Drama viewership ratings for the week of Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2018
by SailorJumun
After the Nielsen Korea network mishap, we’re now back on track. And, what do you know, just in time for a big boost in numbers. Fox Bride Star ended with a solid 9.7 percent, its highest rating. Joining its time slot was JTBC’s wacky romance between the cleanly and the dirty, Clean With Passion For Now. At a 3.3 percent, it’s off to a good start.
But, wowza, if we want to talk about good starts, let’s head over to Wednesday and Thursday, where Song Hye-gyo and Park Bo-gum’s noona romance Boyfriend premiered with 8.7 percent. The second episode came in even higher, making me wonder if we have the makings of a hit in our hands.
It doesn’t end there–Hyun Bin and Park Shin-hye’s Memories of the Alhambra premiered extremely well too. (Never underestimate K-entertainment star power!) SKY Castle isn’t too far behind, gaining viewers each week, but poor Priest can’t seem to catch up. Perhaps the whole priest trend is already on the verge of dying.
Drama viewership ratings for the week of Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2018
| Ep. # | Station | Rating | |
| Monday, Nov. 26 | |||
| Matrimonial Chaos | 27 | KBS | 2.2% |
| Matrimonial Chaos | 28 | KBS | 3.7% |
| Bad Papa | 29 | MBC | 2.0% |
| Bad Papa | 30 | MBC | 2.3% |
| Fox Bride Star | 31 | SBS | 9.3% |
| Fox Bride Star | 32 | SBS | 9.7% |
| Clean With Passion for Now | 1 | JTBC | 3.3% |
| Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter | 7 | tvN | 3.3% |
| Tuesday, Nov. 27 | |||
| Matrimonial Chaos | 29 | KBS | 3.3% |
| Matrimonial Chaos | 30 | KBS | 4.0% |
| Matrimonial Chaos | 31 | KBS | 4.1% |
| Matrimonial Chaos | 32 | KBS | 4.4% |
| Bad Papa | 31 | MBC | 3.1% |
| Bad Papa | 32 | MBC | 3.9% |
| Clean With Passion for Now | 2 | JTBC | 3.3% |
| Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter | 8 | tvN | 3.5% |
| Wednesday, Nov. 28 | |||
| Happy to Die | 13 | KBS | 2.4% |
| Happy to Die | 14 | KBS | 3.5% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 5 | MBC | 3.8% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 6 | MBC | 4.7% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 5 | SBS | 5.7% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 6 | SBS | 7.9% |
| Fluttering Alert | 9 | MBN | 1.7% |
| God’s Quiz 5 | 5 | OCN | 2.2% |
| Boyfriend | 1 | tvN | 8.7% |
| Thursday, Nov. 29 | |||
| Happy to Die | 15 | KBS | 2.8% |
| Happy to Die | 16 | KBS | 3.3% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 7 | MBC | 3.9% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 8 | MBC | 4.7% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 7 | SBS | 7.6% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 8 | SBS | 9.3% |
| Fluttering Alert | 10 | MBN | 1.4% |
| God’s Quiz 5 | 6 | OCN | 2.3% |
| Boyfriend | 2 | tvN | 10.3% |
| Friday, Nov. 30 | |||
| SKY Castle | 3 | JTBC | 5.2% |
| Top Star Yoo Baek | 3 | tvN | 3.1% |
| Saturday, Dec. 1 | |||
| My Only Ally | 45 | KBS | 26.2% |
| My Only Ally | 46 | KBS | 31.0% |
| SKY Castle | 4 | JTBC | 7.5% |
| Priest | 3 | OCN | 2.0% |
| Memories of the Alhambra | 1 | tvN | 7.5% |
| Sunday, Dec. 2 | |||
| My Only Ally | 47 | KBS | 31.5% |
| My Only Ally | 48 | KBS | 36.3% |
| My Healing Love | 29 | MBC | 7.7% |
| My Healing Love | 30 | MBC | 10.7% |
| My Healing Love | 31 | MBC | 10.2% |
| My Healing Love | 32 | MBC | 11.1% |
| Priest | 4 | OCN | 2.4% |
| Memories of the Alhambra | 2 | tvN | 7.4% |
RELATED POSTS
Tags: drama ratings
![[K-drama Treasure Hunt] Heart-fluttery bottle opening](http://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Kdrama-treasure-hunt.png)
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 Elaine
December 2, 2018 at 6:03 AM
Empress Dignity is doing really well despite going against Boyfriend. The drama is so addictive despite being a makjang mess.
Required fields are marked *
2 ordinaryguy92
December 2, 2018 at 6:15 AM
Just sharing interesting info about 2049 rating, which is viewership ratings(by Nielsen Korea) among the key demographic of viewers ages 20 to 49, which is often considered the target audience for broadcasters and advertisers.
