Light and Shadow premieres, battles for second place
by javabeans
Mondays and Tuesdays have another new show in the mix with Monday’s premiere of Light and Shadow, the showbiz-centered drama starring Ahn Jae-wook and Nam Sang-mi that follows their characters’ rise through the ’60s and onward. It looks like it’ll be in a race for second place with KBS’s medical drama Brain, which is now in its third week.
Holding steady in first place is SBS’s melodrama Thousand Day Promise, which has been closing in on the 20% ratings mark but has been unable, as yet, to break it. The drama actually settled back a bit with ratings of 16.7% and 16.8% for this week’s two episodes (it was at 17.4% the previous week), and the story did seem to spin its wheels for a bit there. But this week the plot took a few steps forward with our main couple getting married and the secret of Seo-yeon’s Alzheimer’s being revealed to more and more characters.
Thousand Day Promise is likely to stay in first for the remainder of its 20-episode run, though just how high the ratings can climb depends on the pacing from here on out, which frankly has been pretty slow thus far. (There’s plenty of meat in the story and the performances, but the actual developments tend to crawl along at a snail’s pace. There’s breathing room, and then there’s sleeping room — just sayin’.)
As for the battle for second place: On Monday, Light and Shadow’s premiere of 9.5% almost matched Brain’s 9.7% viewership rating. Both shows inched up on Tuesday with 9.8% and 10.0%, respectively. I haven’t caught either show yet, but I have heard a bit of buzz for Shin Ha-kyun’s performance as one of Brain’s neurosurgeons, and the drama seems to be garnering favorable responses despite the modest ratings.
After Thousand Day Promise wraps, Brain ought to have a better chance to claim more of the viewership pie, if it can hold off Promise’s successor drama, History of the Salaryman. Do-able, but a challenge, with Salaryman’s robust lineup: Lee Beom-soo (Giant), Jung Ryeo-won (Ja Myung Go), Hong Soo-hyun (The Princess’s Man), and Jung Kyeo-woon (Romance Town).
Meanwhile, Light and Shadow has more leeway to build slowly, since the special production series is slated for 50 episodes, compared to Brain’s 20.
Via Osen
RELATED POSTS
- Light and Shadow’s groovy ’60s-themed promos
- Scenes from newly premiered KBS drama Brain
- Character stills from MBC’s Light and Shadow
- Retro looks from Light and Shadow’s first test shoot
- Thousand Day Promise: Episode 1
- Thousand Day Promise’s poster and trailer
- Kim Rae-won and Su Ae get close for Thousand Day Promise
![[Drama Chat] The mysteriously disappearing desire to watch](http://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/didiva_5-scaled.jpg)
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1 Dmko01
November 29, 2011 at 4:38 PM
But can they compete with our flower boys? Thanks for the lively reviews!
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YBisTOP
November 29, 2011 at 4:44 PM
lol! NO they can't! :)
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2 Linda165
November 29, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Well, after watching 4 episodes of Brain, I can understand the changes in the casting. It was horribly done, but it makes sense.
It wouldn't be fair to compare FBRS numbers with these three dramas because being a cable show, it won't get the kind of ratings the national networks get.
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Yasmin
November 29, 2011 at 5:40 PM
yes, i agree! i am loving the show and how the main character is being really arrogant, somehow i dont picture song seung hun doing that! i can't wait for the main character to get toppled over (already started at end if ep 4 and from preview of ep 5) and turn over a new leaf like it said in the synopsis.
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dls
November 29, 2011 at 6:44 PM
yup, I agree about that too...
This is the frist time I watch Shin Ha Kyun acts, and I'm hooked on him now
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3 M.J.
November 29, 2011 at 5:53 PM
Thank you the battle of the dramas. To see who is top dog in ratings.
The drama Lights and Shadows is 50 episodes.
The drama started on Monday, November 28, 2011 and it will end on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.
Runtime is Mondays & Tuesdays @ 21:55
according to AsianMediaWiki.com
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4 Lena S.
November 29, 2011 at 6:57 PM
I have yet to watch these dramas listed but i can't wait to see Hong Soo-hyun new drama, i wished she had a leading role after being awesome as a Princess in The Princess's Man.
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5 cookieman
November 30, 2011 at 8:21 AM
super, SUPER hooked on brain. i've only caught a couple of old movies with shin ha kyun in them (guns & talks, surprise party) but he did a good enough job in them to leave a lasting impression on me. and then came arrogant jerkface dr. lee kang hoon - played by anyone else, i'd hate him for sure. but shin ha kyun plays him so well that i so desperately want him to win dr. nice! bit sacrilegious, but i actually find him hotter than chwaaa ji soo. ahem
goin off on a bit of a tangent, was anyone surprised at how episode 6 of brain and episode 10 of FBRS ended in exactly the same manner?
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luci8le
November 30, 2011 at 1:26 PM
I couldn't agree more about the ending of ep 6 of Brain and ep 10 of FBRS. That was definitely the kissing week!
Brain is such a good show so far!
and I think I'm experiencing my first ahjussi crush with shin ha kyun lol
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6 Jin
November 30, 2011 at 3:46 PM
i still hv to see lights & shadows since i've missed ahn jae wook terribly since his last drama! i also wld take a peek on brain coz i like choi jong won
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7 JJ
November 30, 2011 at 4:18 PM
i can't wait to watch L&S online! thnx for this JB et al
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8 Peggy
November 30, 2011 at 4:32 PM
Oh three cheers for Ahn JaeWwook back in a drama at last. He has been lost to me since he owned that theatre and did those stage productions. He was my very first Korean actor who stopped me in my tracks. I loved him and got his albums. He sings so well. He has still got that certain something so I hope this drama will be good for him and bring him back again. AJ is special.
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9 bumper
November 30, 2011 at 10:23 PM
Can't wait to see Ahn Jae Wook! He has been my absolute favorite since Star in My Heart -- wow that goes back a ways.
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10 Forever USA
December 2, 2011 at 12:37 AM
2012 Forever membership enrollment is open now ...
If you are from North America region and like to show your support to Jae Wook oppa by joining Forever member in order to gain member-only benefits, please e-mail to worldforeverusa@gmail.com for further information.
At the meantime, please stay tuned with Jae Wook's most current humorous, dynamic, retro "Lights and Shadows" from MBC debut on 2011.11.28.
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11 cha
December 2, 2011 at 6:05 PM
I like Ahn Jae Wook in Mr.Goodbye but I don't think I'll watch Light and Shadow cuz it's a 50-episode-drama.. @__@!!
I've been 본방사수-ing (watching LIVE) drama Brain from the beginning!!! Shin Ha Kyun's character, Lee Kang Hoon, is so arrogant but all he said he said it with unarguable reasons.. His rival, Seo Joon Seok played by Jo Dong Hyuk, is a nice guy, but he's irritating sometimes..
I love the part when Kanghoon was going to operate a patient while he's prohibited to by his professor and Joonseok nonchalantly said, "You don't need to do it, I can do it." Kanghoon said, " 'Can do it' and 'Do it very well' is different. "
LOL!
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