Just a thought: Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. – Jack Buck

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Iconic TV emcees: There used to be a special category in the field of entertainment reserved for emcees only.

They were in that special category by virtue of their wit, intelligence, their gift of gab, their spontaneity and candor. Television especially loved them as they charged the air with a combined mix of entertainment and information, beauty and glamour.

In memory, some of the best, the brightest hosts and interviewers who graced our TV screens from the 1960s when television was but a babe in the woods remain ensconced in their posts as icons of the industry.

At random, we remember some of them: Leila Benitez, Eddie Ilarde, Pepe Pimentel, Eddie Mercado, Elvira Manahan, Ariel Ureta, Tina Monzon Palma.

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New crop of TV hosts: Today, almost 60 years after television was introduced in the country, TV emcees have morphed into a different species. They are usually not just hosts of various programs, but are also into other parts, such as acting, singing, modelling, etc. They are also sometimes known as VJ’s or video jocks.

At GMA, a new crop of hosts/VJs is lighting up the TV screen, courtesy of GMA Artist Center. They add to the appeal of high-rated programs like “Unang Hirit,” “Party Pilipinas,” and “The Sweet Life.”

One of them is Regine Tolentino, who is back on the 10-year-old “Unang Hirit,” the longest-running morning program on Philippine TV. Character actress Luane Dy, who last year played support in the Anne Curtis starrer “The Wedding,” has likewise joined the UH gang of hosts.

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Bella, Grace & Steph: Another attraction, Bella Padilla, has shown her hosting ability upon joining the Sunday variety show “Party Pilipinas.” She is also part of the cast of the new drama series “Endless Love.”

Meanwhile, Korean expatriate Grace Lee is now a fixture on Pinoy TV. She landed her first hosting job in 2007 as segment host on Q Network’s lifestyle magazine show “The Sweet Life.”

Rounding up the pretty six are two personalities who have become familiar faces through the PLDT MyDSL campaign. Steph Henares and Gino Dela Peña are two techie celebrities cast by PLDT to model its products and services.

The tandem hosts “X-Life,” aired on Q channel every Wednesday at 10 p.m. with “Survivor Philippines” season 1 winner JC Tiuseco, himself not just a TV host but a fledgling actor and model as well.

Who among them will last in this business as hosts, bright and sparkling and durable through the years like their counterparts in previous eras?

(nescuar@yahoo.com)