For many Pinoys, teleseryes have always been a staple of everyday life. Many of us remember these stories filling our living rooms after school or work and how they shaped the way we grew up. Especially for those who came of age in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, these shows were part of the rhythm of childhood and family bonding.
That's why it feels extra nostalgic when we talk about these teleseryes. Now, let’s join the conversation with some of our favorite celebrities as they look back and share the very first Pinoy series they remember watching.
Growing up in Canada, AC Bonifacio shared that she was lucky to have TFC (The Filipino Channel), which allowed her to enjoy Pinoy teleseryes with her family even while abroad. One that she vividly remembers is the iconic daytime drama "Be Careful With My Heart,” which they would watch together at home. “Kilig na kilig talaga kami ‘cause it was a different story for us... It was such a beautiful story to watch,” she recalled.
Well, who could forget "Be Careful With My Heart"? Gello Marquez reminisced that he’d often catch it after coming home from school, "Sobrang ganda no'n."
Darren Espanto, another TFC baby, really loved watching "Super Inggo." It was through this kiddie superhero series that he first had a crush on Kathryn Bernardo, and he would even record the episodes so he could rewatch them late at night.
For Gary Valenciano, it was the original "Pangako Sa ’Yo" starring Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa that really made him follow a teleserye. “Because they told me that there are these two artists I should watch out for. And I did. I was quite impressed with how the production was done,” he said, noting how the series became one of the pioneers of modern drama production.
“Hala! Mare-reveal ‘yung era ko,” Jona quipped before admitting she was a big fan of the original "Mara Clara" led by Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes, as well as the family drama “Pamilya Zaragoza.”
The original “Mara Clara,” which aired from 1992 to 1997, is often regarded as the face of Pinoy teleserye during that era. To simply call it “iconic” would be an understatement, as the series not only defined a generation but also set the standard for the kind of gripping drama Filipino audiences came to love. Among those who grew up watching the OG was Yeng Constantino. "Sobrang liit ko pa no'n. Grabe sobrang galing ni Ms. Judy Ann umarte. Doon ako nakakita ng on cue ang iyak," she gushed.
In 2010, it was reimagined for a new generation with Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes headlining the remake, which most likely became the teleserye touch point for younger artists like BINI. "Mara Clara" was also Lyka Estrella's teleserye 'first love.'
"Mara Clara" also holds a spot in Morissette Amon's childhood memories. She grew up in a household that wasn’t really into watching local TV when she was younger, yet the series was one of the few she remembers seeing as a kid. Another favorite was Julia Montes’ "Doble Kara," which became close to her heart since she and Klarisse De Guzman performed its theme song.
Speaking of Klarisse, her first drama obsession was "Esperanza" (1997), another classic under Judy Ann Santos’ belt. Around the same era came another equally iconic series, "Mula Sa Puso" (1997) led by Claudine Barretto, which Robi Domingo fondly remembers as the very first teleserye he ever watched.
There are also primetime hits that went beyond entertainment and really inspired viewers, like "May Bukas Pa." And probably proof that it raised good kids is River Joseph himself, the Mr. Nice Guy of “PBB Collab” who grew up influenced by the series.
Inspirational dramas were a whole era on their own. Emilio Daez and Rain Celmar also consider "My Bukas Pa" as their ultimate throwback, while Shuvee Etrata said her earliest teleserye memories were "Honesto" and "100 Days to Heaven." Ella Nympha likewise mentioned the Xyriel Manabat-starrer "100 Days to Heaven."
Carmelle Collado’s pick was "Agua Bendita," while Bianca De Vera and Vivoree had a double throwback with "Agua Bendita" and "Mara Clara" combo.
Meanwhile, some series introduced us to our first 'kilig' moments. For Esnyr, that was Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s "Princess and I" and he’s always been a KathNiel fan since. Anji Salvacion tuned in to the same show because she had a huge crush on Enrique Gil, who played one of the second leads. As for Michael Sager, he credits KathNiel’s "Got To Believe" as the teleserye that first made him feel butterflies in his stomach, with "Juan dela Cruz" also on his list of favorites.
“LizQuen was impactful in my life," claimed Edward Barber whose first teleserye 'addiction' was, of course, Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil's "Dolce Amore." He’s not alone in that, as “PBB Gen 11” Big Winner Fyang Smith also picked "Dolce Amore" as her first teleserye memory, as well as AZ Martinez, who considers rom-coms like LizQuen’s as her comfort watch. Kai Montinola added "Forevermore" to the list, proving just how strong the LizQuen effect was.
Of course, the JaDine era had its influence too. Kobie Brown named James Reid and Nadine Lustre's "On The Wings of Love" as the primetime show that first got him hooked. Looking back, these programs really cemented what fans call the “holy trinity” of ABS-CBN loveteams for that generation—KathNiel, LizQuen, and JaDine.
Teleseryes also served action realness. The action-fantasy adventure of Jericho Rosales in "Panday" had JM Ibarra glued to the screen as a kid. Of course, "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano" made it to the list, which Joaquin Arce remembered as the ultimate primetime staple during his childhood.
And of course, no trip down teleserye memory lane would be complete without the meme-worthy, ultimate symbol of campy Pinoy serye, "Wildflower" of Maja Salvador. Kolette Madelo claimed it as her top pick, while the rest of P-Pop group WRIVE admitted they loved the show too because of the endless memes it spawned. Adding to the group’s choices, WRIVE Matthew shared that his favorite was "Viral Scandal" since he actually played a part in it.
The primetime hits had their shoutouts too. For Maymay Entrata, nothing beats the sweeping romance of "Walang Hanggan" with Coco Martin and Julia Montes. Ogie Alcasid confessed he followed "Linlang" religiously, and Martin Nievera went throwback mode with the fantasy-drama "Lobo" as his favorite.