Bituing Walang Ningning

Origin

The story started as a serialised comic strip by Nerissa Cabral. It was adapted into a movie in 1985 with the same title by Viva Films, directed by Emmanuel H. Borlaza and starred Sharon Cuneta as Dorina Pineda, Cherie Gil as Lavinia Arguelles, and Christopher de Leon as Nico Escobar. It was produced by Vic del Rosario, Jr.. The film became an instant hit, quickly developing a cult following and produced the popular line ""You're nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!", uttered in the film by Lavinia.

Television series

In 2006, ABS-CBN bought the rights from Nerissa Cabral to turn the film into a TV series. She agreed to do the remake with the conditions of Sarah Geronimo portraying the role of Dorina Pineda and that the story will stay true to the fan-star relationship depicted in the original story.

Synopsis

Emilio and Rosa Mia are a loving couple expecting their first child. Rosa Mia is a devout, aspiring singer, who works at cheap bars to earn a living while Emilio is a security guard where Rosa Mia works. When the bar owner learns of their relationship and Rosa Mia’s pregnancy, a talk show host fires them from the club leaving them jobless and destitute yet optimistic.

One night, as Emilio was out seeking employment, Rosa Mia goes into labour. With no one around, she runs outside and into the pouring rain to get to the hospital. Fortunately, Emilio arrives and sees Rosa Mia struggling, but Rosa Mia already gives birth in the street to a baby girl they name Emilia Rose.

Emilia Rose becomes a sickly child, developing lung problems which brings her in and out of hospital. Rising medical bills force a desperate Rosa Mia to accept a month-long singing engagement in Cebu, leaving Emilio to care for the baby on his own. He brings Emillia Rose with him out on his new job as a security guard in another club. On one occasion, Emilio's boss has him deliver a package to a different club, so he leaves the baby with his acquaintance Adora, a rose seller in the red light district of Malate. Adora agrees to mind the baby for a few minutes, waiting outside the club for Emilio's return. Unbeknownst to Adora, Emilio is arrested inside the club because the package turns out to filled with drugs. Adora waits all night for Emilio, who never returns, and brings the baby home with her.

The loss of Emilia Rose and Emilio’s imprisonment lead to bitterness and estrangement between Emilio and Rosa Mia. Adora has meanwhile grown to love the baby and decides to raise her as her own, calling her Adorina, or "Dorina" for short. Meanwhile, with the loss of her child, Rosa Mia throws herself into her music and is discovered by Lauro Calma, a record producer. He develops Rosa Mia into a star, asking her not to reveal that she is married and a mother. Rosa Mia agrees, and soon rises to fame as the "Sensational Diva". Dorina meanwhile grows up to be happily with Adora, and both become avid fans of Rosa Mia.

Meanwhile, Lavinia, an up-and-coming singer, emerges on the scene. Her ambitious mother, Barbara, tells Lavinia to befriend Rosa Mia to boost her popularity. Lonely and vulnerable, Rosa Mia takes Lavinia under her wing, seeking a replacement for her lost daughter. With Rosa Mia’s help, Lavinia also becomes very popular, which is not enough for Barbara who wants Lavinia to be on top. Barbara connives with Larry Calma, the son of Rosa Mia’s manager, Lauro.

Larry wants to prove himself to his father so he handles Lavinia and connives with Barbara to knock off Rosa Mia from the top spot, leaving Lavinia as the ultimate and most popular singer. Through intrigue and character assassination, they succeed in causing Rosa Mia to fall from grace, bereft of her reputation and popularity. Rosa Mia decides to leave show business and returns to singing in small clubs.

Soon, Dorina begins to idolize Lavinia. She goes to her every concert, show and personal appearances to catch a glimpse of her idol and offer her Sampaguita. But Dorina also loves to sing. With the help of Adora and her best friend Oman, Dorina joins singing contests until she eventually wins in a nationwide and televised singing contest. She gains the attention of all, including Nico Escobar, the boyfriend of Lavinia.

Nico is in love with Lavinia, but it becomes clear that Lavinia is too involved in her career. She refuses to marry him, fearing that doing so would damage her popularity. Bitter and angry, Nico wants to show Lavinia that her career should not be top priority in her life, so he plans to develop another singer as Lavinia's rival to supplant her. Nico uses Dorina to accomplish this, and with his friend Zossimo, sets up Zoni Records to develop Dorina’s singing career. Dorina soon finds herself admiring Nico and developing feelings for him, but she does not know how Nico feels about her. Dorina’s interest in Nico comes as a blow to her best friend Oman and her bandmate Gary, both of whom are in love with Dorina.

Dorina gains fame, causing Lavinia to see her as a threat. After a big event, Lavinia becomes so enraged by Dorina’s great performance and attention of all that she attacks Dorina and calls her a copycat, spurring the latter to fight back. Nico and Zossimo find a song once composed by Rosa Mia before she left the music scene. They buy rights to the song from Rosa Mia and ask her to help Dorina with her singing. At first, Rosa Mia refuses after what happened with Lavinia, but she eventually relents and agrees to help her out. They soon become close, not knowing of their real relationship.

Not long after, Emilio is released from prison, and he sets out to find Adora and his daughter. He later succeeds, only to learn that his daughter is now Dorina, the singer he had been admiring while still in jail. Emilio decides not to tell Dorina of their true relationship for fear of ruining her career, but to be close to his daughter, he takes on a job as her chauffeur and bodyguard.

Dorina eventually knows her real parents, and at the last concert her emotions flow to the last song. Rosa Mia and Emilio are reunited, Adora is gone, while Nico forgives Lavinia, and Oman and Dorina become a couple.

Ratings

Bituing Walang Ningning garnered 29.2% (Mega Manila) for its pilot episode against its rival show Extra Challenge, which garnered 32% on the same day. The show continued to plunge down and soar up from the low to high 20s, and was pitted against many Telefantasyas, such as Captain Barbell after Extra Challenge ended. Although it was ABS-CBN's highest rated show for almost all of its run in Mega Manila Area, it was constantly beaten by programs on GMA Network. However, for its final episode, Bituing Walang Ningning shot up to 34.8% making it a stagering success against its GMA 7 counterpart "Atlantika" which got 26% allowing the TV series to be no.1 for its final episode challenging GMA Network's dominance in Mega Manila Area. In the nationwide ratings, released by AGB Nielsen Phils., Bituing Walang Ningning became the 2nd highest rating TV show for the year 2006, garnering a whopping 45.1%, with the a daily ratings of 40% and above.

In Mega Manila, its highest rating is 35.6%, the lowest was 25.3% with an average of 29.7%. While in Nationwide ratings, its highest rating was 48.3% while the lowest was 36.4%, and the average of 42.5%.

Weekly ratings (Mega Manila)

Source: AGBNMR Philippines

Cast

The following table summarizes the main cast.

Differences in the television series

A number of plot and character differences were introduced in the TV version, in part to extend the limited story line of the movie:

Trivia about the TV series

Soundtrack

The Bituing Walang Ningning soundtrack is jointly produced by Viva Records and Star Records. The soundtrack was released in May 2006, before the series began airing and features performances by cast members. The album reached Gold status selling more than 15,000 copies nationwide.

The tracks in the original soundtrack are:

1. Bituing Walang Ningning – Sarah Geronimo
2. Sana'y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan – Zsa Zsa Padilla
3. Nasaan Ka Man – Zsa Zsa Padilla and Sarah Geronimo
4. Miss na Miss Kita – Angelika dela Cruz
5. Dito Ba – Sarah Geronimo and Angelika dela Cruz
6. Hold On – Chris Cayzer
7. Kanta Tayo – Ai-Ai de las Alas
8. Bakit Ba Ganyan – Carlo Aquino
9. Missing You – Jay Perillo
10. Bituing Walang Ningning (Radio Edit)

The soundtrack was repackaged in July 2006 and re-released with two additional tracks:

1. Felt So Right – Sarah Geronimo
2. Million Miles Away – Sarah Geronimo