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| "Let's Eat Dinner Together" stars veteran host duo of Kang Ho-dong, left, and Lee Kyung-kyu, right, with two invited guests. / Courtesy of JTBC |
"Let's Eat Dinner Together" marks 2nd anniversary
By Park Jin-hai
JTBC's popular documentary-like reality show "Let's Eat Dinner Together," which recently aired its 100th episode, is marking its 2nd anniversary Wednesday.
The show, starring veteran host duo of Kang Ho-dong and Lee Kyung-kyu, with two invited guests, challenges them to knock on the doors of people in a certain neighborhood without prior notice and ask them if they will let them in so they can eat together.
"After so many attempts and refusals, someone opens the door and lets us in, and the thrill of joy overwhelms. The whole space is filled with the warm feelings of welcoming," said Bang Hyun-young, the show's producer in a recent interview.
"When we are rejected, we feel embarrassed. But dispelling such negative feelings, we gather up the courage and challenge to knock on another person's door. The whole process is like a microcosm of human life.
"Finally when the door opens and people let us in, we get really touched… People take what they have out from their fridge to treat us to a warm dinner. Such warm feelings make cast members and the whole staff wear big smiles on their faces."
Premiered on Oct. 19, 2016, the show before its broadcast had been embroiled in controversy over the spectacle of stars sudden barging into a stranger's home and asking for dinner.
The show, however, overcame such negative feelings, and showed how someone's dinner table after a hard day's work can be a good window to people's various lifestyles. By focusing on the communication with residents, rather than the mere process of eating dinner, the show has been enjoying relatively good ratings with its peak recording near 7 percent.
So far many celebrities including Lee Hyo-ri, EXO, BTS and Kim Nam-ju have appeared on the show.
Bang says K-pop singer Hyo-ri has been one of the most memorable guests. Appearing in the show, Lee visited a young unmarried couple living together. The couple said they were happy the way they were and didn't plan to get married.
"Lee visited the young couple's house and shared her thoughts and values in life with the couple, honestly," the producer said, adding she would like to invite actor Ha Jung-woo and President Moon Jae-in on the show. "Ha is known for his meokbang (eating show) and Moon was said to have mentioned the show when he met with K-pop boy band BTS. There are so many neighborhoods I want to visit and knock on the door. If the show goes on, I wish someday we could go to Pyongyang."
