Drama viewership ratings for the week of October 23-29, 2023
by DB Staff
This week in ratings, The Kidnapping Day leaves us on a nice high, Evilive’s new Monday slot seems to help a bit, and the midweek ghost town continues.
In our weekend slots, Castaway Diva sees a much smaller premiere than expected, but then rises with its second episode. As for our high-ratings mainstays, Strong Girl Nam-soon and My Dearest keep their hold.
Drama viewership ratings for the week of October 23-29, 2023
| Ep. # | Station | Rating | |
| Monday, October 23 | |||
| Evilive | 4 | ENA | 1.7% |
| Twinkling Watermelon | 9 | tvN | 3.7% |
| Tuesday, October 24 | |||
| Twinkling Watermelon | 10 | tvN | 3.5% |
| Wednesday, October 25 | |||
| The Kidnapping Day | 12 | ENA | 5.2% |
| A Good Day to Be a Dog | — | MBC | — |
| Thursday, October 26 | |||
| The Killing Vote | 10 | SBS | 3.2% |
| Friday, October 27 | |||
| My Dearest | 15 | MBC | 11.8% |
| 7 Escape: War for Survival | 11 | SBS | 5.3% |
| Saturday, October 28 | |||
| Strong Girl Nam-soon | 7 | JTBC | 7.3% |
| Live Your Own Life | 10 | KBS | 14.7% |
| My Dearest | 16 | MBC | 12.0% |
| Perfect Marriage Revenge | 1 | MBN | 1.1% |
| 7 Escape: War for Survival | 12 | SBS | 5.6% |
| Castaway Diva | 1 | tvN | 3.2% |
| Sunday, October 29 | |||
| Evilive | 5 | ENA | 1.0% |
| Strong Girl Nam-soon | 8 | JTBC | 8.5% |
| Live Your Own Life | 11 | KBS | 15.4% |
| Perfect Marriage Revenge | 2 | MBN | 1.9% |
| Castaway Diva | 2 | tvN | 5.2% |
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1 Dorotka
October 30, 2023 at 10:26 AM
Perfect Marriage Revenge nearly doubled the ratings 😁
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Soyesterday
October 30, 2023 at 10:33 AM
As it should!!
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LaurenSophie
October 30, 2023 at 2:38 PM
Second episode was way more fun than the first!
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ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
October 31, 2023 at 11:09 AM
So well deserved!! I need it to be a massive breakout hit.
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2 Soyesterday
October 30, 2023 at 10:28 AM
The massive jump in viewership between episode 1 and 2 of Castaway diva signals a potential hit for tvN, i still need to see it, i like the cast and the writer is solid hope it continues to do well.
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3 OldLawyer
October 30, 2023 at 10:38 AM
MY DEAREST is still doing well, as it should be.
The weekender is struggling. It does have its flaws and is a tough watch at times. The ML's family in particular are near models of Shakespearean tragedy at this point.
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Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
October 30, 2023 at 1:20 PM
I wonder if this is the new normal for weekenders? Have viewing patterns changed?
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Kurama
October 30, 2023 at 2:28 PM
They didn't have so much competition before.
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OldLawyer
October 30, 2023 at 7:05 PM
I think that Kurama has a point there.
But I also think that we have seen a decline in the quality of casting for weekenders as well, ever since the end of YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN which was a show with a subpar script but fantastic chemistry between the leads- in no small part to the extraordinary effort that went into the casting of the ML and particularly the FL (500 actresses auditioned for that part).
When combined with the apparent decision by KBS to up the level of makjang in these dramas it is easy to see that some of the audience may simply be turned off.
What is odd about LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE is that it is almost schizophrenic: The story of the FL's family is old school Weekender family drama but the story of the ML's family is makjang carried to the level of Shakespearean Tragedy: We can already see that the ML's Evil aunt is modelled on Lady MacBeth but after the most recent episodes our ML looks a lot like Hamlet. I haven't figured out who the 2ML is modelled after, but his character has an increasingly Shakespearean vibe as well. This dramatic dichotomy may be very interesting as an approach to storytelling but there is little doubt that the audience is nothing short of confused, which cannot be good for ratings. But if these stories are properly woven together that audience may come to appreciate this approach.
On a more encouraging note, I do think that the casting for this weekender is far superior to the last one- though to be fair the actor who would have been the ML in the last one pulled out at the last moment and things unraveled from there.
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Dorotka
October 31, 2023 at 12:35 AM
I was just yesterday thinking how this weekender doesn't have a one style and nearly each character (set of characters) lives in his/her own drama (some jumping between them) - old school melo, family, silly daily, old school makjang (with appropriate music!)... sometimes it's jarring...
