''Kalyeserye'' is a

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

segment that was aired

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

on the Filipino noontime

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat Bulaga!'' (), formerly ''Eat... Bulaga!'', is a noontime Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Produced by TAPE Inc., it is the longest running variety show in the Philippines with over 13,000 episodes. Originally ...

'' on

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

. The mini-show, as it has evolved, focused on AlDub, the fictional couple pairing — or "love team" as it is more commonly known in the Philippines — of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza's "Yaya Dub" character in which the two only communicate through lip-syncing to various pop songs and movie audio clips as well as written messages, and interact only on the show's

split-screen Split screen may refer to: * Split screen (computing), dividing graphics into adjacent parts * Split screen (video production), the visible division of the screen * ''Split Screen'' (TV series), 1997–2001 * Split-Screen Level, a bug in the vid ...

frame. Richards is usually based in Broadway Centrum studio of ''Eat Bulaga!'' in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

while Mendoza travels around to a different external location. With an initial runtime of a few minutes, the show soon expanded to over a half-hour for each episode, with specials running even longer and for more segments. Runtimes ranged from about 55 minutes on weekdays to about 1 hour and 15 minutes on Saturdays. The show featured live

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

from Richards, Mendoza, Wally Bayola, Jose Manalo and

Paolo Ballesteros Paolo Elito Macapagal Ballesteros IV (born November 29, 1982) is a Filipino actor, comedian, TV host, model, drag queen, and impersonator. He has appeared in films and several TV shows, and has been one of the co-hosts of longtime noontime sh ...

, who all played various roles while the other hosts of ''Eat Bulaga!'' in the studio served as live commentators (usually as a live "panel" consisting of 3–4 hosts) that interact with the characters and also with the audience. ''Kalyeserye'' had elements of

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

and

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...

. According to Anna Leah Sarabia, a Filipino

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

, the segment uses

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...

and soap opera tropes. The term "Kalyeserye" is a play on the Filipino word '' teleserye'' (television series) and is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsTagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...

words ''kalye'' (street, from Spanish ''calle'') and ''serye'' (series, ''serie''). It was coined by Joey de Leon, one of the primary hosts of ''Eat Bulaga!'', to refer to the location outside the studio, which was usually shot out on the streets of

or in the

provinces of the Philippines In the Philippines, provinces ( fil, lalawigan) are one of its primary political and administrative divisions. There are 82 provinces at present, which are further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The local government uni ...

that serve as the remote setting of the parody segment. The portion proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media, resulting in a significant increase in viewership and popularity of ''Eat Bulaga!'' in its 36th year in Philippine entertainment. In addition, it has contributed immensely to the rise of the careers of Richards and Mendoza. ''Kalyeserye'' temporarily ended on September 3, 2016 and returned on October 15, 2016, after a month-break. The segment went on a hiatus on September 3, 2016, and the entire segment concluded on December 17, 2016.

Overview

The show follows the love story of Yaya Dub (Mendoza), a girl who converses only in dubsmash (lip-syncing to phrases from songs and other audio clips), and Alden Richards, a regular guest on the "Juan for All, All for Juan" television segment, during which they begin flirting with each other by dubsmashing and exchanging

waves Waves most often refers to: * Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music *Waves (ban ...

. Yaya Dub's employer, Lola Nidora (Bayola), is initially against the couple's budding romance. Lola Nidora then reveals her ''Book of Secrets/Secret Diary'' which contains various reasons for her disapproval. The appearance of other characters like the luxurious Frankie Arenolli (from the word ''arinola'', "chamber pot") (Manalo) and the socialite DuhRizz (Bayola) make things even more complicated for the amorous pair. As the story unfolds, characters from Lola Nidora and Yaya Dub's past are revealed as a part of their backstory. Lola Nidora turns out to be one of the triplet children of the Zobeyala family (a parody of the

Zóbel de Ayala family The Zóbel de Ayala clan is a prominent Filipino family of Spanish and German descent who were the founders of Ayala y Compañía (now Ayala Corporation) and patrons of the Premio Zóbel literary awards. The clan is directly descended from Jacob ...

); the three are collectively known as the "de Explorer Triplets/Sisters" (in reference to ''

Dora the Explorer ''Dora the Explorer'' is an American children's animated television series and multimedia franchise created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner that premiered on Nickelodeon on August 14, 2000, went on hiatus on June 5, 20 ...

''). During the course of the series, Alden must prove his trustworthiness and love for Yaya Dub by engaging in several challenges. From its return for "Season 2", it not only focused on the continuation of the AlDub story as a fictional married couple but also focused on the De Explorer sisters who become hosts for a cooking show, with their real-life mothers as guests, who can cook.

