Drama viewership ratings for the week of Dec. 31, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019
by SailorJumun
It’s a new year, and I’m already looking forward to the new dramas headed our way. For now, we have a good batch of shows that are totally killing it in the ratings game. The beginning of the week saw a lot of pre-emptions (due to more award shows), with one lone episode of My Strange Hero. Ratings for the high school rom-com keep going up, albeit somewhat slowly.
Ratings for Wednesday-Thursday makjang drama An Empress’s Dignity actually went down this week, as did ratings for Boyfriend. Nevertheless, both shows are still at the top of their time slot. And speaking of the top, weekend drama and sleeper hit SKY Castle brought in an amazing 15.8 percent on Saturday. This drama is quickly moving up the list of highest-rated cable dramas, and it still has six episodes left.
Drama viewership ratings for the week of Dec. 31, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019
| Ep. # | Station | Rating | |
| Monday, Dec. 31 | |||
| Bad Detective | – | MBC | – |
| Bad Detective | – | MBC | – |
| My Strange Hero | – | SBS | – |
| My Strange Hero | – | SBS | – |
| Clean With Passion for Now | – | JTBC | – |
| Tuesday, Jan. 1 | |||
| Bad Detective | – | MBC | – |
| Bad Detective | – | MBC | – |
| My Strange Hero | 13 | SBS | 7.1% |
| My Strange Hero | 14 | SBS | 8.1% |
| Clean With Passion for Now | – | JTBC | – |
| Wednesday, Jan. 2 | |||
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 23 | MBC | 4.5% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 24 | MBC | 5.1% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 25 | SBS | 12.5% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 26 | SBS | 15.8% |
| God’s Quiz 5 | 13 | OCN | 2.0% |
| Boyfriend | 9 | tvN | 7.8% |
| Thursday, Jan. 3 | |||
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 25 | MBC | 4.6% |
| Red Moon, Blue Sun | 26 | MBC | 5.4% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 27 | SBS | 14.0% |
| An Empress’s Dignity | 28 | SBS | 16.0% |
| God’s Quiz 5 | 14 | OCN | 2.2% |
| Boyfriend | 10 | tvN | 8.0% |
| Friday, Jan. 4 | |||
| SKY Castle | 13 | JTBC | 13.3% |
| Top Star Yoo Baek | 8 | tvN | 2.0% |
| Saturday, Jan. 5 | |||
| My Only Ally | 63 | KBS | 29.2% |
| My Only Ally | 64 | KBS | 34.8% |
| A Pledge to God | 21 | MBC | 11.8% |
| A Pledge to God | 22 | MBC | 13.4% |
| A Pledge to God | 23 | MBC | 13.5% |
| A Pledge to God | 24 | MBC | 14.8% |
| Fates and Furies | 17 | SBS | 5.3% |
| Fates and Furies | 18 | SBS | 6.2% |
| Fates and Furies | 19 | SBS | 7.2% |
| Fates and Furies | 20 | SBS | 7.8% |
| SKY Castle | 14 | JTBC | 15.8% |
| Priest | 11 | OCN | 1.4% |
| Memories of the Alhambra | 11 | tvN | 9.4% |
| Sunday, Jan. 6 | |||
| My Only Ally | 65 | KBS | 32.4% |
| My Only Ally | 66 | KBS | 37.7% |
| My Healing Love | 45 | MBC | 9.3% |
| My Healing Love | 46 | MBC | 12.8% |
| My Healing Love | 47 | MBC | 13.1% |
| My Healing Love | 48 | MBC | 13.6% |
| Priest | 12 | OCN | 1.9% |
| Memories of the Alhambra | 12 | tvN | 9.9% |
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1 lemoncello
January 6, 2019 at 6:04 AM
SO HAPPY for SKY CASTLE!!! :)
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another woodalchi nicole recruit
January 6, 2019 at 2:55 PM
where do you watch this??
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chimchimt
January 6, 2019 at 8:08 PM
dramacool... enjoy. I love this show, enjoy!
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2 annnsow
January 6, 2019 at 6:14 AM
SKY CASTLE 15% on JTBC!
Wow! Amazing. I am very happy for the cast and the staff who are doing a great work, and for once, veteran actresses whose careers on TV are often stuck with stereotypical roles get the recognition they 100% deserve.
