TV series 'Mr. Queen' ends with its highest rating

Queen Cheorin, second from right, played by Shin Hye-sun, in a scene from tvN rom-com series “Mr. Queen.” The series finished with a 17.4 percent viewership rating on Sunday. Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

TvN series “Mr. Queen” wrapped up successfully with its highest viewership rating at 17.4 percent, Sunday.

The ratings of the comedy series started at 8 percent on Dec. 12 and have been climbing since its premiere.

The last episode's rating is the network's fifth-highest record, following 21.7 percent with "Crash Landing On You" (2019), 21.7 percent, 20.5 percent with "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (2016), 18.8 percent with "Reply 1988" (2015) and 18.1 percent with "Mr. Sunshine" (2018).

The historical fantasy drama, set in the Joseon Kingdom period, revolves around modern-day chef Jang Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk) who mysteriously slips through time and becomes trapped in the body of Queen Cheorin (Shin Hye-sun).

He as the queen struggles to fulfill the queen's royal duties while keeping his secret from the people in the royal palace. As he gets caught up in the political dramas in the palace, he forms an alliance with King Cheoljong (Kim Jung-hyun) which leads to a romantic relationship.

Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljong culminate their romantic chemistry in scenes from the final episode of “Mr. Queen.” Courtesy of tvN

The lead actor Kim expressed gratitude to fans for the series' success. “It's been a pleasure (to work on the series), as it has been loved by so many people,” he said through the agency O& Entertainment, Monday.

“I want to thank the viewers for watching the series and showing support. I was more than happy to give a laugh to you during these tough times.”

Mentioning the crew and cast members he worked with, he thanked them for the “warm and harmonious” work environment on the set.

Actress Shin, who played a double role with Queen Cheorin, referred to working on the series as a “challenge” for her.

“This series gave me a lot of opportunities and challenges,” she said through the network. “Especially during these devastating times, I hope the series offered nice entertainment to viewers.”