“Love You Stranger,” the long-awaited prime-time TV series debut from real-life couple Kapuso Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos, finally airs tonight.

The two could easily have starred in the popular rom-com genre or perhaps the more difficult romantic drama for their first full TV series.

Instead, Garcia and Ramos star in a GMA Public Affairs production that fuses mystery and romance with folklore and cinema.

“Love You Stranger” centers around the legend of a shadow creature.

When LJ (Garcia) was a young girl, her mother Lorraine (Andrea Del Rosario) joined a mysterious dance ritual at Sta. Festival of the town of Castela. Legend has it that every year a shadow creature called Lilom emerges to take a soul during the full moon. Only a dance can calm the mind.

The Lilom will curse anyone who dares to offend the ritual – as Lorraine would have done. Sta. The inhabitants of Castela say that the curse caused Lorraine to lose her mind. LJ’s father eventually abandoned them, leaving Lorraine in LJ’s care.

LJ and Lorraine have since moved to Manila, where LJ is now a struggling film designer. Soon, she accidentally lands a major film project that could bring her closer to understanding her mother – a film based on Lilom folklore itself.

The film is directed by a lovely young director named Ben (Ramos) and is set in Sta. Castela where LJ was not supposed to return. Ben is intrigued by LJ, who seems to understand the film almost as much as Ben. LJ agrees to work with Ben on the film, while keeping his past to protect his mother. She doesn’t know it, Ben also has his secrets.

Garcia can’t wait for viewers to finally see their show, which was originally scheduled for December 2020 production but was delayed to February this year.

“First time naming mystery, thriller, romance type na kuwento. Kaya pati kami excited. Talagang pinaghandaan ng bawat cast member ‘yung show na’ to. García said.

Ramos was also excited to introduce his character Ben and their hard-to-gender story.

“It’s a very complex and unique story, like iba iba yung in one series. The first time I read the script, I told everyone that I wanted the role because it’s a very good role. Nakita ko agad yung ko connection with Ben, with the script and with the whole team”, explained the actor.

Gil Cuerva, Carmi Martin, Tonton Gutierrez, Lexi Gonzales, Kim De Leon, Maey Bautista, Angelli Sanoy, Alex Medina, Nor Domingo, Ces Quesada, Lui Manansala, Bodjie Pascua, Soliman Cruz and Dindo Arroyo also join the cast.

The show is an original concept written by GMA Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs Angeli Atienza and directed by King Baco with Irene Villamor as script consultant.

The world premiere of Love You Stranger is scheduled tonight at 9:35 p.m. on GMA Telebabad. Kapuso overseas can catch the show through GMA Pinoy TV.