Background

Casting

In 2015, Alden Richards, who had finished filming the

mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

'' Ilustrado'' (2014), was invited to join ''Eat Bulaga!'' as a host for a month-long trial period, hosting various segments such as "That's My Bae" with radio disc jockey Sam Y.G. A month later, Maine Mendoza, who had initially gained online popularity by posting her Dubsmash videos in various social media platforms, auditioned for the program after catching the attention of its producers. Mendoza eventually joined the cast in July 2015. She was initially selected to act as a lawyer for ''Eat Bulaga!''s "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment but was ultimately cast as Yaya Dub, a nanny for Wally Bayola's "Lola Nidora" character. Mendoza's character would communicate only by lip-synching to various pop songs and film audio clips and could not actually speak onscreen. Her character was portrayed as a very serious and snobbish nanny who does not even smile or laugh. The characters Doña Nidora and Yaya Dub first appeared on July 4, 2015, in the "Problem Solving" portion of the "Juan For All, All For Juan" segment performed in Cainta,

Rizal Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The province is named after Jos� ...

east of Manila. Their presence filled the void left by Doktora Dora de Explorer's character (also played by Bayola), who has left the previous day to attend a seminar in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. However, the Kalyeserye segment officially started on July 16, 2015, when Yaya Dub sees Alden for the first time.

"Day 1" onwards

On the episode broadcast July 16, 2015 (retroactively referred to as "Day 1"), performed in Olongapo,

Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...

, Mendoza broke out of her "Yaya Dub" character when she accidentally smiled after noticing Alden Richards watching her on the show's live

split screen Split screen may refer to: * Split screen (computing), dividing graphics into adjacent parts * Split screen (video production), the visible division of the screen * ''Split Screen'' (TV series), 1997–2001 * Split-Screen Level, a bug in the vid ...

. Upon seeing Mendoza's spontaneous reaction, the studio panel members

Allan K. Allan Quilantang (born December 13, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Allan K., is a Filipino comedian, actor, singer and TV host. He is one of the co-hosts of the noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!'' Career Allan K's first appearance ...

and Joey de Leon teased the pair and thus prompted the producers to make an on-screen couple of the two.

Mike Tuviera APT Entertainment, Inc. is a television and film production company in the Philippines. History APT Entertainment, Inc. is a subsidiary of TAPE Inc., and the producer of the longest-running noontime variety show, ''Eat Bulaga!''. APT stands ...

, a resident director of the show, revealed that the resulting "love team", christened "AlDub", was formed by accident because of the pair's natural on-screen chemistry. Due to the audiences' positive reception to the pairing, the producers decided to make a 30-minute portion under its daily "Juan For All, All for Juan" segment to replace "Problem Solving". Pegged as ''Kalyeserye'', it was characterized as a dramedy series with elements of

of Philippine television drama,

and

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

performed by improv acting, broadcast live from the streets of different towns and cities. Poochie Rivera, one of the program's directors, described it as "natural and unscripted", saying that "Nothing is rehearsed. We are trying to maintain the spontaneity because that is a big part of its charm." Aside from the AlDub love team, Kalyeserye also featured comedians Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, and

. The trio, collectively known as "JoWaPao", played various characters, but most prominently, as the three ''lolas'' (grandmothers) of Yaya Dub.

AlDub

AlDub is derived from a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsMaine Mendoza. Both joining the program's cast in 2015, Richards first appeared as a host of ''Eat Bulaga!''s various segments, such as the "That's My Bae"; while Mendoza appeared only as "Yaya Dub" in the "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment. The couple exclusively interacted through the show's

frame and only communicated with each other by dubbing audio samples of popular songs, films and TV series as well as handwritten messages (or "fan signs") on screen. As of early October 2015, the AlDub couple had yet to meet in person. Some of the running gags and gimmicks throughout the parody series include a special gesture between Alden and Yaya Dub, called the Pabebe Wave. Another narrative involves Lola Nidora lobbying for a pairing between Yaya Dub and Frankie Arenolli dubbed as the "YaKie" tandem, with the couple almost ended up getting married. Other events include Lola Nidora issuing labor challenges to Alden to prove his love for Yaya Dub, and the incompetency of the numerous Rogelios, Lola Nidora's bodyguards. The Kalyeserye's main storyline is the Cinderella-like forbidden courtship between the AlDub tandem, with its paramount goal being the first physical meeting of the two, a move continually opposed by Lola Nidora. The AlDub couple's near-encounters on live television also became pivotal throughout the series. In the show's August 8, 2015 episode, which featured the first wedding between the "YaKie" tandem, Mendoza collapsed unexpectedly while performing on live television and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, resulting in an improvisation by the segment's remaining characters — Frankie (Manalo), Lola Nidora (Bayola) and Alden himself. Mendoza later revealed through her social media accounts that she experienced fatigue hours prior to the show. In its August 12, 2015 episode, Yaya Dub appeared at Broadway Centrum's TAPE Eastside Studio for her Cinderella-themed performance on ''Eat Bulaga!''s ''"Bulaga Pa More! Dabarkads Pa More!"'' segment. The episode marked as the closest rendezvous between the two, only to be interrupted by Lola Nidora, who played as an evil witch and forced Yaya Dub to leave in the middle of her performance.

