There are so many reality shows on Philippine TV nowadays. We have StarStruck, Star in a Million, Star Circle Quest, Victim, Extra Extra, etc.

Foreign programs Survivor, American Idol, UK Pop Idol, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, etc. started it all. Filipinos saw the success of the genre and so local producers brought it to Philippine shores.

Me and my groupmates (also beloved friends) Mau and Tin wrote a junior thesis about Pinoy Reality TV. We did a cultural and marketing analysis of the success of reality-based artista searches Star in a Million and StarStruck. And we did well. It is such a fun and interesting topic. We learned a lot.

At first, the only reason why we followed Star in a Million was Christian Bautista. He is the brother of our kabarkada Joshua. So we showed support. Later on, in doing the paper, we grew to appreciate the artista search based on its own merit. It caters to the entertainment-loving culture of the Philippines and it reflects Filipino ideas, values, and emotions.

Now, I am watching a lot of reality shows. So I am doing a top ten anything special on it. Here are my ten bets for some reality programs.

Note: They are just the ones I like but not necessarily who I predict would win. Also, in some cases, the show has already finished so I will just say who was my favorite.

TTA6. FAVE REALITY TV SHOWS

1. Star Circle Kid Quest: Aaron He is sooooo cute! He is that little chubby boy who is so bibo. I hope he wins! I actually went against my mind telling me not to fall for the commercialist manipulations of the network and I voted for Aaron via text. Thrice. I just want to help him win. So adorable, I swear! If I get married and have a kid, I want him to be just like Aaron.

* I do not have a favorite among the girl kid questors.

2. Star Circle Teen Quest Male: Hero Angeles I am rooting for him because he was schoolmate and he is a really nice person. He was the artist in our school paper at the time that I was Features Editor and he was so shy and timid back then. Look at him now. He is confident. He has a lot of fans. Some of my friends even have a crush on him. Well, goodluck Hero!

3. Star Circle Teen Quest Female: Michelle She is pretty and lively. The best singer and dancer among the girls. She has lots of personality, spunky and fun. She has the X factor.

4. Star Circle Teen Quest Female: Roxanne I think that she is pretty too like Michelle. Plus, she has talent. She was one of the best in their TV reporting challenge. Her chemistry with Joross shows on the screen. They're really comfortable with each other. I'm betting they'll be a famous loveteam in the future.

5. StarStruck Teens: Jennylyn Mercado She is the Ultimate StarStruck Female Survivor! She deserves to win. My bet back then was right. She has a great voice.

* I do not have a fave among the boys and I do not follow the new StarStruck Kids. The Star Circle kids are cuter! Hehe... :)

6. Star in a Million Male: Christian Bautista Of course Christian is my favorite. As mentioned, he is the kuya of my friend Josh. He has a great voice. He has a unique voice. He shows charisma while singing. He has appeal. Even if he only placed fourth, I am sure that he will go far and his career will flourish. His debut song The Way You look at Me is a nice romantic ballad and it is doing well on the charts.

7. Star in a Million Female: Kyla Rivera I have watched Kyla sing a lot of times since we were both in BlueRep and TNT. Her voice is incredible. It is very girly and pure and simple. She was like an angel when she sang The Unexpected Song in a BlueRep production, Company Call. After hearing her version, it is now one of my favorite songs of all time. I feel bad that she got eliminated.

Okay, I can not have a reality TV bet list without including contestants I root for in some foreign reality shows that I really really like. So here goes.

8. For Love or Money 2: Chad I have been watching this dating game and it is quite addictive. It is interesting to see human nature at work. Will greed or will love win? I like Chad. Aside from being the cutest, he has proven himself to Erin through a lot of the challenges and the dates. I hope she picks him. And I hope he picks love. They could split the 2 million and it would be a win-win situation.

9. American Idol Male: George Huff Deep black soul! George Huff is definitely Idol material. And the thing I like most about him is that he has fun performing. He has got lots of personality. He lights up the stage. When George Huff sings, there is fire!

10. American idol Female: Jasmine Trias Aside from the fact that she is half-Filipina, I like this Hawaiian girl because she is a complete performer. She has the voice, she can belt those high notes. She has the looks, the flower she puts on her hair Hawaiian style makes her even prettier. She has the fashion sense. She has the moves, simple and alluring. She has the right attitude. Of course I do not know her but from what I see, she is down to earth and fun-loving.