Muling binalikan ng beteranang brodkaster na si Mel Tiangco ang masakit na karanasan niya nang biglang itigil sa ere ang pagsasahimpapawid ng kanyang drama anthology sa GMA-7 na Magpakailanman (MPK) noong taong 2007.
Ang MPK ay nagsimula sa ere noong November 2002.
Monday telecast pa ito noon, bagamat ibinabalita nang magiging pantapat ito sa long-running drama anthology ng ABS-CBN na Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK), hosted by Ms. Charo Santos-Concio at umeere twing Huwebes ng gabi.
Naikuwento ito ni Mel sa mediacon ng 23rd annniversary ng Magpakailanman nitong nakaraang Lunes, November 24, 2025.
Aniya, "It was a time when we were brought back on the air.
"Of course, you know that we were off-the-air for..."
Nawala sa ere ang Magpakailanman sa loob ng limang taon dahil daw sa utos ng dating GMA-7 SVP for Entertainment TV na si Wilma Galvante.
Saad ni Mel: "Basta we were off the air. We were off the air because, according to Mrs. Galvante... Sabi niya, at that time, it was already...
"Ang ano daw, ang uso na noon, ang genre, you know, at that time was ano, contest. Television na mga contest.
"Parang drama medyo... parang ayaw na daw ng drama. Of course, I cried. I cried and cried.
"Not in front of Wilma, not the type to cry publicly, you know? But I cried. I kept it in my heart, okay? Because, I didn't think it was true.
"I think people have different taste, in my mind. You know? But, you know, at hindi isa lang yung klase ng genre na magugustuhan ng televiewers.
"You know, in my mind, it was always, 'But people will always appreciate a drama.'
"You know, true-to-life story. Basta iyan, ikot sa... ikot sa utak ko talaga.
"Di ako nakakatulog, 'Why do they say na ano? Na game shows na ang ano?'
"Anyway, so of course, hindi mo naman puwedeng labanan ang network, di ba?"
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THE RETURN OF MAGPAKAILANMAN IN 2012
Pero laking gulat daw ni Mel na noong 2012—o limang taon matapos mamahinga ang Magpakailanman—lumapit sa kanya ang noo'y GMA-7's assistant vice-president for drama na si Redgie Acuña Magno.
Ipinag-utos daw ng GMA Network CEO and Chairman na si Atty. Felipe Gozon (FLG) na buhayin muli ang show.
Pagpapatuloy ni Mel: "But after several years, si Redgie naman ang nag-ano sa akin.
"Redgie: 'Gusto ni FLG. Sabi ni FLG....'
"Ganun, oh. Well, FLG of course represents... Atty. Gozon, who fights him? He always gets what he wants. Parang ganun.
"'He wants you back on Magpakailanman.' 'What?'
"So, parang ano ako... Parang, 'Ayaw ko nga. Tatanggalin niyo tapos ibabalik niyo? Para naman kaming ano... para namang kaming busabos na, tapos ka na.'
"You know, yung siyempre... you know, tao lang ako. You know... I was harboring certain... tampo, ganyan.
"But as I said, FLG will get what he wants. And so we are back.
"That is the biggest milestone—when Magpakailanman was brought back on the air. And they just said that...
"And it has been there since... Ilan taon na tayo ngayon?
"Oh! Tignan mo nga naman. Thirteen years na pala. Akala ko ten years lang. So now we have been on the air for 13 years."
Ang ibig sabihin ni Mel ay 13 taon na ang nakalilipas mula nang bumalik sila sa ere noong 2012.
Dagdag pang tanong ng Manila Standard entertainment editor na si Nickie Wang: Naisip ba niyang tatagal sila ng lagpas sa dalawang dekada (2002-2025)?
Tugon ni Mel: "I did not think about that. Well, I didn't think about that because I guess when you love what you're doing, you just flow with it. You know?
"Hindi, hindi ka naglalagay ng limit, di ba?
"Hindi ka magli-limit, 'Ay, 23 years lang ako dito. Ay, ganun.' Hindi ganun, e.
"You just want it to flow. You did your best and the hope is always there, you know, that you continue with what you do."
Nagpasalamat naman si Mel sa suporta ng lahat at nagtagal sila ng 23 taon sa ere.
Sabi niya: "Siyempre, hindi natin maaalis, 'no, we thank God for this and I am one to believe that, everything that happens, 'no, to this world, at to us, is willed by the Lord.
"Lord, thank you very, very much.
"GMA also is there. But not only GMA, it's the support of the advertising industry.
"Alam mo naman dito sa trabaho namin, pag hindi ka bumenta, you are out.
"Kahit na magaling ka, kahit na maganda, kahit na nagri-rate. Kahit na nagri-rate ka, e.
"Siyempre, you have to accept that. It is a business. Pag hindi ka kumita, e, tapos na. Tapos na buhay mo.
"So what does that mean? That means that for all these years, 23 years, the show was earning for the company, di ba?
"Naa-appreciate kami ng advertising industry. But more than that, more than all of that, it's the televiewers who appreciate us most, di ba?
"So, sikreto ba yun? Hindi sikreto yun. Hindi sikreto. That's how the business goes.
"That is how this industry goes, 'no."
Hindi rin nakalimutang banggitin ni Mel ang mga manonood ng programa.
Aniya: "So I would like to think it is because the televiewers see that Magpakailanman, Magpakailanman loves them.
"Mahirap iano, ipaliwanag 'no? Pero nakikita na nila that this is the show that is really for them, that is really after what is good for them.
"It is a show that really gives them inspiration. It is a show that is really true, that has the credibility, that does not exploit, you know?
"At hindi siya yung nagyayabang lang, but really, if Magpakailanman was a human being, Magpakailanman loves them truly."
Mapapanood ang two-part anniversary special ng Magpakailanman sa Sabado, November 29, 8:15 ng gabi.
Ang una, Ang Babae sa Likod ng Krimen, at pangalawa, sa December 6, Ang Babae sa Death Row.
Magbibida sa dalawang episodes sina Mikee Quintos at Beauty Gonzalez kasama sina Sharmaine Arnaiz, Shamaine Buencamino, Sef Cadayona, Mia Pangyarihan, Jenzel Angeles, at Gina Alajar.
Ito ay mula sa pagtitimon ng award-winning director na si Zig Dulay.
Read: "Magpakailanman" airs its last original episode
Mapapanood naman ang "Real Talk" interview ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) kay Mel, kung saan marami pa siyang rebelasyon tungkol sa Magpakailanman, sa kanyang pag-iyak noon, at mga pinagdaanan para maabot ng kanilang programa ang 23 taon.