Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB) (transl. good noontime, nation) or Masayang Tanghali Bayan (transl. happy noontime, nation), later known as MTB Ang Saya Saya (transl. MTB, it's so much fun or transl. MTB, a very happy time), was a Philippine noontime variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN. It aired from November 30, 1998, to February 4, 2005, replacing 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila and was later replaced by Wowowee. The program was also broadcast worldwide through The Filipino Channel (TFC).
The show was known for its many formats and host changes over the years. Magandang Tanghali Bayan – the original run of MTB – is the fourth longest running noontime show of ABS-CBN after It's Showtime, Eat Bulaga! and Wowowee, staying on air for 4 years, 2 months and 22 days from 1998 to 2003. Other MTB incarnations such as Masayang Tanghali Bayan and MTB Ang Saya Saya stayed on air for around one year each, before Wowowee eventually took over. Including all of its iterations however, MTB was ABS-CBN's longest running daily noontime show until It's Showtime surpassed its run in 2016.
Contents
History
Magandang Tanghali Bayan/Esep-Esep (1998–2003)
As ABS-CBN decided to remove Sang Linggo nAPO Sila, the management decided to produce 2 noontime variety shows, one airing daily and one airing weekly. ABS-CBN's new daily noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB), started premiering on November 30, 1998, airing between 12:00 and 13:30, Philippine time. The weekly noontime show, APO Hiking Society's Sabado Live occupied the Saturday timeslot. The original hosts of MTB were Randy Santiago, John Estrada, Willie Revillame, Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Roderick Paulate, Vanessa del Bianco, Yen Serrano, and Amy Perez. The show aired live from Studio 3 of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City. This marks the return of Christine Jacob to ABS-CBN since she left when she was a co-host of now rival Eat Bulaga! which moved to the rival network GMA Network in 1995.
The show assumed most of the segments and staff from its predecessor 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila during its first season. Meanwhile, former Tropang Trumpo director Edgar Mortiz also joined the show as the show's creative consultant. Among the most popular segments from APO's previous noontime show was "Calendar Girl", a daily pageant where girls between 15–21 years of age participate in the talent and question-and-answer portions hosted by Estrada, Santiago and Revillame. To continue the chronology of the pageant (where monthly winners from January to December of the previous year converge to compete in the Grand Finals of the following year), management decided to include the January–November monthly winners from the defunct "APO" show in the MTB grand coronation that happened on January 2, 1999.
In December 1998, Pera o Bayong (transl. Money or Basket) debuted on TV as MTB's highlight game portion. The engaging elimination round and the suspense-filled jackpot round won the hearts of most viewers. It gave MTB better overall ratings than 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila, and the show even overtook IBC's Chopsuey Espesyal (which was later replaced by Alas Dose sa Trese and Lunch Break) and GMA's Eat Bulaga! as the top weekday noontime variety show from early 1999 until Revillame's ouster in March 2001. This led the management to cancel Sabado Live! on its Saturday timeslot and replace it with MTB's Saturday edition, which started to air on March 6, 1999 between 12:00 and 14:30. Mortiz was promoted as the noontime show's new director along with Bobet Vidanes.
MTB also had its share of controversies. The Calendar Girl portion became notorious for the main hosts' crude humor which subsequently got warnings from Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), then headed by veteran actress Armida Siguion-Reyna. Eventually, the ABS-CBN management intervened and suspended the three main hosts indefinitely. With their suspension from August 7, 1999, onwards, the show was temporarily renamed to Esep-Esep for 20 days. Estrada, Santiago, and Revillame returned on August 28, 1999, after their suspension almost three weeks later.
Masayang Tanghali Bayan (2003–2004)
Before the start of the show, ABS-CBN engaged in month-long promotions for the replacement show where they only revealed Willie Revillame, the JaBoom Twins, and Cindy Kurleto as mainstays and had the audience guess the rest of the co-hosts through a nationwide raffle promo. The title of the show was also kept secret.
