Why Do KBS Weekend Dramas and Makjang Dramas See a Decline in Ratings?

As the landscape continues to evolve, new indicators like the topicality index and viewing time are emerging to accurately reflect these changes.

Despite this, viewership remains a relevant factor for certain platforms, as terrestrial, cable, and satellite channels still place importance on it. However, the ratings for recent weekend dramas paint a contrasting picture.

The most significant trend is the decrease in popularity of KBS weekend dramas. Despite achieving a peak rating of 17.6% (Nielsen Korea) for its first episode in March, “Beauty and Mr. Romantic”may not seem to have low ratings due to the overall decline in terrestrial viewership. However, compared to previous KBS weekend dramas such as “My Only One”(2018) with a peak rating of 49.4% and “Young Lady and Gentleman”(2021) with a peak rating of 38.2%, it highlights the continuing downward trend of KBS weekend dramas.

Despite previous efforts with “Live Your Own Life”only achieving a peak rating of 22.1%, the downward trend has persisted through “It’s Beautiful Now”(highest rating: 29.4%), “Three Bold Siblings”(28%), and “The Real Has Come!”(23.9%) until present day. Therefore, in an effort to reverse this pattern, the decision to cast writer Kim Sa-kyung and actor Ji Hyun-woo for “Beauty and Mr. Romantic”has been made.

Despite extensive promotional efforts, the results for “Beauty and Mr. Romantic”have been underwhelming. Despite its premise as a romantic drama centered around a famous actress’s downfall and the producer who helps her rise again, the show has not gained high ratings or generated much buzz.

The outcome? After the second episode’s rating of 17.2%, it decreased to 14.9% in the third episode. This was likely due to their persistent use of a code that had lost its popularity due to overuse.

However, another recent development in the world of weekend dramas is the decline of renowned writer Kim Soon-ok’s works. Despite being responsible for the highly successful “Penthouse”series, which achieved a peak rating of 29.2%, her latest work, “The Escape of the Seven,”only managed to attain a rating of 7.7% on SBS, despite a whopping production cost of 46 billion won. Its sequel, “The Resurrection of the Seven,”is currently facing difficulties with ratings in the 2% range.

Why? Ever since “The Escape of the Seven”aired, viewers have been pointing out a significant lack of coherence in the storyline. The use of absurd settings did not create the desired dramatic tension, but instead resulted in forced laughter. “The Escape of the Seven”was meant to set the stage for its sequel, but its failure caused viewers to lose interest.

The decrease in popularity of KBS weekend dramas, previously thought to be a surefire hit among viewers, and the decline of makjang dramas carry significant meaning. This can be seen in the recent triumph of tvN’s weekend drama “Queen of Tears”, which has reached a peak rating of over 20% and has become a prominent topic of discussion. Additionally, the drama has attracted attention both domestically and internationally, appealing to a wide range of audiences with its blend of traditional and modern elements.

After careful analysis, it can be observed that “Queen of Tears” follows a similar narrative structure to the family dramas commonly seen on KBS weekend dramas. However, the execution of “Queen of Tears” sets it apart from both KBS weekend dramas and writer Kim Soon-ok’s makjang dramas. Instead of relying on clichés, it cleverly subverts them to evoke contemporary empathy, a stark contrast to the outdated and regressive worlds often portrayed in KBS weekend dramas. While it does introduce dramatic situations that challenge families, the unraveling of these conflicts is presented in a refreshing and thought-provoking manner, unlike writer Kim Soon-ok’s nonsensical and provocative makjang dramas. Above all, the infusion of black comedy in various

As times change, even traditional viewers’ preferences change. The older viewers of KBS weekend dramas also prefer to watch shows that are not outdated. While some may argue that stimulation is beneficial, there is now a higher demand for consistency and thoroughness. With the increase in content consumption, our expectations have also risen. The days where makjang dramas and weekend dramas were considered to guarantee high ratings are gone. It is best to avoid imposing repetitive clichés or hastily thrown together plots onto viewers.

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