Batibot Returns On Air this November 27, 2010

Four years after I made a blog post requesting the return of Batibot on TV, ABC-5 (TV5) finally answered the request of many. Batibot will be making a comeback this Saturday on TV5 at 8:30AM.

Familiar characters such as Manang Bola, Kapitan Basa, Ningning, Gingging and Koko Kwik-Kwak will return. Kakki Teodoro and Abner Delina are the new hosts while the original Ate Sienna (Sienna Olaso) and Kuya Bodjie (Bodjie Pascua) will return as special guests.

Unfortunately, we won't see Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing on the Batibot comeback as the original rights to these characters are owned by Children’s Television Workshop (Sesame Workshop). Batibot started as "Sesame", the Filipino version of Sesame Street, in the 1980s and was on air until 2002. Batibot was shown in RPN-9, ABS-CBN and GMA-7 during its 18 year stint.

With all the money the new TV5 management has, I'm disappointed that they failed to re-acquire the rights to Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. Remember, they're paying BILLIONS of pesos to Willie Revillame. Batibot without Pong and Kiko is like watching Sesame Street without Big Bird, Elmo and Oscar the Grouch. Priorities people!



Anyway, thank you for the advance birthday gift TV5. Thank you for bringing Batibot back!