It was on the initial telecast on February 22, 2003, when Willie Revillame revealed the title Masayang Tanghali Bayan and his co-hosts through an elaborate opening number. He was joined by Randy Santiago, John Estrada, Dennis Padilla, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Bayani Agbayani, Mickey Ferriols, and Aubrey Miles. Resident comedians Tado and Bentong also came on board. The show was directed by famous TV director Johnny Manahan. The show had more game portions giving out big cash prizes through Super Jack en Poy and Urong Sulong which gives out 2 million PHP as the highest possible jackpot prize. It was also touted as the biggest noontime show of ABS-CBN, with a simultaneous airing on the Kapamilya Network's UHF channel, Studio 23.
Like its predecessor, the second version of MTB also attracted controversy when John Estrada and Willie Revillame were suspended because of delivering their usual green jokes during the Super Jack en Poy jackpot round. The show's cast also grew with the inclusion of former Kapuso comedians Long Mejia and Dagul.
There is a celebrity edition of all show's game segments where several celebrities and/or prominent personalities are playing every Saturday.
However, before 2003 was about to end, Willie Revillame resigned from the show after a public outcry when he delivered a derogatory joke to midget co-host Mahal during her birthday.
The show continued to air until February 2004 with Vhong Navarro and Edu Manzano taking over Revillame's place. However, Masayang Tanghali Bayan failed to sustain viewership and was removed on February 20, 2004, coinciding with the departures of hosts Randy Santiago and John Estrada from the noontime slot.
MTB Ang Saya Saya (2004–2005)
The ABS-CBN management capitalized on Ai-Ai delas Alas' rising popularity following her box-office triumph in Star Cinema's Ang Tanging Ina. She was named the main host together with Edu Manzano and former GMA Network resident game show host Arnell Ignacio in the third incarnation of MTB. Mickey Ferriols and Tado were also retained from the former show along with the younger favored co-hosts and were joined by the Viva Hot Babes, and newcomers BJ Manalo, Jeni Hernandez, and Empoy.
MTB Ang Saya Saya premiered on February 21, 2004, with more reality-based talent search segments launched. TV Idol (You're the Man!) and Luv Idol: Ur D Pair gained popularity among the viewers and gave birth to the showbiz careers of Ahron Villena, AJ Dee, and JE Estrada. The show also made household names out of Joross Gamboa, Roxanne Guinoo, and Sandara Park who were newcomers from their winning stints in the reality show Star Circle Quest. However, these efforts were overshadowed by rival Eat Bulaga! which celebrated its 25th anniversary on television with a Silver Special.
On November 15, 2004, MTB Ang Saya Saya lost its prime 12:00 timeslot to Kris Aquino's Pilipinas, Game KNB? and started airing as an afternoon variety show on a 12:45. time slot. Soon after, main host Edu Manzano resigned in 2005 to concentrate on his duties as chairman of the Optical Media Board (OMB).
The show ended on February 4, 2005, and was replaced by Wowowee, hosted by Willie Revillame, who made his third comeback on the ABS-CBN noontime slot due to public clamor.
In January 2011, ABS-CBN announced through its Push.com site that a new noontime show, hosted by ex-MTB hosts Santiago and Estrada as well as Toni Gonzaga and ex-Wowowee host Mariel Rodriguez, was in the works. The noontime show was eventually called Happy Yipee Yehey! and would run from February 2011 to February 2012.
Segments
Pera o Bayong
Pera o Bayong became one of the more popular segments on MTB. The game's concept came from another Philippine TV show Kwarta o Kahon (Cash or Box) which aired on Sundays on RPN.
The original version of the game started with at least 36 players answering a series of multiple-choice questions (A, B, C, or D), hoping to eliminate all others until only one remained. The most popular type of question involved the scientific names of plants and animals, with at least two of the four choices noticeably joke answers.
If two people remain in the game and both choose the correct answer, the first person to arrive at his/her choice is declared the winner.
The winner of the elimination round then moves on to the jackpot round where he or she begins by choosing one of three bayongs marked M, T, or B (for the show's title). Each bayong contains a concealed piece of cardboard on which is written what the contestant is playing for. But during the suspension of Santiago, Estrada and Revillame, M and T were replaced with P and O.
