All-female TV shows fail to meet expectations Scenes from a KBS reality show "Guesthouse Daughters" / Courtesy of KBSBy Park Jin-hai“Sister’s Slam Dunk” and “Guesthouse Daughters,” two variety shows with all-girl casts on KBS, failed to meet viewers’ expectations as they fell short of coming up with new elements of female roles on TV.Unlike the initial attention the two shows gained on their premieres, the two shows’ viewership ratings have dropped to 2 to 3 percent, hitting the bottom of the viewership list among rival variety shows in the same time slot. Friday night show “Sister’s Slam Dunk,” starring seven female hosts, shows them form a girl idol group under the direction of popular composer producer Kim Hyung-suk. “Guesthouse Daughters” goes by the concept where five actresses -- including veteran actress Lee Mi-suk, Park Si-yeon and Lee Da-hae -- invite a special guest each week and do the talks and games. The former premiered relatively well with 5.4 percent viewership, but since then its second episode dropped to 3.8 percent and the thiMar 6, 2017
Racism lurks beneath entertainment industry By Kim Jae-heunThe entertainment industry needs to hire more foreigners to make hallyu or the Korean Wave sustainable and more appealing to fans abroad.One major element lacking in the Korean entertainment and fashion fields is ethnic diversity, industry officials say.They are reluctant to cast those from ethnic minorities but also create negative stereotypes on them.Foreign actors ― particularly black people or Southeast Asians ― hardly assume a leading role in TV shows here.Investors would not put their money in a drama that casts foreigners as it tends to record low viewership, said Yoon, a CEO of an entertainment agency, declining to disclose his full name.“Foreign actors have rarely entered stardom here until Korean-American actor Daniel Henney appeared in the Korean entertainment scene. I think Henney helped change Koreas’ view on foreign actors in a more positive way,” said Yoon.Henney is an American actor and model born to a Korean-American mother and an Irish-American father. He gained popularity from the Korean viewers by starring in the dramas “My LMar 3, 2017
Crime drama 'Voice' leans on fear factor Scenes from OCN crime drama "Voice" / Courtesy of CJ E&M By Park Jin-hai OCN’s crime drama “Voice” is like a hard-boiled horror movie. You may feel sick more than once, but once you start watching, you won't be able to take your eyes away.Nail-biting scenes which come one after another induce viewers to become deeply immersed in the situation of a victim being chased by a serial killer and running away in the nick of time.The Saturday-Sunday night drama, starring Jang Hyuk and Lee Ha-na, takes best advantage of the sound effects in a drama. By tracking down the smallest sound of a crime scene heard through the phone calls made to the 112 emergency call center, Kang Kwon-joo, (played by actress Lee), a tough policewoman who is gifted with perfect psycho-acoustics skills, tightens the nerves of viewers to the extreme. Moo Jin-hyuk, played by Jang, is a “mad dog” detective who becomes guilt-ridden after his wife was murdered three years earlier while he was at work.The Moon and Kang duo teams up as the “Golden Time&rdquoMar 1, 2017
PHOTOS Celeb descendants of independence fighters By Park Si-sooA list of celebrities born to families who fought for the nation’s independence from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) is going viral on the internet on the occasion of the March 1 Independence Movement Day.1. Kim Ji-seok Actor Kim Ji-seok is a grandson of late independence fighter Kim Sung-il, who fought for Korea’s independence in China under the leadership of Kim Ku, head of Korea’s government-in-exile in Shanghai. According to historic documents, the late Kim joined a squad of rifle-armed independence activists in 1916, but was caught and tortured for four months by Japanese troops in 1932.2. Shin Hae-chul K-pop musician Shin Hae-chul, who died in 2014 in a medical accident, is widely known for his patriotic family background. His maternal great grandfather, Lee Sung-goo, was one of the key organizers of the nationwide anti-Japan demonstrations in 1919. The senior Shin is known to have been jailed for 20 months for sabotaging Japan’s administration buildings and residential facilities in his hometown. His dedication to indepeMar 1, 2017
Actor Kim Rae-won hosts fan meeting in Taiwan Actor Kim Rae-won, who recently starred in the popular medical series "Doctors," held a fan meeting in Taiwan, his management agency said Saturday.The 35-year-old actor had frank conversations with his fans during the event at the ATT Showbox in Taipei a week ago, HB Entertainment said in a release.Kim received a warm welcome from his fans although the event came six months after the end of the hit SBS TV series "Doctors," according to the agency.The Korean actor made Taiwanese desserts on stage and offered them as gifts to some lucky fans. He also took pictures together with everyone who asked him to do so."Doctors" tells the love story of a teacher and a student who meet again years later as neurosurgeons in the same hospital. The 20 episode-series ended in August after recording a nationwide viewership of around 20 percent. The female protagonist was played by Park Shin-hye.Kim was previously known for his roles in romance dramas such as "Rooftop Room Cat" and "Love Story in Harvard." Most recently, he acted as an ex-detective who is imprisoned for committing various crimes in theFeb 25, 2017
