By NEIL RAMOS
It looks like GMA7 is continuing with seeming Bible-centric shows. Well, at least based on the title of its new primetime offering “Cain At Abel.”
Note the network prior aired “Ika-6 Na Utos” as followed by “Ika-5 Na Utos.”
“Cain At Abel” stars two of the networks biggest and most popular male leads, Dingdong Dantes and Dennis Trillo.
Asked if the story is similar to the story of the doctrinal brothers, Dingdong said, “The similarity ends with the title.”
“Hanggang doon lang ‘yun,” he added. “At kung tatanungin mo kung sino sa amin si Cain o Abel o kung sino ‘yung masama at mabuti eh, wala din.”
He explained, “At a certain point in the story kasi magiging ‘Cain at Abel’ kami pareho in that walang mabait, walang masama sa characters namin. Actually, pareho kaming gray eh. Pareho kaming andu’n sa kalagitnaan na flawed pareho ‘yung characters namin.”
The show is going head to head with ABS-CBN’s long-runnning “FPJ’s Ang Probinsiyano” starring Coco Martin and many believe “Cain At Abel” might just be the vehicle that would topple the show.
Dingdong would have none of it, though.
“Wala naman kami dito para makipagkumpitensya kahit kanino,” he said. “Naniniwala ako na ang mga manonood may iba’t ibang gusto at iba’t ibang panlasa.”
Dennis rejoined, “Kahit nu’ng umpisa po, hindi naman po namin iniisip alam kung saang timeslot kami ilagay. Ang sa amin talaga ay ‘yung makapag-produce lang ng quality na programa na kahit saang timeslot pa kaming ilagay, kahit ano pang itapat na show, eh tatayo at lalaban pa rin siya.”
“Ang gusto lang namin ay makapag-offer ng magandang alternatibong programa para sa mga manonood na naghihintay ng mga bagong aabangan sa telebisyon,” he added.
And what exactly is it that they’re offering through the show? Many point to the show being similar in a lot of ways to “FPJ’s Ang Probinsiyano” given the many action scenes shown in the teaser.
But Dingdong averred, “The action is just incidental, ang talagang kaabang-abang dito ay ang core, ang istorya. In fact, ‘yun ‘yung isa sa mga dahilan na na-excite akong tanggapin itong proyekto, bukod sa the fact na ang makakasama ko dito ay si Dennis Trillo, ang istorya.”
He added, “Sa tingin ko ‘yung material itself is very interesting at mas gusto namin na nadun ‘yung atensyon ng mga tao kaysa sa kung ano mang bagay. Kasi ‘yun naman ang trabaho namin eh, ang gampanan ang mga role namin, hindi naman para mag-monitor ng ratings.”
In the show, Dingdong is Daniel Larrazabal, while Dennis is Miguel Larrazabal/Elias. They are brothers separated by fate.
“Cain At Abel” airs tonight after “24 Oras” on GMA Telebabad.
