CJ E&M Launches New Reality Show "Share House" on Food Lifestyle Channel O'live

Published on 2014/04/28

As nation's demographic changes, singles-targeted TV programming booms in Korea

Asia's leading contents company CJ E&M has launched the new reality show Share House on its specialized food lifestyle channel O'live. Over 12 episodes, nine celebrity singles from different backgrounds will get to know each other, forge bonds, and grow to become like family as they live and eat together in a chic, stylish shared house in the suburbs of Seoul.

With singles accounting for a quarter of total households in Korea in 2012 according to the Korean Statistical Information Service, TV shows portraying the challenges of single life, such as the loneliness and discomfort of dining out alone, have become rapidly popular in the country. For example, in a show largely attributed as starting the trend, CJ E&M's drama "Let's Eat", produced and aired on tvN, won the hearts of single viewers across the nation with its depictions of apartment-dwelling singles connecting with neighbors over food. Food lifestyle channel O'live also recently introduced the popular show Grocery Guidebook which offers singles practical tips on how to select grocery items at the market as well as cook retort pouch food.

In Share House, O'live presents a reality show spin on the singles TV trend as celebrity singles living together in a shared house grow to become like family over the connecting medium of food. With production by a dedicated food network, various delicious and stylish dishes will feature as key highlights of the show, and viewers will also get the opportunity to learn the recipes for these foods so they can try making them on their own. For its part, O'live, dubbed "delicious TV" in Korea, is well known for its hit food programs including survival competition show The Cook Off; MasterChef Korea, now entering its third season; and Crazy Market, the global format rights for which were recently sold to Electus International.

In the first episode of Share House which aired on April 16, the new housemates who had just met spent time getting to know one another while deciding on meal menus, going grocery shopping, and cooking dinner together. In fact, one of the main rules for Share House is that housemates spend time eating dinner together every evening. The next morning, with a meal prepared by the eldest housemate, the group began their second day together over breakfast as a traditional Korean family would do every morning.

"With singles-oriented TV programming booming in Korea, we are excited about how Share House and its real-life portrayal of celebrity singles living together under one roof will resonate with viewers", said Lee Suho, Lead Producer of the program for channel O'live. "Through the various episodes, viewers will enjoy the experience of strangers growing to become a warm, tight-knit family – all in the setting of delicious and wonderful meals meant to capture the five senses".

Share House airs every Wednesday at 9PM (KST) on food lifestyle channel O'live.