''Tamang Panahon''

The series reached the climax of its story on the October 24, 2015 episode entitled "Sa Tamang Panahon"(''In the Right Time''). Approximately 55,000 people gathered at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue,

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...

to witness the most awaited meeting of Alden and Yaya Dub; the couple was able to see and interact with each other without any hindrance from Lola Nidora. One hundred percent of ticket sales (Php 14 million) was allotted for the AlDub Library Project, which aimed to build libraries for less fortunate schools across the country. With 41 million tweets within 24 hours, #ALDubEBTamangPanahon, the official hashtag of the event, became the third most tweeted topic for the TV category worldwide in 2015 and the most used hashtag within 24 hours on Twitter. The show garnered a 50.8% rating in Mega Manila, becoming the highest-rated episode of ''Eat Bulaga!'' and the most watched show in 2015.

Wedding

''Kalyeserye'' went on a hiatus on September 3, 2016, to give way to new segments. The story concluded with Lola Nidora and Lola Tinidora leaving to go to the United States. After a month break, the series returned on October 15, 2016. The storyline opened five years later with the three ''lolas'' returning to the Philippines and Alden asking them for Maine's hand in marriage. The week then focused on the couple's preparations for their marriage. On October 22, 2016, two days before the anniversary of ''Sa Tamang Panahon'', the wedding of AlDub took place at the Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word in Quezon City. #ALDUBWedding, the official Twitter hashtag for the awaited event, gained over 6 million tweets within 24 hours. The seemingly realistic wedding marked another milestone for the love team's story, sealing their marriage with a kiss.

Ending and concert tour

''Kalyeserye'' ended on December 17, 2016, with AlDub's twin babies baptized and the family ready to migrate to Russia with Lola Babah. The following year, the story continued with an American concert tour called ''KS sa US'' (''KS in the US''). The concert tour began on April 9 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

and concluded on April 12 at Kings Theatre in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Characters

Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros and Wally Bayola

Main characters

; : Portrayed by: Maine Mendoza : Divina Ursula Bokbokova Smash (a playful reverse-acronym of Dubsmash), is a woman who primarily communicates only by lip-synching audio clips of songs and speeches in the show. She only starts speaking using her real voice much later in the series. She was initially introduced in the ''Problem Solving'' segments as the snobbish nanny of Lola Nidora. In her first split-screen interaction with Alden Richards, her smiling at him garnered notice by the ''Eat Bulaga'' hosts. Her parents are Ursula Palais (Isadora's daughter) and Teodoro "Dodong" Smash (Zobeyala's former gardener). It is later revealed that Divina actually was the only granddaughter of the Zobeyala-De Explorer Triplets' adopted sister Isadora. Yaya Dub was abandoned as a child by her parents and grandmother Isadora, so she had been with Lola Nidora for most of her childhood. She graduated in culinary arts and is currently studying for a second degree majoring in business administration. ; : Portrayed by: Alden Richards : Originally appearing as a talk show guest, Alden begins flirting with Yaya Dub and even tries to communicate with her using dubsmash. He is the grandson of the very wealthy Lola Babah. Over the series, he goes through several challenges to prove his love for Yaya Dub. ; : Portrayed by: Wally Bayola; Maine Mendoza (young version, during the post- WW2 years) : Doña Nidora Esperanza Zobeyala Viuda de Explorer, more commonly referred as Lola Nidora, is Yaya's former employer and adoptive grandmother. She graduated from Ateneo de Municipal in Spain majoring in philosophy, language, culture and history. She also went to Universidad Central de Madrid in 1878, and during that time, she was given the ''Sobra Saliente'' (Most Outstanding) Award. Lola Nidora is also a philanthropist and was one of world's wealthiest people in the 1900s. Lola Nidora was reportedly courted by such figures as

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theor ...

, Antonio Luna,

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...

and Anselmo, but she repudiated them all. Her character is loosely based on Filipina actresses Celia Rodriguez and Jaclyn Jose. When she becomes stressed, she acts and talks like Filipino comedian Babalu. Lola Nidora initially did not approve of Alden's and Yaya Dub's romance and is the major antagonist during the first part of the series. Despite her strict demeanor, she imparts words of wisdom hoping that Yaya could learn from them. ; : Portrayed by:

: Lola Tidora Zobeyala is Lola Nidora's triplet sister who resides in

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. She has a knack of revealing secrets and is into modern ideals. She is also up-to-date with current trends, especially with regards to make-up and fashion. Tidora usually steps in when her sister Tinidora loses her patience with anyone, especially with their older sister, Nidora. Most of the time, Tidora translates Yaya Dub's lip-synching language and is usually the first to overreact in certain situations. Tidora is in favor of Alden as a partner for Maine and often helps the couple with their courtship. Her signature expression is "Wooooh," imitating singer Regine Velasquez' high-pitched call. According to Nidora, she studied acting in Massachusetts and continues to pursue a career in music. She also serves as Yaya Dub's singing teacher and make-up artist. As said by Tinidora, Tidora is the most knowledgeable when it comes to charity work, which the lolas do every now and then. Lola Tidora usually enters with a song number dubbing whistle notes of Mariah Carey's songs and is sometimes carried by the Bernardos. ; : Portrayed by: Jose Manalo : Lola Tinidora Zobeyala is the liberated and free-spirited triplet sister of Nidora and Tidora. She apparently, is the most feisty and protective among the 3 lolas, ready to defend her family whenever required. Tinidora briefly took care of the much younger Yaya Dub before the child's care was eventually left to Nidora. Tinidora was rumored to be Yaya Dub's real mother but she had denied the report as she believed the real mother of Yaya Dub is Isadora, their fourth and youngest sibling. Tinidora once revealed that she had a past relationship with a certain American named "Bill," but broke up with him after he tricked her into marrying a cactus around 90 years ago. This is why she always warns Rihanna not to be careful with her British boyfriend so as to have the same fate as hers. Tinidora is also in favor of Alden as a suitable partner for Yaya Dub, and often persuades Nidora to let the couple go on their dates. Lola Tinidora is often seen wearing a short skirt and going up ladders/stairs dancing to

Mambo No. 5 "Mambo No. 5" is an instrumental mambo and jazz dance song originally composed and recorded by Cuban musician Dámaso Pérez Prado in 1949 and released the next year. German singer Lou Bega sampled the original for a new song released under ...

and she was thought to have studied dance in Europe which led her to teach choreography to Yaya Dub and the Rogelios. In a post-Halloween episode, Tinidora has an experience as a witch doctor.

Supporting characters

; : Lola Nidora's bodyguards who are always shown wearing matching light blue barong tagalog shirts and sunglasses. Lola Nidora also asks them to do menial tasks (like carrying her bag) but is frequently mad at them because of their incompetence. The actors who portray the Rogelios on-set are real-life bouncers who enforce crowd control during the outside broadcast. ; ''Eat Bulaga!'' : The hosts of ''Eat Bulaga!'' provide narration and commentary to the show. They include:

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Le ...

, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon,

Allan K Allan Quilantang (born December 13, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Allan K., is a Filipino comedian, actor, singer and TV host. He is one of the co-hosts of the noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!'' Career Allan K's first appearance ...

and other members of the ''Eat Bulaga'' family known as EB Dabarkads. Paolo Ballesteros and Jose Manalo occasionally appear as themselves when they are not playing character roles. The hosts often break the fourth wall in various instances as they interact with the characters. The panel also serves as additional comic relief and provides insights on the story. ; :Portrayed by: Jose Manalo :Gasgas Abelgas was the former narrator of ''Kalyeserye'' who summarized the day's events. He is a parody of journalist

Gus Abelgas Gus Abelgas (born October 22, 1962) is a Filipino broadcast journalist known for his work in '' S.O.C.O. (Scene of the Crime Operatives)''. Early life and education Gus Abelgas was born to a poor family. His father who worked as driver and his m ...

. He acts as a narrator when a Kalyeserye episode ends and summarizes the day's events. Gasgas is replaced by Ging-Ging. The name ''"''Gasgas''"'' is the Filipino word for "bruises" and "scratches", which Manalo often uses as gag material, referring to his facial skin stricken with scars. ; :Portrayed by: Jose Manalo :Ging-Ging was a substitute narrator for episodes where Lola Nidora reads her Secret Diary. She later replaced Gasgas as the main narrator. She is a parody of Ging-Ging, a character from the children's TV series '' Batibot''. ; : Portrayed by: Paolo Ballesteros : Gosgos was the self-proclaimed wife of Gasgas Abelgas and his female counterpart, who occasionally replaced him when he was not available to narrate. Later in the series, Gosgos introduced herself as Lola Tidora and is thus coined by Joey as Gasgas Songbird. The name Gosgos is derived from the Filipino term ''gusgus'' meaning "dirty". ; : Portrayed by: Maine Mendoza (lip-sync), Wally Bayola and Alden Richards (voice overs) :Yaya Gasgas is another female narrator who appears as a substitute to Gasgas and Gosgos. On-screen, she recaps the episode by mouthing lines spoken by Bayola mostly off-screen. Richards substituted for Bayola when the former was not present. ; : Portrayed by: Wally Bayola : Kiko accompanies Ging-Ging in some episodes. ; : Portrayed by: Maine Mendoza : She is a substitute "narrator" for Ging-Ging while Lola Tinidora is absent. Other spellings include Maginging, Mingging, and Pabebeng Mengging. ; :Portrayed by: Jose Manalo :Singaw was a guest narrator for one time episode. He is a parody of Imaw, a character from ''

Encantadia ''Encantadia'' is a Filipino fantasy franchise produced and published by GMA Network. It consists of four television series that have run from 2005 to present and a single film. The first was shown in 2005 carrying the title alone and ended i ...

