STARRING the Muhlach showbiz family — namely Aga Muhlach, wife Charlene Gonzalez, and their children Atasha and Andres — as the Persival family that owns a bakery, TV5’s Da Pers Family aims to introduce their collective star power in the beloved sitcom format.
“Masaya ako na mapapanod ng bagong henerasyon ang sitcom na ginagawa namin. Dati, araw-araw, puro sitcoms ang pinapalabas at iyon ang bumubuhay sa industriya (I’m glad that the new generation can watch the kind of sitcoms we used to make. Before, sitcoms would be broadcast every day, and the industry used to survive on them),” Aga Muhlach, the show’s lead actor and producer, said at its press launch on July 15.
“It’s nice to bring it back, that chill and simple kind of laughter,” he added.
Da Pers Family follows the couple as they run their struggling bakery, The Bake Haus of You, with the help of their twin children. Conflict brews when a former friend — played by Roderick Paulate — tries to drive them out of business. Other members of the cast include Bayani Agbayani as a good friend and Ces Quesada as the family’s lively matriarch.
Ms. Gonzalez-Muhlach told the press that the four of them had only done commercials together in the past, and that this was their first big showbiz project.
“We sheltered Andres and Atasha from public life for as long as we could. We took this chance, the first and only time that we did this, together,” she said.
On the 22-year-old twins entering the show business, she added, “The decision came from them. They were curious about it and are comfortable in the world they are entering.” It is Andres’ first acting gig, while Atasha has been co-hosting the lunchtime variety show Eat Bulaga and starring in limited series on TV5 since 2023.
Da Pers Family also marks the first time that Aga Muhlach has reunited with sitcom That’s My Doc co-actors Mr. Paulate and Mr. Agbayani, director Danni Caparas, and head writer Rhandy Reyes.
As the producer, Mr. Muhlach asked them to be part of the show.
“Ngayon ko lang naranasan na si Aga mismo ang tumawag at nag-request na makasama ko siya sa isang project. Hindi puwedeng humindi nang ganoon (It’s my first time to have Aga himself call me and request for me to join him in a project. It’s impossible to say no to that),” said Mr. Paulate.
In keeping with the style of 1990s sitcoms, Da Pers Family revolves around the Persival household, the little neighborhood they live in, and a wacky cast of characters that all live there. Mr. Agbayani said that it was intentional to have a mix of veteran and new-generation actors populate this space.
“It was my first time to be a creative consultant on the show,” he told the press. His biggest contribution is the title, which he thought of after many rejections by Mr. Muhlach. “Noong sinabi ko iyong ‘Pers’ family, doon lang nag-click (When I suggested ‘Pers’ family, that’s when it clicked).”
The Muhlach twins said that it was fun to act in a sitcom which is like “its own mini village,” though for one twin the pressure to perform is greater.
“For a first-timer — first time acting, first time delivering lines — you did very well,” Atasha Mulach told her brother. She added that Da Pers Family was a “great opportunity that we were super excited to take.”
Meanwhile, the younger Mr. Mulach said he was grateful that his first time in front of the TV camera was with people he loved as well as more experienced people that he admired. “It was easy to work with them because I’m comfortable with them,” he said.
Also in the cast are Heart Ryan, Chad Kinis, Kedebon Colim, and Sam Coloso.
Da Pers Family premieres on July 21 at 7:15 p.m., with new episodes airing every Sunday, with reruns on Mondays on the Sari-Sari Channel at 7 p.m. — Brontë H. Lacsamana