Tropang Trumpo | ABC - 90s Philippine Television Comedy (Gag) Show

Tropang Trumpo was a popular Filipino television comedy gag show that aired on the Associated Broadcast Company or ABC 5 (Now TV5) every Saturday nights and ran from 1994-1999. Tropang Trumpo was the definitive gag show of the mid-90s which made Ogie Alcasid, Gelli de Belen, Carmina Villaroel, Earl Ignacio, and Michael V. became household names. Let's go down memory lane and reminisce the iconic 90s gag show, Tropang Trumpo.

Tropang Trumpo - The Show
About Tropang Trumpo

Tropang Trumpo's original cast included Ogie Alcasid, Michael V., Gelli de Belen, and theatre/voice actors Noni Buencamino, Earl Ignacio and Sheilou Bharwani under the direction of Jose Javier Reyes. However, when Reyes became busy with films, former Goin' Bananas cast members Edgar "Bobot" Mortiz, Al Tantay and former Goin' Bananas headwriter Dan Salamante came in and assumed the respective posts of director and writers. Mortiz, Tantay and Salamante introduced new segments for the show, the most famous was "Battle of the Brainless", a satirical quiz show (taken from the 90s famous game show "Battle of the Brains" aired over RPN) where simple quiz questions are never answered. Besides Battle of the Brainless, the ABC-5 gag show also became known for its in-between jokes short humorous dance number using a nail product tv ad jingle "Caronia" by the main cast usually ending with another word that the show made trend of during the 90s, "chicken"; and a parody of the popular Filipino soap Valiente with "Bahaw: Ang Kaning Lamig".

The show eventually went on even when two of its main cast, Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid, left in 1995 to do another gag show for GMA entitled "Bubble Gang". The new cast included Gelli de Belen, Carmina Villaroel, Smokey Manaloto, Earl Ignacio, Maoi Roca, Caloy Alde, Mickey Ferriols, Ariel "Hyubs" Azarcon, Diego "Binoy" Salvador.

"Tropang Trumpo" started to decline when several new shows started copying its format. In 1998, the show had to reformat after Edgar Mortiz, Al Tantay and Dan Salamante left due to conflict with ABC executives. At the same time, cast members Smokey Manaloto and Earl Ignacio also left to side with their beleaguered director. In mid-1998, original "Tropa" cast members Gelli de Belen and later addition, Carmina Villaroel left, and the show struggled to survive with its relatively new cast and staff. It finally closed at the end of the 1999 and was replaced with "Ispup".

On 2003, Bubble Gang paid tribute to some of the most popular gag shows in the Philippines, one of which is Tropang Trumpo. Old footage for Tropang Trumpo is rare these days, so if you want a somewhat accurate idea of what the show like back in the days, then check out the Bubble Gang's tribute here:

Bubble Gang Pays Tribute to Tropang Trumpo



It was really a big fan service to see Carmina, Gelli, Ogie and Michael V. doing the Caronia "Chicken" Dance on Bubble Gang.

As a child growing up on the 90s, Tropang Trumpo was the authority when it comes to comedy back then. Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid's departure from Tropang Trumpo gave the biggest crippling blow to the iconic 90s gag show. It was never the same after the two comedians left for Bubble Gang. Although I have to give credit for Tropa for staying more than three years after the maid comedic celebrities left the series. I still remember how the Battle of the Brainless segment would always cracked me up as a kid. There there was the Caronia/Chicken Dance that Tropa popularize. I still remember I some of my elementary classmates who were also into Tropang Trumpo usually do some of the steps and use the term "chicken" as much as we could back then. This is probably where I got my humor or "corniness" from. I think if I re-watch it now (if there would still be some old footage or copies out there), I might get a few chuckles every now and then but my sense of humor has also grown up through the years, so I guess I'll be scratching my head now. I might not have the same reaction like before when Carmina usually force her pustiso jokes on their "Ano ang tawag" segment. Tropang Trumpo will always be a big part of my life, and maybe every kid who just wanted one day of the week to just laugh out loud.

