Kevin Jonas, happily ‘Married’

(Published Jan. 4, PDI-Entertainment)

By Oliver M. Pulumbarit

Contributor

Pop musician and actor Kevin Jonas is the latest celebrity to open his door to reality-show cameras, revealing his domestic life with wife Danielle for the E! program “Married to Jonas.”

“An opportunity presented itself … we did the pilot and it felt fun,” Jonas recently revealed to Asian periodicals during a phone interview. While the idea of sharing part of his home life with his wife was initially daunting, they ultimately felt that it was a worthwhile venture.

“It’s a decision we made together,” he said. “We ended up being happy. We learned a lot about each other. We thought we knew everything already.”

Jonas, 25, added that honesty is important in making “Married to Jonas” work. The eldest sibling of the pop trio Jonas Brothers, Kevin married Danielle Deleasa, a former hairdresser, in 2009.

Unlike other celebrity couples who previously starred in similar programs (Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson’s “Newlyweds,” and Britney Spears and Kevin Federline’s “Chaotic”), the Jonases’ relationship survived after making their reality show.

Jonas stressed that their longer, three-year marriage was crucial to the equation: “It did not work out so well for them as couples. Luckily, we had a couple of years of marriage under our belts. It’s a huge win for us. We knew what was going on and it worked out for the better.”

After finishing the first season, the Jonases became more communicative. “Things we thought we could just brush under the table in the past, we really have to talk about them now—you learn to communicate more on a sensitive level,” he said.

Taping episodes took about four months overall, but the process was quite different from previous projects involving the camera, according to Jonas. “Doing a show like this is very unique; you have to be prepared, honest, and vulnerable … what I learned was to try to relax and see what happens (next),” he said.

Currently recording an album with his brothers, he expressed optimism for other endeavors that he wishes to accomplish for himself. “I’ve got different things I’m working on,” he said. “Really, [I wish] to grow, to have fun, to live a fulfilled life and see the world… and make the most of these amazing opportunities that I’ve been given!”

“Married to Jonas” airs Sundays, 10 p.m. on E! Philippines.

Jack City launch

Solar Entertainment recently launched Jack City, a more drama-oriented spinoff to the successful, seven-year-old cable channel Jack TV. Both Jack channels will be sharing some ongoing shows, like the hit action series “Arrow,” starring Stephen Amell.

Launched in Taguig City December 2012, Jack City replaced Solar’s short-lived Chase channel, according to Jack TV’s marketing manager Lindsay Nicole Ngo. She said: “It was a management decision to expand the Jack brand because of its popularity. Jack City, which is on free TV, will be a general entertainment channel that’s more focused on drama—crime drama, procedural drama, action-drama.”

Its new shows include: “Elementary” (Mondays, 9 p.m.), starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, and “Vegas” (Thursdays, 9 p.m.), starring Michael Chiklis, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie-Ann Moss.

Jack City marketing manager Mark Andrew Suntay added that the expansion aims to appeal to a larger audience base: “Solar Entertainment comes up with channels that cater to very specific target markets. Jack City has the fun of Jack TV, but with more intelligent dramas. We’re looking now at the go-getter market, critical thinkers with discriminating tastes when it comes to their shows.”