PYC
October 31, 2023 at 4:56 AM
I’m more interested to know if any shift in the watching demographics. Is the mid-age and beyond women crowd still the key audience - or they’ve been lured to watch other dramas as @kurama noted, because there are many more choices during the weekend?
vienibenmio
October 31, 2023 at 6:59 AM
Oh man, if there's anything that could get me to watch a drama it's Shakespeare parallels or references, but I vowed to never watch another weekender after It's Beautiful Now
🌸 Seeker 🌸
November 2, 2023 at 11:27 AM
Thank you you have explained it so beautifully and easily. This really clarifies a lot of things.
The disjointed and jarring effect from one set of scenes to another, basically the dissonance in tone, is easily understood when you see it as emanating from another genre.
I love potpourris as much as the next person but the key to that is a harmonious blend of fragrances which balance and enhance each other.
Two extremely strong and jarring fragrances spoil the effect because you can neither appreciate one nor the other as they somewhat cancel each other.
I love your comparison of the ML family members to Shakespearean characters.
My suggestion for a Shakespearean parallel (character) for the 2ML is Don John, the b@stard brother of Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing.
While, he is not a "plain-dealing vallain" yet, I do imagine he would "bite" if he had his liberty".
The interesting thing is that he is actually "free" but unaware of his "freedom". Just like a bird trapped for too long is scared to fly away even if you open the door to its cage, 2ML is so entrapped by his (admittedly horrific) abuse and manipulation that he does not think he can rise above it.
The only person with whom he feels "free" with is the FL.
Unfortunately he is unable to express himself in any way to endear himself to her and now with her drawing clear professional boundaries between them it seems to be a tipping point.
While I do not believe (at least I sincerely hope not) that the 2ML will descent into being a truly dark villain, it seems the FL's "rejection" coupled with her all to apparent closeness with ML will mark a turning point for him and not for the better.
peiyeelai
October 30, 2023 at 5:11 PM
What to do? Quality has declined
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peiyeelai
October 30, 2023 at 5:13 PM
The current weekenders are no longer the same, I guess
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4 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
October 30, 2023 at 11:11 AM
I really wanted Twinkling Watermelon to get back to 4.7 and above. Now I am a bit concerned about the change of tone and whether that will mean an increase in viewers showing on the ratings next week. Which will give the message that viewers like dark elements in their dramas when I have been loving the lighter elements shown for most of the drama.
Castaway deserves the ratings climb and I hope it continues to be great.
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5 lapislazulii
October 30, 2023 at 12:47 PM
🙌 PEB 🙌 - I saw that Castaway was in the Netflix Top Ten last night for Australia and was hoping the interest was mirrored in SK ratings, so I'm glad it is!! Probably one of the best premieres of 2023' in my books!
I've also just come to the abrupt realisation after looking at the ratings that this is week 13/14 of Twinkling Watermelon 🤯 Hoping it'll break 5 but that's maybe a bit too ambitious (??) I guess it depends on how they'll pull off the last two weeks - which I'm also now very curious about because it feels like we're kind of at the start of the story/there's a while to go??
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lapislazulii
October 30, 2023 at 12:48 PM
Oh wait no I'm an idiot and read the numbers wrong 🤦♀️ - still have THREE weeks to go for Twinkling Watermelon including this week PHEW 😅
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6 Britney
October 30, 2023 at 12:50 PM
Hmmm, Escape of the 7 was likely hugely popular. I thought it was crazy and trashy or something which was supposedly like catnip for people.
Apparently more people are into depressing hardship as long as it's acted well.
Not really surprised about Castaway Diva's rise and I imagine it's going to get better during the rest of its run.
Kudos to The Kidnapping Day for reaching 5%!
Man, I truly feel for actors who careers and appeal are tied to these numbers. As always I wonder the weird alchemy that makes something work while others don't.
People want stuff they relate to but then they don't. They want stuff with substance and gravitas but then also want turn their brain off & look at the pretty people.
It's interesting
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7 Asha13
October 30, 2023 at 5:08 PM
I am a little saddened that Live Your Own life doesn’t seem to be doing well
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8 ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
October 31, 2023 at 11:11 AM
Happy to see Castaway Diva jumping in the ratings. Park Eun-bin deserves the whole damn world - including consecutive hits.
Do y'all think My Dearest will hit 20% by the finale?
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Kodra aka Qanon something
October 31, 2023 at 1:39 PM
Nope, I consider it lucky if it gets past its record from part 1.
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peiyeelai
October 31, 2023 at 4:59 PM
20% is quit a challenge for My Dearest these days, even TRS only managed to land 17.1% only. It is indeed a miracle that it secured more than 10% for both parts, as there are many dramas these days. And yes, I am a heavy saeguk fan ad fans of both actors.
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peiyeelai
October 31, 2023 at 5:04 PM
I mean...If there are only mbc, sbs and kbs, I am sure My Dearest can definitely soar to 20%. But, these days you have TvN, JTBC, MBN, and other Streaming platforms alongside with the public channels like MBC, KBS, SBS, the competition is harder......
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