Why silver-themed variety shows are disappearing in aging South Korea

A scene from “Grandma Attack” / Courtesy of Channel S

Once a notable trend on South Korean television, variety shows featuring senior citizens — often dubbed “silver entertainment” — are fading from view, despite the country’s rapidly aging population.

Programs like Channel S’s “Grandma Attack” and YouTube’s “My Other Half” were among the most prominent examples in recent years. “Grandma Attack,” which aired from January to July 2022, featured respected veteran actresses Kim Young-ok, Na Moon-hee, and Park Jung-soo offering advice to the younger generation. That same year, KBS2’s “Godfather” starred Lee Soon-jae, Joo Hyun, and Kim Kap-soo. The dating show “My Other Half,” which premiered on YouTube in 2024, was hosted by comedian Ji Sang-ryeol and actress Oh Hyun-kyung.

South Korea officially became an “aged society,” by United Nations standards, in 2017, and by December 2024, those aged 65 or older made up more than 20 percent of the population — crossing into the “super-aged” category. With such demographic shifts, expectations grew that silver-themed shows would gain ground. Instead, they are quietly vanishing from television.

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae / Captured from KBS2

Why has the silver variety genre failed to thrive?

“Commercialization of broadcasting has made it difficult for the senior generation to be considered a key viewing demographic,” said Lee Hun-yul, a media studies professor at Korea University. “Because older viewers are not considered high-consumption, they end up being marginalized by commercial broadcasters. And frankly, it’s unclear whether they enjoy variety or reality shows to begin with.”

He added, “Just as daily soap operas have disappeared despite their loyal audiences, it’s a matter of ratings that hold commercial value.”

Indeed, many networks continue to prioritize the so-called “2049 ratings” —viewers aged between 20 and 49 — because advertisers consider them more likely to change consumption patterns based on TV influence. Despite the aging viewer base, many content creators in the entertainment industry remain focused on captivating the so-called, in Korea, MZ generation (millennials and Gen Z). Within this commercial framework, silver-themed variety shows struggle to survive.

One notable exception came in 2023 with KBS2’s experimental drama “Dog Knows Everything,” which featured a senior cast including Lee Soon-jae, Kim Yong-gun, Ye Soo-jung, Im Chae-moo and Song Ok-sook. The series surpassed a 4 percent viewership rating and earned Lee Soon-jae a grand acting award. Though not a flawless success, the show demonstrated that strong content can still resonate with audiences, regardless of the age of its characters.

Many hope the success of programs like “Dog Knows Everything” will lead to greater diversity in South Korean entertainment.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.