Oy vey. The reports are conflicting, the response is growing heated, and confusion abounds over the immediate fate of Myung-wol the Spy, which was thrown into chaos over the weekend when its star, Han Ye-seul, didn’t appear for her scheduled shoots.

The trouble began on Saturday the 14th when Han, who was scheduled for an early morning shoot, didn’t appear. Her side seemed as confused as everyone else, and stated that the shoots had gone so far into the night that she only had two hours after being released before her next day’s call time. Then stories emerged that Han and the PD, Hwang In-hyuk, have been at odds since the very start, which has only grown more contentious as filming went on. They’d fought fiercely on set earlier in the week, and Han had repeatedly requested a PD switch. A new PD was brought onboard but PD Hwang remained, which appears to have been a halfhearted non-attempt to appease her.

According to a production rep, Han expressed her problems with the schedule, and when those differences were not resolved, told the director that she wouldn’t make the Saturday shoot. The explanation was her ill health due to the shooting schedule, but apparently the crew still expected her, and the cast was in standby mode until shooting was eventually cancelled.

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Read the rest of Myung-wol the Spy unable to complete shoot, to air special (575 words)

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Post tags: drama production, Han Ye-seul, Myung-wol the Spy

MBC’s You’ve Fallen For Me has had some behind-the-scenes change-ups recently, notably with its director switching to writer status, and it looks like that change — initially deemed merely short-term — is going to stick. PD Pyo Min-su hasn’t returned to the set since leaving it, and producers say that it’s not likely that he’ll be able to return to directing.

Pyo switched roles after Episode 4 of the drama had been shot, in an effort to tighten up what audiences called a scattered plot. He was originally only planning to stay in that position until a newly added scriptwriter got situated and the story stabilized. From audience reaction, it seems the tactic worked in improving the story, even if it didn’t revive the flagging ratings.

I wonder if this means the scriptwriters aren’t working out. Pyo’s role isn’t so strange to those of us familiar with American television production — he’s the showrunner (head honcho who oversees the writer’s room, with final say over creative choices and a hand in steering the direction, even if he doesn’t do the directing himself) — but it’s a situation unfamiliar in the K-drama system, and as a result there are a lot of confused and even over-dramatic media reports about the shaky status of this series.

Granted, You’ve Fallen For Me has been hit with a few setbacks, so I can see why people are nervous. On top of the writing issues, there was Park Shin-hye‘s car accident, which required some script adjustments so that she could continue to film without stressing her injury. But I wouldn’t go so far as to call this production beleaguered (that’s a little dramatic — it ain’t no Poseidon).

PD Pyo has kept his comments careful, stating that he may still return to the director’s chair, even if it’s unclear when he thinks that’ll be. Currently, the shooting is split between three teams, under the watch of two other directors.

Alas, ratings are not doing so hot; this week’s Episodes 8 and 9 netted a 6.5% and a 5.0%, respectively.

Via TV Report

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• You’ve Fallen For Me poster shoot and stills

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Post tags: drama production, Pyo Min-su, You've Fallen For Me

Rumors have been swirling about possible changes in the direction of You’ve Fallen For Me — namely, that PD Pyo Min-su is being replaced — which have been refuted by the production and Pyo, who have confirmed that he is not leaving.

That doesn’t mean the rumors were entirely groundless: For the past few days, Pyo hasn’t been seen on the set, setting off speculation that he’d leave the production as penance for low ratings. In actuality, it’s because he is turning his focus away from directing for the immediate future so he can work on scripts.

PD Pyo, who directed episodes 1 through 4, acknowledged certain issues raised by the viewers, such as its “unfocused plot.” He agreed that the plot about getting the big 100-year anniversary musical on its feet has pushed aside the four leads’ own stories, but asserted that the following episodes would bring things back to them.

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Read the rest of You’ve Fallen For Me PD switch rumors denied (557 words)

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Post tags: drama production, Pyo Min-su, You've Fallen For Me

Time to check in on several dramas-on-hold, although info is scarce: There’s been a noted lack of updates on the futures of What’s Up and Poseidon, which continue to languish in limbo. It doesn’t exactly bode well for their fates, especially considering that The Musical and Birdie Buddy are both in the same position, with no sign of being picked up.

One source with What’s Up’s production company, Zero Plus, explained that they’ve been talking with MBC and SBS for a possible broadcast. The drama had initially been given a place on SBS’s Monday-Tuesday 9pm schedule, but lost that when that timeslot was cancelled. What’s Up began filming last July and was to have premiered in March; the cast and crew even held a wrap party in late February when filming was completed.

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Read the rest of What’s up, What’s Up? (512 words)

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Post tags: Birdie Buddy, drama production, Eric, Poseidon, The Musical, What's Up

So, what’s the deal with The Musical?

Well, the drama’s future is still unclear as its fate hangs in limbo, but it’s frankly not looking too good. Already the show about musical actors, producers, and songwriters has had some rough beginnings, with its inability to secure a time on a broadcaster’s schedule last year, after being announced as a potential summer or fall offering. Thus it opted to go fully pre-produced, continuing to film in the hopes that it would score a timeslot eventually.

