It’s the start of yet another new year, and you know what that means: a time for new beginnings, a chance to change for the better.

I am a huge fan of the local entertainment scene—with all its gorgeous celebs, addicting TV shows, and promising movies—but there’s still a lot of room for improvement, you have to admit.

How to make the local showbiz world better or at least more interesting? I suggest—and hope for—the following.

More original TV shows and movies

I don’t care much about how revival shows like Kokak or local adaptations of foreign programs like Maria la del Barrio have engaging plots or how they have been tweaked to cater to today’s young generation of viewers. I’m pretty sure we have creative people who are bursting with original and interesting plots waiting for an audience. These are the people who should be given a break ASAP.

Most of the movies we come up with, too, are crap. They are predictable; we’ve seen parts (or worse, the whole thing) somewhere before. And they seem like they were written by grade schoolers. Thank god for the indie scene.

No to revivals

Sure, not all singers write their own stuff, but there are composers out there, and they can be utilized when one is making an album. One doesn’t have to rely on previously popular songs, change the tempo or the arrangement, and pass it off as a revival. My dream is to have a local music industry that doesn’t include covers in albums.

More talent search shows

There should be more talent shows like ABS-CBN’s Star Power, TV5’s Star Factor, and GMA 7’s Protégé. Just imagine all the really talented Filipinos out there who need a break, those who are not in showbiz just coz they don’t have a famous relative or a steady supply of whitening products.

No more biritan

Making birit should be banned in all contests, all noontime shows, all talent shows, and even in Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman. After all, making birit doesn’t prove anything but the fact that you can reach those high notes. Sadly, a lot of Filipinos equate musical genius-ness with reaching those high notes. We should all be reminded of how there are more impressive skills than just hitting the high notes, like delivery, vocal gymnastics, and songwriting.

More competition

Isn’t it exciting how TV5 is giving ABS-CBN and GMA 7 a run for their money? You have to admit how entertaining it is when stars from those two major stations hop over to the Kapatid network. Hopefully, this healthy competition prompts ABS-CBN and GMA to level up. Good thing for us viewers, right? Now if only IBC 13 and PTV 4 would make a kabbom comeback…