Shows to watch out for in RTL CBS channel

Ira Agting

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The newest seasons of top US dramas and entertainment shows are here in the Philippines

WORLD-CLASS. Celebrity guests Jake Cuenca, Karylle, and Shamcey Supsup, along with RTL-CBS, Viva, and Sky Cable executives Christopher Sy, Jonas Engwall, and Jane Chua. Photo by Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The newest seasons of top US dramas and entertainment shows are now within the Philippines’ reach with RTL CBS Entertainment HD.

RTL and CBS, two leading entertainment networks from Europe and America have merged to form a high definition channel with exclusive content for the Asian audience. 

In the launch held October 16, Jonas Engwall, Chief executive officer for RTL-CBS Asia highlights the channel’s family oriented platform, a mix of drama, comedy, reality, and entertainment shows fit for the whole clan.

“It’s a family oriented channel, everybody can gather around the TV. We have everything in one single channel,” said Engwall.

He adds that he expects the channel’s reality competitions “X Factor USA” and “America’s Got Talent” to capture the Pinoy viewers.

“You guys really love your entertainment shows. You are also talented people [who] love to sing and dance, obviously that fits well with our entertainment channel.”

“I know ‘X Factor’ does really well here, ‘America’s Got Talent’ – the reality shows do really well, as do the dramas,” he said. “I’m very excited to bring ‘Under The Dome,’ for example. ‘Under The Dome’ is one of the biggest sensations of the US this year, which we will bring exclusively to the Philippines.”

Jane Chua, Sky Cable’s programming manager also expressed confidence in the line-up, also highlighting the reality shows with Philippine adaptations.

“Their shows ‘X Factor’ and ‘America’s Got Talent’ actually have local versions here, so we thought, why not bring the originals to the viewers.”

“In addition to that, they have a strong line-up of action-drama series like ‘Elementary’ and dailies like ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ They also have first-run exclusives like ‘Under the Dome.'”

Since the channel began broadcasting in September this year, it has launched in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Here are some shows exclusive to RTL-CBS Entertainment HD:

“Elementary”

Sherlock Holmes spin-off “Elementary” presents the detective in modern-day New York. In a contemporary twist, Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) retains his persona as a top-notch crime sleuth, but with a dark side as a recovering drug addict. 

The show spins the Arthur Conan Doyle classic by casting a woman for Holmes’ trusty sidekick Dr. John Watson. Charlie’s Angels’ Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson ,who serves as Sherlock’s crime-solving partner.

Being the second Sherlock Holmes series following BBC’s “Sherlock,” the pressure was on “Elementary” to provide viewers with a unique experience. Although ScreenRant feels the show still lacks moments that make it a “genuiine Sherlock tale,” it is acknowledged that the show has plenty of time to “refine itself.”

On comparing the two Sherlocks, “Miller’s Holmes may not be to the caliber of Benedict Cumberbatch, but his performance is strong enough to carry a series on his own.”

“Under the Dome”

“Under the Dome,” a science fiction drama inspired by Stephen King’s best-selling novel, tells the story of a small town suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by a massive, indestructible and transparent dome.

As military and government forces attempt to destroy the dome, the trapped citizens of Chester’s Mill struggle to survive in a town of finite resources and neighborhood drama. 

According to Variety, the show, now on its second season, averaged nearly 15 million viewers and also gained a following in Australia, the UK, and Germany.

Despite its well received premiere, Variety describes the first season, which concluded in September, as a “narrative mess,” which had become “empty, silly and tedious.”

“The bottom line is if ‘Under the Dome’ can’t become a bit more transparent, sooner or later, it’s going to run straight into a dead end.”

“Beauty & the Beast”

In 1987, CBS produced “Beauty and the Beast,” a modern-day fairy tale about a beautiful district attorney and a mythical man-beast.

While heavy, unrealistic make-up stood out in the ’80s version, the latest reboot “Beauty & the Beast,” focuses on the beast’s super-human characteristics, resulting from a military supersoldier experiment gone wrong.

Kristin Kreuk of “Smallville” plays modern-day beauty Cat, a homicide detective who escapes a brutal murder with the help of the beastly soldier. Years later, she encounters him again.

TV Line describes the new fairytale drama as a “modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist.” It was also awarded Favorite New TV Drama in the 2013 People’s Choice Awards.

“The X Factor USA”

Fans who miss Simon Cowell’s sarcasm in “American Idol” are in for another ride with the straight-shooting host with “X Factor USA.” Cowell searches for the next music sensation together with judges Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, and Paulina Rubio.  

Melanie Amaro and country music artist Tate Stevens won the first and second seasons of the competition. 

Unique for the 3rd and latest season, which premiered on September 2013, is the removal of the bootcamp and elimination rounds in the judges’ houses. A new middle section, similar to a live show, is added.

“America’s Got Talent”

Heidi Klum, Melanie Brown, Howie Mandel, Howard Stern host the reality talent search where bizarre yet brilliant acts rule the stage. For 8 seasons, America has lauded gospel, classical, country, opera, and jazz singers, a ventriloquist, a dancing dog and his master, and the latest, a performance dancer.

Dancer Kenichi Ebina took home last season’s award with his brand of performance art, a mixture of song, dance, and storytelling.

Both “America’s Got Talent” and “X Factor” have been adapted locally by ABS-CBN. 13-year-old YouTube sensation Roel Manlangit won the recently concluded 4th season of “Pilipinas Got talent,” while KZ Tandingan won the first season of “X Factor Philippines” in 2012– Rappler.com

 

RTL-CBS Entertainment HD is available a-la-carte and as part of Sky Cable’s Silver, Gold, Dual Def499, Dual Def999, and TitaniumHD40 packages.

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