I am about to watch the latest episodes right now, I can't wait ^-^
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13infamyss
January 6, 2019 at 7:33 AM
Enjoy watching!!!! You will see why it ended at 15%, it was that good. Quite long too for an episode - an hour and 16 mins, but hey who's complaining, I want to see what happens next ASAP. Cruel of JTBC not to give us preview tho.
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3 outofthisworld 不愧是我 🏍
January 6, 2019 at 6:32 AM
Hurrah for Sky Castle!
No big names but a darn awesome veteran cast doing a superb job. Give them a good story, an opportunity to show their chops and ta da, a masterpiece!
I've watch some of this cast do support roles for the longest time. There are many more out there just as talented. I wish for more and better opportunities for such actors.
Sure, we can still have that pretty or handsome face, a side role for a rookie or idol actor to prove their worth but can we see more of these talents in main roles or bigger roles?
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kiara
January 6, 2019 at 7:58 AM
I'm so not into the new generations of young actors so it's a real treat to watch veterans with refined skills in one show.
I hope jTBC will keep this coming.
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gillygallyjillyghally
January 6, 2019 at 8:59 AM
Sorry, not sorry. But what a snobbish comment. One day that “new generation” will be seniors too. And it will be so funny to see people praising them for being veterans, while putting down another “new generation”. C’mon now. lol.
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outofthisworld 不愧是我 🏍
January 6, 2019 at 9:19 AM
You said it yourself - one day that new generation will be seniors too
Isn't that the point? The young ones will work on their craft, garner more experience, live life and add those experiences to their acting. One day they will be the veterans.
Of course they are some who are born to act and amazingly talented at a tender age. Still, how many of those do we have? There are also things which can only be achieved through the passage of time.
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kiara
January 6, 2019 at 9:23 AM
After watching K dramas for 10+ years you kind of like who who like etc.
I'm just not into the new generations who are dominating most dramas these days. It's rare to have this kind of show and it's a real treat for me.
Call it whatever you want. That's just my own opinion.
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A-Nony-Mouse
January 7, 2019 at 8:25 AM
It's just nice to see a drama series filled with veteran actor and actresses and not filling it out with inexperience k-popstars trying to transition to acting. The great seducer comes to mind where they had made a mistake with casting the main female lead. The supporting actress there was a veteran in the industry but they gave the main lead to a "popular" kpop idol. I think we should give the new actors and actresses a chance but it's great to see a show that doesn't require the kpop idol fanfare to make it sucessful.
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Fueled By Ramyeon
January 8, 2019 at 8:12 AM
Woo Doo Hwan is a Kpop Idol?
It’s my first time hearing of it.
kiara
January 8, 2019 at 8:17 AM
No she/he is talking about Joy aka Park Soo-young , the leading lady. She is a k-pop idol.
4 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
January 6, 2019 at 6:35 AM
WOW! Sky Castle hitting a 15%! A M A Z I N G
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5 PYC
January 6, 2019 at 6:42 AM
Very well deserved rating for Sky Castle, not to mention it's on cable.
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6 Taraa
January 6, 2019 at 6:42 AM
Comment was deleted
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7 coolgirl
January 6, 2019 at 7:32 AM
Finally Children of Nobody reached 5%!!!
Later is better than never.
Hopefully the cast and crew won't be disappointed and will enjoy this success : if the drama had aired on Tvn or Ocn, it would have considered a hit without any doubt.
People are not used to MBC producing quality thrillers on the same level as cable networks, that's why it stayed underrated.
I don't know how many episodes are left since the investigation seemed to have been closed in ep 26. But i'm very curious to see the conclusion.
Hopefully the drama will break again its own record for the final.
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kiara
January 6, 2019 at 8:48 AM
I think thrillers has never been popular on public tv for some reason. Cables can get away with certain restrictions.
KBS' CONSPIRACY IN THE COURT (2007) was amazing but only managed to top 7.5% in ratings. That was very low for a 2007 drama.
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coolgirl
January 6, 2019 at 10:22 AM
I have always wanted to watch this one. The reviews are so positive.
But wasn't it a sageuk? I thought all sageuks were always doing well...
I can't believe 7.5% would be a low record: for a lot of dramas nowadays that would make them a hit! I personally would have been very happy to see Children of Nobody reach those numbers.
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kiara
January 6, 2019 at 10:57 AM
It's a sageuk thriller so that's why the rating was so low. Had it been just an easy watch sageuk, the ratings would have been higher.
