GMA Worldwide Finds Success with Scripted Formats

Roxanne J. Barcelona, the VP of GMA Worldwide, talks to TV Formats about the increasing appetite for Filipino scripted formats in the international market.

The Filipino dramas from GMA Network have traveled to a wide range of international shores, thanks to GMA Worldwide. In addition to sales of the finished series, the formats for these dramatic tales are being adapted. “Filipino scripts are more universally appealing since our stories tackle themes that most cultures can relate to,” says Roxanne J. Barcelona, the VP of GMA Worldwide. “Themes such as ***Image***romance, jealousy, intrigue and love for family are common in all cultures.”

GMA Worldwide’s scripted formats have been gaining traction as of late, particularly in Latin America. Among the company’s best-selling drama formats are The Other Mrs. Real and My Destiny, which were both recently licensed to Altavision Producciones in Mexico. The former tells the story of a man who decides to marry two women, while the latter is about two sisters who fall in love with the same man. The original versions of both series have broadcast on GMA Network.

“Other than Southeast Asia, we are now seeing clients from Latin America taking interest in producing their own versions of Filipino dramas,” says Barcelona. “We think that this interest is [born out of] the similarities between the Mexican and Filipino cultures and traditions, and more importantly, our scripts have improved over the years and the stories are more engaging. Producers from Latin America may find Filipino dramas easy to adapt to ***Image***their own version because of similarities in characters’ values, morals and other habits.”

Earlier this year, GMA Worldwide also sent The Little Heiress, another scripted format, to Mexico in a deal with Telefilm Atlantico. Other recent scripted-format sales in Latin America include The Half Sisters, following the lives of non-identical twins with different fathers, and Until We Meet Again, about a girl who was kidnapped and forced to live alone, without ever learning how to communicate with others.

Barcelona has been noticing a higher demand for local treatments of scripted series, which complements the company’s ongoing success with readymade programming. “We think the reason for the pick-up of our format sales is that some of the broadcast networks have started to produce their own content and are looking for scripts that can be adapted easily,” she says. “These clients still acquire canned dramas, but they are also starting to produce their own content.”