IF there is one thing the TV series Almost Paradise is, it is that it started out as a thrilling show, and it will end as a thrilling show. Starring American actor Christian Kane (of The Librarians fame) and a slew of talented Filipino actors, the show follows the story of former United States DEA agent Alex Walker as he goes into retirement in the Philippines but finds himself entangled in dark criminal elements.
Sure, it has a somewhat far-out premise but the suspenseful episodes get your adrenaline pumping and it’s fun watching a majority Philippine cast navigate roles you usually don’t see them doing here—at least not yet in the first episodes. While the show is sold as an American production series shot here, there are still a number of Philippine elements such as its uncanny blend of comedy and even some melodrama—but, hey, it works. The show is terrific and moves briskly, and it is a welcome change to Sunday night-viewing. Almost Paradise proves that an action-packed show can actually be refreshing to end the week.
While the talented cast (Zsa Zsa Padilla, Art Acuna, Ces Quesada, Will Devaughn, etc.) and Hollywood figures Dean Devlin, head of Electric Entertainment plus writer and producer of Hollywood blockbuster hits Independence Day and Godzilla, are what people will remember about Almost Paradise, one of the driving forces of this show is acclaimed film and TV director Ruel S. Bayani.
Ruel, also called Rekdi (a play on the word “direk”) by his friends, is intimidating when you get to meet him. He has a towering presence and a loud, booming voice. His resume is similarly intimidating. He’s written and or directed a number of TV shows that has made a huge impact on pop culture, such as Mula Sa Puso, Budoy, Tayong Dalawa and Kokey. His film credits include the seminal Cool Dudes 24/7 and genre-bending films No Other Woman and One More Try. But once you get past the intimidation, you will not only find a great person of film and TV but a beautiful human being.
Ruel, for all his achievements and his position in ABS-CBN, has never for half a second discriminated nor patronized us “lesser beings” in the network. Like a lot of ABS-CBN bosses, he would treat everyone decently and correctly. But when you ask me what I love about Ruel, I have to say it is his laugh. He has a loud, boisterous, no-holds barred laugh that is infectious. He would laugh at my jokes, he would laugh with me, and the best about him is he knows how to laugh at himself.
On a serious note though, as head of ABS-CBN International Productions and Co-Production Division, Ruel has had a direct hand in bringing Almost Paradise to life. He disclosed that the show is part of the international initiative of the network, and they had already shot a number of episodes—but then Covid-19 and the ABS-CBN shutdown happened. But what’s more important about this experience is that the he and the rest of the ABS-CBN cast and crew who worked with Electric Entertainment learned from the Hollywood showrunners. He says,“Alam naman natin ang quality ng ABS-CBN shows, pero hindi ito dun natatapos. If you want to produce shows with such narrative and technical sophistication, you really have to go in deep and learn.”
“And with Almost Paradise, ang masasabi ko na ay kuha na. Magagawa na ’yan one after the other. Kahit nawala ang franchise namin, hindi magagawa ang mga natutunan namin at hindi mapapatay ang [ABS-CBN] spirit na nasa puso ng bawa’t tao at ang talent ng mga Pilipino, hindi kayang hadlangan,” he continues.
Almost Paradise aired its final episode recently on A2Z and Kapamilya Channel but continues to be streamed on iwantTFC. In the US, it is aired on the WGN Network.