Janice de Belen and Al Tantay show the way

DE BELEN. Sets a high mark with her natural and felt portrayal.

The new teleserye, “Be My Lady,” got off to a bracing start last month with its “mature” leads, Janice de Belen and Al Tantay, setting a high mark with their natural and felt portrayals of the parents of Erich Gonzales.

Their farming family wasn’t rich, but it was very happy —until tragedy struck. It came by way of a medical crisis that left the family cash-strapped, so Janice’s character was forced to work “for just a couple of years” in Singapore.

For now, however, we’re focused on Janice and Al’s characters before they have to be wrenched apart by financial need, and their performances are such a treat to watch and enjoy.

We feel that we’re in the caring hands of experienced professionals who know exactly what they’re doing, and how to make us fully empathize with what their characters are experiencing.

In fact, the show as a whole is doing well, with the direction “framing” the scenes astutely by  way of camerawork that’s more perceptive than what we see on some other, more slapdash and “wala lang” shows.

In fact, “Be My Lady” is coming along so well on its initial week that we hope that it will continue to be viewable by the time that Erich and Daniel “take over” the series’ progression.

Will that actually happen? We don’t know for sure, but one thing that their stellar tandem has going for it is the fact that it’s a “reel and real” pairing. So, their love and lambingan scenes can be expected to be more “kilig-worthy” than usual—at the very least!

To be sure, the “Daniel factor” could worry some viewers, since “imports” like him don’t do all that well on local TV shows (with the exception of Dayanara Torres and Michelle Van Eimeren a long time ago).