numerous Rogelios, Lola Nidora's bodyguards. The Kalyeserye's main storyline is the Cinderella-like forbidden courtship between the AlDub tandem, with its paramount goal being the first physical meeting of the two, a move continually opposed by Lola Nidora.
The AlDub couple's near-encounters on live television also became pivotal throughout the series. In the show's August 8, 2015 episode, which featured the first wedding between the "YaKie" tandem, Mendoza legitimately collapsed while performing on live television and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, resulting in an improvisation by the segment's remaining characters — Frankie, Lola Nidora and Alden himself. Mendoza later revealed through her social media accounts that she experienced fatigue hours prior to the show. In its August 12, 2015 episode, Yaya Dub appeared at Broadway Centrum's TAPE Eastside Studio for her Cinderella-themed performance on Eat Bulaga!s "Bulaga Pa More! Dabarkads Pa More!" segment. The episode marked as the closest rendezvous between the two, only to be interrupted by Lola Nidora, who played as an evil witch and forced Yaya Dub to leave in the middle of her performance.
"Tamang Panahon"
The series reached the climax of its story on the October 24, 2015 episode entitled as Tamang Panahon. Approximately 55,000 people gathered at the Philippine Arena to witness the most awaited meeting of Alden and Yaya Dub; the couple were able to see and interact with each other without any hindrance from Lola Nidora. One hundred percent of ticket sales was allotted for the AlDub Library Project, which aimed to build libraries for less fortunate schools across the country. With 41 million tweets within 24 hours, #ALDubEBTamangPanahon, the official hashtag of the event, became the third most tweeted topic for the TV category worldwide in 2015 and the most used hashtag within 24 hours on Twitter. The show garnered a 50.8% Mega Manila rating, becoming the highest-rated episode of Eat Bulaga! and the most watched show in 2015.Wedding
Kalyeserye temporarily ended on September 3, 2016 to give way to new segments. The story concluded with Lola Nidora and Lola Tinidora leaving to go to the United States. After a month break, the series returned on October 15, 2016. The storyline opened five years later with the three lolas returning to the Philippines and Alden asking them for Maine's hand in marriage. The week then focused on the couple's preparations for their marriage.On October 22, 2016, two days before the anniversary of Sa Tamang Panahon, the wedding of AlDub took place at the Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word in Quezon City. #ALDUBWedding, the official Twitter hashtag for the awaited event, gained over 6 million tweets within 24 hours. The seemingly realistic wedding marked another milestone for the loveteam's story, sealing their marriage with a kiss.
Ending and concert tour
Kalyeserye ended on December 17, 2016 with AlDub's twin babies baptized and the family ready to migrate to Russia with Lola Babah.The following year, despite the segment ended, the story continues with a concert tour called KS sa US on the United States. The concert tour happened on April 9 at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California and will set on April 12 at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.
Characters
Main characters
;;
;
;
;
Supporting characters
;; Eat Bulaga!
;
;
;
;
Major recurring characters
;;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
Minor characters
Production
Music
Kalyeserye utilizes a number of songs while Alden and Yaya Dub communicate through split-screen. The most used songs for their lip-synch interaction include "God Gave Me You" by Bryan White, "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran, "Twerk It Like Miley" by Brandon Beal, and "Fantastic Baby" by BIGBANG. Alden even sang "God Gave Me You" live before going to Lola Nidora's mansion to visit Yaya Dub for their second date. Yaya Dub and Alden frequently dance in celebration to the tune of "Fantastic Baby". In one episode, the couple also sang "Wish I May," which is included in Alden's album, using their own voices and not via Dubsmash/lip-synch as they usually do in the show.There are also songs being played often when either one or all of three sisters, Nidora, Tidora, and Tinidora, enter or exit their scene. Towards the end in most of the episodes of Kalyeserye, the three sisters pose a la Charlie's Angels with "Wannabe" by Spice Girls being played in the background. While entering her scene, Tinidora and her Quandos would dance to the tune of Lou Bega's version of "Mambo No. 5." Tidora, before entering the scene, was always shown lip-synching to Mariah Carey's various songs. The chorus of the song "Dessert" by Dawin is played when Nidora enters the scene or is feeling very happy. The chorus of "Macarena" by Los del Rio is played when Isadora is entering into the scene. The chorus of "Fashionista" by Jimmy James is played when Cindy is entering into the scene while modelling.
Prior to the second incarnation, a new set of songs were used during the entrance of Yaya Dub and the Lolas such as "Work" by Rihanna and "Focus" by Ariana Grande.
Currently, a new set of songs are used during the entrance of the Lolas such as "Choopeta" by T-Rio and "Halukay Ube" by SexBomb Girls.
