It's Showtime (Philippine TV program)

Showtime premiered on October 24, 2009 at 10:30 AM, as a competition program, airing before the network's noontime shows, and served as the replacement of Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba? following its successful eight-year morning run. The original hosts include Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Kim Atienza, Jugs Jugueta, Teddy Corpuz, and Vice Ganda as the resident hurado (unevictable judge). In the third season, the show added former hurados Billy Crawford and Karylle as hosts.

In the first four seasons, Showtime's original competition format was that three groups, each made up of 2 to 25 members (with no age limit) perform a single performance, either a dance and/or song number. Before the performance, one group member is given 20 seconds to make an introduction before ending with the phrase "It's Showtime!". After the group's performance, the hurados, with the help of the studio audience, rate the group from 1 to 10. The group with the highest average score from the hurados wins the competition. The daily winner perform again to compete in the weekly finals. The winning weekly finalists advance to the monthly finals. The winning monthly finalists get the chance to complete in the grand finals. In the wildcard week, selected groups from the weekly and monthly finals are invited back to compete again for a slot in the grand finals.

Aside from the talent competition, Showtime also aired mini-segments that offer cash prizes to the studio audiences.

In October 2010, the show moved to the noontime slot, serving as the lead-in program for Pilipinas Win Na Win which was pushed back to an early afternoon timeslot.[3] On February 12, 2011, the program returned to its original timeslot to give way for the premiere of Happy Yipee Yehey!

On January 28, 2012, Showtime aired a special episode to end its two-year morning competition format with an impartial farewell.[4] It was later revealed that the program was preparing for a reformat to become a noontime variety show.[5][6]

It's Showtime premiered on February 6, 2012 on its new timeslot at 11:30 AM, replacing Happy Yipee Yehey! The program was previously simulcast on then-Studio 23 and CgeTV's website during the first months of the relaunch. It's Showtime brought back its original competition format as a special segment while launching new segments.[7][8][9]

It retained all of its main hosts while adding Jhong Hilario, Ryan Bang, Coleen Garcia and Eric "Eruption" Tai. In January 2016, Amy Perez and Mariel Rodriguez joined the program as main hosts.[10] The program also debuted its all-male dance group Hashtags and its all-female dance group GirlTrends.[11][12] On February 14, 2017, new Hashtags members were introduced.[13] In May 2017, Nadine Lustre and James Reid were added as main hosts.[14][15]

In October 2018, It's Showtime launched its own YouTube channel Showtime Online Universe.[16][17] Three digital programs premiered on the channel: And I Thank You with Miss Q & A segment grand winner Juliana Parizcova Segovia; Hashtag Roadtrip with the Hashtag members; and Donna What To Do with Funny One segment season two grand winner Donna Cariaga. The Showtime Online Universe received a Silver Creator Award after getting 100,000 channel subscribers in January 2019.[18]

On March 10, 2020, It's Showtime temporarily disallowed admission of live audience members following the government's declaration of a state public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.[19][20] On March 15, 2020, the show's production was temporarily suspended in compliance with the government's declaration of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to curb the spread of COVID-19.[21] It's Showtime aired a mix of episode replays and live episodes via Zoom.[22][23] On April 29, 2020, the program's timeslot was shortened as part of the network's programming changes.

On May 5, 2020, It's Showtime, along with other ABS-CBN programs, stopped its broadcast operations following National Telecommunications Commission's issuance of a cease and desist order due to the expiration of the network's 25-year franchise.[24]

On June 13, 2020, the show resumed its broadcast with a shortened 150-minute timeslot on pay television network Kapamilya Channel which is owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. It is also simulcast on Jeepney TV and streamed online on Facebook and YouTube via Showtime Online Universe and Kapamilya Online Live.[25][26]

On September 28, 2020, Kim Chiu officially joined It's Showtime as a main host, after being a guest host in the previous years.[27]

On October 10, 2020, It's Showtime celebrated its return to free TV via A2Z Channel 11 under a blocktime agreement between the network and religious broadcaster, ZOE Broadcasting Network.[28]

Dubbed as the "all-time favorite search for outstanding amateur talents," Tawag ng Tanghalan is an amateur singing competition open to Filipino contenders from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and overseas. This is the third incarnation of the singing competition, following ABS-CBN's versions in 1953 and 1987.

Name It To Win It! is a game wherein two teams guess a word or phrase based on visual clues representing letters, syllables or words. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Home viewers who have selected the winning team are chosen to win a cash prize.

Hide and Sing is a guessing game wherein a guest player must pick which among three singers covered up via Personal protective equipment called TagoKanta is a celebrity. In the first round, the player makes a guess based on the group performance of the three singers. In the second round, the player makes a final guess based on solo performances of the singers. It's Showtime hosts also make individual guesses to help the player. Home viewers get to win a cash prize if the guest player makes a correct guess.[29][30]

QuaranSing is a live karaoke segment involving the It's Showtime hosts.

