Wow Mali

Wow Mali is the longest-running, multi-awarded and top-rated gag show in the Philippines aired over Associated Broadcasting Company hosted by Joey De Leon. The show was discontinued on May 2007 but some episodes were still airing on Wow Mali Bites and Wow Mali Express.

Last February 22, 2009, Wow Mali returned on TV5.

History

The Philippines got its first taste of unpretentious, candidly-captured-for-TV Filipino humor on May 25, 1996 from reality-based comedy show WoW Mali, hosted by feted comedian Joey De Leon. Inspired by the America's Funniest Home Video concept, WoW Mali features a plethora of video footage featuring practical jokes, bloopers and wacky segments, as well as solicited but equally hilarious video clips from the viewers. The actual stars of the show are men on the street - individual Filipinos, caught by the candid camera in bizarre and funny situations.

Wow Mali Gains Currency

From its pilot episode, the innovative program's candid camera format increasingly gained popularity among viewers of all ages, even paving the way for countless WoW Mali clones that failed to topple the original show. Soon enough, WoW Mali became a household name, even adding a gem to colloquial lingo. "WOW Mali ," or "NA-WOW-MALI AKO" is now the common expression whenever one makes a mistake or becomes the victim of a prank or a ruse.

For two years, the show was directed by Edgar "Bobot" Mortiz (a former teen matinee idol and part of the famous Going Bananas gang). Mortiz gave Joey de Leon a comic puppet co-host called Dennis Wrongman (as vivified by mime actor Totong Federez), another original touch. The taping of spiels and vignettes were usually held in the studio while candid shots, gag and tease segments were conducted on the streets by a daily roving crew, with the unsuspecting public as so-called "victims."

In August 1998, Ding Bolanos took over as director and brought Joey de Leon out of the studio to the great outdoors. Hence, WoW Mali became a traveling show, capturing the Filipino brand of humor in different parts of the country, amid the colors and flavors of exotic places, exciting resorts and well-traveled tourist spots.

As Wow Maling Mali

After almost a decade of original practical jokes, ABC took Wow Mali to the next level with a new look and name and added content: Wow Maling Mali premiered on April 23 2005, going beyond the usual pranks, it started to feature skits and spoofs and gags as well, similar to ABC's former gag show Ispup. In July, 2006, Wow Maling Mali morphed into Teka Mona, but discontinued on May 19, 2007.

As Wow Mali Bytes

In May 2007, Wow Mali came back with a new brand Wow Mali Bytes. It still feature skits and spoofs and gags as well, but with explicit humor. It features only candid videos, with no host at all.

As Wow Mali Express

In late 2007, ABC brought back the longest-running, multi-awarded and top-rated gag show in the country, Wow Mali with its new title, Wow Mali Express. The show promises to be funnier than ever as it features a collection of its best classical and practical jokes in a much hilarious package. Wow Mali Express introduced the "no fuzz", "no frills", "no introduction" style of entertainment that many Filipinos liked.

Wow Mali spin-offs

After the reformat of ABC5 to TV5, a new show called Lokomoko is created which is the same as Wow Mali but with school gags. It is hosted by Cathy Gonzaga, Randolf Stamatelaky and Kim Gantioqui. Antoher comedy gag show is Ogags hosted by two Brazilan ladies Diana Menezes (season 1) and Ariana Barouk (season 1-present), also in the same network.

Return of Wow Mali

The show has been revived and was returned on February 22, 2009 on TV5 and it will be hosted again by Joey de Leon. Although the Wow Mali Teams are roving different parts of the country to do their pranks, Joey hosts the show from a studio similar to virtual reality studio. Wow Mali will then regularly show on Sundays at 6:30 PM. The show became a separate show from Lokomoko, following the renaming of show to Lokomoko High.

The show is now running on its second season. Changes have been made to the show, first by going LIVE every Sunday nights. Joey is now out of the virtual reality studio set and now interacts with several people in a studio with a barangay plaza as backdrop. Sexy comedienne Alyssa Alano (also Joey's protege) joined Joey as co-host and has her own segment. Other homegrown TV5 talents like the Baikingu Girls (from the Tuesday primetime show "Baikingu") and the Smurfets (from the Wednesday primetime show "Ogags") are also seen in the show as well.

Mahiwagang Tunog

Mahiwagang Tunog (Filipino for "Mysterious Sound") is a game show incorporated in the new incarnation of Wow Mali. A video clip of someone doing a mundane task is taken, but the video itself is removed, letting the viewers hear only the sound. The host then provides a sententence with the verbs of the sentence blanked out. Now, through telephone call, the home viewer makes an attempt to guess what is that particular person doing using only the sound he heard. The winner is awarded a cash prize from an ever growing Jackpot.

Awards

• Winner, 1st MTRCB Television Awards for Best Comedy Show (2009)
• Winner, KBP Golden Dove Awards for the Best Gag Show (1997, 2005 & 2009).
• Nominated, PMPC Star Awards for TV's Best Gag Show (1996-2006)
• Nominated, Catholic Mass Media Awards Best Comedy Show (1996-2006)

See also

• Wow Mali Express
• The Return of Wow Mali