THANKS to his domestic partner of over three decades Bong Quintana, Asia’s King of Talk Boy Abunda has been ably feeling his way around the digital world, a territory most unfamiliar to him.
Bong — who continues to work as Pagcor Vice President for Entertainment — serves as the over-all guy who does meticulous test-runs first before Boy goes on air in every episode of his “The Boy Abunda Talk Channel” (or simply called BATalk), including the latter’s best angles.
If I’m right with timelines, one of its many segments called “Spoken Mula sa Puso” took off on July 15, a few days after his home network ABS-CBN was ordered shut down.
This also came after Boy posted on Facebook a quotation card along with his photo that read: “Again, I’m an orphan.”
The sad reality, however, hardly unruffled Boy who — in the earliest episode of SMSP — comfortably talked about pain which should be felt by the person who goes through it “until it loses its power.”
Similarly in its succeeding editions, Boy has since delved into many other life’s facets that when seen from a positive viewpoint can incredibly change one’s dreary life for the better. Yes, his real-life experiences had a lot to do with such rhetorics.
But wait — as they say — there’s more. The redundant-sounding “Talk About Talk” (TAT) takes on a new dimension as Boy gathers young, impressionable millennials who blabber about just anything relevant and timely.
Also to arouse audience curiosity are segments “One and The Blackout Interview,” whose separate contents he deliberately won’t divulge (in the teaser).
In “BATalk,” Boy resurrects his “Fast Talk,” the widely followed last segment in his now-defunct late night program “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS-CBN albeit adding “Ng Bayan” in the title and a flavorful twist.
If these were all side dishes, the one which proves to be the digital show’s scrumptious main course is called The Interviewer. However, his viewers might end up disappointed as this is no regular treat to look forward to.
As a whole, it’s still all talk — make it no-nonsense — that Boy guarantees. As he puts it, “Talk is my life, my story, my strength and my weakness, my business.” Remember, only he can deliver it with savvy, spunk and swagger (his scene-stealing getup notwithstanding). (R. Carrasco, TMT)