We’re kicking off 2012 with an Idol Special on Running Man. Huh, when did Idol = Math? I did not sign up to solve square roots or deal with dividends. Don’t you know that arithmetic is a writer’s kryptonite?

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Read the rest of Running Man: Episode 75 (1,884 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, featured, Haha, Ji Suk-jin, Kang Gary, Kim Jong-kook, Lee Kwang-soo, Running Man, Song Ji-hyo, Yoo Jae-suk

Take one part NCIS, one part Baywatch, one part Top Gun, one part k-pop music video, and mix it all up with some tragic-revenge and fall-from-glory themes. Are you wondering how on earth all that coalesces into a coherent, action-packed, thrilling hour of television?

Answer: It doesn’t.

Sadly, Poseidon falls into the category of Tries Too Hard, Underdelivers. The action scenes are empty sizzle, and are delivered on a production budget that makes it more campy than cool. It’s not all badness, but its entertainment derives in large part from humor of the unintended kind.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Yeo-hee – “꽃잎” (Flower petal) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Poseidon: Episode 1 (3,218 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, featured, first episodes, Han Jung-soo, Lee Shi-young, Lee Sung-jae, Poseidon, U-Know Yunho

girlfriday: And this is why?

javabeans: Yup. Just in case you forgot…

girlfriday: On account of the lobotomy?

javabeans: I mean, there IS a reason the boy was so eager to show off his abs.

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Read the rest of Reminder: Watch Poseidon today… (123 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, conversation post, Poseidon

Upcoming maritime police drama Poseidon, aka Baywatch-meets-Cops, has released its posters. They decided on the super serious vibe, which I think was a mistake in the boring direction, but at least the faces are damned pretty. I’m pretty sure it’s the same font as Athena too, which is a step in the wrong direction, association-wise. Is there only one Serious Action Drama Font in the poster-making departments at the big studios? Is it called Windswept Wingdings or Shot Through the Heart Sans Serif?

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Read the rest of Poseidon releases posters (240 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 88 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Choi Siwon, Han Jung-soo, Lee Shi-young, Lee Sung-jae, Poseidon

These two right here may be the only reason I’m keen to watch Poseidon, because individually Choi Siwon and Lee Shi-young are both pretty charismatic, and together they look downright adorable.

Their couple nickname (already they’ve got one) is Sun-Soo couple, which takes part of both characters’ names — he’s Sun-woo, she’s Soo-yoon. But it’s got the added little joke built in, since sun-soo also means player. Heh. I wonder who’ll be doing the heartbreaking here. I hope it’s her; surely the cocky hotshot could stand to be taken down a peg or two.

From the director of All In and the writer of IRIS, we can expect a fair amount of drama and action, although I really do hope there’s plenty of lighthearted beats, too — because if you’re gonna cast two beautiful stars with solid comic chops, it would be a waste not to put those skills to good use. I’m eager to see their romance play out (with lots of chemistry and skinship, please!); Siwon’s romance in Oh My Lady felt disappointingly platonic, while Lee’s characters seem to have been thwarted in love more often than not.

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Read the rest of Couple stills (and more) from Poseidon (162 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 64 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Choi Siwon, Lee Shi-young, Poseidon

So 1 Night 2 Days is ending soon, which happens just as I was getting into this whole variety world, which is so close and yet so far from the world of scripted television. (Even allowing that yes, variety can be scripted too.)

With the overwhelming number of variety programs out there — seriously, a ton — it can be pretty daunting trying to find out what show does what and when, and what its themes and formats are. So Girlfriday and I thought we might take a crack at all the variety shows out there and pick up random episodes in a series we’re calling Variety Roulette: No preplanning, no following special guests, just pick an episode and dive in.

We plan to take a look at as many different shows as we have time for, and are starting off with one particular hit talk-show offering, SBS’s Strong Heart. Keep your eyes peeled for more installments to come in the future! What shows or what episodes we’ll pick, we have no idea. We’ll go where the wind takes us.

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Read the rest of Variety Roulette: Strong Heart (3,482 words)

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Post tags: Choi Min-soo, Choi Siwon, Donghae, featured, Im Soo-hyang, Kang Ho-dong, Kim Heechul, Lee Seung-gi, Shindong, Super Junior

With all the stills coming out these days of KBS’s Poseidon, I may still not have a clear grasp on the tone of the drama, but it sure looks like the set is a fun place to work.