What about you guys? What's your fondest memory, favorite segment, favorite cast and general thoughts on the iconic 90s gag show from ABC-5. Share your thoughts on Tropang Trumpo on the comments section below:

Spider-Man: The Animated Series | An ABS-CBN Animated Show Retrospective

Spider-Man: The Animated Series or simply Spider-Man was a US animated television series that aired on ABS-CBN during the 90s. Spider-Man The Animated Series was an American action animated television series based from the popular Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The animated series originally run from November 19, 1994 – January 31, 1998 on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids lineup in the United States. Let's take a look back on this nostalgic superhero animated series which aired on ABS-CBN during the 90s.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series - The Story
Spider-Man The Animated Series Plot

The show follows college student and Daily Bugle part-time photographer Peter Parker as he balance personal life and his role as a masked superhero Spider-Man as he protect New York from various forms of criminal and evil masterminds. Spider-Man: the Animated Series featured most of Spider-Man's classic villains like the Kingpin, the Green Goblin, the Hob Goblin, the Lizard, the Scorpion, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Shocker, the Rhino, the Vulture, Smythe, Tombstone, Hydro-Man, the Chameleon, Electro, Carnage and Venom. The show also featured various cameo appearances from other Marvel superheroes like the the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Nick Fury, Daredevil, Blade, the Punisher, Black Cat, and Captain America.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series Opening Theme
Spider-Man The Animated Series Intro

As a kid growing up during the 90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series was my first real introduction to Spider-Man as a superhero and ever since then I have followed every animated series that came after that. The cool thing about STAS (Spider-man The Animated Series) was the many story line that included various cameos of other Marvel characters. Here are two favorite story arcs featuring a great roster of other characters from Marvel: The episodes entitled "The Mutant Agenda" and "Mutants' Revenge" featured the friendly Neighborhood Spider teaming up with the X-Men which also was a popular 90s animated television series; and the Secret Wars arc where Spider-Man was tested by Madam Web and the Beyonder. This is where Spider-Man teams up with the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Black Cat, Iron Man and Storm against the villains Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Alistair Smythe, and Red Skull.

If my memory serves me correct, Spider-Man the Animated Series aired every Friday nights alongside Batman in ABS-CBN. Being nostalgic about the show, I re-watched the entire series last 2011 and all I can say that it still somehow holds up to today's standards, well for me that is. Although the series was a victim of heavy censorship of kids shows during the 90s which probably greatly affected the epic scale of the series, it still was an entertaining television adaptation of the popular Marvel superhero. Episodes or story arcs were still as grand (if not as epic) as I remembered them to be. There still were some pretty corny and bad episodes of the series and this is why I ranked STAS as the third of my best favorite US animated series from the 90s with Batman being the top, followed by the X-Men. My most memorable episode was the Venom story arc and remember making a comic strip based on Spider-Man the Animated Series on my spiral notebook back in my elementary school days.

What about you guys? What's your fondest memory, favorite episode, story arc, villain or cameo in the series? Share your thoughts about Spider-Man: the Animated Series on the comments section below:

Shaider | Space Sheriff Shaider | ABS-CBN 80s, IBC 90s

Shaider was a Filipino dubbed super hero kids show that first aired in ABS-CBN from 1988 to 1991 and later at Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation or IBC from 1992 to 1994 which was the very first Japanese Tokusatsu series dubbed in Tagalog (Filipino). Shaider had an original title of Space Sheriff Shaider (宇宙刑事シャイダー Uchū Keiji Shaidā), a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the third part of the Metal Hero Series (the last of the Space Sheriff Trilogy) which originally aired on TV Asahi from March 2, 1984 to March 1, 1985. Being the first ever Taalized tokusatsu series, Shaider holds a very special place in Philippine television. There had been reruns of the show but the series was never finished due to its contsant cancellation by the television stations that hosted it. It suffered the same fate as the Masked Rider Black series run.

Space Sheriff Shaider - The Story
Shaider Plot

In college studying archaeology, Dai Sawamura, known in the Philippines as Alexis deciphered the figures on the Nazca Plains in Peru. Impressed by this feat, the Galactic Union Police recruited him and trained him to be Earth's third Space Sheriff, after which he was given the code name 'Shaider' in memory of an ancient warrior who defeated the villain Emperor Kubilai and brought down the Fuuma 12,000 years ago. When the Fuuma returns, Alexis is deputized as he returns to Earth to battle the Fuuma with the help of Annie, Alexis' classmate, whose homeworld of Mount was annihilated by Fuuma.

The Fuuma aspires to ultimately conquer the universe through psychological attacks on many planets using fushigi beasts hatched from pearls which are given birth to by the Great Emperor Kubilai (Fuuma-Lear) ultimately destroying worlds. Together with other followers of Fushigi World Fuuma religion followers like Priest Poe (Babaylang Ida), Kubilai's 15,000 year old transvestite grandson who serves as advisor, high priest and strategist known for his "Phantom Showtime" or most popularly known as the Time-Space Warp... the "Time Space Warp Ngayon Din!" become an iconic pop culture line; Commander Hessler (Drigo), and the Girls' Army (Amasona).

