It all started with her desire to create a non-traditional, out of the box yet has social relevance, truthful, emotional and with "real" characters stories.
Although the idea is not-an-easy-story-to-tell because of its controversial theme which touches on the sensitive issue of homosexual and bisexual relationships, Doctolero explained that the series is "not all about the queerness of the characters but more of a love story and a family drama.
When Doctolero presented the idea to the management of GMA Network, and immediately got a "yes" due to the concept being seen as interesting and the "relatability of the topic to the masses.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has shown understanding of their material while warning them to observe certain limitations in presenting delicate scenes for general viewership.
Abellana was cast as Lally Agatep-Soriano, a woman who struggles to be the perfect wife for the husband she loves who, in fact is a closeted gay.
Trillo, on the other hand had recently finishing Temptation of Wife, was chosen to play Eric del Mundo, a gay architect and the lover of Lally's husband, Vincent Soriano.
Zapata described Rodriguez as "the perfect Vincent" among the many actors who auditioned for the role, said that "[While] the others treated homosexuality as a disease, Tom interpreted it with so much understanding, and that's what we're looking for."
Rodriguez said, to prepare for the project, he watched gay-themed films like Brokeback Mountain and Love of Siam and talked to people with similar stories.
Actress Jaclyn Jose made an appearance as Charito, who originated from the 2013 Philippine television drama series Mundo Mo'y Akin.
[34] Other songs "Sabihin Mo Naman" and "Ayoko Na" were sung by Kris Lawrence and composed by himself and Noah Zuniga.
They are credible in their performances, and especially noted was Tom Rodriguez's portrayal of a closet gay who is, ironically, the son of an army general.
But all the other members of the cast also delivered A-1 performances: Kuh Ledesma, Victor Basa, Glydel Mercado and Karel Marquez.
"[44] Radio and TV personality and Manila Bulletin columnist Mr. Fu said the show "was beautiful, moving, interesting and promising.
Tom, on the other hand, can portray that "paminta" (closeted gay) character with confidence, and charm that makes him appealing on screen.
"[46]Journal's entertainment columnist, Mario Bautista gave it a mixed review, said that "The series should have started in the thick of things, since the title and the trailers have already shown where the story is going.
Eschewing the stereotypical storylines and cardboard cliché characters, the writers of My Husband's Lover are depicting homosexual persons as no different from heterosexuals, which is radical in these parts.
The series' non-stereotypical depiction of gay men can accomplish what Ladlad failed to do, which is to bring LGBT awareness into the mainstream of Filipino consciousness.
Positive media depictions of LGBT persons are crucial in encouraging greater acceptance and recognition of our fundamental equality.
"[50] Allan Diones of Abante Tonite said that "Dennis Trillo and Tom Rodriguez has good screen chemistry [and] they are both excellent actors and can feel the emotions of their characters.
"[51] Philippine Entertainment Portal's Mark Angelo Ching praised Suzette Doctolero and Dominic Zapata for "how the show looks polished.
Closing the review, he further added that the show "is progressive—a unique creation in today’s media landscape where gay men are mostly relegated as sidekicks who provide comic relief.
"[49] The show is under the scrutiny of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines - Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY) according to its executive secretary, Father Conegundo Garganta.
He added that television producers and writers should study themes being shown to the viewers, especially to the younger ones, and should be based on moral standards.
In response to the CBCP statement, the Malacañang and MTRCB urged viewers to report any complaints about the show if they saw any unacceptable content against its SPG rating.
He called it the My Husband's Lover bill which seeks to expand the scope of Article 333 of the Revised Penal Code which only imposes punishment for a spouse having a sexual intercourse to another person of the opposite sex, other than their husband/wife.