Networks Revisit Legendary Hits Amid Shifting Viewer Habits

Courtesy of MBC

Major Korean broadcasters are reintroducing legendary dramas to television screens in a bid to boost viewership, especially among middle-aged and older audiences, as younger viewers increasingly opt for streaming services.

MBC announced that "Chief Detective 1958," a prequel to the 880-episode crime detective series "Chief Inspector," will premiere on April 19. The original series, which aired from 1971 to 1989, achieved a peak viewership rating of over 70 percent. The new installment, set in Seoul in 1958, features Lee Je-hoon as the young detective Park and is directed by Kim Sung-hoon. 

▲ A scene from "Chief Detective 1958" / Courtesy of MBC

Fantagio revealed that Lee Young-ae will lead the reboot of the mega-hit period drama "Jewel in the Palace," originally aired from 2003 to 2004. The reboot, tentatively titled "Medic Dae Jang Geum," set during the Joseon era, is scheduled to begin filming in October and air in early 2025. It will follow the story of Seo Jang-geum, who became a medic at the end of the original series.

"Princess Hours," a 2006 romance drama based on a popular Korean comic, is also set for a remake by Jaedam Media and Group 8. The original series had a peak viewership rating of 28.3 percent.

▲ A scene from "Jewel in the Palace" / Courtesy of MBCIndustry experts suggest that broadcasters are revisiting successful classics to secure viewership, particularly among middle-aged and older demographics. With younger audiences gravitating towards streaming platforms, remakes of well-received dramas are seen as a strategic move to ensure a certain level of success for network productions in the current media landscape. Pop culture critic Hwang Jin-mi notes that achieving 5 to 6 percent viewership ratings is considered successful in the current environment, and remaking old hits is viewed as a reliable strategy to capture attention from middle-aged and older viewers, guaranteeing at least a basic level of success, typically around 2 percent viewership ratings.

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