'I want to flip ideas'

Actors of a new reality show "Halbae (Grandfathers) Over Flowers" pose at the launching ceremony at Patio9, Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, in this
June 28 file photo. From left are actors Lee Suh-jin, Baek Il-sup, Park Geun-hyung, Shin Gu and Lee Sun-jae. / Korea Times

Star producer speaks of variety show on old gents

Producer Nah Yung-suk

By Park Jin-hai

Producers making variety shows in the past have eyed overseas content markets to benchmark or to import.

"Korea's Got Talent" originated from "Britain's Got Talent," while "Project Runway Korea" and "Master Chef Korea" are foreign iimports.

Now the tables have turned. Following the singing competition program "I Am a Singer" and "Hidden Singer," Korea has been exporting entertainment program formats to China including the "Running Man" and "2 Days and 1 Night." Foreign buyers mainly from Asian countries hail the format and the content as fresh and new.

A reality program "Halbae(Grandfathers) Over Flowers" that recently aired the third episode on tvN adopts yet another creative and ingenious format- aged stars on backpacking.

The first episodes was to Paris, France. The team will leave for Taiwan today.

"Backpack trip is almost always associated with the young. But I wanted to flip the idea." said Nah Yung-suk, producer of the program in the interview with The Korea Times.

"By putting the graying stars in a foreign setting, I expected the most unexpected to happen," added Nah.

"It was half and half. If the never-done-yet format is viewed as fresh, it could succeed. But, at the same time, viewers might not want to see them in reality programs."

The four older actors ― Lee Sun-jae, 80, Shin Gu, 78, Park Geun-hyung, 74, and Baek Il-sup, 69 ― are dubbed as "H4" or "Halbae 4," mimicking the name "F4" from the popular drama "Boys Over Flowers." The four and Lee Suh-jin, 42, the "porter" in the program, make a sensation when each episode is aired.

It seems premature to talk about exporting the program oversea at this stage. But if the local response is any guide, the likelihood is high.

Since the first episode was aired on July 5, the program's viewer ratings have remained in the over 4 percent range. The result was largely unexpected and notable, given that it is conventionally hard for a cable television broadcaster to secure even 1 percent viewer rating.

It succeeded in drawing not only aged viewers but also younger _ the younger bloc in their 20's and 30's. And after the episode the names of the older stars are listed high in the search engine's most frequently mentioned lists.

The aged, by any vote, were not considered "cool" enough to be a mainstay of variety television shows, where young stars dominate the screen time.

Apart from some quiz show that features the older having difficulties in solving quizzes due to hearing problems, they remain peripheral at best.

But, thanks to the program, coupled with the fast aging Korean society where 60 is regarded as relatively young, people get more receptive to seeing the aged and find their cool elements in the newly tried variety show.

"I wasn't sure until the very last minute," said Nah.

The producer has established his name through the previous five-year-long popular variety show "2 Days and 1 Night" that introduced road trip format into the reality show. He was just as popular as the stars that appeared in the program such as entertainer Kang Ho-dong and singer/actor Lee Seung-gi. He left KBS and joined CJ E&M in January.

"I determined that there is more room for creativity (at the cable). Things move at a fast pace. The programs come and go as does the attention of viewers. So we are forced to try different things," Nah said. "If networks are the fashion group Cheil Industries, cables are like the ZARA brand," he added.

According to him, the so-called 3Bs, "beauty, baby, beast" guaranteed relatively higher viewer ratings in the past, meaning programs lined up beautiful stars along with funny ones and ones quick with quips.

"Now there isn't any set and dominant. Programs deal with a variety of subjects and give as much fun," said Nah.

He finds his success stems from allowing the "unexpected" elements to unfold and the actors to cope with them. The result is a bout of laughter and touching moments.

Working with older actors, Nah makes sure that all the stars are on the same page on issues of food and other conveniences through numerous meetings. Yet once they arrive at an airport in Paris, the veteran stars would just go about their way, especially Lee Sun-jae, who has the nickname of "Straight-forward Sunjae."

Having veteran actors who may well be more set in their ways and placing them in exotic settings, and waiting to see what happens is what Nah is working on.

In another incident, Baek who has weak knees, all of a sudden kicked canned food cursing it as weighing down his back pack.

"That unpredictability cooks up some sort of fun," said Nah.

Also, he says that the storyline of today's variety shows is rather complex. According to him, it is about having a game, the winner gets an award and the loser gets punishment. There was a black and white confrontation.

Now the storylines are more diversified, he said.

"For instance, Baek's kicking the cans does not mean that he as a person is bad . He is good sometimes and bad other times, as we all are," said Nah.

"My program tells everyday lives in a more natural and delicate way. It seems that the times we are living in welcome those kinds of stories now."

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