SBS’s ‘The Killing Vote’ and MBC’s ‘A Good Day to Be a Dog’ (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – TV dramas were once immensely popular, airing every day of the week in various formats, including Monday and Tuesday dramas, Wednesday-Thursday dramas, Friday-Saturday dramas and weekend dramas. Today, however, dramas airing on weekdays have become quite rare.
Among mini-series dramas, Wednesday-Thursday dramas were the first to disappear from the TV broadcasting schedule. The nation’s three major broadcasting companies have completely discontinued dramas airing on Wednesday and Thursday. Cable channel tvN also halted the scheduling of Wednesday-Thursday dramas after ‘Stealer: Seven Joseon Notices’ concluded in May.
Monday-Tuesday dramas are also losing their prominence. Currently, only two dramas air every Monday and Tuesday, namely KBS 2TV’s ‘My Lovely Boxer’ and tvN’s ‘Twinkling Watermelon.’
According to industry sources, broadcasting companies are reducing mini-series dramas due to the rise of OTT (over-the-top) online services, the increase in production costs, and the sluggish TV advertising market. This reduction includes a shift from twice-a-week to once-a-week drama scheduling.
SBS’s ‘The Killing Vote’ is currently broadcast every Thursday. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SBS’s ‘The Killing Vote’ is currently broadcast every Thursday. Commencing with a 4.1 percent viewership, this drama has failed to surpass the viewership of its first episode and struggles with a 3 to 4 percent viewership range. The viewership for the latest episode, episode 7, stood at a mere 3.1 percent.
One of the primary factors contributing to its disappointing viewership is the once-a-week airing. Given the nature of the crime investigation genre, it’s crucial to heighten the sense of immersion with a dynamic plotline. However, due to the once-a-week scheduling, some viewers expressed that the pace of the plotline feels slow.
MBC’s ‘A Good Day to Be a Dog’ (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
MBC also decided to air a new drama once a week. The drama ‘A Good Day to Be a Dog’ will air every Wednesday.
Despite the unique storyline and a strong lineup of actors raising expectations, concerns linger since it’s challenging to find successful cases among once-a-week dramas.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