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xhuizini
January 7, 2019 at 5:31 AM
i'm just happy that i restarted on watching this because it is such an awesome show
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8 panshel
January 6, 2019 at 10:40 AM
Can SKY Castle beat Reply 1988 and Kim Eun Sook? I, at least, want SKY Castle to reach 18% like the top 3.
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Kairoskat 💐
January 6, 2019 at 3:04 PM
I think it can and i hope it does. The drama is very engaging~
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9 suk
January 6, 2019 at 12:42 PM
I just started SKY Castle, and after just the first two episodes, I can definitely agree with the ratings I've been seeing. As a student who is also competing for university acceptance, with a mother who also tries her best to help me do the "right things" in high school (although we're not as extreme as the elite), I can see why the Korean society would really enjoy SKY's satire, because I can relate with this show 100%.
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10 Kairoskat 💐
January 6, 2019 at 3:03 PM
SKY castle is killing it both drama and rating! Yasss!
To think a non-hyped drama, which started at 1% ish ratings is now at 15%! Its amazing.
Congrats to the cast and crew! Now can all the characters get nominated for an award? The acting is amazing throughout.
P/s : prof cha (sky castle not MotA) has at least 2 dramas with very high ratings: goblin and now sky castle. Congrats2.
P/p/s: same goes to Shin Sung Rok. 2018 was his year. He has 2 highest rated dramas of 2018: Return and The Last Empress under his belt. Congrats2.
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13infamyss
January 6, 2019 at 4:18 PM
I’ve looked up Prof Cha’s previous works. He’s a favourite of Kim Eun Sook, so he’s been casted to all her dramas beginning DOTS. And such an amazing actor. Actually lots of comments from K-netizens about him in this drama still refers to his character from Goblin. Lol he’s got 2 unforgettable characters now in his resume.
Lol love how you felt the need to emphasize which Prof Cha you were talking about 😃
JTBC and TVN really need to have their own year end award show. It will be a tough choice cuz almost, if not all, their dramas are amazing and hard to pick who’ll bag daesang awards, but these deserving actors need to win awards and be recognized for their work. Too bad TVN only held an award show once and boy was that too memorable of an event.
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Kurama
January 7, 2019 at 4:41 AM
The both Professor Cha were in Mr Sunshine :p
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11 Teletabz
January 6, 2019 at 3:20 PM
I had high hopes for these two dramas (Empress & Sky Castle) to make it big during its promotion and I'm so glad they did!
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12 miss_hammurabi
January 6, 2019 at 4:56 PM
I guess, JTBC had once again shown to other networks on how to properly promote a drama series - No hype at first, but provide a story that can connect to people. Then, people will just start talking about it.
I mean, JTBC does not spend so much on promotion and hyping up their programs, and they really work like magic. I think, this is the reason why JTBC has a softer image among all TV networks, cable and public channels combined.
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ssilvrr
January 6, 2019 at 6:22 PM
Im with you on how much time, money have been spent on hyping for some dramas. When its so obvious the drama is just meh with no story line at all the hyping then latched onto giddy headlines on how the main Stars shine through their cfs, how the ppl products (lipsticks, clothes, shoes etc etc) have chalked up sales thru them ie suggesting that the hyped up drama is pretty good at least in terms of popularity.
If we watch Kdrama long enough we can easily detect which are the sites/blogs that are part of the promotion exercise. And mind you nothing is for free.
As for sky castle i have hardly seen any talks about the veterans before screen time. The discussion during screening is all about its plot and acting rather than on the visuals or the rankings of this actress or that actor in their cfs. Having said all these im sure hyping and spending money to hype wiill contnue.
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13 korfan
January 6, 2019 at 8:23 PM
Well-deserved numbers for SKY Castle!
I certainly won't be surprised if the numbers go higher. It is a fantastic drama.
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14 purplerain☔
January 7, 2019 at 12:10 AM
I'm really glad I started sky castle when I did Because there's been no boring or draggy moment. they deserve the love they are getting. kudos to the cast and crew.
I hope My strange hero reaches 10%
I didn't like express dignity at first but now I can't wait for new episodes to air. it's the SSR effect.
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Kairoskat 💐
January 7, 2019 at 2:52 PM
SSR effect is so strong in TLE 🤣. I'm still on the fence for liking Hyuk haha
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15 A-Nony-Mouse
January 7, 2019 at 8:44 AM
Side note for Priest- I think I will stop watching Priest after episode 12... you know what's worse than the craziest makjang? retconning the last 6 episodes.
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