''. ''"''Singaw''"'' is the Filipino word for "steam".

Major recurring characters

; : Portrayed by: Wally Bayola : Doktora Dora de Explorer is a daughter of Doktora Donita de Explorer ''albularyo'' (

quack doctor Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, k ...

) and originally part of the ''Problem Solving'' segment, but she left to attend a seminar in

. Her character is later brought back as one of Lola Nidora's grandchildren. It is revealed that Dora is an AlDub fan and that Doktora and Yaya Dub are childhood friends. Doktora returns from time to time to visit her grandmother and her grandaunts, and usually gives them her concoctions called DDD, or Doktora Dora Drinks. ; : Portrayed by: Jimmy Santos : Lola Nidora's initial love interest who also uses Dubsmash as a way of communicating with Nidora. His pairing with Lola is called the "Lommy" tandem, a portmanteau of their names. Jimmy is sometimes part of the commentary at the Broadway studio. ; : Portrayed by: Jose Manalo : Frankie Amoi Arenolli was born in

Turin, Italy Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

. He is an arrogant and boastful Filipino-Chinese-Italian heir who only wants to get married so that he can finally get his inheritance from his family. He is the grandson of Doña Guada Sevilla de Arenolli and the son of Don Francisco "Franing" Arenolli. He is also the owner of the "Largest Wine company in Italy world" and "Arenolli Airlines". He claims to be so rich enabling him to be an avid shipwreck collector. Lola Nidora arranged his marriage with Yaya Dub in exchange for the ransom money for the "Book of Secrets." After his wedding failed to proceed, Frankie heads back to Italy. He later returns, and eventually meets Cindy Kournikova and develops a crush on her. His name "Amoi Arenolli" is a pun on the phrase ''amoy arinola'' which loosely translates to "smells like an urinal." ; : Portrayed by: Wally Bayola : DuhRizz Maine de Explorer, also known as "Duh", is the rich, liberated, socialite granddaughter of Lola Nidora. She lives in New York and has decided to return to Manila to visit her sick grandmother. She has a crush on Alden and hates Yaya Dub, whom she sees as a rival. DuhRizz is later revealed to be the mastermind of the couple's abductions. ; :Portrayed by: Sebastian Benedict :Bae-by Baste is the 3-year old nephew of Alden. He is Alden's mini version and sometimes becomes his stand-in when Alden is absent. The name Bae-by is portmanteau of Bae (slang for babe) and baby. ; :Portrayed by:

Ryzza Mae Dizon Ryzza Mae de Guzman Dizon (born June 12, 2005) is a Filipino teen actress and television personality. She rose to prominence in 2012 when she won that year's edition of ''Eat Bulaga!''s Little Miss Philippines. She is currently the second youn ...

:Yaya Luvs is Yaya Dub's best friend at the Broadway studio. She's a kid version of Yaya Dub and also uses Dubsmash to communicate. ; :Portrayed by:

:Lola Isadora Palais is Nidora, Tidora and Tinidora's estranged and adopted sister, and is the biological grandmother of Yaya Dub. ; : Portrayed by: Wally Bayola : Maria Rihanna Valenciana is the current ''mayordoma'' (main chambermaid) of Lola Nidora's mansion. She is also Yaya Dub's best friend and supports Alden's and Yaya's romance. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her British chatmate named "Harry". ; : Portrayed by:

Ai Ai delas Alas Martina Eileen Hernandez delas Alas-Sibayan (born November 11, 1964), known professionally as Ai-Ai delas Alas, is a Filipino actress and comedian. She is widely regarded as the country's "Queen of Comedy" for her comedic talent and best know ...

