Casting matinee idols into a comedy show was the trend towards the 2000s, after the premiere male-oriented sitcom “Palibhasa Lalake” dictated the primetime surge for hot-looking men doing riotous rib-tickling scenes.

Yet when the show took a bow in the late 1990s, another set of three handsome idols took over the reins of providing much-needed laughs after your busy midweek schedules.

The three—Rico Yan, Marvin Agustin, and Dominic Ochoa—were actually co-stars in the youth-oriented weekend drama “Gimik“ from 1997 to 1999. And their friendship grew since then and became close buddies off-cam, even if all of them had prolific solo careers.

But when they were guest co-hosts of Megastar Sharon Cuneta’s weekly musical show in 2000, people noticed their fun rapport and chemistry in that one-off gig. It didn’t take long before ABS-CBN aired their spotlight talent series “Star Magic Presents“ that featured the three in its pilot comedy episode “Whattamen”. Because of its high ratings, Whattamen had a hit reprise a few months later in the series, sealing their fate as a superb comic trio.

ABS-CBN would then launch this wacky trio in the noontime show “Magandang Tanghali Bayan” in 2001, and drew an immense following. Then the network decided to make them star in their own comedy series, named “Whattamen”.

Take a look at their throwback photos in this gallery.