Space Sheriff Shaider Opening Theme
Shaider Intro



"Uchū Keiji Shaider"
Lyrics by Keisuke Yamakawa.
Composition and Arrangement by Michiaki Watanabe.
Artist: Akira Kushida





Space Sheriff Shaider Closing Theme
Shaider Outro



"Hello! Shaider"
Lyrics by Keisuke Yamakawa.
Composition and Arrangement by Michiaki Watanabe.
Artist: Akira Kushida

I watched the first rerun of Shaider around the 90s and like everyone else I was hooked with this weekly superhero show just like Masked Rider Black. It featured interesting characters especially Annie and her yellow and white attire (winks), Ida known for her time- space warps and odd monotone voice, catchy opening and closing theme songs (seen above), and who can not forget that psychedelic, mysterious, creepy and kick-ass all at the same time theme of the "Fushigi Song" that plays everytime Lear/Kubilai gives birth to a Fushigi Monster:

Looking back at Shaider, the show might look silly. Imagine an ancient alien religious sect who wants to conquer the universe through psychological attacks? But Shaider will forever be part of Filipino geek pop culture history.

What about you guys? Share your fondest memories of the Filipinized Metal Hero series? Do you have any favorite fushigi monsters, episodes, or memorabilias? Share your thoughts and experiences on Space Sheriff Shaider on the comments section below:

Teks - The Iconic Filipino Card Game for Children

Teks was a coined term for a trading card game and the actual cards themselves popular amongst children that probably has started around the late 50s. The cards used in the game which was also called teks are very small, about a quarter of the size of regular playing cards first featured cartoon storyboard clips of local films complete with characters' dialogues and action sequences. Each teks are numbered which serves as indication to know what part the printed scene is on the series of scenes taken from an actual Filipino film titles or more popular television shows. It can be said that teks (cards) are the direct and unintended commercial byproduct of Filipino comics. More of a game for children, the teks was the very first form of trading card game for the Filipino mass.

Teks Game Mechanics
Teks Trading Card Game

The game relies heavily on betting which side will come up, and is decided by flicking the teks in the air. Some players slap the cards against each other in a high five for added effect. Players usually favor a specific card to use as the card they'll flip while all the other cards are basically act as betting currency.

Teks players use a method of counting the cards unique to the game: they count two cards for each numerical number said aloud, in a cadance that splits the spoken number's syllables in two. The odd card will be counted by a 'cha', meaning 'and a half', at the end of the counting.

Source: Teks

As a kid growing in the 90s I have been introduced to the first version of teks from the kids in our neighborhood. I usually watch them playing this obscure game, flicking the cards in the air then later looking at the results, the winners will receive a new set of cards to add to their already worn out (from being regularly flicked and handled) and almost ruined collection of teks.

I was not able to enjoy the teks like how most children in the neighborhood do. I can remember buying a text and just admiring the wonderful artworks featured in both sides of a single piece. Later in elementary school, the popularity of Japanese animation (anime) and other US cartoons have changed the contents of most teks offered at that time. The once was comics like panels taken from actual Filipino films and were reminiscent of traditional Filipino Comics were then (and up to now) replaced by colorful scenes or special images of the characters from the popular animated series at that time. The teks as a game has still the same mechanics. the only changed noticed in the 90s were the siz of each teks. I can still remember that each card pack cost one peso with three to six individual pieces available in each cards. Thinking that it would be a complete waste to just use the cards in a regular game of teks, I decided to just keep it in good condition inside a super elastic ice bag which then is placed in a shoe box. I started collecting teks from grade school all the way up to my high school days. Up to this day, I still have my collection of anime themed teks: Dragon Ball series (original Dragon Balls, Z, GT,), Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho), Marvel Series, Zenki, Pokemon, Mojacko, Fushigi Yuugi, Slam Dunk, Sailor Moon, etc.