: Doña Barbara Laticia Rockefeller Viuda de Faulkerson is the half-Russian and half-Waray grandmother of Alden. She is the very wealthy wife of Babancio Lucas "Babalu" Faulkerson and Lola Nidora's rival. The flamboyant grandmother does not approve of Yaya Dub as Alden's partner, and tries to set her grandson up with a Russian model and Harvard graduate, Cindy Kournikova. Lola Babah also happens to be the mortgage holder of the Zobeyala' residence, therefore escalating her rivalry with Lola Nidora. ; : Portrayed by: Alina Bogdanova : Cinderella "Cindy" Kournikova is a young and beautiful Russian model whom Lola Babah favors to be Alden's girlfriend. Cindy has traveled to Milan, Tokyo, Paris and New York for her work. She studied Culinary Arts majoring in Economics, and International Relations with a minor in Financial Accounting and also majored in Management Communication at Harvard University. She becomes Yaya Dub's rival when she briefly got engaged to Alden upon Lola Babah's direction. However, she later meets the Frankie Arenolli and the two become close. ; : Portrayed by: Corbin Edmonds, Kyle Perry, and Joco San Juan : They are Lola Tidora's bodyguards and her own version of the Rogelios. They are much younger, handsome, fit and better dancers compared to Nidora's bodyguards. Their uniforms are white shirts, jeans, and they also wear black shades. ; : The Quandos are Lola Tinidora's own bodyguards that started out as just a trio similar to Nidora's "Rogelios" and Tidora's "Bernardos". They are depicted as zombie-like and wear similar white Barong Tagalogs. The Quandos continuously increase their numbers by every episode as Tinidora jokingly states that she recruits additional Quando members by "exhuming them from the nearest cemetery." They were also referred as "The Walking Deads" or "Quandeads" by Joey de Leon. ; : They are the unnamed motorcycle-riding individuals who stole the ''Book of Secrets/Secret Diary'' from Lola Nidora. It is unknown if they are also the same individuals who Alden frequently orders to deliver his gifts to Yaya Dub in some episodes. They are sometimes referred to as "Riding-in-Tanders" by Bossing Marvic. ; : Portrayed by: Paolo Ballesteros : Doña Ariana Miley Zobeyala is the mother of Nidora, Tidora and Tinidora and the sister of Tiya Bebeng. She is very strict and does not approve Anselmo as Nidora's partner because of his lower class and provincial background. Her appearance is loosely based on Miss Minchin from '' Princess Sarah'' and the late

Bella Flores Remedios Papa Dancel (February 27, 1929 – May 19, 2013), commonly known as Bella Flores, was a Filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come f ...

. ; : Portrayed by: Alden Richards (young version, during Post-War Years in 1945); Eddie Gutierrez (present day) : Anselmo is one of Lola Nidora's love interests during her younger days in 1945. Doña Ariana, Nidora's mother, rejects him because of his lower social status and his small-town upbringing. He is Nidora's most beloved suitor. It is later revealed that Anselmo has a brain tumor, which may explain his constant eye twitching, but the fact is kept secret from Nidora. ; : Portrayed by: Ann "Hopia" Boleche : Beyonce, or Yaya Mot, is the main chambermaid of Doña Ariana's mansion. She speaks poor English and is being maltreated by Ariana for permitting Nidora to see Anselmo. She is the predecessor of Rihanna Valenciana and also a grandmother of Yaya Glo/Gluta who would later audition for becoming a new ''kasambahay'' for Lola Nidora's mansion. Beyonce's nickname "Yaya Mot" is derived from the word ''yamot'' (lit. meaning "annoy") and her appearance is loosely based on Becky from '' Princess Sarah''. ; : Portrayed by:

: Caitlyn "Dudang" Smash is a rich businesswoman who is the second wife of Dodong and Yaya Dub's stepmother. She visits her stepdaughter and the three lolas Nidora, Tidora and Tinidora during Divina's birthday week. Initially as an elderly, she didn't bear any children. Caitlyn's nickname "Dudang" is derived from the word ''duda'' (lit. meaning "suspicious"). ; : Portrayed by: Mike "Pekto" Nacua : Cookie is the temporary caretaker of Lola Nidora's mansyon who meets Nidora and Tinidora. She is the one who is seeking for Divina as a new owner of Nidora's mansion. Cookie leaves the mansion to Divina, Nidora and Tinidora after the ownership of the mansion has returned to Nidora. The character reprises from the defunct gag show '' Nuts Entertainment''. ; : Portrayed by:

Boobay Norman Balbuena (born November 7, 1986), better known in his stage name Boobay, is a Filipino actor, comedian and television host. He is best known for appearing in several GMA News and Public Affairs shows (including ''Unang Hirit'') as a co-ho ...

: Yaya Pak is one of applicants for the position of the new nanny in the Zobeyala household. She fights off the Rogelios before proceeding to Nidora. Yaya Pak becomes the new Yaya after defeating Lola Tinidora in an arm wrestling contest. ; : Portrayed by: Sinon Loresca : Rogelia is the gay version of a Rogelio who is willing to apply as new bodyguard for Lola Nidora. Nidora initially thought of him as a muscular man much like the rest of the Rogelios, until Tinidora drops a metal tray which made him shocked, revealing his gay personality.

