Television studios and various production companies took the challenge of diversifying the local entertainment scene, with both fresh concepts and tested-and-proven formulas in 2023.
Philippine Entertainment in 2023: The 10 Highest-rated TV debuts of the Year
While it’s tempting to suggest that Philippine television fell short of keeping audiences from migrating to newer sources such as streaming and other VOD platforms, new stories nevertheless took spotlight, and at the same time, traditional ones continued to inspire and delight viewers, as reflected by the ratings they achieved throughout the year.
GMA Network remained the dominant force in local television, but ABS-CBN and its partners provided exciting titles to keep the Kapuso Network from maintaining a monopoly in the local entertainment scene. From the more than 50 new scripted and non-scripted TV programs debuted in 2023, a few emerged and won the hearts of the viewers.
The following lists the 10 highest-rated shows in 2023, according to Nielsen Philippines:
Voltes V Legacy (May 8).
Dubbed as one of the most expensive local productions, GMA Network’s live-action TV adaptation of the hit anime series, Voltes V, was undoubtedly a Philippine television marvel. Praised for its visual splendor and technical prowess, Voltes V Legacy defied standards in the local setting, establishing an indelible imprint that will perpetually remind of our creators’ ingenuity, hence its unsurprisingly high ratings on its debut episode. According to Nielsen Philippines, the series recorded a 14.6 pilot rating.
FPJ’s Batang Quiapo (February 13).
Looking at the current average ratings of FPJ’s Batang Quiapo, one can say that the series had a ‘soft’ pilot episode on February 13, last year. That said, the 12.5 people rating the Coco Matin-starrer posted during its pilot episode, emerged as the second highest rated debuts of the year, proving Martin’s reign as the Philippine primetime and television king, is yet to end.
Black Rider (November 6).
Black Rider marks the second time that a show starred by Ruru Madrid was going head-to-head with one starred by Coco Martin. This time, it is undeniable that he got short of luck, as the series is yet to score its first win against the Kapamilya drama. Be that as it may, the 12.1 pilot episode rating it achieved, put the show among the top top-rated shows in the country, in 2023.
Battle of the Judges (July 15).
The local version of the French spinoff of the globally-popular format, Got Talent, Battle of the Judges debuted at a time viewership for talent reality shows has evidently declined. But leave it to to talented Filipinos and a fresh line-up of judges, the show actually worked for the local audience, hence its very impressive pilot rating of 11.8.
Maging Sino Ka Man (September 11).
Maging Sino Ka Man is the first TV series to be topbilled by the Kapuso love team, Barbie Forteza and David Licauco, a.k.a. BarDa, which saw its meteoric rise via the very successful, Maria Clara at Ibarra. Based on the hit Sharon Cuneta and Robin Padilla film, of the same name, the series was unfortunately unable to win in ratings versus FPJ’s Batang Quiapo. That said, the series’ 11.4 debut rating was still one of highest throughout 2023.
The Voice Generations (August 27).
The first of its kind in Asian television, The Voice Generations, came on the heels of the success of the local The Voice franchise that began with ABS-CBN. It also serves as a ‘warmp-up’ to GMA Network’s official takeover of the Philippine franchise of The Voice, whose Teens (and reportedly ‘Kids’ ) edition, remains with ABS-CBN. Well, looking at how strongly the spinoff series performed in ratings (it debuted with 11.1), it won’t be surprising if more editions of the franchise will eventually join GMA Network.
Royal Blood (June 19).
Dingdong Dantes’ 2023 was marked by exciting and well-loved projects that further enlivened his already superstar career. Among those projects include the smash hit, Royal Blood, whose double digit ratings at a time they’re too rare for a second primetime TV show, was a strong indication of its success. Praised for the stellar performances of the cast and the seamless storytelling of the series, Royal Blood is undoubtedly one of 2023’s biggest television titles. From a pilot rating of 9.8, the series remarkably peaked at 12.6 on its finale.
Magandang Dilag (June 26).
Given that it was starred by a relatively newcomer, Magandang Dilag dealt with very low expectations on how it would perform in the rating game. It’s pilot rating of 9.7, alone, however, proved to be proof of its promise. and a few months into the air, it was already posing a threat of dislodging Abot Kamay Na Pangarap as the daytime ratings leader.
Hearts On Ice (March 13).
Hearts On Ice was among the freshest ideas to come from GMA Network in 2023. Not too many dramas focusing on a particular sports theme had ever graced local television, and with this Xian Lim and Ashley Ortega-starrer, it became clearer that Filipino storytellers are far more capable of offering new ideas to the table. The 9.2 people rating it achieved during its debut seem to be an indication of GMA Network’s resounding success at that attempt.
Luv Is: Caught In His Arms (January 16).
Based on a popular web novel of the same name, Luv Is is GMA Network’s effort to fulfill the still high demand for youth-oriented series that are practically cut from the same cloth as the original Meteor Garden. While the plot was something the local audience has seen numerous times, the 8.8. people rating the show recorded on its pilot, seems to suggest these kind of teenybopper stories and campus romance will remain popular among young viewers.
Arabella (March 6).
One of the major factors why Arabella was such a hit during its run, was its strong adherence to the formula that made popular Kapuso daytime shows such as Prima Donna and Abot Kamay Na Pangarap, certified hits. Campy and filled with oversized confrontations, Arabella soared through familiarity and themes that really click with daytime audience, hence its pilot rating of 8.8.
Other strong performers:
Stolen Life (Novemver 13) 8.4
EAT (July 1) 8.4
Can’t Buy Me Love (October 16) 8.0
Love Before Sunrise (September 25) 8.0
FTWBA (January 23) 7.5
The Missing Husband (Augjst 28) 7.5
