Variety drama After the Play Ends up for July premiere on tvN

12 April 29, 2016June 29, 2016

Variety drama After the Play Ends up for July premiere on tvN

by javabeans

Hm, I’m still not entirely sure I know what dramaland means by “variety drama”—and that’s after seeing some, even—but they keep giving them a try, and a new one is in the works at tvN called After the Play Ends (working title). Two actors, Baek Sung-hyun (Hwajung, Beloved Eun-dong) and Minhyuk of idol group BtoB (and drama Sweet Savage Family), are currently in talks to star.

The one-line premise for After the Play Ends tells us it’s about a twentysomething female office worker who has nothing special to recommend her, and her non-ordinary double life. Baek Sung-hyun’s role would be of a fashionable branch director of a clothing brand, and Minhyuk is up to play a rookie employee at a large advertising agency.

That all sounds scripted and conventional so I’m curious to know where the variety element comes in—other than the fact that one of its producers will be PD Sohn Chang-woo of long-running MBC variety program Infinity Challenge (he was at MBC for many years, but has now moved over to tvN). Co-directing with him will be PD Lee Tae-kyung, who’s also contracted with tvN. The show promises to combine elements of reality into the program, though it doesn’t specify how. Will you sneak in backstage footage, or just make them ad-lib a lot? Does anybody know what a variety drama actually does?

Perhaps the most well-known one out there is KBS’s Producers, which is a bit ironic since that drama quickly yanked the variety part of the drama when the public had mixed response to it, making it a conventional drama in the end. (KBS is still giving the format another attempt, though.) The production for After the Play Ends stated the possibility of going for a season format if the project is successful.

The variety drama will air eight to ten episodes, and plans to premiere in July.

Via Osen, News1

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1 mindy

April 29, 2016 at 9:22 AM

Hmmm. It all sounds normal but I hope they have something up their sleeves to really make it special and "variety"-like.

I'm all for producers trying to create new formats. Being experimental is important. I was so disappointed when The Producers backed out of their format so quickly. I still ended up enjoyin the drama but I feel like a failed experiment is better than doing something that you already know works. At least if you tried something new you got something out of it and learned something. If you don't try at all or don't go all the way, you didn't learn much.

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2 Bili Bala Pabo Bara

April 29, 2016 at 9:42 AM

For a moment I thought the picture on the right is Kim Woo Bin

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3 walrus

April 29, 2016 at 10:05 AM

I don't watch Infinity Challenge, but it's one of the most popular variety shows, right? This leads me to think that this show is in good hands. Plus, it's tvN! (I realised quite recently that all the dramas I bothered to download for rewatching purposes were all from tvN)

Also, I hope that if ever Baek Sung-hyun accepts this project, it will become his big break. I feel like he's underrated. He's done a lot of supporting roles already, and I think he's more than capable of carrying a lead role in a ~16-ep drama.

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4 hwari

April 29, 2016 at 10:42 AM

My cable just starting rerun Stairway to Heaven and there's younger Baek Sung Hyun in it. It so rare to see young chaebol kid not throwing tantrum in drama.

Yeah, he should be as main lead now. And why he not doing movies. Casting people must be blind or something.

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5 jadea

April 29, 2016 at 10:57 AM

I'd love to see Baek Sung Hyun again since I don't think we see him enough. I'm interested in seeing where they take the variety drama aspect. I don't think produce handled it well, but it'll be interesting to see where this show goes.

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6 sw33tnshie

April 29, 2016 at 11:25 AM

Ditto..baek sung hyun.....everyone complaining about idol actors getting roles after roles or even model actors (stars of 'white christmas') yet, he's just as good or even better since he has experience, not getting these roles. I think he has been a main lead in daily dramas before but i wish he had leads in 16 eps dramas too.

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7 museofmanymasks

April 29, 2016 at 12:05 PM

It seems like Baek is drawn to more original/creative projects even if it means smaller roles or less exposure. I respect that, so I'll stop whining about how I thought/wished he'd be big(ger) by now. Though I wonder why he doesn't do movies.

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8 enkeys

April 29, 2016 at 12:16 PM

I only ever watched him in Beloved Eundong and I agree that he's lead material already. I hope this (experimental) drama is a success.

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9 kaybee

April 29, 2016 at 2:49 PM

Well, Producers started out as a Mockumentary, perhaps that's what "variety drama" actually means? (Oh how I wish Producers had stayed with their original direction, it was so brilliant.)

The concept for this sounds like a standard drama. Female leads with "nothing special to recommend her" is quite possibly the first kdrama klichée any new fan will notice. I want someone who's not bland! Dramaland, if you're listening, please stop making all your guys "perfect" and all your women insipid!

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10 graey

April 29, 2016 at 3:38 PM

I'm just excited to see Baek Sung-hyun in my screen. I can't go through his dailies but I'll watch the heck out of this - whatever variety drama means - if he's in it.