Tonipet Gaba reveals secret behind 'Pop Talk's' staying power

TV programs come and go, that's just how it is in the cutthroat world of television. Everything is at the mercy of shifting trends and changing viewers' tastes.

There are some, however, that manages to weather the competition day in, day out, like Eat Bulaga, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS), Wish Ko Lang, and the lifestyle and travel show, Pop Talk.

Speaking of the latter, the show hosted by Tonipet Gaba, continues to be a hit 10 years after it first aired on March 1, 2011.

The landscape of the news magazine show format has changed since then. Today, lifestyle shows, particularly those that cover food, are a dime a dozen.

But what makes Pop Talk stand out among the rest is its honest-to-goodness reviews, with its “pop” or “flop” rating eliciting nervous anticipation from both restaurant owners and viewers.

“Kung ating titingnan ang trajectory ng mga naunang lifestyle shows - and we do not discount them because we're sitting on their shoulders, they paved the way for us - pero ang feeling ko kung bakit kami number one hanggang ngayon, ay dahil tayo ang nag-iisang review show ng bansa,” pondered Tonipet.

He added, “How can you go wrong with a show that tells you the truth? Kung anong 'pop,' kung anong 'flop,' kung anong hindi anong masarap, kung anong hindi masarap, kung anong mura at hindi mura, kung anong trending ngayon - how can you go wrong with that?”

Tonipet is proud of the fact that they do not, in any way, influence or interfere with the judgment of their guest reviewers for the sake of pleasing the restaurants they are featuring.

“What you see in every episode are truthful reviews. Talagang galing sa kanila [reviewers]. I think that what makes the show work because it's the most truthful review show that you'll ever see,” said Tonipet.

The program, of course, had to (and continues) tiptoe around the uncertainty of the times brought by the pandemic.

But once everyone got word that they're ready to resume production, the team hurriedly jumped into action and looked for ways to tailor-made the show according to the new normal.

“Aaminin ko dahil nga sa aking comorbidities because I'm diabetic, I'm hypertensive, may mga health concerns din kami lahat sa team. So how we do this na safe ang lahat? Pero nanaig and excitement,” Tonipet recalled.

The amiable host recounted calling restaurant owners, food sellers, and food suppliers to inform them that Pop Talk is ready to film fresh episodes. They are all enthusiastic about the good news.

“Siguro ito talaga ang calling natin, e. Galing ako sa advertising, galing ako sa paggawa ng patalastas, and binigay sa akin 'to ng Diyos,” mused Tonipet.

“Ito pa rin ang lumalabas na isa sa pinakamatibay na programa. Feeling ko dito na talaga kami. No turning back, we will soldier on.”

Catch Pop Talk tomorrow, May 15, 9:50 p.m., with special guests Thea Tolentino, Ruru Madrid, and Rochelle Pangilinan, on GTV.