The T.G.I.S. Cast Reunites in a Netflix Holiday Special

After 30 years, the cast of the ’90s youth-oriented show is coming back in an episode of a Netflix special

If you were a kid or teen in the ’90s who planned weekends around Thank God It’s Sabado (T.G.I.S.), this December might feel a little extra special.

Netflix has officially announced that members of the iconic youth-oriented show will reunite in Paskong Pinoy, a holiday anthology set to premiere on December 3. For many Filipino families, it’s more than just a casting reveal—it’s a long-awaited homecoming.

The announcement was made during a Netflix presentation on Monday, February 9, with director Mark Reyes—who helmed T.G.I.S. and the Encantadia franchise—taking the stage alongside original cast members Angelu de Leon, Bobby Andrews, and Rica Peralejo. Also part of the reunion are Michael Flores, Ciara Sotto, Bernadette Allyson, and Polo Ravales.

Their episode, titled “The Last New Year in Boracay,” is still largely under wraps, but a short teaser released on Instagram offered a glimpse of what’s to come.

“Faces you love and miss, surrounding you all over again in the sweetest reunion. That’s what Filipino Christmas is all about,” the caption read—and for fans who grew up with the barkada, it hit exactly where it was meant to.

Beyond the T.G.I.S. reunion, Paskong Pinoy will feature four holiday stories in total, with Barbie Forteza and Enchong Dee starring in another episode of the anthology.

Direk Mark on Coming Full Circle

Following the announcement, Direk shared how personal the project is for him—both as a creator and as someone who witnessed the cultural impact of T.G.I.S. firsthand.

“I can’t believe I can say that out loud now,” he said. “My first creative venture as a series creator, writer, director, and showrunner is Netflix Philippines Originals’ first holiday anthology, Paskong Pinoy.”

One of the four films, he confirmed, fulfills a promise decades in the making.

“We will give you four films all about the Filipino Christmas. One of which fulfills a promise to bring back the ‘old’ (pun intended)—T.G.I.S. barkada for a reunion project 30 years in the making.”

Produced alongside Lucid Dreams Creatives and The Green Phoenix Project, Reyes hinted that this collaboration is only the beginning.

Words from the T.G.I.S kids themselves

During the presentation, Bobby Andrews—forever remembered as Joaquin Torres—acknowledged the generational bond the cast shares with their audience.

“If you grew up in the Philippines in the ’90s,” he said with a smile, “you know who we are.” The room responded with knowing laughter and applause.

Angelu de Leon, who played Peachy Real and now serves as a Pasig City councilor, later took to Instagram to express what the reunion meant after years of anticipation.

“This Monday hits differently,” she wrote. “When we can finally share with everyone what we’ve been keeping to ourselves since last year. Thirty years in the making.”

“Tama si Direk kanina,” she added. “When he whispered, ‘In God’s perfect time.’”

Rica Peralejo echoed the sentiment, reflecting on how the reunion mirrors the season it’s meant to celebrate.

“There are two unique gifts God has given me in this lifetime,” she shared. “The first was being able to live again with my siblings as though we were back in our childhood home. The second is this—to relive the work and company I once shared with these familiar faces.”

“Very much like a family,” she continued, “they’ve seen me as a child. Now, we come together again as men and women.”

Why T.G.I.S. Still Matters

Launched in 1995, T.G.I.S.—directed by Dominic Zapanta and Mark Reyes—became a defining show for a generation, launching the careers of Angelu de Leon, Bobby Andrews, Red Sternberg, Raven Villanueva, and Michael Flores. Ciara Sotto, Rica Peralejo, and Onemig Bondoc later joined the cast, further expanding the barkada audiences grew to love.

Its success led to a second generation of T.G.I.S. led by Dingdong Dantes and Antoinette Taus, as well as spin-offs like Growing Up and Ten Gen, which explored adulthood, heartbreak, and single parenthood—topics that now resonate deeply with the same viewers who once watched as teens.

Thirty years on, with families of their own and memories layered with time, the reunion arrives not just as fan service, but as a reminder: some stories grow up with us—and come back when we need them most.

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