Men orbiting like the solar system around a lady sun, a bunch of sleepless millennials all longing for something, a colorful retelling of the lives of the LGBT, a society caught in the middle of a war on drugs, and much, much more. These are just some of the stories I caught a preview of at Cignal Entertainment’s media launch last week, and this I say honestly—I can’t wait to see more of these shows!
That says a lot coming from me, someone who was never quite a fan of Philippine TV. The unoriginal storylines, the acting, the material…to me, nothing about our usual programs seem realistic or natural, not even just the wigs. (Can someone please explain the awful wigs?) Sigh.
But at the launch, as the program previews flashed one after the other on the big screen, I actually felt a tinge of excitement there. Hope, even. I was actually truly inspired. They were good. Really good. Finally, someone has stepped up and dared to change the game!
Tukhang is Cignal Entertainment’s first production
That someone is none other than Cignal TV, who recently launched Cignal Entertainment—an entertainment brand committed to delivering proudly original shows to Filipino viewers. From being merely an aggregator of content, Cignal is now the content producer. They are now the storyteller.
And the brand understands the responsibility that comes with this new role they’ve assumed. They take the job seriously. As Jane Basas, President of Cignal, said at the launch, they want to tell stories that are intelligent, relevant, and of highest quality. They want to affect change in the country, one story at a time.
And you won’t only get to watch these engaging shows on TV. Cignal Entertainment’s programs will be available on different platforms, allowing you to carry your new favorite Filipino series wherever you go—on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Cignal Entertainment has got a big line-up of incredible shows in store for its viewers, and here are 4 reasons why you should be excited about it.
Mon Confiado as a Senator in Tukhang
4. Delivering quality content is their main mission
From the production team, to the writers, directors, and actors, Cignal Entertainment’s upcoming series are comprised of an ensemble of veteran and talented artists from the film industry. And despite the shows’ varying genres from drama, action, suspense, to comedy, a unifying feature among all these programs stands out—their well-crafted plots.
As for the production, the creators of one of their upcoming shows, crime drama mini-series Tukhang, shared that they wanted the show to be “Hollywood-ish” in terms of how visual it would be. According to the creators, they want Tukhang to surprise Filipino viewers.
The show premieres this Saturday already, so we’ll see that for ourselves soon.
3. The shows will be produced by industry experts
In line with their commitment to deliver quality content, Cignal Entertainment partnered up with production companies whose values and standards are in line with theirs.
Rising up to the challenge are Sari Sari Network, Unitel, Percy Intalan’s Idea First, Wilma Galvante’s Content Cows, and Masque Valley Productions. Together with Cignal, they have created original shows that aim to move and inspire Filipinos, and elevate the Philippine television experience.
I saw it from the previews myself—truly good, innovative, and fresh stories await the viewers of Cignal Entertainment.
Karel Marquez plays a journalist in Tukhang
2. The brave and bold storylines
When asked about how preparation for Tukhang was done given its controversial theme on the war on drugs, the show’s creator merely answered, “we made the film because we’re not afraid.”
Many of Cignal’s upcoming shows, much like Tukhang’s, are centered on sensitive subjects such as teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and LGBT issues. Subjects that are controversial or simply taboo.
But that’s exactly the purpose. Cignal Entertainment is taking on a brave stand, telling stories that people are afraid to touch. As Jane Basas shared during her opening remark at the launch, what the brand strives for are stories that are “flawed yet inspiring, broken yet forgiving, happy but mindful of the reality.”
1. All original content. Proudly Filipino.
There won’t be pre-tailored content here with tried and tested formulas to assure the series will be a massive hit. Nor will there be missing twins, family wars over who gets to inherit the hacienda, or Romeo and Juliet love stories we’ve seen a thousand times over since the dawn of Filipino telenovelas.
No, none of those. Just fresh, honest, inspiring, innovative, and above all, intelligent stories that will do Philippine viewers proud. Stories Filipinos will recognize, relate to, or be moved by because these are stories about them. Tales crafted by Filipinos, for Filipinos.
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Crime drama Tukhang will kick the ball off this weekend as Cignal Entertainment’s premier production. The show is a four-part mini-series that explores the human drama and social costs that surround the government’s controversial war on drugs. Directed by Lawrence Fajardo, the series stars James Blanco, Karel Marquez, and FAMAS nominee Mon Confiado.
See Tukhang’s action-packed trailer below:
Catch the back-to-back episode premiere of Tukhang this Saturday! Tune in on July 22, 10:30PM on Colours, Sari-Sari, and Bloomberg TV Philippines on Cignal TV. And catch the next episodes every Saturday at 10:30PM until August 5.
Cheers to the new storyteller in town! We can’t wait to finally see their stories come alive.
