GMA Network Defies the Conventional in ‘My Husband’s Lover’
“My Husband’s Lover” is not your usual boy-meets-girl soap. It’s a primetime series that tackles the topic of homosexual/bisexual relationship, something that’s never been done before by any local TV network in a teleserye. And the premise has a different kind of love triangle: The wife (Carla Abellana) fights for her husband (Tom Rodriguez) against his gay lover (Dennis Trillo).
Directed by Dominic Zapata, the Kapuso gay-themed series stirred strong reactions from netizens, mostly positive, when it premiered on primetime last night. As a matter of fact, it became one of the trending topics on Twitter Philippines:
The buzz is of course ignited by how the Kapuso Network puts the spotlight on homosexual relationship as portrayed by the lead characters in the series (Tom and Dennis).
In a pocket interview with bloggers at the GMA Network Bldg. on Monday, June 10, GMA program manager Helen Rose Sese said the series is not just about homosexuality.
“This show is not all about the relationship of two men (Tom and Dennis) but also the relationship of a daughter to her mother (Carla and Glydel) and other dynamics,” she said.
Sese made it clear that the show does not promote gay and lesbian relationship but more of reflecting what is actually happening in the society today like how a mother and father deal with a gay son, how a wife deals with an unrequited love from his husband who happens to have a different sexual preference and how a man who thought he can live a “normal” (heterosexual) life fails by following what his heart desires.
Is the Network ready to what the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) have to say about the drama series?
Sese said that the board did not put an exclamation point to the romantic scenes between Dennis and Tom. As a matter of fact, it’s the mother and daughter confrontation scene between Karel Marquez and Glydel Mercado that raised some eyebrows.
This is understandable because the production did not immerse on scenes that titillates as the affection between the male leads are implied – no torrid kissing and nude scenes needed to convey the story.
The MTRCB, however approved the airing of the show with an SPG (Striktong Patnubay at Gabay) rating on late primetime block (9:30 p.m.).
The program manager also said that they will not compromise the ending of the series regardless if the CBCP or any other religious and moralist groups say. The network has shown edgy drama series before like “Temptation of Wife” but responsibility will never be out of the equation.
“My Husband’s Lover” AVP:
“My Husband’s Lover” airs weeknights at 9:30 p.m. on GMA Telebabad.
Take a sneak peek on tonight’s (2nd) episode here:
Images/Videos courtesy of “My Husband’s Lover’s” Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/myhusbandslover