The show will go on even if Tito, Vic and Joey (TVJ) have yet to reclaim the name “Eat Bulaga” from their former producer. 

Vicente “Tito” Sotto, one of the three original hosts of the country’s longest-running television variety show (the other two being his brother Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon), said on Sunday they were planning to resume the noontime program in their new home on TV5 “end of June or first week of July.”

The 44th anniversary of “Eat Bulaga” is on July 30.

What will TVJ’s new show be like on TV5? “It will be exciting and delightful,” the former Senate president told CoverStory.ph. “We will enhance the highly rated portions but will infuse now ones.” 

“Eat Bulaga” is known for its crowd-pleasing segments such as “Pinoy Henyo,” “Bawal Judgmental,” and “Juan For All, All For Juan,” among others.

The original “Eat Bulaga” trio had a falling out last month with producer TAPE Inc. following the removal of their long-time friend and founding producer, Antonio “Tony” Tuviera, from the show. They left TAPE for good when they were disallowed from airing live last May 31.

The show has since resumed airing on GMA-7 with new hosts. The Sottos and De Leon are awaiting judgment on their motion to have TAPE’s claim on the name “Eat Bulaga” canceled by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). 

Sotto had earlier said De Leon and his brother Vic were behind the show’s name and song, respectively. (See “Where will ‘Eat Bulaga’ make a new home?”, CoverStory.ph, June 5, 2023).

Related :Where will ‘Eat Bulaga’ make a new home?

‘Best proposal’ 

After leaving TAPE and GMA-7, the Sottos and De Leon received invitations from other networks, Last June 7 they announced their move to TV5. 

Sotto said on Sunday that they settled for Media Quest, which handles TV5, because it had made the “best proposal.” 

“We plan to start as soon as possible as the studio and other facilities are ready to go full-blown digital and all,” he said.

Asked about a teaser spreading online about the new “Eat Bulaga,” Sotto said he understood that it was done by a follower of the show. The teaser runs footage of Batanes and Jolo, to depict the show’s north-to-south reach, as the theme song is played.

“We are working on holding on to our name that Joey created,” Sotto said, adding that TVJ would go ahead with the show even if the IPO had yet to decide on the matter. 

Sotto reiterated that the entire “Eat Bulaga” gang would be back for the new show on TV5. He was referring to Maine Mendoza, Paolo Ballesteros, Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola, among others.

Notably absent is popular host Alden Richards, who Sotto had earlier said was still under contract with GMA-7 and who had turned down an offer to host the noontime show that replaced the original.