Top 10 Things that Always Happen in Filipino Teleseryes

Rags to riches, kabit confrontation scenes & “she’s alive all along” — Filipino teleserye tropes can be cringey AF. But you have to admit, the TV shows we have wouldn’t be as iconic without them! And if we’re being honest, we actually love watching all these cliches play out.

Here’s the Zoomers Corner-certified list of our favorite teleserye tropes from ABS-CBN primetime dramas since we sorta, kinda miss them already.

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1. There’s always a long-lost relative.

Luke, he is definitely not your father! More often than not in these teleseryes, the main character is usually *gasp* adopted. Bonus points if they are bastard child, or a result of infidelity.

2. Someone always says goodbye to poverty.

Ah, the classic “rags to riches” story. A teleserye just isn’t complete without it, right? This trope is sometimes to tied to the first one, as the main character realizes that they are actually an heir to a multi-million empire. More often than not, their long-lost parents are really loaded. I need this kind of luck in my life, please!

3. Someone cheats on somebody else…

You gotta love the irony of a heavily religious country loving kabit/mistress stories so much. Out of all the teleserye tropes we have in the list, this is the one that’s 100% without a shadow of a doubt, going to happen. Water is wet, grass is green, and someone’s going to be an unfaithful spouse. It’s just the law of nature.

4. … and there will be fights. Lots of them.

Oh my god, this is my personal favorite. If there’s anything that Filipino television does so well, it’s all these confrontation scenes where the wife has had enough of the mistress and goes after her. There’s at least one quotable quote in every fight that involves a mistress and a vengeful wife. The only thing better is if the women go after the cheating jerkface, too. But yes, please inject more of these into my system!

5. Siblings just cannot be friends.

Sibling love is basically disallowed in a teleserye; it’s just not entertaining enough. What makes us reach for our popcorn though, is jealous brothers or sisters of similar ages fighting over something — their parents’ affection, the family’s estate, the love of somebody. Whatever it is, you know it’s going to be good!

6. She’s dead, but not really.

Does anybody even believe in teleserye “death” scenes anymore? Well, I do… and the best part is getting so blindsided when the allegedly dead person rises from the ashes and comes back for some good ol’ revenge!

7. Someone’s getting kidnapped.

Teleserye villains are a whole ‘nother level of evil. You wouldn’t want to mess with them unless you want to end up in a white van with sketchy people. How do they have all these connections anyway?

8. There’s an unexpected pregnancy waiting to happen.

I can’t wait for the time where “birth control” makes its way to our list of Filipino teleserye tropes. Why these characters don’t know the concept of a morning-after pill or a condom, I will never know.

9. If there’s a party, there’s gonna be a fight.

There’s something oddly riveting about rich people in ball gowns and tuxedos screaming at each other. Some of the most iconic fights in teleseryes always happen in front of a big crowd at someone’s birthday or anniversary. And a drink being poured on the villain is just the perfect icing on the cake!

10. There’s no such thing as a happy wedding.

There are three sweet words that everyone likes hearing in a TV wedding: “itigil ang kasal”. Everyone knows that the only way to get married peacefully in a teleserye is by eloping! If you do a church wedding like all these fools, someone will always come out to interrupt the ceremony. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

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I know there are a lot of people who rag on Filipino teleserye tropes, but honestly, they’re pretty great when executed right. Besides, it’s not like shows from other countries don’t have their own set of cliches either. It’s just a matter of whether or not they make sense to the character and the story.

Did we miss a teleserye trope? Let us know in the comments below!

In the mood to watch something soapy after viewing these teleserye tropes? Check out our recommendation for the sexy Spanish drama you should be watching! Don’t forget to follow us @ZoomersCornerPH on Twitter to keep yourself updated on all things zoomer-related.