Cable’s latest hit, Childless Good Fortune
by javabeans
There’s another smash cable hit on the horizon, with JTBC’s weekend series Childless Good Fortune hitting rather impressive numbers just six episodes into its 30-episode run. The weekend’s fifth and sixth episodes drew ratings of 3.285% and 3.524%, building on a solid premiere of 1.683%.
To break it down further, the show reached a peak in the real-time ratings analysis with a 5.4%. With this kind of a rise, it’s possible the show will reach the heights of JTBC’s previous top drama, Wife’s Credentials, whose top episode drew a 4.418% (and whose real-time ratings peaked at 6%). It remains to be seen whether it can challenge this year’s most buzzed-about cable offering, tvN’s Answer Me, 1997, for the top cable rating of 6.22%.
Remember the days when 1% was considered a good cable number? And even odder, remember how those days were just one year ago? It seems like cable shows are posting higher and higher ratings every day, which just goes to show the fast-changing nature of the landscape, and how broadcast stations are no longer the only worthy players in the game. So while the rising numbers these days don’t retroactively make the earlier 1-percenters less successful (in that landscape, that was a big deal), I think we can expect that 1% won’t be the benchmark for cable dramas for much longer. Vampire Prosecutor, Ten, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, Yellow Boots — those all made at least 2%, sometimes hitting 3% or 4%.
So, Childless Good Fortune. The show had a number of things going for it at the outset, probably most of all its hitmaker writer Kim Soo-hyun. She’s had hit after hit with her broadcast dramas, hitting 40% ratings with Mom’s Dead Upset, while My Man’s Woman had 30% and Life Is Beautiful high 20’s. The cast features many of her “family” of actors, whom she tends to take from show to show: Kim Hae-sook is back after Thousand Day Promise and Life Is Beautiful, as is Lee Sang-woo who makes a special appearance in the upcoming episodes. Yoon Da-hoon and Jung Joon also repeat.
The story follows three generations of a family headed by Lee Soon-jae, who plays Grandpa. There are his children and their spouses, as well as his grandchildren’s generation, all dealing with their own set of issues. The younger cast includes Eom Ji-won (Can Love Become Money), Ha Suk-jin (Standby), Oh Yoon-ah (Athena), Lee Do-young (My Daughter, Flower), and Kim Min-kyung (Padam Padam). With this sprawling family tree, the title’s got to be ironic, no?
Childless Good Fortune airs on Saturday and Sunday evenings on JTBC.
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Tags: cable programs, drama ratings
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1 Annie
November 12, 2012 at 3:17 PM
I really appreciate Kim Soo Hyun's treatment of single motherhood and I find Uhm Ji Won's character to be so lovely and inscrutable. I also love that there's no Prince Charming in sight to save the day because that's not how the real world rolls. Ha Suk Jin's storyline on the other hand is a bit meh for me but overall this drama is by far the best of the weekend fare - can someone explain to me why My Daughter Seo Young has such high ratings? All I could think was deja vu...
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Mystisith
November 12, 2012 at 3:40 PM
I was thinking of trying My Daughter Seo Young but you're the second person who gives it a thumb down. I'm thinking it's the equivalent of comfort food for SK viewers.
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JO
November 12, 2012 at 3:57 PM
I appreciate Kim Soo Hyun's ability to convey motherhood and being a woman with a family very well. Seriously though, after the drama "Mom's dead upset", almost all the women in my neighborhood started to act differently. They basically went on protest or started to rebel against their roles. Haha. Did this happen to any of your mothers?
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sunday
November 12, 2012 at 6:14 PM
My daughter Seo Young doesn't have competition on 19:55 timeslot, so the drama easily gain high ratings
i used to like it before but after ep.10 im tired with the story..so i dropped it..
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Annie
November 12, 2012 at 7:27 PM
lmao seriously? That explains how a completely soulless drama could rake in such high viewing numbers.
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2 Mystisith
November 12, 2012 at 3:34 PM
Ratings, ! Nom, nom, nom.
Viewers are changing their habits at light speed. It seems than the dramas on the Big 3 are roughly getting smaller and smaller ratings (I talk numbers, not quality).
The psychological barrier for me is 7% for the week dramas: The less successful ones on the Big 3 and the most loved ones on cable having the same ratings! Unbelievable!
As for jtbc, Childless Good Fortune doesn't attract me but I'm having a blast with their Can We Get Married?
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mav
November 12, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Do you happen to know how Can we get Married? os fairing ratings wise?
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Mystisith
November 12, 2012 at 4:52 PM
On soompi, adrilovkorea gave numbers. Ep 3: 1.099% - ep 4: 1.28% ep 5: 1.07%.
I wish it could be higher!
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zsa
November 12, 2012 at 11:37 PM
I love it too...feel like killing the cheating husband and the confirmed bachelor on how they treat their partners...