What about you guys? What's your fondest memory of playing teks? What Filipino or foreign titled teks have you played with? Share your thoughts and experience with teks on the comments section below:

Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! | An IBC 80s, ABS-CBN 80s - 90s, GMA Network 90s Filipino Sitcom Retrospective

Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! was a popular Filipino television situational comedy (sitcom) that first premiered on the Intercontinental Broadcasting Company or IBC 13 and ran from 1987-1989, transferred and continued its run on ABS-CBN from 1989-1985, and finally getting cancelled after two years of its GMA Network run when the show transferred there. The show focuses on the Kabisote family mainly Enteng and Faye as they struggle with everyday normal life and the magical life of Faye being the Princess of the land of faeries, Engkantasya. Let's go down memory lane and reminisce this phenomenal Philippine retro sitcom about family, magic, and the never-ending fight of good versus evil.

Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! - The Story
Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! Synopsis

Vicente Kabisote, Jr a.k.a Enteng Kabisote (played by Vic Sotto) was trying to outrun a woman who is forcing him to marry her through the threats of her muscled brothers. To escape this persistent woman, Enteng adopted a street-child named Aiza (Aiza Seguerra) and pretended that he already has a daughter from a previous marriage, but even so, the obsessed woman still pursued Enteng. Unknown to the Enteng, he is being watched from a by the magical kingdom Engkantasya's fairy Princess Chloroteam who will later be known as Faye (Alice Dixson). She immediately fell in love with the nimble mortal and magically transported him to Engkantasya while he sleeps. Like Faye falling for him, the same happened to Enteng after seeing Faye. They later returned to the mortal world to get married with Aiza as the loving couple's witness. As much as the queen of Enkantasya's Ina Magenta (Charito Solis) disapproves of Chloroteam (her heir to the throne of Engkantasya) marrying a nimble mortal, she knows that he is a man who truly loves her daughter and her daughter loves him as much. She usually meddles with the affairs of the couple now trying to live as magic-free as possible but it can not do so as forces of evil from Engkantasya tries to overthrow Magenta by hurting her one and only daughter, Faye and her family.

Each episode features the everyday struggles of Enteng, Aiza and Faye as they deal with everyday family issues and from the evil of Luka, and reyna ng kadiliman (Luz Valdez). To add up to the magical world of Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! are some few supportng characters. Amy (Ruby Rodriguez), the nosy yet trustworthy housekeeper of the Kabisotes who usually gets her memories constantly erased by the show's fairies (mainly Faye and Magenta) everytime she discovers the magical nature of the people she work for. Bale (Jinky Oda), the store-owner just adjacent to the Kabisote's house is a friend of Amy who she usually share a lot of gossips with. Pipoy (Larry Silva) is Enteng's bald and beer-bellied assistant in his repair shop. Prinsipe ng Kahilingan or Prinsipe K (Bayani Casimiro Jr.) is a tap dancing and blunder of a wish-granting fairy known on the series for his outrageous tap dancing entrances whenever he is called.

Okay Ka, Fairy Ko's main theme song is "Fireworks" by Alan Menken from Walt Disney's film adaptation of The Little Mermaid. It is hard to come by any online of videos of the the original epsiodes or even the theme of Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! so here is "Fireworks" by Alan Menken and just imaging the show opening with it.

Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! 80s - 90s Sitcom Television Theme
Okey Ka, Fairy Ko! Theme from Alan Menken's "Fireworks" (The Little Mermaid)







Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! Classic Movie Posters from Video48.
Check them out for a more in-depth look on classic Filipino films.

I liked the show back in the 90s and this is probably why up to today I am still able to enjoy the absurdity of this era's Enteng Kabisote film series. I literally grew up watching this series and fell in love with a sitcom that focused on family, love, and a fantasy world of fairies, witches and magic. To someone who never knew other foreign shows back then like the classic Bewitch US series, which I think might probably be the show where this Filipino sitcom draws its inspiration from, Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! was a good sitcom for a growing up 90s boy. The Faye that I am familiar with is the Tweetie de Leon and the Roderick Paulate version. Fans of the series knew that the series was known for changing its female lead and the show made up this lore that fairies usually undergoes this "makeover" which doesn't always bear good results. This has later been carried out in the Enteng Kabisote film series. Okay Ka, Fairy ko! has two movies back in the 90s and like today, both are heavily marketed on the longest running noontime show Eat Bulaga. My most memorable Okay Ka, Fairy Ko - Eat Bulaga contest was probably with the movie where Pipoy was eventually turned into a human-turtle as a means of transportation. They used some pretty clever use of the Pipoy "animatronics" head as it is attached to the life-size turtle's fake body. Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! will forever be remembered as one of the best Filipino sitcoms of all time.

What about you guys? What are your fondest memory of Okay Ka, Fairy Ko! ? How about the two movies it spun back in the 90s? Any favorite episode and characters? Share your thoughts in the comments section below: