The First and True Home of Asianovelas

The First and True Home of Asianovelas is a defunct programming block of ABS-CBN that was composed primarily of Filipino-dubbed "Asianovelas", a local term for dramas produced in Asian countries. The first Asian drama aired on ABS-CBN was the Taiwanese "Meteor Garden", which premiered on May 5, 2003. The Asian drama block was dissolved on May 5, 2020 after ABS-CBN ceased its free-to-air broadcast operations as ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida. In spite of the rejection of franchise renewal by the House Committee of 18th Congress on July 10, 2020, ABS-CBN continues to air the Asian drama block on pay cable and satellite via Kapamilya Channel and online platform via iWantTFC.
History.
Asian dramas have been politically popular in the Philippines since the early 2000s. Huge demands from Filipino viewers prompted Philippine TV stations to import Chinese and South Korean programs.
In 2003, ABS-CBN started airing Taiwanese dramas with the successful "Meteor Garden" and its sequel. In 2004, ABS-CBN introduced the Korean dramas to the Filipino viewers beginning with "The Truth", "Four Sisters", and "Lovers in Paris". In the past decade, ABS-CBN has aired a numerous score of Korean dramas including "Lovers in Paris", "Only You", "Green Rose", "My Girl", "Princess Hours", "Spring Waltz", "Boys Over Flowers", "He's Beautiful", "Cinderella's Sister", "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho", "Pure Love", "City Hunter", "Dream High", "Two Wives", "To the Beautiful You", "Missing You", "The Love Story of Kang Chi", "Crazy Love", and "The Heirs".
In 2015, ABS-CBN aired "Fated to Love You", "Unforgettable Love", "Let's Get Married", and "My Lovely Girl". The Asian drama block was discontinued in June 2015.
In 2016, ABS-CBN only aired one Korean drama, "My Love Donna", which premiered on March 14, 2016 but was cancelled on April 8, 2016, making it the first Asian drama abruptly announced its "last two days" of airing. In the same year, ABS-CBN TVplus' digital channel CineMo! began airing Korean dramas with "Blood", "You're All Surrounded", "Blade Man", and "Orange Marmalade".
In 2017, Korean dramas had a successful return to ABS-CBN with "Love in the Moonlight", ', "Legend of the Blue Sea", "Weightlifting Fairy", and '. In the same year, CineMo! aired more Korean dramas like "Doctor Stranger", "Hyde, Jekyll, Me", "Sensory Couple", "Signal", and "The K2".
In 2018, ABS-CBN boosts permanent Korean programming with "Black", "The King is in Love", "I am Not a Robot", "W", "Doctor Crush", "Go Back Couple", "Hwayugi", "My Time with You", and "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", together with the "2018 Chinese remake of Meteor Garden". Meanwhile, ABS-CBN TVplus launched its digital channel Asianovela Channel on July 30, 2018, which aired more Korean dramas with "Bubble Gum", "High Society", "On the Way to the Airport", "Uncontrollably Fond", and "Woman with a Suitcase".
In 2019, Asianovela Channel obtained more Korean dramas with "Because This Is My First Life", "Cheongdam-dong Scandal", "Goodbye Mr. Black", "Live Up to Your Name", "Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter", "Mother", "Something in the Rain", "That Man Oh Soo", "The Good Wife", "Tomorrow, With You", and "Two Cops". On August 2019, Korean dramas returned again to ABS-CBN with "Encounter" and "Gangnam Beauty", followed by "Code Name: Terrius", "100 Days My Prince", "I Have a Lover", "Hotel del Luna", and "Touch Your Heart".
In the first quarter of 2020, ABS-CBN aired the final remaining Asian dramas on its main network: "", "Story of Yanxi Palace", "The Tale of Nokdu", and "Love in Sadness". On May 5, 2020, both ABS-CBN and Asianovela Channel went off the air due to the NTC and Solicitor General Jose Calida's cease-and-desist order following the expiration of the network's legislative franchise on May 4, 2020. "Love in Sadness" and "Story of Yanxi Palace" were both cancelled as a result. On June 1, 2020, Asianovela Channel resumed its operations. However, the channel permanently ceased broadcasting on June 30 due to the NTC's alias cease-and-desist order (ACDO) against ABS-CBN TVplus and all of its digital channels that are transmitted through Channel 43 frequency after the NTC was pressured by the House of Representatives of 18th Congress (including Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, and Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla) who are against the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. The NTC finally recalled all the frequencies and channels (including Asianovela Channel) assigned to ABS-CBN after the franchise renewal was rejected by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.
The Asian drama block continues to air on other platforms operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. On June 15, 2020, Korean cable dramas "Familiar Wife" and "The World of a Married Couple" made their debut on pay cable and satellite via Kapamilya Channel. The Thai boys' love drama "" premiered online via iWantTFC on June 28, 2020, making it the first BL series to be aired in Philippine television via Kapamilya Channel on July 27, 2020. Its sequel, "Still 2gether", was also aired on August 2020. Meanwhile, the previously cancelled Asian dramas "Love in Sadness" and "Story of Yanxi Palace" resumed airing on Kapamilya Channel, completing all the remaining episodes. Through a partnership agreement of ABS-CBN and GMMTV, more Thai series were introduced on iWantTFC such as "Come to Me", "I'm Tee, Me Too", "Dark Blue Kiss", "Theory of Love", "The Shipper" and "A Tale of Thousand Stars".
Current programs.
"Note:" Titles are listed in alphabetical order.
Upcoming programs.
"Note:" Titles are listed in alphabetical order, followed by the premiere date in parentheses.
Previous programs.
"Note": The following is a list of Asian dramas that originally aired first on each channels. Reruns are excluded in this section.
Local adaptations.
The success of Korean dramas prompted ABS-CBN to do teleserye remakes. The following Philippine adaptations are: