Here! TV knew who to call when it came to kicking up interest in its VOD/SVOD service targeted at gay and lesbian audiences: Cynthia Rothrock, the martial arts action star of No Retreat, No Surrender and countless other straight-to-video flicks. The holder of five black belts heads up to Vancouver later this month to start shooting Weapons of Mass Destruction, her first TV series. The spy drama will appear on here! TV—which begins 24/7 availability Oct. 1—later this fall. Rothrock hopes Weapons, in which she plays a capable intelligence agent who happens to be a lesbian, will feature more depth and character development than the average martial arts film. "The character is challenging for me, totally different from anything I’ve ever done," she says. "If there were no action scenes, it would still be a great show. Here! developed the idea for me, and I have as much script control as I want." Three episodes will be produced, with here! CEO Paul Colichman serving as executive producer. The series’ lesbian aspect will be unmistakable, but not exploitative, she promises. "[My character is] a tough, strong but vulnerable woman. She’s the person everyone wants to be around, and she’s with a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend. You still have the same feelings, the same relationship issues you deal with," says Rothrock. "It’s nothing outrageous. That’s just how it is." Count on Rothrock to show her amenable side in Weapons as she did with us, calling up for the interview from a McDonald’s in L.A., daughter by her side, en route to a theater to catch Princess Diaries 2.

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