“Si Ser Chief, si Maya at ang Teleserye” (Sir Chief, Maya and the Philippine Television Drama)

Program: Cheche Lazaro Presents (Episode 12)
Presented by: Unlimited Productions, Inc. and ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs
Aired on: June 16, 2013 (ABS-CBN Sunday’s Best)

VIDEO LINK: http://www.probetv.com/2014/04/clp-14-si-ser-chief-si-maya-at-ang-teleserye/
SYNOPSIS

A widower with a son and two daughters, he happens to be a distant and stern employer. When he finally falls for the nanny of his child and tells her “I love you,” the “world” stops…the scene becomes hot copy for social media and spills over to soft news.

He is Ser Chief, businessman-turned-actor Richard Yap in real life, and nanny is Maya, portrayed by actress Jodi Sta. Maria. Together they make a charming chemistry in the television daytime series, “Be Careful With My Heart,” that has changed viewing habits of Filipinos, here and abroad, by or in spite of its sheer simplicity.

In a two-hour special documentary to celebrate “Father’s Day,” Cheche Lazaro Presents looks into the reel and real world of Ser Chief and the Be-Careful-With-My-Heart family to feel and make sense of the magic that has lured millions of viewers to watch the “kilig-serye” on television and on the internet. She takes viewers behind the scenes of the hit series that has taken the road less traveled — a teleserye sans violence, steamy scenes, complicated plot, scheming and backstabbing characters, etc.

What makes BCWMH click? More importantly, why is it attracting viewers and what does this mean to society in general?

The appeal of “Be Careful With My Heart” cuts across ages, gender and social classes, even race. Malaysia’s first commercial television station, TV3, has reportedly expressed “strong interest” in acquiring the series.

In the last few years, the teleserye genre has given diplomacy a different face. Filipino telenovelas have successfully penetrated Africa, Asia-Pacific, Indo-China and Europe. ABS-CBN’s International Distribution has been providing Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world. And the audiences are non-Filipino viewers.

Filipino teleseryes have come a long way indeed with actors like Jericho Rosales becoming hugely popular in Malaysia to as far as Africa because of the hit series Pangako Sa Yo. Actresses Janice de Belen and Queen of Soap Judy Ann Santos who faced the boob tube as child stars continue to enthrall viewers with their acting prowess. Together with veteran directors Rory Quintos and Jeffrey Jeturian, and multi-awarded writer Ricky Lee, they all talk of the magic in front and behind the cameras.

Like many forms of entertainment, teleseryes have been praised and criticized in varying degrees, for different reasons. Cheche Lazaro Presents tries to separate the chaff from the wheat starting with the series that goes against the conventional norm of conflict-riddled plots and just opts to take care of everyone’s heart.