Walang Tunugan is a game similar to Quiet Please!: Bawal ang Maingay on TV5 last 2014 in which the player should be silent while finishing their game in a given time in order for them not to be disqualified.

In observance of the Holy Week, It's Showtime airs a series of special drama episodes from Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday. The hosts take a break from their hosting jobs and venture into acting to portray stories of the noontime program's previous contestants, or visit people with inspiring stories. The program began its Holy Week Special in 2013.[31]

• Dolphy Theatre, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (formerly Studio 1) (formerly used during special episodes of Kalokalike segment)
• ABS-CBN Studio 2, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (October 24, 2009 – January 28, 2012, August 1, 2018 – January 1, 2019; during special occasions)
• ABS-CBN Studio 3, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (February 6, 2012 – July 31, 2018, January 2, 2019 – present)
• ABS-CBN Studio 10, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (October 31, 2020 – present; during special occasions)

It's Showtime has aired several television specials in primetime which are held in large venues such as stadiums or arenas to accommodate large crowds. Below is an incomplete list of these specials;

• Showtime Live in Cebu (February 1–6, 2010, Cebu City)
• Showtime One Kapamilya Go (September 2010, Great America in Santa Clara, CA)
• Showtime The Finals (July 29, 2010, Ynares Sports Arena)
• Showtime Season 2 The Finals (December 18, 2010, ABS-CBN Studios)
• Showtime Season 3 The Finals (May 14, 2011, Ynares Sports Arena)
• Showtime Season 4 The Finals (December 20, 2011, Ynares Sports Arena)
• Thank You, Showtime (January 28, 2012, ABS-CBN Studios)
• It's Showtime ABS-CBN 60 Years of Philippine Television (October 5, 2013, Quezon Memorial Circle)
• It's Showtime PinaSikat Grand Finals (January 24, 2015, Ynares Sports Arena)
• It's Showtime Kapamilya Day (September 26, 2015, Smart Araneta Coliseum)
• It's Showtime Biyaheng Biñan (October 3, 2015, Alonte Sports Arena)
• It's Showtime Biyaheng Cebu (October 17, 2015, Hoops Dome)
• It's Showtime Tawag ng Tanghalan: Ang Huling Tapatan Finale (March 11, 2017, Newport Performing Arts Theater)
• It's Showtime Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 2: Ang Huling Tapatan Finale (June 2, 2018, Aliw Theater)
• It's Showtime Miss Q and A: The Final Answer, And I Thank You! (June 30, 2018, Newport Performing Arts Theater)
• It's Showtime Miss Q and A Intertalaktic 2019: The Final Chukchak, Vaklang Twooo! (February 23, 2019, Smart Araneta Coliseum)
• It's Showtime BidaMan: The Big Break Finale (August 10, 2019, New Frontier Theater)
• It's Showtime Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 3: Ang Huling Tapatan Finale (September 28, 2019, Caloocan Sports Complex)
• It's Showtime Sampu Sample!: Magpasikat 2019 Week + Classic Showtime The Finals (October 21–26, 2019, Newport Performing Arts Theater)
• It's Showtime Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 4: Ang Huling Tapatan Finale (February 6, 2021, ABS-CBN Studios)

In 2011, Showtime visited Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

In 2013, the It's Showtime hosts performed in Honolulu, Hawaii for their day-long concert tour.

In 2014, the It's Showtime hosts performed in Canada as part of the show's fifth anniversary celebration.

In 2015, It's Showtime kicked off its month-long sixth anniversary celebration at the Araneta Coliseum. The program also toured at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna, and Hoops Dome in Cebu.

In 2018, It's Showtime hosts and performers had their U.S. Tour and was held in California last July 28 and 29.

The show spawned its first international franchise in Indonesia in 2019, titled It's Showtime Indonesia, which premiered on March 25, 2019 on MNCTV.[66] It's Showtime became ABS-CBN's first non-narrative format to be franchised by another country.[67]

Showtime debuted on its pre-noontime slot on October 24, 2009, with a 14.0% national TV rating based on Kantar Media Philippines.[68] Its immense popularity ended the dominance of talk show SiS on its timeslot.[69] GMA Network replaced SiS with Diz Iz It!, a competition similar to Showtime, but it was cancelled after five months.

Showtime's first grand finals held in July 2010 received a 35% national TV rating, beating the 8.9% rating of Diz Iz It! and 13.7% of Eat Bulaga![70] The second grand finals held in December 2010 scored a 23.4% national TV rating against Eat Bulaga!'s 17.4%.[71] The third grand finals in May 2011 also delivered a rating of 21.3% versus Eat Bulaga!'s 17%.