Prime-time drama viewership ratings: Thursday, November 29
Encounter (tvN): 6.3%
The Last Empress (SBS): 1.8%/2.8%
Children of Nobody (MBC): 1.2%/1.6%
Feel Good to Die (KBS2): 0.7%/0.9%
Quiz from God 5: Reboot (OCN): 2.1%
Fluttering Warning (MBN): N/A
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
December 2, 2018 at 8:41 AM
Boy, that is interesting. How does streaming viewing get captured, if at all?
And what is the Nielsen Korea mishap?
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 8:45 AM
There was a fire in a major telecom's building near Nielsen's offices which explained why there's no Saturday ratings last time: https://www.soompi.com/article/1269319wpp/nielsen-korea-unable-provide-viewership-ratings-due-widespread-network-failure
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
December 2, 2018 at 8:47 AM
Thanks, mary!
Required fields are marked *
ordinaryguy92
December 2, 2018 at 8:45 AM
I have no answer for the first question.
For the second one, Nielsen Korea was unable to provide viewership ratings due to widespread network failure after a fire broke out in the KT building in Seoul on Saturday last week, leading to communication failure in KT’s network. KT is one of Korea’s three largest telecommunications company along with SK Telecom and LG Uplus. They managed to release the data on Wednesday.
Read more here: https://www.soompi.com/article/1269319wpp/nielsen-korea-unable-provide-viewership-ratings-due-widespread-network-failure
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
December 2, 2018 at 8:48 AM
Thank you, @ordinaryguy92!
Required fields are marked *
blnmom
December 2, 2018 at 10:27 AM
I'm also interested in streaming ratings, specifically for non-Korean viewers. Do sites like Netflix and Viki publish viewer numbers anywhere?
Required fields are marked *
3 Lady procastinator
December 2, 2018 at 6:27 AM
Why so low ratings for happy to die?
That show is just pure gold!
From now on, I am going to trust Kang ji hwan,he has such good eyes for scripts
Required fields are marked *
Elle
December 2, 2018 at 6:45 AM
I wonder what's up with KBS this year. As far as I know, they've been having the worst ratings on average, more so than the other two public broadcast stations.
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 8:59 AM
It's doubly sad cos I like their shows this year T____T
Required fields are marked *
Lady procastinator
December 2, 2018 at 9:19 AM
And such a turnaround for tvn!
Gone were those days when a tvn subbed drama was so hard to find and a mere 3% ratings meant collosal success 😅
Required fields are marked *
nerdy
December 2, 2018 at 10:32 AM
I think people simply lost the trust in public channels. Majority of their shows were makjang, too cliched or full of idols. KBS was simply too relaxed. It is great that they are trying a bit harder now, but I wonder if it would be enough
Required fields are marked *
windsun33
December 2, 2018 at 11:29 AM
KBS had a massive hit in "Secret" about 4 years ago, and have not come close to reaching that again.
Required fields are marked *
kiara
December 2, 2018 at 12:07 PM
The distrust is not just with the quality of dramas but with the news. jTBC has the highest ratings for the news. Unbiased reporting and less controlled by the politicians.
It has been a while now that the big 3s haven't gotten their act together. Their good writers, pds and most of their regular/loyal actors have moved on to cables.
Required fields are marked *
watcher
December 2, 2018 at 1:48 PM
Actually, MBC's average ratings this year is significantly worse than the other two. As for 2018 averages (incl. dramas that began in 2017):
MBC: Mon/Tue - 4.2; Wed/Thur - 4.6
KBS: Mon/Tue - 6.0; Wed/Thur - 6.1
SBS: Mon/Tue - 7.9; Wed/Thur - 7.4
To date in 2018, the only Mon-Thur MBC primetime drama to hit the 10.0 mark is My Secret Terrius, and only 4 episodes. KBS has The Miracle We Met, Suits, and a couple of other dramas that began in 2017, that are fairly highly rated.
Required fields are marked *
4 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
December 2, 2018 at 6:47 AM
No-one is willing to give up their time for anything but cable right now! 😂
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
December 2, 2018 at 8:32 AM
Boy, but they sure do for that KBS weekend show My Only Ally. Seems like there's always one that everyone watches.
Required fields are marked *
5 mary
December 2, 2018 at 7:43 AM
I wanna know why SKY Castle jumped 2% in ratings even when it gained more competitors on Saturday. O_o I saw it trending #1 in real-time search too...
*sigh* I wish dramaland gives us a time rebate. Maybe a free hour a day every time you finish a show.
Required fields are marked *
windsun33
December 2, 2018 at 8:29 AM
One of it's competitors was Fates and Furies - which in the first 15 minutes managed to squeeze at least 3 of the most worn out cliches ever, including of course the sister in a coma thing. Don't see rating for that one, since it just aired.
Required fields are marked *
wapz
December 2, 2018 at 8:47 AM
I smell a makjang but I am really intrigued by all those endings (read cliff hangers) in this show that convinces everyone to watch the next episode. Sigh it is already done with 4 episodes and when they go by I just wish farewell to a show I'd never seen.
