Cable networks outperforming major broadcasters
Cast members of “Cheese in the Trap” are featured in the promotional poster. / Courtesy of tvN
TvN, JTBC threaten attract viewers with high-quality shows
By Kwon Ji-youn
Poster for “Reply 1988” / Courtesy of tvN
The nation’s three major broadcasters are facing the chill wind of tvN’s success with drama series “Reply 1988,” “Cheese in the Trap” and “Signal,” which come on top of JTBC’s momentum with entertainment shows “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” “Non-Summit” and “With You.”
The first two episodes of “Signal,” which had big shoes to fill when “Reply 1988” ended with a huge nationwide following on Jan. 16, were well received, recording a viewership averaging 7.3 percent and peaking at 8.3 percent on Saturday. The series, starring Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Je-hoon, tells the story of three investigators working on unsolved cases as the statute of limitations for first-degree murders is scrapped.
Kim is among numerous top actresses cable has won over. Choi Ji-woo took up an acting challenge with tvN’s “Twenty Again,” in which she played a 38-year-old college student, and Ko Hyun-jung has chosen tvN’s new Friday-Saturday drama “Dear My Friends” for her next dramatic appearance. Jeon Do-yeon is rumored to be considering a comeback to the small screen after 11 years with tvN’s “Good Wife,” and Han Ye-seul is seeking a breakthrough with JTBC’s newest romantic comedy, “Madame Antoine.”
The development rides on cable’s eagerness to embrace fresh ideas, attempt innovation and invest in the star power of talented producers.
TvN’s “Reply 1988” and “Misaeng” were big hits. Both were considered high-quality productions that proved drama series do not need adultery, amnesia or a Cinderella story to turn heads.
Producer Shin Won-ho of the “Reply” series, which began in 2012 with “Reply 1997,” targeted viewers of all ages with a storyline that hit close to home, to which viewers “replied” with a heightened enthusiasm that wrote history in cable television. “Misaeng,” which drew on the joys and sorrows of the average office worker, recorded a viewership surpassing 10 percent in 2014, when the average ratings for cable were considered high at 2 percent.
The curtain fell on “Reply 1988” last week, but tvN has filled the void with two new drama series equally as engaging.
“Cheese in the Trap,” featuring Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun and Seo Kang-jun, is based on the hit webtoon of the same name. It recorded an average viewership of 5.7 percent last Tuesday, despite being aired at 11 p.m. Fans are likening “Signal” to a short blockbuster film.
It was tvN’s return on investment that saw it to success. The cable network learned through trial and error that its shows would need to break new ground to outperform the major broadcasters. It began by scouting star producers like Na Young-seok, Kim Won-seok and Lee Yoon-jeong, and then banked on the success of webtoon remakes such as “Misaeng” and “Cheese in the Trap.” It asked Shin, formerly a producer of entertainment shows, to spearhead the making of “Reply 1997” and made the bold decision to create drama series by season, which the major broadcasters do not welcome.
Experts say the producers of cable drama series are able to bring characters to life in a way that SBS, KBS and MBC are not. They are able to pay very close attention to detail and do not require seasoning for unnecessary dramaturgy.
“Producers are not limited in their experiments here,” said a tvN official. “And to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have paid special attention to ensuring our programs meet high expectations. We are concentrating on appealing to audiences with a more analog way of thinking and listening attentively to viewer feedback.”
Kim Hye-soo in “Signal” / Courtesy of tvN
Entertainment
Though weekend programs on the three major broadcasters remain popular, JTBC is increasing audience share on weekdays with programs that are setting the trends in entertainment.
Cheftainers (chef and entertainer), including Baek Jong-won, Choi Hyun-seok and Sam Kim, cooked up a storm in entertainment last year, and at the firing line of the cooking boom was JTBC’s “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.”
“JTBC is able to foresee trends and create programs that meet the demands and are ahead of their times,” said one critic. “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator” and “Non-Summit” have topped popularity charts in the non-drama category of a survey conducted by Good Data Corporation.
The popularity of both shows is attributed to their original formats and new entertainers. The viewership of “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator” exceeds 5 percent, at times reaching seven.
JTBC also succeeded in casting sought-after emcee Yu Jae-seok to spearhead “Sugar Man,” a program in which oldies are rediscovered in new hit-song versions.
TvN’s “Youth Over Flowers” and “Three Meals a Day” have gathered considerable fan bases, and with the growing popularity of cable drama series and entertainment shows, tvN and JTBC are carrying more weight among major advertisers.
They are also exporting program formats overseas. TvN’s “Grandpas Over Flowers” was re-produced by NBC, and JTBC exported the program formats of “Hidden Singer” and “Non-Summit,” among others, to China.