MANILA — Judy Ann Santos’ teleserye comeback, “Starla,” has proven to be a big hit since its October 2019 debut, but unlike other primetime programs, its success has not translated to an extended run.

According to Santos, the Dreamscape Entertainment production has always been meant to air for only one season. She recalled, in a press conference on Monday for “Starla’s” January 10 finale, that when the project was pitched to her, its ending had already been finalized.

“At that time, napapagod na ‘yung mga tao sa sobrang mahahabang teleserye. ‘Di ba, ‘pag highlight na, tapos in-extend, bababa, bababa, tapos mahirap na siyang iakyat ulit — which nangyari rin sa akin a lot of times,” Santos began, referring to television ratings sometimes determing story arcs and the length of a show.

Santos, regarded as local showbiz’s “Teleserye Queen,” made her soap opera debut in 1988 and has since led the cast of over a dozen ABS-CBN series.

“When they presented ‘Starla’ to me, aaminin ko naman, sabi ko, ‘One season lang ba talaga ‘to?’ Kasi, halimbawa, ‘pag bumababa ‘yung rating ng teleserye, ang bagsak naman noon, hindi sa istorya, sa artista, eh,” she explained.

“Noong pag-present pa lang sa akin, buo na ‘yung istorya, may ending na talaga siya. Hindi siya cliffhanger na, ‘Bahala na, titingnan natin kung ano ‘yung magiging gusto ng mga tao,’” Santos went on.

In “Starla,” Santos portrays Teresa, who grew up orphaned and believing her father, Greggy (Joel Torre), had abandoned her. Early in the series, Teresa is bent on owning Barrio Maulap, her hometown which she only regards with bitterness because of her tragic past.

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She, however, eventually forms warm relationships with the residents, with the help of runaway orphan Buboy (Enzo Pelojero), whom the recluse Greggy took in. Further, Teresa manages to forgive Greggy, paving the way for a new start as a family.

Once a mysterious source of abundance for residents of Barrio Maulap, the titular wishing star (Jana Agoncillo) also comes to the fore, but is captured by a bigger threat than Teresa’s past grudge — her former assistant, Dexter (Joem Bascon).

Since its primetime debut, “Starla” has steadily grown its viewership, peaking at 29.2% in nationwide ratings, according to Kantar Media.

Santos, whose portrayal of the once-vindictive Teresa has been credited as a draw for viewers, said the creative team behind the series deserve equal praise.

In particular, she described director Onat Diaz as her “guiding light” in giving a nuanced performance as Teresa.

“Naka-pacing, naaral, naitrabaho namin ni Direk Onat… For the first few taping days, hirap na hirap ako dito kasi bumibitaw ako sa character. He had to remind me kung ano ‘yung pinaghuhugutan ng character ko,” she said.

She then narrated the filming of a scene with Torre, her onscreen father, where she had to calibrate how Teresa would react to seeing him.

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“Kailangan iba ‘yung tingin ko sa kaniya, hindi galit, may pain pero ang daming levels. Ang lumalabas lang sa akin, galit, so iyon ang kailangan ko aralin. I had to restrain myself from too much anger, and kailangan ko maglabas ng kaunting emosyon,” she recalled.

That “Starla” had over a year-long gap between the start of its production (June 2018) and actual premiere (October 2019), only stood to benefit the project, including Santos’ “studied” take on her character.

Santos said she hopes the same will be the case for her future undertakings a teleserye lead with ABS-CBN. She recounted that when she filmed 2018’s “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes” and 2019’s “Mindanao,” she was wholly devoted to each, and did not have to juggle another role in a concurrent project.

This year, Santos is already committed to doing two film projects, but is not discounting the possibility of starring in another Kapamilya series.

“Ang hiling ko lang naman sa ABS-CBN, is to give me six months ahead na lead time to prepare. Kasi, sa panahon ngayon, gusto ko sa bawat project na gagawin ko, nabibigay ko nang buong-buo ‘yung performance. Hindi ko na kaya ‘yung si-segue ako from one character to another, to another, to another,” Santos said.

Santos, 41, also brought up her family as a top priority. She has three children with her husband, TV host Ryan Agoncillo.

“Nalulungkot ako ‘pag hindi ko sila nakikita. Iyon ang realization ko, nitong nakaraang mga taon: I work hard, but I don’t see them often. It’s useless, parang walang sense ‘yung ginagawa ko, kasi hindi ako happy na hindi ko nakikita ‘yung mga anak ko growing up,” she said.