You probably may have heard of the Kaplan Heiress, a character from the hit vertical mini-series True Heiress vs. Fake Queen Bee making the rounds on video-sharing platforms, and going viral in December 2024. Among other things, it’s the series’ vertical orientation, similar to reels and TikTok videos, that has made it a hit.
Now, the same kind of vertically-framed shows have made its way to the Philippines, under the new streaming platform Beetzee Play, with its debut offering, Saving Sarah.
The show follows the story of Sarah, a small-town girl who moves to the big city to chase her dreams. She meets JC, a school heartthrob who is the wealthy heir to his family’s business empire. Their romance blossoms, but they face challenges due to class differences.
Starring Yuki Takahashi as Sarah and JC Alcantara as JC, this romance-comedy is directed by Alvin Richards and Barry Gonzalez, who previously helmed Vice Ganda’s Fantastica (2018).
@yukiitakahashiii Discover if true love can defy wealth and power in a tale of dreams and destiny. 🙈🫶🏼 Kick off your Feb-Ibig with the launch trailer of #SavingSarah , the first Pinoy vertical serye on the first piso serye platform in the Philippines! Piso lang ang kilig sa #BeetzeePlay Showing on February 14, 2025 Directed by Barry Gonzalez & Alvin R. Watch here : https://bzp.link #PisoSerye #Beetzeeplay #insidemaya #VerticalCinema #fyp #savingsarah #viraltiktok #SARAH ♬ original sound – Yukii Takahashi
“We [capitalized] on the sensibility of Filipinos pa rin. Wala kang binabago sa series, tuloy-tuloy tayo sa kuwento natin. Ang pinagkaiba lang kasi ay it’s vertical, yun yung medyo crucial talaga rito kasi in terms of framing,” the director explained.
(“We capitalized on the sensibility of Filipinos still.You’re not changing anything in the series, the story remains continuous. The only difference is that it’s vertical, that’s the most crucial part especially in terms of framing.”)
This new orientation makes films and series more suitable for mobile users, where viewers no longer need to tilt their phones to toggle the full-screen option. This makes it easier for on-the-go and casual viewing.
Gonzalez also shared that aside from his wishes for the success of Saving Sarah, he also hopes that this revolutionary take on broadcast media could provide more opportunities for the people in the industry.
“Ako kasi, galing from ABS-CBN, umiksi ‘yung mga palabas na nagagawa namin, dahil nga nag-shutdown. So yung mga tao nag-scatter din, so malaking bagay siya para sa industriya,” he said.
(“I’m from ABS-CBN, and the shows we produced became shorter following the shutdown. That’s why the people in the industry scattered, so this becomes important in the industry.”)
A whole new watching experience
Other than Saving Sarah, Beetzee Play is also offering over 30 other vertical series in their streaming roster, as part of their efforts to bring a “new era” of storytelling to the country.
They also emphasized their commitment to provide entertainment to Filipinos at a low cost, with each of their series costing only P1 per episode. Payments can be made through e-wallets like Maya and GCash.
The streaming platform also has discounts if you buy the series as a whole. For Saving Sarah, they are offering the first 5 episodes for free, so viewers can decide if they want to continue watching without having to commit to paying for anything yet.
“To be honest, we’re still on our training wheels. We’re still learning a lot as a new platform but we’re determined to bring you piso-sized stories with a million-peso feels,” Beetzee Play chief operating officer Daniel Lee mused.
Saving Sarah and the other verticals in the platform can now be watched on the Beetzee Play app, Maya stream tab, or via www.beetzeeplay.com. – Rappler.com