“CODENAME: ASERO is the most expensive television prime-time series that GMA has produced. But please don’t ask me how much. I simply can’t reveal, because it’s ongoing pa.” Thus, declared GMA top executive Wilma Galvante during the launch of the newest Kapuso prime-time offering, which will have its debut airing tonight. For one, it has a powerhouse cast, led by Heart Evangelista and Richard Gutierrez.

Gutierrez plays Grecko Abesamiz, a daring agent for an anticrime network called Advocate. In a dangerous mission in Dubai, he meets a beautiful overseas Filipino worker named Emily San Juan (Evangelista), who will change his life always lived on the edge. But their love affair will be short-lived as Grecko meets a near-death tragedy, and turning him into a cyborg is the only way to keep him alive. As half-robot, all his emotions are gone. We won’t divulge much of the details but if you’ve seen Terminator and Robocop plus a few James Bond films, you’ll get the drip.

Then again, it’s a series, so the twists in the storyline are yet to be written by GMA’s creative pool of writers, led by veteran RJ Nuevas.

About the other cast members, there’s Richard Gomez as Ibsen, the father of Grecko Abesamiz.  Michael V is also part of the cast as a clumsy but brilliant inventor in Advocate named Bodjie X. For the record, he seldom agrees to doing a TV series and this is only his second. The first one was in Marimar, as the voice of Fulgoso. Funnyman-singer Janno Gibbs is the sidekick partner of our hero, playing Geron Aguilar, a.k.a. Rockstar. He also sang the theme song.

The Advocate is headed by Lady Q (Carmina Villaroel), the lady boss with a dark, mysterious background. Francine Prieto is Aureana, the sexy but dumb assistant to Bodjie X. Paolo Contis is Dave Aviejo, the ex-lover of Evangelista’s character. Bubbles Paraiso is Minnie Agustin, the bubbly but deadly agent of Advocate, while Rhian Ramos is Claire Morales, an obsessed fan to Contis’s character.

Supersexy Ehra Madrigal is Dayze Tagimoro, a Japanese scientist who handles the transformation of Grecko to Asero. Other curvaceous babes on the set are Jenny Miller and Sheree, who both play agents of Empire, the enemy of Advocate. Just seeing them in body-hugging clothes while holding caliber .45 reminds us of those James Bond girls.

Marky Cielo is the adventurous Advocate agent who idolizes Grecko. Caridad Sanchez plays, well, a grandmother. Other veterans are Joanne Quintas, who plays the mother of Grecko.

For the Gutierrez brothers, it’s like a family affair. Richard’s older half-brother, Ramon Christopher, joins the series as Gary Morales, one of the top bosses of Empire and he is Codename: Apollo.  Rocky Gutierrez is Felix Reyes, the newest agent in Empire, while real-life brother Elvis is Vladimir Ledesma, an Empire agent who will become a major nemesis of Asero. Character actor Bobby Andrews looks scary as Jupiter, one of the bosses of Empire.

From the short teasers we saw during the press launch at the AFP Theater on Wednesday night, Codename: Asero will definitely appeal to the young and old—all genders encompassing—viewers of primetime TV.  What’s interesting is that Richard also functions as fight director for the series. For that, he had training in a new sports called tapwondo, or what is popularly known as combat aikido. He also worked out a lot for those necessary well-shaped abs and biceps.

The directors are Mark Reyes and Michael Tuviera, both well-known experts in the genre of youth-oriented action, fantasy, comedy and what-have-yous.  

“This is a dream come true for us. We’ve worked together before and it’s always been a pleasure to direct with Michael a project that we both believe in,” Reyes told the BusinessMirror.

“He’s still like a mentor to me but for this, he gives me the freehand to do what I want on the set,” said Tuviera.

It helps that there are two directors because they have the luxury to divide the work depending on the location.  But most of the time, whether they’re in the studio or out, both are onboard. There are no clashes because they have lots of respect for each other’s works.

And judging from Galvante’s revelation, Codename:Asero has ample funding from GMA. For sure, advertisers will clamor for a 30-seconder.

Now, in these trying times where crime is becoming as normal as breathing, we could only wish Codename: Asero is for real.

Bodyshots on the rebound

TWENTY years after they joined Bodyshots, some of the contenders are still visible in the fashion scene. Such is the pull and prestige of the contest that anyone who took part in the seminal modeling competition is assured of career longevity either on the runway or behind a production.

Gab Fab: The healing power of music

AFTER the successful release of HOPE (Healing of Pain & Enlightenment) through Star Records, the funds gathered from the purchase of the heartwarming album were handed over recently to its beneficiaries: Bosom Buddies, a support group for breast-cancer survivors; and I Can Serve, an advocacy group that empowers women with breast cancer.

We do need another hero

“CODENAME: ASERO is the most expensive television prime-time series that GMA has produced. But please don’t ask me how much. I simply can’t reveal, because it’s ongoing pa.”

Macho man is going out of fashion

AS world financial markets wobble and bonuses shrink, the macho male is going out of fashion. Paris designers showing their spring-summer collections recently banished the tie and introduced a gentler take on masculinity, leaving the Gordon Gekko look in the dust.

Prince Harry balances army duty with charity work

PRINCE Harry would like to spend more time helping children in Africa.

Britain’s royal soldier-humanitarian is in the impoverished African kingdom of Lesotho this week to work with Sentebale—the charity he and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso founded in the memory of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.