Just like everything else, public service shows are also shifting from free TV to digital. Enter 'Itanong Natin Kay Dok Larry', a medical public service show that takes the place of its predecessors, this time mixing narrative and interactive formats, and it will be shown on-demand on YouTube.
"Dok Larry", or Dr. Lawrence Sembrano in real life is a health specialist based in Our Lady of Grace Hospital in Caloocan City. He specializes in Occupational Medicine. If he looks familiar, it is because he appeared as a supporting cast, as a doctor of course, in hit primetime show 'Batang Quiapo'.
Now, Dok Larry produces his own series which will be presented in a sitcom format. This is to help explain the most common of medical situations and challenges for Filipinos in a comedic, short, entertaining but informative approach. The episodes will be around 20 to 25 minutes, bite-sized almost, but it will be filled with medical scenes that will be useful in our daily lives.
For its first 8 episodes, the show will tackle leading medical issues and top reasons for hospitalization in the country like dengue, pneumonia, asthma, diabetes and animal bites. It plans to take on even sensitive issues like HIV in its future episodes.
Together with Dok Larry Sembrano, the show's narrative will revolve around the lives of its main characters which will be portrayed by Divine Villareal, Enki Gray, Tabs Sumulong and many others. The show is directed by Roman Perez Jr. who has to look back on his experiences in co-directing episodes for TV gems 'Maalala Mo Kaya' and 'Ipaglaban Mo' in creating this digital series.
For Dok Larry, the presence of medical TV shows like 'Salamat, Dok', 'Healing Galing', 'The Doctor is In', among others are significant in shaping the public's perception towards science-based medicine. As a country dependent also on traditional medicine like albularyo (herbalist) and other rural practices that are mostly derived from folkloric beliefs, reliable and informative medical shows shoves more trust on evidence-back health interventions.
'Itanong Natin Kay Doc Larry' premieres on its YouTube channel, with view bits and announcements on its Facebook and TikTok account, on June 13 at 4PM.