Lunch Date
| Lunch Date | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Variety show |
| Developed by | GMA Network |
| Starring | See hosts |
| Country of origin | Philippines |
| Original language(s) | Filipino |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Release | |
| Original network | GMA Network |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| Original release | March 10, 1986 – March 19, 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Student Canteen |
| Followed by | SST: Salo-Salo Together |
Lunch Date was a Philippine noon time variety show aired by GMA Network from March 10, 1986 to March 19, 1993.
Lunch Date started airing in early 1986 following its predecessor Student Canteen, bowed out on the air shortly after the People Power Revolution. Its original hosts were Orly Mercado, Rico J. Puno, Toni Rose Gayda and Chiqui Hollmann. The show originally aired from Studio A of the old GMA building in EDSA, but moved to the GMA Broadway Centrum in 1987, the first of GMA's programs to do so.
When the show was reformatted after a year, it only retained both Gayda and Hollman and brought in a mix of old and new faces to host the show, including Randy Santiago, Keno, Lito Pimentel, Tina Revilla, Pilita Corrales, Louie Heredia, Sheryl Cruz, Jon Santos, Dennis Padilla, Fe Delos Reyes, Manilyn Reynes, Willie Revillame and Ai Ai de las Alas.
Lunch Date was involved in a ratings battle with Eat Bulaga! (now on GMA Network), which between 1986 and 1993, was airing on RPN and then transferred to ABS-CBN in 1989, and then to GMA in 1995, one and a half year after it ended.
Modus Operandi - a daily comedy sketch segment, performed by the hosts and featuring a storyline that runs all week. The storylines provided were mostly spoofs on Pinoy pop culture and everyday life. This was the show's answer to Bulagaan, the segment of its rival show Eat Bulaga! (which aired on ABS-CBN at that time) and Kalatog Pinggan.
Ulat Panggulat - a twice-a-week news segment where an obnoxious reporter, Jon Baluga (a character developed by Jon Santos), goes anywhere in Metro Manila just to report about anything that is remotely newsworthy. It established Santos' popularity that he later co-starred with Joey de Leon (also of Eat Bulaga) in the movie Tangga en Chos.
Bonggang Beautician - a comedy spoof of a beauty pageant, solely dedicated to gay beauticians.
Mr. Dreamboy - inspired from Sheryl Cruz's hit single of the same title, handsome men battled it out for a chance to become a member of GMA's teen variety show That's Entertainment.
Munting Mutya Philippines - a nationwide child-star talent search, where little girls showcase their wit and talent.
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