Comedian-TV host Ogie Diaz turned into a digital superstar this pandemic when he started his now-successful vlog, leaving behind the cameras and simply got content appearing online, where he has captured more than 3.8 million followers.
“Ayoko na talagang bumalik sa TV,” said Ogie. “Feeling ko mas kilala ako sa digital, compared to TV before when I did talk shows and teleseryes.
“Ngayon, ang dami-dami ng nagpapa-picture. Noong araw, hindi ko na-experience ‘yun. Parang kinakain na ng digital audience ang TV audience. Nakakatuwa when TV5 approached me and offered me a show.”
Ogie’s last TV show was “Sandugo,” before the lockdown in 2020, while his last talk show was back in 2017, “OMJ,” with Ogie Diaz and MJ Felipe.
He recently signed up with TV5 for the network’s new variety show, “Quizmosa,” a groundbreaking “chismis with a quiz” program.
“Wala naman kaming masyadong kalaban sa hapon,” Ogie modestly said. “Ang pre-programming of ‘Quizmosa’ is ‘Eat Bulaga,’ so malaking tulong ‘yun. Iba naman ang mga teleserye. ‘Yung iba gustong maaliw, gusto ng chismis, so ‘Quizmosa’ is for them.”
Ogie lamented that viewers are so hard to please of late. “Ang concern namin ay kung paano namin bubuhayin ang early afternoon timeslot,” Ogie said. “Isang malaking hamon ito. Hindi naman tinik sa dibdib. (Laughed)
“Napakalaking responsibilidad. But even if you have ten million followers, if your content is not engaging. Hindi tatagal ang show mo.
“Even if you only have only 100,000 subscribers and you earned 2 million views, na shock ka maraming naghanap sa ‘yo. You need to constantly upload para hindi maputol ang algorithm. Dapat alam mo ang pulso. Iba ang labanan sa digital.”
Joining Ogie in “Quizmosa” is an energetic team who will dive into the juiciest showbiz stories with a fresh twist. Social media star Tita Jegs is one Ogie’s co-hosts in “Quizmosa.” The latter transitioned from being an online media star to TV host.
“Hindi ako sanay humaharap sa camera,” admitted Tita Jegs. “Kahit noong mga unang vlogs ko, nahihiya akong humarap sa camera. Sanay akong nasa likod lang ng mga shows. Staff lang ako.
“Noong nagsimula akong mag-vlog, may mga kumuha sa aking mag host. So nag-try akong mag-host. ‘Yun ang naging stepping stone ko para mag-join ng ‘Quizmosa,’ from vlog to hosting.”
Ogie acts as mentor to his co-hosts in “Quizmosa,” especially the youngest, heartthrob Kid Yambao, who became Ogie’s talent since the latter was in his teens. He was added to the show for his Gen Z views and opinions.
“Tinuturuan kami ni Papa Ogs kung ano ang bawal sabihin,” said viral comedian and content creator Ton Soriano. “Para walang masyadong censor. Baka maka-offend kami if we say a particular word na bawal. So may bonding kami before we started doing the show.”
It helped that before starting the show, Ogie and his co-hosts were already familiar with each other. “Yung ang importante talaga kasi mahirap kung kakapain ko pa sila isa-isa,” Ogie explained. “Baka hindi siya tumawa or OP (out of place) siya.
“Kami, give and take pagdating sa batuhan ng linya. Tinuturo ko rin sa kanila kung ano ang bawal on air at ano ang hindi pwedeng sabihin. Lagi akong bisita ng MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) noong araw.
“I started with morning show namin noon sa ABS-CBN, from ‘Magandang Umaga, Bayan,’ nasundan ng ‘Magandang Umaga, Pilipinas’ at ‘Umagang Kay Ganda.’ Pinapatawag ako. Pero marami akong natutunan through the years.
“I apply those learning and I share them with my co-hosts. Hindi naman natin kabisado ang netizens ngayon kung kalian sila mao-offend. We need to be sensitive and mindful. You need to know your viewers. We need to do better everyday.”
“Quizmosa” airs from Mondays to Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. right after Eat Bulaga on TV5. The show gives showbiz and pop culture fans a real treat with an insider’s look into their favorite stars while racking their brains alongside the contestants.
