Eat Bulaga!
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Eat Bulaga![1] is a Filipino variety show broadcast by GMA Network and produced by TAPE, Inc. It holds the record for being the longest-running variety show on Philippine television, with over 12,814 episodes since its premiere in July 30, 1979.
The show first aired on RPN-9 during its initial run. Ten years later it moved to ABS-CBN, but would eventually move to its current home at GMA Network in 1995 amid a dispute over ABS-CBN's attempt to acquire the rights to the series.
Eat Bulaga! was originally hosted by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Chiqui Hollman and Richie D'Horsie; only the Sotto brothers and Joey de Leon remain from the original cast. Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, de Leon, Jimmy Santos, Jose Manalo, Allan K., Wally Bayola, Paolo Ballesteros, Pia Guanio, Pauleen Luna, Ryan Agoncillo, Ryzza Mae Dizon, Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, Baste Granfon, Luane Dy, Echo Calingal and Kayla Rivera currently serve as the hosts, termed in-series as "Dabarkads", which is a corruption of the Tagalog word "barkada" meaning a band of friends.
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- All lowercase letters: The logo is sometimes rendered as eat bulaga!.
- Audience Participation: As is typical with any noontime variety show in the Philippines, though this aspect has been suspended in the early 2020s due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Christmas Episode: Bulaga runs special segments to coincide with the holidays.
- Genre Shift: During their Lenten specials where the show shifts to being an inspirational if not faith-based Soap Opera.
- Kayfabe: The AlDub segments — a spinoff of the "Problem Solving" segment involving a Kayfabe relationship between Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza — went to the point that any interviews with Mendoza had to be conducted in written form or with someone else speaking on her behalf until in September 2015 when Mendoza, then known in-character as Yaya Dub, met Alden in person for the first time.
- Long Runners: Barring network changes from RPN, ABS-CBN and finally on GMA, the show has been on air since July 30, 1979.
- The Moral Substitute: As a Take That to It's Showtime, Bulaga's hosts would brag about how they don't overly rely on insult comedy unlike Showtime regular Vice Ganda, whose comedy club roots attracted controversy. Not that Bulaga is free of any raunchy or questionable content though.
- Portmanteau Couple Name: AlDub, standing for Alden Richards and Yaya Dub, also known by her real name Maine Mendoza.
- Product Placement: Segments from the show are often if not always sponsored by the likes of Ajinomoto, Coca-Cola or some other company of note. One recurring sponsor was Mila's Lechon, a restaurant in the Philippines whose commercials often show up during episodes.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Jose, Wally and Paolo, in character as the Lolas during the "Kalyeserye" segments. In addition, Paolo himself has also made a career out of it outside of Bulaga for his makeup transformations and drag performances.
- You Are Fat: Ruby Rodriguez in particular, though in fairness she does take the jokes in stride, and also to an extent with Ryzza Mae Dizon.
- ↑ The name is a play on the playground expression "It! Bulaga!", "bulaga" meaning peekaboo. Roughly translated into English, Eat Bulaga! would mean Lunchtime Surprise!