There is a bargaining session where the host (usually Revillame and later Ochoa on the show's reformat) would offer cash (pera) in exchange for the contestant abandoning the prize hidden in the bayong. After each offer, Amy Perez and Roderick Paulate, along with the celebrity guests in 2002, lead the crowd in asking "Pera o Bayong?" and the contestant declares his or her choice.
The number of bargaining sessions varies from day to day, depending on the mood/emotional status of both the host and the contestant. Originally, The prizes in the bayong would range from nothing to a different foods, cheaper items, different toys, fashion items, showcase of the day, house with a lot, electronic devices, different appliances, trips, different vehicles and/or others. Later, during the reformat in 2001, the prize of 1 million PHP would be included.
In its early days, the prize that was inside the chosen bayong was revealed to the audience during the sessions. Sometimes, family members went to a TV inside the cafeteria at the ABS-CBN studios to see what the prize was, then tried to influence the crowd to beg for the contestant to take whatever was in the bayong. After this was discovered the TV was switched off during the round. Later the prize was not revealed to anyone until it was opened.
Calendar Girl
Calendar Girl was a pageant contest for girls aged 15 to 21 years old. In the daily rounds, contestants paraded the MTB stage wearing a two-piece bikini/swimsuit while in the weekly/monthly finals, the pageant transforms into a more formal portion, with a grand "themed" opening number featuring contestants in various costumes, but still retaining the swimsuit portion. The grand coronation of "Calendar Girls" airs usually in the first half of January, featuring all the monthly winners of the past year who will vie for the title.
The said portion gained notoriety, where the contestants were subjected to double entendre questions and risqué jokes thrown by main hosts Randy, John, and Willie Revillame. After their suspension, the daily contests were toned down, with the contestants wearing a cloth around their waists to cover the lower portion of their bodies.
Wansa Funny Taym
Wansa Funny Taym was a comedy skit segment performed by the hosts and guests featuring a storyline. The storylines provided were mostly spoofs on pop culture and everyday life.
Other segments
Other popular segments included: Sa Pula, Sa Puti (Tanggal ang Mali), Pakita Mo Puppet Mo, Munting Miss U, Super Lolo, Bulilit Japorms, Mr. Ador-able, Sing It, Milenyonaryo, and Winner Take All. When the show reformatted in later years, other segments that made an impact were: Sing Alis, Ano Ka, Hilo?, Oo, Kaya Ko!, and .MTBGo
Super Jack en Poy
Urong Sulong
Mr. Suave
Macho Garden/Planetang Tutong
Sexy Flying Girls
Joke, Joke, Joke
Memorace
Minus All
Jologs
Mahal o Mura
1+1 Rambulan
SMB Jingaling (Sponsored by San Miguel Beer)
Miniature Garden
Front to Front to Front (Saturdays)
Libre Load
Libre Cellphone
Libre Kuryente
TV Idol (Monday - Saturday)
Spin A Million (Monday - Wednesday - Friday)
Global Pinay (Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday)
Bilog Ang Mundo (Sponsored by Ginebra San Miguel)
Fresh Girls
Hosts
Magandang Tanghali Bayan (1998-2003)
Randy Santiago
John Estrada
Willie Revillame (1998–2001)
Jericho Rosales
Angelica Panganiban
Emman Abeleda
Martin Nievera
Paolo Montalban
Masayang Tanghali Bayan (2003-2004)
Randy Santiago
John Estrada
Willie Revillame (2003)
MTB: Ang Saya Saya (2004-2005)
Ai-Ai delas Alas
Edu Manzano
Arnell Ignacio
The TV Idols
Ahron Villena
AJ Dee
Marc Cortez
JE Sison
Kiko Matos
Directors
Danni Caparas (1998–1999)
Edgar Mortiz (Monday to Friday) (1999–2003)
Bobet Vidanes (Saturday) (1999–2003)
Willy Cuevas (for MTB Lenten Specials) (1999–2004)
Johnny Manahan (Masayang Tanghali Bayan) (2003–2004)
Arnel Natividad (MTB: Ang Saya Saya) (2004–2005)