No Match for KBS2, From Miniseries to Weekend Dramas 'Grand Slam'

KBS 2TV dramas achieve the grand slam by ranking number 1 in viewership.

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The warring state of dramas is at its peak. Including ground-wave, general service cable and subscription-based cable channels, there are more than 20 dramas on air at the moment. Amidst all this, KBS miniseries (Mon/Tue and Wed/Thu) have all reached the top of the Box Office (from 2019.6.3 to 2019.6.9). This is significant, because it has been achieved amid fierce competition in the drama market. How did these KBS dramas, which achieved the grand slam with the highest ratings, captivate viewers?

- Miniseries with high 2049 viewers' support

The recent "My Fellow Citizens" and "Doctor Prisoner" were said to have made bold attempts with rare comedy and genre focus. Their follow-ups, "Perfume" and "Angel's Last Mission: Love", differentiated themselves with fantasy and romance, as well as fresh material and performances by actors like Shin Hye-sun and Shin Sung-rok.

It is particularly encouraging that the 20-49 age group viewer rating, a key barometer of advertisers, is high. "Doctor Prisoner" reached 7.8% and "Angel's Last Mission: Love" on the 6th rated 4.5% on the 2049 viewer ratings, which is a record proving the enthusiastic response of young viewers.

- The unrivaled weekend drama

"My Only One" ended with 49.4% and the follow-up weekend drama "Mother of Mine" recently broke through 33%, showing another great success. "A Place in the Sun", which started on the 3rd, already reached a two-digit viewing rate. The never before seen subject matter of a fierce royal game of selfish genes is engaging viewers with its fast development.

Amid the mass production of dramas, the market for ground-wave dramas is getting harder and harder. Maybe the drama market being in tough times was just an excuse. KBS is now deeply sympathetic to its move to overcome the crisis of ground-wave dramas by seeking various changes from within. In order to protect the pride of KBS drama, many related departments such as production, advertisement, and marketing are focusing their energy and passion in one place.

According to KBS sources, various dramas are planned for the latter half of 2019, which draws attention to KBS. Typical dramas will be shunned by viewers. The fact that KBS drama has to overcome the difficulties of the ground-wave drama market with endless attempts and high-quality content is a task that should be carried out throughout the future.