I’m getting a lively, energetic vibe from the behind-the-scenes photos posted here (mixed in with a few new stills), particularly the goofy shots featuring series star Choi Siwon and his coast guard buddies, Park Sung-kwang and Lee Sang-hoon.

It’s also our first look at Lee Shi-young in action, as the sole female officer on the Poseidon team. Can I say that after hearing that Poseidon was initially an elite counterterrorism division in the Eric–Kim Kang-woo version of the drama, I’m tickled that it’s now the unit where Siwon goes to sulk after he’s demoted? Heh. The hotshot-with-attitude-gets-stuck-in-a-dinky-squad premise just sounds so rich with possibility. I want that chip on Siwon’s shoulder to be enormous, just for the fun of seeing it get knocked off.

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Read the rest of More goofy photos from Poseidon’s beach set (97 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, Lee Shi-young, Poseidon

Ah, so now we see what Choi Siwon was doing when he made that beachside tweet from the shoot of his drama Poseidon. Ogling bikini-clad ladies, of course. Hey, if you’re shooting an entire show on the beach/off the shore, there oughtta be perks, right?

Then again, if we’re talking scantily clad actors on the beach, surely Siwon himself tops the list of ab-baring expectations, no? I recall that in the early episodes of Oh My Lady, there was an unspoken rule that he had to show his choco abs in just about every episode. Then the drama got serious and stopped doing that, just as it got less fun. (Coincidence? You be the judge.)

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Read the rest of Stills from Poseidon’s beach shoot (200 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, Poseidon

Yay, more movement on Poseidon! Here are shots from the drama’s initial script rehearsal; the table read was held three weeks ago but the photos have only been released now. The three main leads were naturally present — Choi Siwon, Lee Sung-jae, Lee Shi-young — as well as the supporting cast: Han Jung-soo, Gil Yong-woo, Park Sung-kwang, Jin Hee-kyung.

We also get a few more details about the story and premise: After losing his wife in an accident, Lee Sung-jae’s naval officer character becomes a total workaholic and sets out out to uncover a mafia organization linked to an unsolved case.

Choi Siwon was a rookie agent in Athena; here, he plays a onetime ace officer who’d enjoyed a steady rise. However, after getting caught up in a messy case, his career ground to a halt. The former hotshot is now the problem child of the special forces team Poseidon, and he’s put on the investigation team looking into that unsolved case. Also on that case is the sole female officer on the team, Lee Shi-young.

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Read the rest of Finally, some plot details on Poseidon v.2.0 (186 words)

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Post tags: Choi Siwon, Lee Shi-young, Lee Sung-jae, Poseidon

Admittedly, this isn’t much in the way of news or updates on Poseidon, which hasn’t released very much info since finalizing its cast v.2.0. But at least it’s something — series lead Choi Siwon tweeted the above photo on the 15th, alongside comedian and Poseidon co-star Park Sung-kwang, to congratulate the latter on his birthday.

His message read, “I’m in the middle of filming. Sung-kwang hyung is spending his birthday filming his first drama. Happy birthday, hyung.” They’re pictured at the beach, which makes sense given Poseidon’s police-at-sea premise, although I’m less sure that the drama can vouch for those outfits. (Perhaps they’re enjoying some downtime?) Hey, I’ve got nothing against cops in flowery board shorts — I’m just not sure I see an elite unit of counterterrorist agents ready to report for duty wearing them. Unless…I’m finally getting my half-nekkid volleyball scene? Is it MY birthday?

Poseidon has weathered some tough setbacks, including an entire cast replacement, but has secured new actors and is busily prepping for its premiere next month. Currently, the drama is slated to air its first episode on September 19, two weeks after Myung-wol the Spy wraps and one week after the Chuseok holiday week. That is, if Myung-wol can somehow manage to finish its run, in light of its current production problems.

Via TV Report

RELATED POSTS

• Han Jung-soo joins the cast of Poseidon
• Poseidon casts Choi Siwon, Lee Shi-young
• Poseidon faces ticking clock to get production going
• Poseidon resuscitated, but lacks cast

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 63 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Choi Siwon, Park Sung-kwang, Poseidon