SOP (TV program)

After GMA Supershow's month-long farewell in January 1997, SOP started airing on February 2, 1997, with a live episode from the GMA Broadway studios. Regular dancers include the VIP Dancers, Universal Motion Dancers, Abstract Dancers and Kidz at Work; with Al Quinn as director and German Moreno as production consultant.

The show was rocked by controversies after they celebrated their first season on air despite low ratings and few advertisers. This started when GMA management called for an audition for a group of new in-house dancers to be known as SOP Dancers. This did not sit well with SOP's resident choreographer, Maribeth Bichara and as a result, she pulled out the VIP Dancers from the show and resigned. SOP co-host Amanda Page also resigned from the show in sympathy for Maribeth and the VIP Dancers.

Another controversy that tainted the show in 1997 was the Rivermaya incident where the band was reportedly forced by a member of the production staff to vacate the stage immediately to make way for SOP's in-house band. An altercation followed, resulting in an injury on one of Rivermaya's members. The incident was brought to attention by the GMA management and as a result, Al Quinn resigned as the show's director. Louie Ignacio, a known music video and commercial director, replaced Quinn and immediately made major changes to the show. Radio DJ Mo Twister, commercial model Lalaine Edson and young actor Jake Roxas joined the show as additional co-hosts.

Soon after, Sobrang Okey, Pare quickly caught the attention of the viewers and advertisers and soon was becoming on its way as a threat to the dominance of rival ASAP.

On February 2, 1998, the GMA management decided to reformat the show, introduce new segments and add new hosts. On its first anniversary, the show's title Sobrang Okey Pare was shortened to SOP and introduced a new, lively theme song that says it all: "S-O-P dito sa GMA!".

Beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez and young stars Angelika dela Cruz, Dingdong Dantes, KC Montero and Antoinette Taus were some of the latest additions in 1998. But what made SOP inch closer to rival ASAP in the ratings was the inclusion of Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez in the roster of SOP hosts and performers. Regine immediately blended with Ogie, Janno, Vina and the rest of the SOP gang as they started to conquer the Sunday noontime scene with aplomb like no other.

In January 1999, one of SOP's pioneer hosts Vina Morales left the show due to alleged conflict of interest. While hosting SOP, Vina (a long-time contract star of Viva Films) became a freelancer and made movies for other film outfits like Octo Arts Films and signed a movie contract with Star Cinema, the film arm of ABS-CBN, which airs ASAP, a direct competitor of SOP. According to reports, the contract that Vina signed with Star Cinema required her first to have a show on ABS-CBN before making a movie for the network's film outfit. Vina's camp has already denied this, but in March 1999, she joined the Kapamilya network's daily noontime show, Magandang Tanghali Bayan, where she was a mainstay for two years before formally joining ASAP in 2001.

Despite Vina's exit, SOP's showing in the ratings game was going stronger. In 2000, a lot of changes were in store when the show moved to the brand-new Studio 3 of the GMA Network Center. Their roster of hosts got more formidable when rising divas Jaya and Lani Misalucha joined the show. The following year, they also added rising young singers Kyla, Nina and Karylle along with some upcoming teen stars, some of which are children of some of the respected actors in the performing industry. Among them were Danica and Oyo Boy Sotto (children of Vic Sotto and Dina Bonnevie), Kevin Vernal (son of character actor Ruel Vernal), Champagne Morales (daughter of singer Dinah Dominguez), and the late Miko Sotto (son of erstwhile actress/singer-turned-broadcaster Ali Sotto). Karylle herself is the daughter of ASAP host Zsa Zsa Padilla. Others who joined the show were Cogie Domingo, Roxanne Barcelo and James Blanco.

In 2002, the show finally grabbed the No. 1 spot from ASAP in the ratings game. Not only that, young stars like Judy Ann Santos and Rica Peralejo began their duties as guest co-hosts for a time. Soon after, multimedia young singer/actress Jolina Magdangal bolted out of ASAP and moved to SOP after she decided not to renew her contract with the ABS-CBN Talent Center, which managed her show business career since 1992. The same year, the program broadcast a special telecast on October 27, which was actually the telecast of the unveiling of GMA's new corporate logo and rebranding as the "Kapuso Network". When the new logo was unveiled on the GMA Network Center, Regine Velasquez appeared in the show singing the new theme song of GMA, "Kapuso, Anumang Kulay Ng Buhay".

