Nineties drama School gets a revival
by girlfriday
New drama alert! Well, old-drama-becomes-new-drama alert, technically speaking. Popular ’90s high-school drama series School is getting a modern reincarnation, and the 2012 version produced by Bae Yong-joon (Keyeast/Contents K) has landed a broadcast slot in December on KBS.
The first names attached to the project are Kim Woo-bin (A Gentleman’s Dignity, White Christmas) and Lee Yubi (Nice Guy), who have already been paired once before on the sitcom Vampire Idol. (He was an alien vampire who fell in love with her inside a bunny mascot costume, not knowing there was a girl inside. Adorable.) Both actors are reportedly considering roles in the high school drama remake.
School was an immensely popular series that premiered in 1999, that featured fresh young faces and dealt with realistic issues teenagers faced in high school. It went on to air four seasons total with a new cast of characters each time. Now ten years later, Bae Yong-joon is likely trying to brand a similar hit series that has multiple seasons in its arsenal, much like he originally tried to do with Dream High. (But oh, how sideways that sequel went.)
School has all the makings of a franchise because it’s less about a set story and more about a world (school, natch), and rests entirely on collecting a hot young cast. The original was as much a star-making factory as it was a drama series, as the roster of familiar names can attest.
Just a few of the stars who passed through its halls: Jang Hyuk, Ha Ji-won, Jo In-sung, Lee Dong-wook, Gong Yoo, Im Soo-jung, Su Ae, Kim Rae-won, Kim Min-hee, Lee Yo-won, Kim Nam-gil, Choi Kang-hee, Bae Doona, Jae Hee … the list goes on and on. The remake will be helmed by PDs Lee Min-hong (of School’s first season and Hometown Legends) and Lee Eung-bok (of Dream High 1 and 2), and the writers of Night Hospital.
The big question is the ensemble cast they’ll gather, and if the revamp will manage to feel fresh and interesting. It’s a little hard to tell if the loose concept of the original — high school students having high school problems — will hit audiences the same way, but I can definitely see something that’s more episodic in structure work out, if the writing is compelling throughout.
School is slated to air on Monday-Tuesday on KBS, following Oohlala Spouses.
RELATED POSTS
- Nice Guy: Episode 1
- A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 1
- Vampidol Kim Woo-bin joins Gentleman’s Dignity
- White Christmas: Episode 1
- Interview with the Vampire (Idols)
- Vampire Idol: Episodes 1-3
- The Vampire Boys, idols, and managers of Vampire Idol
- Dream High 2: Series Wrap-up
- Dream High 2: Episode 1
- Dream High: Episode 1
Tags: Bae Yong-joon, Kim Woo-bin, Lee Yubi, remakes, School 2013
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51 denise
October 10, 2012 at 5:49 PM
OMG!!!!!! Kim Won Bin (KHJ) as lead is awesome, i will always love in him White Christams.
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52 Distracts
October 10, 2012 at 6:37 PM
Omg I grew up with hakgyo! Loved the drama!
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53 DC
October 10, 2012 at 7:13 PM
Yes! There definitely needs to be a youth-oriented primetime drama. There are so many talented, non-idol young actors out there.
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54 babyfat
October 10, 2012 at 7:38 PM
Wow !!! you can tell who's HOT now - Kim Woo Bin !!! the young man can't just stop to sneeze for a minute - i saw him in A gentlemen 's dignity and one after another , like every dramas out there he's guest spot : I love it . Can't wait for that one big break to give him the SPOT light that he needs and deserved , he's still young and new to the business , but i think he's on his way to stardom soon enough
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55 JO
October 10, 2012 at 7:49 PM
Is no one extremely entertained at seeing ALMOST EVERYONE famous in the industry in these "school" throwbacks? I did not know that these people were under this show. lollll
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56 pigtookie
October 10, 2012 at 7:55 PM
i'm looking forward to kim woo bin too.
i think the well known child actors (like from moon sun, etc) would be a good fit and actually would get practice holding onto a character for a longer running time period, but i'd rather see the producers cast lesser known talented actors/actresses. because that list of names is impressive, and we need more young talented actors!
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57 graygirl
October 10, 2012 at 9:00 PM
OH!!! such a good news!!! I love this couple in vampire idol!! Great to see them together again!!
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58 pandasaurus
October 10, 2012 at 11:17 PM
(raises hand) ahem... can i just say that... the only reason I'd be watching this show is because of KIM WOO-BIN.
...
and if IU guest stars, I'M TOTALLY RUNNING AMOK too~!!!
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59 iamdeb
October 11, 2012 at 7:55 AM
This totally reminds me of Degrassi & Degrassi: The New Generation! I didn't get to watch the orginal but the reboot was a guilty pleasure for a couple of years!! I'm excited about this.
Does anyone know where the original series can be found online? Hopefully the reboot encourages some interest in the original.
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60 whoa
October 11, 2012 at 9:55 AM
the girl looked like park han byul.... who looked like jeon ji jyun
pretty indeed :D
id watch anything with crazy miru
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61 chaloner
October 11, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Kinda lame, there starting to become like Hollywood, no longer new ideas just remakes.
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62 Rossa E
November 20, 2013 at 7:07 PM
It's weird to see a still pictures of all the famous artist back then, they sure changed a lot. Look at Lee Dong Wook and Sue Aae they sure look totally different today hmmm
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