Since 1995, Bubble Gang has been giving audiences in the Philippines and around the world an escape from daily stresses and treating them to an hour of some of the best comedy the Philippines has to offer. This creation of Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid features a wide range of gags, including: recurring skits with multiple hilarious endings, parodies of different advertisements on Filipino TV, parodies of Filipino TV shows and personalities (including their "Sexballs" Dancers, poking fun at the Sexbomb Dancers), combined with a wittiness that seems to be lacking in many comedy television shows airing around the world. Many times, because of the ability of the Filipino audience to laugh at anything without malice on their minds, they can get away with different jokes and skits that would get them censored if translated into the North American audience.
Michael V. or "Bitoy", and Ogie Alcasid are superb performers. Both play their characters so well, that even the other members of the cast find it hard not to laugh when in a scene with either or both of them. And both are such talented actors that they can convincingly play characters of any age, gender, sexual preference, level of intelligence, able or disabled, etc. The same goes for the rest of the cast: male cast members Wendell Ramos, Antonio Aquitania, and Boy 2 Quizon have the same ability to play any given character with as much dedication and seriousness that comedy deserves to be played.
The women of Bubble Gang are not only intelligent, funny, and talented, but Bubble Gang has also had a reputation for casting the most beautiful females in the Philippine entertainment industry. The main female players include Rufa Mae Quinto, Ara Mina, Diana Zubiri, Maureene Larrazabal, and Francine Prieto, who are all as funny as they are drop dead gorgeous. They also are able to play any characters thrown at them, whether young or old, celebrity/politician to ordinary woman, but usually relegate the drag-dressing to the male characters, as they play primarily females. Rufa Mae and Maureene are usually the ones who cannot control themselves and are frequently shown laughing at the end of the live gags. While this spells disaster for some comedy shows, it adds to the comedic tone and makes the segments even more funnier.
Bubble Gang is one of the shows that makes me miss our motherland so much because it shows one of the most important Filipino traits: the ability to laugh at oneself, and to make others laugh as well. Unfortunately, because the international TFC "The Filipino Channel" belongs to rival ABS-CBN, the show is not carried outside of the Philippines. Hopefully one day a multi-cultural station will pick it up for Canadian/American Filipinos to be able to have that taste of home again.
