Philippine TV is thriving in 2022. From primetime television comebacks to series on various streaming platforms, we have so much content to consume and look forward to. Here’s a list of shows with May premieres and ones that are yet to drop or start production this year.
“2 Good 2 Be True”
Directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar, “2 Good 2 Be True” is a rom-com starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. Bernardo stars as nurse Ali who meets Padilla’s Eloy in the middle of a robbery that he planned with a group of scam artists. With car mechanic Eloy plotting to use Ali to get closer to her tycoon employer, what happens if they end up falling in love?
The KathNiel comeback show premiered on May 16 with new episodes airing every weekday.
“Run To Me”
After growing close as “Pinoy Big Brother” housemates, the KDLex love team is now headlining their own romance series “Run To Me.” Alexa Ilacad plays rich streamer Jewel who plans her own fake kidnapping to get the attention of her too-busy family. KD Estrada’s character Wilson, a musician and streamer, accidentally gets caught up in her plan. Slowly, Jewel finds a second home with Wilson and his family.
The show dropped its first episode on May 21.
“Gameboys” Season 2
One of the biggest local BL series made its return on May 22. The second season of “Gameboys” now has Elijah Canlas’s Cairo and Kokoy de Santos’s Gavreel living together with their friends. While this gives them more opportunities to be intimate, there’s bound to be trouble, too. Adrianna So, Kyle Velino, Miggy Jimenez, and Kych Minemoto will also be reprising their roles and getting into their own messy romances.
Producers Perci Intalan and Jun Robles Lana confirmed that it will be expanding plots from “Gameboys: The Movie.” But are we getting tidbits based on “Pearl Next Door”? Find out by catching new episodes of this final season every Sunday until July.
“Love in 40 Days”
Another reel-and-real couple returning to the small screen is LoiNie with “Love in 40 Days.” Loisa Andalio plays Jane, a competitive insurance agent whose life gets upended when she gets into a fatal car accident. She becomes a ghost and ends up at the Evergreen Mansion, a transitory place for souls with unfinished businesses. Here she meets Ronnie Alonte’s Edward, the son of a tycoon who wants to expel all the ghosts in the mansion so he can turn it into a resto-bar.
The series will premiere on May 30.
“Flower of Evil”
Lovi Poe and Piolo Pascual will pair up in the local adaptation of the South Korean series “Flower of Evil.” Pascual plays Jacob, a man who changes his identity and marries. However, his past threatens to surface when his detective wife Iris, played by Poe, starts looking into a murder case.
Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal previously shared teasers from the show where Pascual sported blonde hair. We’ll be meeting Pascual’s blonde baddie this year.
“Darna”
We’ve shared our initial thoughts on the action-packed “Mars Ravelo’s Darna: The TV Series” starring Jane de Leon when its teaser was first released. The reuploaded teaser is shorter but we still get to see De Leon’s Narda being trained by her mom (Iza Calzado) to be the magical stone’s successor. We also got a glimpse of her love interest, policeman and EMT Brian Samonte Robles (Joshua Garcia), and her nemesis Regina Vanguardia (Janella Salvador).
Expect to see Darna kick butt with her sidekick Ding this year.
“Start Up”
Get ready for the Team Dosan or Team Good Boy rivalry to re-emerge. The local adaptation of “Start-Up,” a K-drama about tech entrepreneurs wanting to make it big, started filming in April.
Bea Alonzo’s version of Seo Dal-mi is named Dani and she’ll be working towards her dream of becoming the country’s own Steve Jobs. Alden Richards plays the Han Ji-pyeong character, a testy investor who becomes Dani’s mentor after he finds out that he’s indebted to her grandmother. Jeric Gonzales completes the love triangle with his version of math genius Nam Do-san.
“Dirty Linen”
Make way for another love team. Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin are pairing up for the upcoming series “Dirty Linen.” They’ll be joining leads Zanjoe Marudo and Janine Gutierrez. Although the plot of the show is still under wraps, we can make a few guesses with its tagline, “Stained by lies, washed by truth, handle with care.”
The show is set to begin production in July.
Other upcoming K-drama adaptations
There are more shows adding a Pinoy flavor to our fave K-dramas. The remake for “A Love To Kill” made headlines in March when production began in Iloilo City. Ian Veneracion stars as a professional fighter who becomes a bodyguard for a top celebrity to be played by Andrea Torres. She falls in love with him, not knowing that he plans to take revenge on her.
Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil will reportedly star in the adaptation for “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.” It follows the romance between an antisocial children’s book author and a psychiatric hospital employee.
Rumored adaptations for “Vicenzo” and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” also started going around after tvN announced that it’s looking to get both series remade. We’ll be keeping an eye out for news on this.
Art by Pammy Orlina
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