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 8:55 AM
That's so true! Somehow when a show reaches 4 eps, it gets harder (mentally) to get yourself to catch up. Unless everyone is raving about it.
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Speaking of makjang... I saw someone joke during Misty days that JTBC makes "high-class makjang" and XD it does sound true... it's technically makjang but everything is so purty.
Required fields are marked *
Carolina
December 2, 2018 at 9:01 AM
I love "high-class makjang" dramas.
Required fields are marked *
cat-cric-kat
December 2, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Ratings are too good considering present viewership.
Many known faces can help attain some highs but 7% by 2nd episode is just high class result.
Required fields are marked *
azkiya
December 2, 2018 at 10:41 PM
since you usually watched japan dorama, did you watch Yakou Kanrasha (2013)? I watched the first 2 eps of SKY Castle, and couldn't help remembering the Yakou, which I liked so much, but the SKY has different execution, somehow, more makjang-y, the Yakou felt warmer and deeper to me,,but in term of reason for rating, I would guess the theme chosen by SKY resonates much to both teenagers and parents in South Korea, so I understand why the rating could go higher, especially the veterans in the drama carried the show seamlessly.
Required fields are marked *
cherry 🍒
December 2, 2018 at 10:47 AM
It makes me wonder if Sky Castle is that good. They started with 1% (episode 1) and jumped to 7,5% by episode 4. That’s quite unusual to see these days.
Required fields are marked *
shach
December 2, 2018 at 12:07 PM
Speaking for myself: the ending of ep.1, it was slightly interesting story of rich people trying to one up each other and with that ending it jumped into "Desperate Housewives: South Korea" territory.
Required fields are marked *
iamdeb
December 2, 2018 at 4:17 PM
It's even more interesting than that.
Required fields are marked *
shach
December 2, 2018 at 10:57 PM
I finished 2 ep. this weekend, it's keep tension at great level, and judging by growing ratings it keep it that way with every episode, no wonder people are interested and recommend it to friends. But it gives of strong "Desperate Housewives" vibes, in a good way.
Required fields are marked *
iamdeb
December 2, 2018 at 4:18 PM
It's getting great word of mouth.
Required fields are marked *
6 Radily
December 2, 2018 at 7:58 AM
Hmm ... I personally don't mind it and actually am leaning towards liking it (since I believe most Beanies aren't the target audience when it comes to these of dramas), but is DB choosing to stop recognition for the family weekenders going forward? I don't see Fate and Fury or A Pledge to God in the 'Currently Airing' section and there aren't any videos of them either unlike their predecessors.
On the other hand, there are plenty of prime-time shows that need their own show page: makjang An Empress’s Dignity, cliche Fluttering Alert, reboot God’s Quiz 5, satirical SKY Castle, scary Priest and romantic Top Star Yoo Baek.
(Ironically, I'm not watching any show above, or so I think, because Choi Jin Hyuk on a revenge spree is one must-watch factor despite the craziness I read in the recap. Might be tempted enough to watch...)
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 8:42 AM
We're a bit behind on the videos, but there are upcoming ones for the two weekenders you mentioned.
Required fields are marked *
7 windsun33
December 2, 2018 at 8:22 AM
I see some that are not on the list, such as "A Promise with the Gods", which came in at around 11%.
Required fields are marked *
mary
December 2, 2018 at 8:47 AM
My Chun-hyang unni! And Bae Soo-bad!
Required fields are marked *
8 ordinaryguy92
December 2, 2018 at 8:30 AM
Just sharing dramas that are not listed, but are being subbed.
Hymn of Death (SBS) - E01/02 : 7.4%/7.8%
Dae Jang-geum is Watching (MBC) - E15/E16: 1.1%/1.1%
A Pledge to God (MBC) - E05-08: 8.1%/9.5%/9.9%/11.9%
Fate and Furies (SBS) - E01-04: 4.8%/6.1%/7.2%/6.9%
Twelve Nights (Channel A) - E08: 0.6%(rerun) , 0.4%
Coffee, Do me a Favor (Channel A) - E01/02: 0.4%/0.6%
Required fields are marked *
windsun33
December 2, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Has anyone seen Coffee yet? Any comments?
Required fields are marked *
ordinaryguy92
December 2, 2018 at 2:13 PM
Viki is still in progress translating episode 1 (as for now 30% done). There is only one volunteer for Kor-Eng translation at the moment for the drama.
Required fields are marked *
vera
December 2, 2018 at 12:00 PM
Thank you! I was wondering why Hymn of death was not included in the list of dramas.
Required fields are marked *
9 Darren
December 2, 2018 at 4:57 PM
Hymn of Death did quite well in its time slot. Apparently Lee Jong Suk has been getting quite good reviews for his performance.
Required fields are marked *
10 tesshan
December 3, 2018 at 4:42 AM
Memories of the Alhambra: it is available at the same time on Netflix as well...would be interesting to know how well it did there as well. I was surprised that it was not airing with a 1 week delay like Mr. Sunshine.
Required fields are marked *