It's Showtime debuted on its noontime slot on February 6, 2012 with a 13.6% national rating.[72] The episode received an overall 16.3% rating when the viewership numbers from Studio 23 were added. Initially placing behind Eat Bulaga!, the show's rating peaked to a 20.9% national rating during the finals of the "Bida Kapamilya" segment and its third anniversary week-long celebration.[73][74]

The finals of the Kalokalike segment in June 2013 garnered a 26.8% national TV rating, leaving Eat Bulaga! and Wowowillie with 13.2% and 2.8% ratings, respectively.[75] The finals of the segment's second iteration posted a 21.6% national TV rating, once again beating Eat Bulaga!'s 15.8% and Wowowillie's 2.6%.[76]

It's Showtime continued its dominance in the noontime slot with its fourth anniversary week special held from October 21–26, 2013.[77][78]

The program faced heavy competition in 2015 when the sixth anniversary special only scored a 10.2% national TV rating, four times behind Eat Bulaga!. This is due to the Tamang Panahon special (and the build-up before that), which served as the climax of the then-popular Kalyeserye segment which featured AlDub.[79][80][81]

It's Showtime quickly regained its prominence on its time slot when Tawag ng Tanghalan launched in 2016. The program garnered a 33.6% national TV rating during the singing competition's first grand finals.[82] Tawag ng Tanghalan continued its winning streak during its second-season finale when it posted a national TV rating of 31.0% against Eat Bulaga!'s 9.5%.[83] It's Showtime topped the ratings game once again during the first grand finals of Miss Q and A segment on June 30, 2018 with a national TV rating of 28.4% versus Eat Bulaga!'s 11.1%.[84]

The second Miss Q and A grand finals posted a national TV rating of 27.4%, beating Eat Bulaga!'s 10.6%, Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko's 13.8%, and Tadhana's 11.3%.[85]

Tawag ng Tanghalan third-season finale posted a national TV rating of 25.8%, beating Eat Bulaga!'s 10.4% and Hanggang Sa Dulo Ng Buhay Ko's 9.5%.[86]

Showtime came under fire when controversial statements were made by guest hurado Rosanna Roces against certain groups, especially teachers during an episode in January 2010. ABS-CBN relieved Roces of her jury duty as a form of self-regulation, but Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) placed the program under a 20-day preventive suspension on January 11, 2010. A placeholder variety show titled Magpasikat was aired in lieu of Showtime; Magpasikat had essentially the same talent show format as Showtime except that the competing groups are composed of celebrities.[87][88]

The suspension only lasted for six days after the Court of Appeals issued a 60-day temporary restraining order against the MTRCB's suspension. Showtime eventually returned on air on January 19, 2010.[89][90][91][92][93]

In March 2010, MTRCB ordered a total one-month suspension of the program because of the incident, including the replacement program Magpasikat. The MTRCB also directed the filing of criminal charges against Florida Tan, ABS-CBN vice-president for programming, and other officers "responsible for the violation."[94] Bong Osorio, head of ABS-CBN's Corporate Communications said that the suspension was not yet final and that they were seeking appeal before the Office of the President.[95] The variety show later on won the case because the MTRCB had not presented new arguments that would justify a reversal of its previous resolution.[96][97]

The program's daily reality-dating game segment Nasaan Ka, Mr. Pastillas? drew ire from netizens and women's group Gabriela for "pimping" Angelica Yap or popularly known as Pastillas Girl. The program issued a statement to denounce Gabriela's complaint, saying that it is "hurtful and offensive to women like Angelica who has done nothing wrong but to share her story with the hope of getting another shot at love."[98] It also clarified the segment's intent of helping Yap find love and recover from a failed relationship. MTRCB summoned the show's executives to give a list of suggestions on how to improve the segment.[99]

GirlTrend member Erin Ocampo drew flak from netizens after making a joke about being an orphan during the PUROKatatawanan segment. Norfil Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization that provides help to orphaned children, called on MTRCB and DSWD to take corrective action as it branded the joke "insensitive and ignorant."[100] The program made an on-air apology the following day.[101]

Miss Q & A grand finalist Lars Pacheco suffered a wardrobe malfunction in an October 2019 episode. It's Showtime apologized to viewers who may have been offended by the accident.[102]

It's Showtime issued an apology after a production mistake made on PiLing Lucky segment during a February 27, 2020 episode.[103]

On November 9, 2020, It's Showtime drew flak from netizens when the hosts asked which among Gaya Sa Pelikula actors Ian Pangilinan and Paolo Pangilinan was more straight during the Mas Testing segment. "tigasin" (lit. 'tough'), "magaling magpalabas" (lit. 'good in releasing') and "kulot" (lit. 'curly'). This prompted netizens on Twitter to highlight the importance of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression awareness and education.[104]