Minor characters

Production

Music

Kalyeserye utilized a number of songs while Alden and Yaya Dub communicate through split-screen. The most used songs for their lip-synch interaction include "

God Gave Me You "God Gave Me You" is a song written and originally recorded by American contemporary Christian music singer Dave Barnes. It was released in January 2010 as the lead single from the album, ''What We Want, What We Get''. History Barnes wrote the s ...

" by Bryan White, " Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran, "

Twerk It Like Miley "Twerk It Like Miley" (officially on cover as #TwerkItLikeMiley) is a 2014 song by American singer Brandon Beal featuring Danish singer Christopher. The song produced by Danish DJ Hedegaard was released on 5 May 2014 on Universal Music Denmark an ...

" by Brandon Beal, and "

Fantastic Baby "Fantastic Baby" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Big Bang (band), Big Bang. It was released as a Single (music), single for Digital download (music), digital download and Streaming media, streaming by YG Entertainment on February 29 ...

" by

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

. Alden even sang "God Gave Me You" live before going to Lola Nidora's mansion to visit Yaya Dub for their second date. Yaya Dub and Alden frequently danced in celebration to the tune of "Fantastic Baby". In one episode, the couple also sang "Wish I May," which is included in Alden's titular album, using their own voices and not via Dubsmash/lip-synch as they usually do in the show. There were also other songs that served as theme music that played when either one or all of three sisters, Nidora, Tidora, and Tinidora, enter or exit their scene. Towards the end in most of the episodes of Kalyeserye, the three sisters pose ''a la

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...

'' with " Wannabe" by

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...

being played in the background. While entering her scenes, Tinidora and her Quandos would dance to the tune of

Lou Bega David Lubega Balemezi (born 13 April 1975), better known by his stage name Lou Bega, is a German singer. His 1999 song " Mambo No. 5", a remake of Pérez Prado's 1949 instrumental piece, reached number 1 in many European countries and was ...

's version of "

." Tidora, before entering the scene, was always shown lip-synching to various

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

songs. The chorus of the song "

Dessert Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and most parts o ...

" by

Dawin Dawin Polanco (born December 12, 1990), better known mononymously as Dawin, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for the song "Dessert", which reached number 68 on the ''Billboa ...

was played when Nidora entered the scene or was feeling very happy. The chorus of " Macarena" by Los del Rio was played when Isadora is entering into the scene. The chorus of "Fashionista" by Jimmy James was played when Cindy is entering into the scene while modelling. Prior to the second incarnation, a new set of songs were used during the entrance of Yaya Dub and the Lolas such as " Work" by

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

and " Focus" by

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

. Towards the end, a new set of songs was used during the entrance of the Lolas such as " Choopeta" by T-Rio (as covered by Leticia) and "Halukay Ube" by SexBomb Girls.

Reception

''Eat Bulaga!'' ratings

''Kalyeserye'' proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media. The segment helped boost the show's ratings, the August 12, 2015 episode of ''

'' posted a 36.1 rating in AGB Nielsen's overnight measurements among Mega Manila households, the highest rating for the year. The AlDub couple became an overnight phenomenon on both television and social media. The pivotal wedding episode between the YaKie tandem on August 8, 2015, scored a 32% percent rating and a 300% increase in viewership for ''Eat Bulaga!'', according to the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

conducted by

AGB Nielsen Philippines AGB Nielsen Media Research Philippines, commonly called AGB Nielsen, is a market research firm in the Philippines specializing in broadcast media. AGB Nielsen conducts audience measurement of television ratings for certain areas in the Phili ...

. On a weekly survey by Kantar Media Philippines, the tandem was cited in helping the program to become a number one daytime program for weeks. According to AGB Nielsen's research, the August 12, 2015 episode marked the first time that the show reached the all-time high in viewership for the year with a 36.1% rating, which was mainly alluded to the tandem's near-meeting. More than a month later, on September 26, 2015, during the tandem's second date, the show broke their previous record with a 45.7% rating. Almost a month later, ''Eat Bulaga'' breached the 50% mark at 50.8%, superseding their previous turnout.

Cultural impact

''Eat Bulaga!'' director Poochie Rivera theorized that the coupling's successful response from audiences was because of the Filipinos who can relate with their predicament. He remarked, "People who have partners who work abroad often communicate and pursue their relationship online, through

Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, debi ...

or FaceTime." Pauleen Luna, a castmember of ''Eat Bulaga!'', commented that AlDub "has brought a different kind of energy to the show." Anthropologist Anna Leah Sarabia cited the use of fairy tale and soap opera tropes contributed to the tandem's increasing popularity, saying, "It's a 'Cinderella' story that's fake and true-life at the same time." Television executive Malou Choa-Fagar also cited the unpredictable nature of the Kalyeserye had largely contributed to the AlDub success. On

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

hashtags A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-gener ...

with AlDub became top trending topics in both the Philippine and Worldwide trends. Various outlets also lauded the show's use of old and new media for the AlDub tandem, which also pulsated in raising the value of the Dubsmash app in the Philippines. The popularity of the tandem even reached some schools and became a topic discussed in classrooms; for instance in a

University of the Philippines Diliman , image = University of The Philippines seal.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman , motto = Honor and Excellence , established = February 12, 194 ...

