5 and Up - History

History

The idea of the program came from an eight-year-old little boy who used to stay up to watch The Probe Team, a multi-award-winning investigative television program. Zak Yuson, a nephew of The Probe Team's executive producer and head investigative journalist, Cheche Lazaro, came up with the idea of having kids as the show's reporters for one episode. Topics that would be featured would be ones interesting to children.

The producers liked the idea and aired one such episode in 1992. It featured three little kids: Zak Yuson, Nina Torres and Alwien Lacanilao reporting on the Aeta children, the Philippine eagle, and "dirty ice cream." The episode received rave reviews and feedback. The producers of the Probe Team then decided to spin off an entire program dedicated to kids, and 5 and Up was born. The program first aired on ABC-5 (now TV5) on a Saturday, and at 5 in the afternoon.

The program's running time was one hour, and took after the format of the Probe Team. The show featured three long segments of up to 12 minutes each, interspersed with spiels and skits that served as "breaks" for the viewers. Majority of the scripts were written in English. Stories were mostly shot in Manila. In the first season of the show, the kid reporters would meet in their tree house and discuss the week's stories. The tree house was actually a set built on a real mango tree in the executive producer's home.

The show had up to ten kid reporters, all taking turns doing long segments and spiels every week. They also conducted "story conferences" where each reporter would share his or her reactions on the different topics covered in the episode. Their ages ranged from nine to twelve years old. The first batch of 5 and Up reporters included the three kid-reporters who did the pilot episode on The Probe Team as well as fresh recruits Diego Maranan, Satin Abad, Luz Yballe, Pamela Cajilig, Maureen Araneta, Chuck Grey, Anya Benitez, Wilroy Dilao, Phoebe Cabaluna, Rupert Eustaquio, and Byron Abao.

After a year, the producers decided that it was time for some of the reporters to graduate and make way for new kid reporters. This was also due to the fact that it would be harder for the graduating reporters to balance taping for the show along with their studies (5 and Up kids were never encouraged to miss school). New reporters came in, some of whom would remain in the show for the next 3 years. They were: Atom Araullo, Carlo Mendoza, Alex Amado, Rex Sayson, Paolo, Tin Tin Leones, and Lily Anne Casimero. The show started receiving recognition from within and outside the Philippines.