I really wonder why our parents never get tired of watching Filipino teleseryes, especially our mothers, aunts, grandmothers and even yayas. They seem to enjoy watching the same plots over and over again even the only changes in the shows are the characters, the actors, and the settings.
Through the years of Philippine teleserye and cinema, these are the ten overused plots:
The baby-switching catastrophe plot
This is the usual start of Filipino teleserye. A rich and a poor family both gave birth in the same hospital and the baby-switching catastrophe happens either accidentally or not. As these kids grow up, their fate will be intertwined by the so-called cliche fate. If they have the same genders, expect a love triangle, but if they are a boy and a girl, expect for a star-crossed love story.
The “ampon ka lang” plot
A mother is desperate to have a child and then one day she received a baby which she raised with all her love and care, but the other characters will mistreat this child because, you know, she is an orphan. Soon the real mother tries to get back her child then the DNA testing enters the show.
The protagonist never dies plot
Starting from the 60’s, the golden rule in any Philippine films and teleseryes is “do not kill the protagonist” and only a few shows have broken that rule. Even there’s a rain of bullets, drowning scenes, vehicle accident or burning houses, protagonists just don’t die. Sometimes, the story will trick you to believe that the character died in the accident, but meh, don’t believe that.
The wedding ending plot
If that’s a love story you are watching, always expect that no matter how many obstacles the characters will undergo, they will always end up getting married. Indeed as they say, “Sa pagkahaba-haba man ng teleserye, sa simbahan pa rin ang tuloy.”
The rugs to riches and riches to rags plot
The teleserye always starts with a poor protagonist and sometimes for additional touch, a promdi. Meanwhile, the antagonist/s are (most of the time) rich people who are going to abuse the protagonist. After the first to second quarter of the story, the protagonist comes back as a filthy rich man/woman with a goal to bring down the antagonists to poverty.
The langit-lupa love story
Almost every month we always have another upcoming teleserye with a love team of a poor girl-rich boy and vice versa. They will show the world that they will remain madly in love with each other no matter what it takes, even death.
The character abuse plot
When we say Filipino soap opera/teleserye, the first thing that comes into my mind are the tear-jerking and mistreating scenes in the previous shows. That’s what exactly is happening. Protagonists are always perceived to be poor, weak and abused but with a kind and golden heart…at the start. Just wait for them to take revenge.
The love triangle plot
Love triangle never leaves the picture of a love story. Most of the time there are two women fighting for the love of one guy, and this guy is in love with the first woman not until she becomes mean to the second woman. The first woman who turned out to be the antagonist will make every possible way just to prevent the two from loving each other.
The amnesia plot
The protagonist will have a traumatic experience which will cause her to forget all of her memories. While she is trying to remember them, the antagonist pretends to be good and alters his/her memories as the other characters try to get her back.
The “Kabit” plot
No mother/tita/yaya will tell you that they do not enjoy watching shows similar to Ika-anim na Utos and My Husband’s Lover. The stories that revolves with a loving and caring wife, an unfaithful husband and the mistress. The audience get hyped especially when it comes to slapping and confrontation scenes. They became more eager to watch the show especially when the wife finally decides to have a beauty makeover and makes her revenge on her husband. Written by Marian Geadeth Solis (Intern).