Filipino class. Several Filipino politicians also referenced the AlDub couple in various interviews: Ralph Recto cited the tandem as a symbolism regarding the Philippine

Land Transportation Office The Land Transportation Office ( fil, Tanggapan ng Transportasyong-Lupa; LTO) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Transportation responsible for all land transportation in the Philippines. Functions of the LTO i ...

license plates, while

Mar Roxas Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (; born May 13, 1957) is a Filipino politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines. He is the grandson and namesake of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. He served in the Cabinet of the Philippines ...

also referenced AlDub in his 2016 presidential campaign. The August 22, 2015 episode earned positive feedback from Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Radyo Veritas via Twitter for highlighting Filipino love, responsibility and marriage moral standards. Recently, Mendoza (as Yaya Dub), Bayola (as Lola Nidora), Eat Bulaga and TAPE Inc. were awarded by the 1st Catholic Social Media Awards for promotion of values. Maine Mendoza was also awarded the Gintong Kabataan Award by the Provincial Government of Bulacan. Professor

Randy David Randolf "Randy" Siongco David (born January 8, 1946) is a Filipino journalist, sociologist, and public intellectual. He is a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He currently pens a weekly newspaper colu ...

of the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

, in his

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded br ...

column Public Lives last August 23, 2015, wrote about the depth and significance of Maine Mendoza's voice/mime characterization of Yaya Dub, challenging us to look deep within our own nature, who we really are when we are not performing:

Social media

The segment was also a frequent Twitter trending topic while the abridged versions uploaded in ''Eat Bulaga!s

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

page and highlights on GMA Network's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel had become viral. From July 27, 2015, to August 26, 2015, 16 out of the 30 Philippine trending topics are from the show's AlDub tandem.

Twitter records

On August 29, 2015, 3.5 million messages were sent on Twitter with the

hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...

#ALDUBMaidenHeaven, a record number of tweets in the Philippines about a single subject. This amount, which was achieved in one day, exceeded the number of Tweets sent with the hashtag #PapalVisit, during Pope Francis's January 2015 visit in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation. However, the October 24, 2015 record with the hashtag #ALDubEBTamangPanahon currently stands as the most tweeted at 41 million, beating the 2014 World Cup match between Brazil and Germany.

Careers of Richards and Mendoza

The success of the AlDub tandem also contributed to the careers of Richards and Mendoza. ''Kalyeserye'' helped Richards secure a four-year film contract with APT Entertainment, while the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

team

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The most popular team in the league, it is owned by Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.), a subsidia ...

and

Mahindra Enforcers The Terrafirma Dyip is a professional basketball team playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The team is owned by Terrafirma Realty Development Corporation and originally played under its affiliate company Columbian Autocar Cor ...

was also reported to have been considering inviting Mendoza as their muse for the 2015–16 PBA season, but she refused. Mendoza and Richards also appeared in separate profile interviews regarding the AlDub's success on the television program '' Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho''. Tuviera also revealed in an interview about a possibility of making 2015 feature film starring the AlDub couple. Another report also confirmed that Richards and Mendoza would be part of 41st Metro Manila Film Festival entry '' My Bebe Love'' starring Vic Sotto and

. In an interview with the celebrity talk show '' Startalk'', Richards revealed that he did not expect the success of the show/segment and was overwhelmed by the popularity of the AlDub tandem. In other interviews, Richards revealed that he was open to the possibility of AlDub to star in a movie or TV show. To date, Mendoza has appeared in advertisements for 555 Sardines and O+ Ultra (with Wally Bayola in his Lola Nidora character), while both Richards and Mendoza have appeared together for McDonald's Philippines' promoting their ''Chicken Fillet ala King'' product, Talk 'N Text's ''Extend'' promo, Zonrox Plus Thick Bleach and Bear Brand Adult Plus. Since after the ''Tamang Panahon'' event, Mendoza commenced her co-hosting stint in the ''Juan For All, All For Juan'' segment and (briefly) the ''ATM with the Baes'' segment with Alden Richards in ''Eat Bulaga!''. Mendoza and Richards have their first photoshoot for the upcoming movie ''My Bebe Love'', alongside Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas. Mendoza makes her television drama debut as Chef Elize in ''

Princess in the Palace ''Princess in the Palace'' is a Philippine television drama comedy series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Mike Tuviera, it stars Ryzza Mae Dizon, Aiza Seguerra and Eula Valdez. It premiered on September 21, 2015 on the network's afternoon ...

'' which stars

Works cited

* "Day" refers to an episode in the ''Kalyeserye'' series.