TV series 'Kill Heel' to delve into dark world of TV shopping hosts

From left, actresses Lee Hye?young, Kim Ha-neul and Kim Sung-ryung pose during an online press conference for tvN series “Kill Heel,” Tuesday. Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

TvN's new female-centric series, “Kill Heel,” scheduled to premiere on Feb. 23, will offer a behind-the-scenes look into the world of home shopping hosts.

“When you flip through the channels and come across a home shopping channel, sometimes you just get drawn to it and find yourself making a purchase. This series will give a backstage glimpse into the industry,” the series' lead actress Kim Sung-ryung said during an online press conference, Tuesday.

Directed by Noh Do-cheol, whose previous works include the period series, “The Emperor: Owner Of The Mask,” the drama series follows the competitive power struggles of three female shopping hosts ― played by Kim Ha-neul, Kim Sung-ryung and Lee Hye?young ― at a home shopping network.

Woo-hyun (Kim Ha-neul) is a decent shopping host who is ambitious to climb to the top. But after she falls into misery, she takes the hand of the network's vice president, Mo-lan (Lee), who makes a questionable offer, to get her the success she has always desired.

Kim Sung-ryung plays the network's top host, Ok-sun, who seems to have it all. She has a wealthy family and is well-respected by others at work, but her true nature seems to be kept under a veil.

“The story is about the greed and desires of three women,” the director said. “Although it follows the story of shopping hosts, it sends different messages that run parallel to our lives in general. I wanted to overtly portray human desires through the series.”

A poster for the series, "Kill Heel" / Courtesy of tvN

Noh said that this series will show a realistic portrayal of a women's world.

“There have been several series with powerful stories about women, but 'Kill Heel' is different from them, as its characters can't be defined in a black and white way. They all have two sides to themselves, which makes the story more realistic,” he said.

Kim Ha-neul is making a comeback to the small screen after about two years since she led the romantic comedy series, “18 Again,” in 2020. She said that the series' female-centered story interested her and hence, she took the role.

“I've been saying in previous interviews for a few years that I wanted to work with female co-stars. I wanted to take part in a story that is about women. And with this series, it was interesting how it captures so many emotions and dynamics in such a story, so I decided to join the piece,” she said.

She added that playing the role of Woo-hyun, who changes as she gets carried away by her twisted desires for success, was a challenge for her.

“As we were filming, I kept telling the director that I've never done this kind of acting. That's how different I felt in portraying this character from my previous roles. And it was a gratifying and interesting experience,” she said.

“Kill Heel” will air every Wednesday and Thursday on tvN at 10:30 p.m.