ELLEN Adarna is making a showbiz comeback in TV5’s new sitcom, “John en Ellen”, which starts airing this Sunday at 7 PM. The show brings back memories of the long-running “John en Marsha” that starred the late Dolphy and Nida Blanca.
It will be recalled that Ellen was last seen in the Kapamilya sitcom, “Home Sweetie Home”, where she met John Lloyd Cruz and where their romance bloomed. Ellen had to take a rest when she got pregnant and gave birth to their son, Elias, who’s now two years old.
After three years of being away from the camera, she’s now acting again and she says she liked the project when it was pitched to her. She plays the role of Ellen, the wife of John Estrada as John Kulantong, and they have two teenage kids played by former child actor Yogo Singh and the daughter of Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano, Angelina Cruz.
The show will tackle issues concerning today’s modern family, in law problems, as well the reliance of today’s young people on gadgets and the internet. Just like in “John en Marsha”, John here also has a meddlesome in law. But instead of a mother in law like Donya Delilah, John’s in law here is the very rich Don Lucky de la Suerte, played by Ronaldo Valdez.
The sidekick of Donya Delilah before was Matutina. This time, Ronaldo’s sidekick is comedian Long Mejia as Tangee. They act as the villains who scheme to break up John and Ellen’s marriage.
How does it feel for Ellen to be acting again? “Masaya ako to be back. I was kind of nervous at first but everyone’s supportive at our lock in taping. I enjoyed it and now it doesn’t feel work at all but fun.”
Since they they did lock in taping for almost a week in Antipolo to complete five episodes in advance, how did she find the setup of doing lock in taping?
“It’s okay. Ang mahirap lang, I was taping straight for five days at napalayo ako from my son, who’s my priority now. It’s good maganda ang timing, kasi his dad (John Lloyd Cruz) was also here in Manila, so he stayed with his dad muna. But sa lock in taping, ang maganda, dere-deretso lang ang flow ng trabaho and you feel safer on the set kasi we observe all the necessary health protocols.”
How is it working with John Estrada? “It’s really fun to work with John. Masaya siyang kasama sa set and we’re glad people say we have good chemistry on screen. He helps me even with my Tagalog and gives me tips on how to do our scenes more effectively.”
What does she prefer to do, drama or comedy? “I’ve done drama before, but I miss comedy rin. Actually, mas mahirap magpatawa kaysa magdrama as it requires a lot of energy. I also like my role in our sitcom kasi si Ellen here, she comes from a rich family, but hindi ako materialistic and I fell in love with John even if he’s poor. Kahit naghihirap kami, hindi ako umaasa sa tatay kong mayaman.”
She’s currently being linked to Derek Ramsay and although, they’ve both denied it, rumors persist. Would Derek be a guest in “John en Ellen” someday? It’s John who answered the question.
“Why not? We are all good friends and we’re sure he’d be willing to support our show.”
John has always said there’s nothing wrong if romance would really brew between Ellen and Derek. “They are both free and single. They are not stepping on anybody’s toes, so I don’t see any problem there. I mean, you know, they both deserve to be happy.”
Migo turns more mature at 21
MIGO Adecer turned 21 last December 20 and he says he has matured enough since the time he won as Ultimate Male Survivor in Starstruck in 2015.
“I was just 15 years old then,” he says. “I was so young and inexperienced. I’ve learned so much from the past five years and I’m definitely a different person now than when I started. Definitely, I’m better with my craft now. It was hard, there were lots of difficult times, it’s been a humbling experience. But I can really say that the good things outweigh the bad ones naman. I’m very grateful to GMA for giving me the chance to be in showbiz.”
He got noticed for his role in “Sahaya” with Bianca Umali last year and he’s happy that he now plays another lead role in “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” as Cocoy, the guy who comes between sisters Barbie Forteza as Ginalyn and Kate Valdez as Caitlyn.
The show was suspended for seven months because of the pandemic lockdown but it’s now back on the air at 8 PM weeknights on GMA Telebabad. He also gets to sing and dance on weekends in “All Out Sundays”. How is it doing lock in taping?
“Actually, mas mabilis ang trabaho kasi everyone’s already on the set everyday,” he says. “Everything is so efficient. Lahat ng tao, they respect your personal space kasi we all know the dangers and concerns about the virus that might spread around. Everything that we use on the set is properly sanitized so you really feel safe.”
How else did the pandemic help him? “I find myself closer to God. The pandemic gave me to take some time for myself. Dahil walang work, I was able to de-stress. For an artist in showbiz, seven months is quite a long time to be away from working before the camera. So the lockdown allowed me to take time to rest and breathe and not to have any big work responsibility. So when I was called to resume our taping, I was so ready and willing to work again.”
ABS-CBN, TV5 announce collaboration
ABS-CBN and TV5 have officially announced that starting this Sunday, January 24, “ASAP Natin ‘To” and “FPJ: Da King” will now be simulcast on the Kapatid network TV5.
“ASAP Natin ‘To”, the country’s longest running Sunday musical variety show, will start airing 12 noon, to be followed by “FPJ: Da King”, which shows the classic movies of the legendary action king, Fernando Poe Jr., will be aired from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Launched in 1995, “ASAP Natin ‘To” brings together the biggest and brightest performers to give viewers the best concert experience topbilled by Martin Nieverra, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Gary Valenciano, Sarah Geronimo, Erik Santos, Ogie Alcasid, and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.
“This collaboration between Cignal, TV5, Brightlight Productions and ABS-CBN marks the start of greater cooperation among our various industry players and begins a new era of partnership,” Cignal and TV5 president and CEO Robert Galang says.
“The airing of ASAP and FPJ’s movies on TV5 showcases the desires of TV5 and ABS-CBN to serve our viewers in the best way possible.”
“The future of entertainment media is rapidly converging around a dynamic mix of traditional and digital platforms, with Cignal and TV5 launching new content and synergies that will disrupt conventional broadcast methods,” he adds.
“We are pleased to welcome the ASAP family and the films of the one and only king of Philippine movies to Cignal and TV5.
“The top-rated content, combined with Cignal and TV5’s strengths in technology, direct-to-consumer distribution, and mobile and broadband reach, will usher in a new viewing experience for fans and subscribers alike.”
