Queen Seon-deok has SBS running scared

34 September 15, 2009

by javabeans

The upcoming Angel’s Temptation

Wow. It’s one thing to admit your competition is tough. But it’s another thing entirely to rearrange your station’s prime-time broadcasting schedule specifically to avoid going up against said competitor, as SBS is doing next month to give its dramas a shot against Queen Seon-deok.

Starting in October, they will actually air their Monday-Tuesday drama in the 9pm hour, rather than the standard prime-time 10pm hour where Seon-deok has been so dominant.

This is a pretty drastic — one might say desperate — move. It’s not unusual for rival stations to fiddle with drama premiere dates, pushing back a new show until a strong competitor wraps (as Ja Myung Go did to avoid going up against East of Eden and Boys Before Flowers). But shifting its prime-time schedule entirely is a big surprise. On one hand, it’s good that their drama(s) will be getting a shot to survive, but on the other, it feels like an admission of weakness.

Ja Myung Go, Dream

Of course, SBS’s official statement says that they have been wanting to make this move for a while based on ratings research, but they’re hardly fooling anyone. It is a highly unusual decision to break from tradition and instead offer cultural and educational programs in the 10pm hour as counterprogramming against KBS and MBC’s prime-time dramas. (The other two stations air the news in the 9pm hour.)

Several of SBS’s highly anticipated dramas have crumbled against Seon-deok, such as its big-budget historical epic series Ja Myung Go, which was pulled early, and Dream, which is limping along with 4% ratings. Seon-deok‘s six-week extension stretches its run through the end of 2009, and SBS must be impatient to breathe some life into their schedule rather than waiting until next year.

Therefore, the new 9pm schedule starts on October 12. It’s too late to save Dream, but the schedule goes into effect with SBS’s next Monday-Tuesday offering, the makjang revenge drama Angel’s Temptation. It’s no surprise SBS is unwilling to sacrifice a probable hit with a name writer whose last drama (Wife’s Temptation) was a 40% ratings sensation earlier this year.

Angel’s Temptation stars Han Sang-jin (of Sons of Sol Pharmacy, pictured at top) and Bae Soo-bin (Brilliant Legacy) playing the same character: the character’s wife (Lee So-yeon) marries him purely out of a revenge scheme, and he comes back from an accident and plastic surgery with a new face and a desire to counter his wife’s revenge with his own.

I know this news doesn’t affect us international viewers, who don’t influence (or likely keep track of) ratings wars. But I’m pretty surprised with SBS. They may gain ratings but they sure lose face…

Via My Daily

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26 belleza

September 16, 2009 at 2:21 PM

"I was turned off by the drama because the female lead was the same one in Bad Love and that was a Bad Drama."

There's huge lapses in logic (Chunchu looks rather uhm manly for a 5-year old boy lol) and it gets cartoony at times . . . but the show is absolute crack.

It's the Boys Before Flowers of Sageuks. No seriously -- the word "Hwarang" roughly translates to "Flower Boys" and so Team Deokman IS Deokman Flower Four -- Yushin, Bidam, Alcheon, and Kaya Crown Prince.

Bidam, you had me at first chicken leg. SIGH. :D

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27 doug

September 16, 2009 at 2:42 PM

I must have been the only person watching Ja Myung Go. Has there ever been a drama with such a miserable, unsatisfying ending? I enjoyed it all along,and I was sure the Princess was going to lead an ultimately sucessful rebellion against Goguryeo,but instead, everyone just got slaughtered off-even the Great General could not kill off that goofy Wu Naru. Oh well. Now I'm watching 'Dream', and enjoying that,too. I guess I should have given Queen Seon Duk a look when it started, but too late now, unless I buy the whole show.

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28 Masaya

September 16, 2009 at 8:45 PM

It's a practical move (though it looks cowardly.) Sometimes tough decisions have to be made to protect something else. QSD is an okay drama. I have no idea why it's so popular. I stopped watching it already.

I got tired of looking at Mishil's wiggling brows and Yushin's dull face. It gets repetitive after a while. I'm sure many claim that's great acting.

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29 belleza

September 16, 2009 at 10:32 PM

"I’m sure many claim that’s great acting."

Mishil has the greatest eyebrow since The Rock.

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30 glencorajane

October 12, 2009 at 7:51 AM

I think all 3 stations should have different slots for different things, then those who wants to watch drama, can do so continuosly on different channels and all 3 stations will make money from the air time sold!!