Now, the drama has hit another rough patch and has had to halt post-production, which puts it in further limbo for another month. A source from the production team explained that the first part of the drama was to take place on Broadway in New York. However, with the project stretching out indefinitely, production costs became an increasing issue, and plans for those overseas shoots were scrapped.

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Read the rest of The Musical still hanging in production limbo (315 words)

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Post tags: Daniel Choi, drama production, Gu Hye-sun, Ok Joo-hyun, The Musical

“I filmed all through the night until 6 o’clock this morning, and went home only to shower. We’ll have to pull all-night shoots tonight and tomorrow, too, to make the broadcast tomorrow.”

That’s direct from the lips of a drama lead: Yeom Jung-ah, playing the chaebol heroine of MBC’s Royal Family, which is now just halfway through its 16-episode run and already running into the live-shoot madness that comes with filming a drama practically in real time, week to week. And she’s not the only one; the other actors have expressed worry over how much longer they’ll be able to withstand such grueling shoots.

Its timeslot competitor, SBS’s 49 Days, had had similar concerns shortly after premiering; one source there said, “Our drama has a high chance of becoming a real-time, live-shoot drama right from the outset.” (Nooo! Not my pretty Jung Il-woo!)

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Read the rest of The perils of the live-shoot drama system (1,106 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, drama production, Midas, My Princess, Royal Family, Sign

Forensic-crime drama Sign went out on a high this week — at least, ratings-wise — but it was hardly smooth sailing getting there. The most noticeable problems were the glaring glitches that marred the broadcast: audio cut in and out, sometimes repeating, editing was choppy, and an error screen with color bars was sent up halfway through.

Unsurprisingly, fans were disappointed, and let their disgruntlement known online. The producers have apologized for the problems, as well as for running behind schedule in a way that compromised the quality of the episode. A production rep explained that they were taking particular care in shoots for the finale, but in so doing, they ran out of time for adequate post-production work, which accounts for the spotty sound and visual work. Yeah, I coulda told you that the prettiest pictures in the world are worth nothing if you muck ‘em up with crap sound and editing. The rep promised a higher-quality rebroadcast, stating that they’re at work now cleaning up and improving the episode.

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Read the rest of Sign apologizes for glitchy finale, promises a do-over (476 words)

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Post tags: drama production, Kim Ah-joong, Park Shin-yang, Sign

SBS has decided (again) that it will cancel its Monday-Tuesday 9pm drama slot after all, which it announced (again) this week.

The broadcaster had already made this decision a month ago, declaring that Paradise Ranch would be the last drama in the timeslot, but then contradicted that days later by giving the space to university-musical-department drama What’s Up. Alas, as we now know, that was not to be; SBS soon decided to yank both What’s Up and counterterrorism-at-sea drama Poseidon from their spots on the broadcast schedule.

So after that confusing exercise in indecision, SBS has finally decided that two new programs will occupy that 9pm hour on Mondays and Tuesdays. First, there’s Fun Quiz Club, which will take a comedic tone and be hosted by MCs Kim Yong-man, Jung Hyung-don, and Kim Sook-yi, with plans to bolster its lineup with weekly guests. Then there’s Scene 21, a news magazine show.

Well, no surprise here. Considering I watched most of the shows in that slot, I’ll miss having the extra option, but I feel like the writing’s been on the wall for a while now; I’ve mostly been content just enjoying the extra drama programming while we had it.

Via Hankyung

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Post tags: drama production, drama ratings, Paradise Ranch

Yeah, so this sucks: Two dramas that were given upcoming timeslots have had them yanked, meaning the university-musical-theater drama What’s Up and the hot-guys-at-sea drama Poseidon are both adrift once more. Thanks, SBS.

(By which I really mean: fuck you. No Eric, Im Joo-hwan, Im Joo-eun, or Kim Kang-woo? *rages ineffectually*)

It was announced just a week ago that What’s Up would be on the air next month, but contrary to those reports, an SBS rep, CP Kim Young-sub, stated on the 20th that it’ll no longer get the post-Paradise Ranch timeslot.

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Read the rest of What’s Up and Poseidon lose their airdates (536 words)

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Post tags: drama production, Poseidon, What's Up

After a year and a half, SBS is ending its early Monday-Tuesday drama hour, which means that Paradise Ranch will be the last drama to air in that 9pm timeslot.

Can’t say I’m surprised, and I think this has been coming for a while. After a few early dramas put in solid runs, the rest of the offerings have sunk to single-digit ratings despite having no scripted competition (competitor stations KBS and MBC air the news).

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Read the rest of SBS nixes its Monday-Tuesday drama experiment (340 words)

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Post tags: Angel's Temptation, Dr. Champ, drama production, drama ratings, I Am Legend, It's Okay Daddy's Girl, Oh My Lady, Paradise Ranch, Wish Upon a Star