Workplace comedy busts real-life stress A promotional photo for the KBS drama "Good Manager" / Courtesy of KBSBy Park Jin-haiYoo In-seok, an office worker, says he finds some relief watching the KBS show “Good Manager.”“I’m stressed out from work these days and have few chances to laugh. Watching Good Manager and laughing out loud really busts my work stress,” he said. “The drama is funnier than any other comedy programs.”Another drama fan Yang Jang-soon said the drama is like a “digestive medicine” for people, whose stomachs are uncomfortable and bloated with the nation-plaguing corruption case involving Choi Soon-sil.The satirical comedy series “Good Manager” revolves around Kim Sung-ryong, played by Namkoong Min. Kim is an accountant with a questionable moral compass who enters TQ Group aiming for bigger kickbacks to leave “Hell Korea” for Denmark with its developed welfare system. The drama featuring ordinary office life in a witty way has started out with a 7.8 percent viewership, but that figure has doubled Feb 23, 2017
BoA gets gig to host second 'Produce 101' season Eleven winners of “Produce 101 Season 1” debuted as girl band I.O.I. / Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanBoA Singer and actress BoA will be sole host of hit Korean TV music audition show “Produce 101.” Filming of the second season is slated for this weekend.The new role has bolstered the seasoned star’s reputation in Korean show business. Her career spans singing and dancing on stage in Korea and Japan, acting in movies and on TV and judging TV music competition shows.Cable TV network Mnet, which airs the show, reportedly spent “tremendous effort” casting BoA in the role, according to eDaily. An insider was quoted as saying the star, “who debuted 17 years ago as a musician, is strongly believed to prove herself in the program as a competent mentor who can encourage and lead the aspirants in the most realistic sense.”BoA received positive reviews for her role as a musical mentor and judge in SBS’s “K-pop Star Season 1 and 2,” where she represented SM Entertainment beside JYP Entertainment CEO Park Jin-younFeb 23, 2017
Chef Baek's cooking show returns with new easy recipes Celebrity chef Baek Jong-won, who was behind a home cooking boom in recent years, has returned to tvN for a third season of his variety show “Mr Baek, The Homemade Food Master.” The new season will be more close to everyday life, teaching daily recipes with seasonal ingredients.The show, premiered on Tuesday, features Baek’s four new co-hosts’ cooking skills. Comedian Yang Se-hyung, actress Nam Sang-mi, actors Lee Gyu-han and Yoon Doo-joon made their first potato pancakes. After seeing their pancakes, Baek rolled up his sleeve and said, “Since it is too basic, I thought I should skip it. But, let’s start with a potato pancake.” Baek used only potatoes and salt and quickly made a perfect dish, wowing four hosts.Baek, during the press event held earlier in the day of its premier, said the third season will be led by the guests. “While I was meeting audiences through cooking shows at the end of the previous seasons, I’ve heard many touching stories. Fathers and sons, who have never cooked before, said they’ve gained confidence Feb 22, 2017
Viewers complain cable channels' lack of objectivity most TV viewers find that cable TV lacks objectively, a study by the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), said Tuesday. According to the report, TV viewers complain mostly about cable lacking objectivity and impartiality in news broadcasting.“Many viewers complained that cable channels’ news programs, including MBN’s News Fighter and JTBC’s Newsroom, in their report of social and political issues, breached fairness and objectivity of broadcasting,” said the state-run media watchdog. KCSC said it received a total of 4,868 complaints last year. Nationwide general cable networks, including Channel A, JTBC and MBN, topped the complaint list with 1,947, or 40 percent, followed by three major TV networks of KBS, MBC and SBS with 1,470 cases, or 30.2 percent. Home shopping cables came next with 770 complaints. Among the cable channels, Channel A topped the complaint list with 658 cases. TV Chosun ranked second with 626 cases, followed by MBN with 392 cases and JTBC with 266 cases.Among the three major broadcasters, KBS topped the list with 522 cases, SBFeb 21, 2017
Dramas reflecting abuse of power gain rave reviews Poster for MBC’s period drama “Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People” / Courtesy of MBCBy Park Jin-haiIn the real word, the nation is grappling with the fallout of the Choi Soon-sil scandal. But Choi and her cronies are infuriating the public by dodging questions by parroting the same phrase ― they don’t remember. Viewers yearning for justice can find peace in the drama world, as broadcasters have released shows telling the story of ordinary people fighting against social injustice and abuse of power.MBC’s period drama “Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People,” the SBS thriller “Defendant” and the KBS office comedy “Good Manager,” echoing the shared feeling of the public of today, enjoy rave support from viewers. MBC’s “Rebel,” starring Kim Sang-joong and Yoon Kyun-sang, tells the story of Hong Gil-dong, a popular Korean literature figure based on a real life Joseon-era person.In the first episodes of the 30-part period drama, revolving around the miserable life of Amogae, Hong’s fathFeb 17, 2017
