ABS-CBN Challenges Philippine Idol with Pinoy Dream Academy

Who is afraid of Philippine Idol?

ABS-CBN apparently.

Last Sunday, ABS-CBN, the country's largest network and currently ranked #2 in Mega Manila ratings, launched its latest franchise from Endemol, "Pinoy Dream Academy."

So what's the difference? Think of it as a combination of defunct Star Circle Quest, Search For A Star In A Million, and Pinoy Big Brother. It is a talent search wherein the candidates are housed in a "academy" filled with spycams. Different musical training will be held in the academy and will have a talent show (and elimination) on weekends

The introduction of a show similar to Pinoy Big Brother may cause the audition for PBB's second season to halt. And what of SFASIAM? Maybe that will go, too, and it will be retitled "Search For A Star In A Million In Pinoy Dream Academy."

ABS-CBN may claim that this was planned early on, that it has nothing to do with ABC's introduction of Philippine Idol, but it cannot be helped that they are desperate to pull Philippine Idol down (especially when they realized how so many people flocked at the auditions), like a bully picking on nerds at the locker room.

And you know what they say about Filipino culture that we always root for the underdog.