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Bengbeng
November 12, 2012 at 6:55 PM
I'm loving can we get married to?!!!
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coby
November 13, 2012 at 10:09 AM
me too! and me and my friends thinks that we are the only 3 persons watching it! well at least from Dubai!
gotta check if new episodes were up and subbed!
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Barbara Starks
November 13, 2012 at 4:11 PM
OMG! YES! Very mature and realistic it’s a great drama I so happy its airs on Monday and Tuesday such a juicy treat after a long day at work!
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Mama J
November 14, 2012 at 11:16 AM
Me too! Fun show, with pockets of rage at that awful husband and pretty pretty Young Ki Kwang or whatever the confirmed bachelor guy's name is.
all made up for by the awesome snuggliness of Sung Joon and MotorCycle Ahjussi, along with Motorcycle Auntie.
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miki
November 13, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Can We Get Married is pretty good! I was actually surprised that Dramabeans hasn't put it on that weekly drama list on the sidebar and given her two cents on the drama yet since there is Jung So Min from Mischievous Kiss and Bad Guy and Sung Joon from Flower Boy Band. :)
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3 nomu nomu nomu
November 12, 2012 at 3:36 PM
I had trouble finding English Sub for this. So, it has been put on my ever growing check-it-out-when-subs-are-out list.
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4 ilikemangos
November 12, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Lee Soon-jae is my favorite k-drama grandpa.
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Aquila
November 12, 2012 at 5:59 PM
Completely agree!
I was so engrossed by his performance from Huh joon and loved his role in King 2 hearts!!!!
He's so funny when I see him talk shows... <3
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5 danna
November 12, 2012 at 3:49 PM
I loved Kim Soo Hyun's last family drama and I'm really itching to watch another one right now...but chances are it's not getting subbed anywhere , is it?
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6 kooriyuki
November 12, 2012 at 3:57 PM
Fabulous drama we've here. I'm totally hooked the moment Eom Ji Won's character comes out. Writer Kim sure knows how to keep the audiences wanting more.
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7 pabo ceo reom
November 12, 2012 at 3:59 PM
Ha Suk-jin and Lee Sang-woo.......
what was I going to say again?
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Annie
November 12, 2012 at 4:24 PM
If you really love Lee Sang Woo, you might want to stay away. I'll leave it at that, lol. Otherwise, have at it :-)
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jomo143
November 12, 2012 at 5:10 PM
I know!
Ha Suk-jin and Lee Sang-woo
Manly handsome and times two
Shoulders broad and charms so nice
Love them love them both and twice
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mary
November 12, 2012 at 8:07 PM
Haha :D
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ck1Oz
November 12, 2012 at 9:53 PM
LIKE :-)
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8 Kiara
November 12, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Lee Soon-Jae is the busiest grandpa actor ever. I'm so gonna cry if he retires but I have a feeling he will work till he drops.
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9 sunday
November 12, 2012 at 6:24 PM
javabeans may not talk about this but this drama actually bring the main issue Eom Ji Won as single mother, shes' having a baby out-of-wedlock that bring big trouble to their big family,
Lee Sang Woo will play her child's father.
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10 ar_arguably romantic
November 12, 2012 at 7:25 PM
I had forgotten this was airing! Lee Soon-jae! Ha Suk-jin! Eom Ji-won! For some reason, I shouldn't be too surprised that the drama's ratings are that high. Kim Soo Hyun's dramas generally do well in ratings and I also feel like JBTC is the go-to cable channel for hearty dramas.
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11 Joy
November 12, 2012 at 9:09 PM
Looking forward to the days when cable shows will hit double digits!!! The third installment of the flower boy tvN series perhaps?
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sunday
November 13, 2012 at 3:04 AM
talent show superstar k3 on Mnet hit double digit before until 14%, but yes, i still never hear drama hit double digit
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12 Mary
November 13, 2012 at 2:07 AM
I love a good family drama. Nothing's caught my eye and heart since Ojakgyo! I hope someone subs this! Anyone heard anything on the grapevine?
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13 shiku
November 13, 2012 at 4:45 AM
Lee Soon-jae is one very busy grandpa appearing in the Horse Doctor and this sitcom simultaneously! I hope he doesn't work himself to death!
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14 myra
November 13, 2012 at 9:09 AM
i'm really happy when the small cable channels have good dramas and resonable ratings...
and i also have a suggestion: could you please add Can we get married? and Childless good fortune to the drama list on this page? please...
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15 meiji_era
November 26, 2012 at 4:39 AM
It already broke the record of A Wife's Credentials. It got 4.777 nationwide last night acc. to AGB Nielsen.(5.800 in Seoul Capital Area, with a peak of 7.700)
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16 meiji_era
December 3, 2012 at 10:39 AM
It made a new record for JTBC. It got 5.166% nationwide Ratings according to AGB Nielsen.
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