Kimerald's 'Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin' did not disappoint in debut

MANILA - The reunion series of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson got off to a strong start Monday, with the debut episode handily winning the ratings battle against its rival show.

"Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin," about a messy love triangle between triathletes, scored a 17 percent national audience share, placing it above GMA 7's "Trops" which only managed 10.2 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

Its premiere also won the online war as it was the most talked about topic on Twitter even hours after it aired, with many giddy over seeing the popular tandem of Chiu and Anderson together again onscreen. Not counting a "Maalaala Mo Kaya" episode, this is the first series to feature the fan-favorite pair since 2013.

The morning timeslot was a concern for fans of Chiu and Anderson, who first met inside the "Pinoy Big Brother" house, but both actors have since promised to deliver a quality show for non-primetime viewers.

The pilot briefly introduced the lead characters Bianca (Chiu), Gabriel (Anderson), and Carlos (Jake Cuenca), all aspiring triathletes. Born to poor families, Gabriel and Bianca have to work extra harder to attain their dreams, while everything has been made ready for Carlos, whose affluent family can support his endeavors.

The series is produced by Dreamscape and is directed by Dan Villegas.

In other ratings news, Monday's "It's Showtime" garnered a national television rating of 16.3 percent, keeping its lead over "Eat Bulaga" (12.7 percent).