Reception
''Eat Bulaga!'' ratings
Kalyeserye proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media. The segment helped boost the show's ratings, the August 12, 2015 episode of Eat Bulaga! posted a 36.1 rating in AGB Nielsen's overnight measurements among Mega Manila households, this became the show's highest rating for the year. The AlDub couple became an overnight phenomenon on both television and social media. The pivotal wedding episode between the YaKie tandem on August 8, 2015 scored a 32% percent rating and a 300% increase in viewership for Eat Bulaga!, according to the Nielsen ratings conducted by AGB Nielsen Philippines. On a weekly survey by Kantar Media Philippines, the tandem was cited in helping the program to become a number one daytime program for weeks. According to AGB Nielsen's research, Eat Bulaga!s August 12, 2015 episode marked the first time that show reached the all-time high in viewership for the year with a 36.1% rating, which was mainly alluded to the tandem's near-meeting. More than a month later, on September 26, 2015 during the tandem's second date, Eat Bulaga!s broke their previous record with a 45.7% rating. Almost a month later, Eat Bulaga breached the 50% mark at 50.8%, superseding their previous turnout.Cultural impact
Eat Bulaga! director Poochie Rivera also theorized that the coupling's successful response from audiences was because of the Filipinos who can relate with their predicament. He remarked "People who have partners who work abroad often communicate and pursue their relationship online, through Skype or FaceTime." Pauleen Luna, a castmember of Eat Bulaga!, commented that AlDub "has brought a different kind of energy to the show." Anna Leah Sarabia, a Filipino anthropologist, cited the "Kalyeserye"'s use of fairy tale and soap opera's tropes helped in tandem's increasing popularity, saying that "It's a 'Cinderella' story that's fake and true-life at the same time." Filipino television executive Malou Choa-Fagar also cited the unpredictable nature of the Kalyeserye had largely contributed to the AlDub success. In social media site Twitter, hashtags with AlDub became top trending topics in both the Philippine and Worldwide trends. Various outlets also lauded the show's use of old and new media for the AlDub tandem, which also pulsated in raising the value of the Dubsmash app in the Philippines. The popularity of the tandem even reached some schools and became a topic discussed in classrooms; for instance in a University of the Philippines Diliman Filipino class. Several Filipino politicians also referenced the AlDub couple in various interviews: Ralph Recto cited the tandem as a symbolism regarding the Philippine Land Transportation Office license plates, while Mar Roxas also referenced AlDub in his 2016 presidential campaign.The August 22, 2015 episode earned positive feedback from Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and Radyo Veritas via Twitter for highlighting Filipino love, responsibility and marriage moral standards. Recently, Mendoza, Bayola, Eat Bulaga and TAPE Inc. were awarded by the 1st Catholic Social Media Awards for promotion of values. Maine Mendoza was also awarded the Gintong Kabataan Award by the Provincial Government of Bulacan.
Professor Randy David of the University of the Philippines, in his Philippine Daily Inquirer column Public Lives last August 23, 2015, wrote about the depth and significance of Maine Mendoza's voice/mime characterization of Yaya Dub, challenging us to look deep within our own nature, who we really are when we are not performing:
Social media
The segment is also a frequent Twitter trending topic while the abridged versions uploaded in Eat Bulaga!'s Facebook page and highlights on GMA Network's YouTube channel had become viral. From July 27, 2015 to August 26, 2015, 16 out of the 30 Philippine trending topics are from the show's AlDub tandem.Twitter records
On August 29, 2015, 3.5 million messages were sent on Twitter with the hashtag #ALDUBMaidenHeaven, a record number of tweets in the Philippines about a single subject. This amount, which was achieved in one day, exceeded the number of Tweets sent with the hashtag #PapalVisit, during Pope Francis's January 2015 visit in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation. However, the October 24, 2015 record with the hashtag #ALDubEBTamangPanahon currently stands as the most tweeted at 41 million, beating the 2014 World Cup match between Brazil and Germany.Careers of Richards and Mendoza
The success of the AlDub tandem also contributed to the careers of Richards and Mendoza. The AlDub's success has helped Richards secure a four-year film contract with APT Entertainment, while the Philippine Basketball Association team Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Mahindra Enforcers was also reported to have been considering inviting Mendoza as their muse for the 2015–16 PBA season, but she refused. Mendoza and Richards also appeared in separate profile interviews regarding the AlDub's success on the television program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho. Tuviera also revealed in an interview about a possibility of making 2015 feature film starring the AlDub couple. Another report also confirmed that Richards and Mendoza will be part of 41st Metro Manila Film Festival entry My Bebe Love starring Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas.In an interview with Startalk, Richards revealed that he did not expect the success of the show/segment and is overwhelmed by the popularity of the AlDub tandem. In other interview, Richards revealed that he is open to the possibility of AlDub to star in a movie or TV show.
To date, Mendoza has appeared in advertisements for 555 Sardines and O+ Ultra, while both Richards and Mendoza have appeared together for McDonald's Philippines' promoting their Chicken Fillet ala King product, Talk 'N Text's Extend promo, Zonrox Plus Thick Bleach and Bear Brand Adult Plus.
Since after the Tamang Panahon event, Mendoza started her co-hosting stint in Juan For All, All For Juan segment and briefly ATM with the Baes segment with Alden Richards in Eat Bulaga!. Mendoza and Richards have their first photoshoot for the upcoming movie My Bebe Love, alongside Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas. Mendoza makes her television drama debut as Chef Elize in Princess in the Palace which stars Ryzza Mae Dizon.
Works cited
- "Day" refers to an episode in the Kalyeserye series.