On April 6, 2003, SOP's tagline (and secondary show title) became SOP Rules after ASAP reformatted when its main hosts Pops Fernandez and Ariel Rivera left. SOP added more rising young singers with the likes of Jay-R, 604 and Malik joining the fold. Young actors like Richard Gutierrez, Brad Turvey and Chynna Ortaleza joined the show as well.

In 2004, comedian Rufa Mae Quinto and Starstruck’s Final 4 of Jennylyn Mercado, Mark Herras, Yasmien Kurdi and Rainier Castillo added glitter to the already star-studded SOP cast. However Lani Misalucha left the show after she decided to accept a series of singing engagements in Las Vegas, Nevada. She vowed to return to SOP upon ending her stint in Las Vegas amidst rumors that she is being pirated by ABS-CBN to join ASAP. In June of the same year, SOP produced a spin-off show, SOP Gigsters which feature the young contract stars of GMA. Richard Gutierrez and twin brother Raymond Gutierrez were named as hosts of the new show.

In 2005, the entire cast of SOP and SOP Gigsters together with Mel Tiangco, Joey de Leon, Richard Gomez and German Moreno went to San Francisco, California in USA for the launch of GMA Pinoy TV, GMA's direct-to-home TV service for Filipinos abroad.[1] The reception that they got from Filipinos abroad was warm as they were welcomed with open arms. The show also broadcast from other places in the Philippines, attracting people from as far as Dagupan, Cebu and Davao. Moreover, the show added the country's premier R&B band, South Border, April, Aryana and Jerome John Hughes to its growing number of concert performers.

In September 2006, SOP did another show this time in Hawaii, minus hosts Regine Velasquez and Jolina Magdangal. In November 2006, the spin-off show SOP Gigsters was cancelled and Gigsters hosts Richard and Raymond Gutierrez were absorbed in the original SOP roster of co-hosts. Some cast members of SOP Gigsters were also absorbed in the show but only as featured performers.

On January 7, 2007, Gian Magdangal of Philippine Idol fame became the latest addition to the show's line-up becoming a show regular contributing in both hosting and performing chores. Consequently, the show relieved long-time SOP co-hosts K. C. Montero, Gabby Eigenmann, Aryanna, and April Villanueva as the show plans for a major 're-vamp' in 2007 with its hopes of signing more freelance talent. Recent additions in the show included Karel Marquez, Isabella and Sugarpop, a singing group composed of finalists from PopStar Kids, a kiddie talent show aired on QTV. However, the show also suffered a big blow when one of its main hosts Lani Misalucha decided to sign up with rival show ASAP of ABS-CBN. In February of the same year, the show celebrated its 10th anniversary.

SOP has also been pre-empted to accommodate important events covered by GMA News such as the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 and the Manny Pacquiao fights from 2007 to 2009 (in cooperation with Solar Sports). SOP has also replayed on Sunday primetime during the Kapuso launch in 2002 and Christmas special in 2004.

In late June 2007, SOP began airing simultaneously over Barangay LS 97.1, GMA's FM radio station in Metro Manila.

In 2008, top leading men Richard Gutierrez and Dingdong Dantes left the show because of their hectic schedules, but some entertainment insiders suspected there was a rift among the two actors because Dingdong was reportedly given more exposure because of his ties with SOP executive producer and manager Perry Lansigan. Both Richard and Dingdong have denied there was a gap in their friendship but promised they will still appear in SOP during special promos.

SOP became a venue not only for its in-house concert artists but also serves as a launching pad for the future stars of the Philippine entertainment industry, GMA's groundbreaking shows and current raffle promos of some of its sponsors.

SOP moved to a new set at GMA Network Center Annex, Studio 7 in November 2008. It is one of the biggest studios in the Philippines holding 1,000 audience.[2]