Variety shows targeting specific audience groups are booming

연합뉴스 / 2023-02-07 09:29:09

▲These photos provided by MBN, ENA show posters of 'Monegi Club,' and 'The Boot Camp.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲These photos provided by 'Netflix and Wavve show posters of 'Physical 100,' and 'WET!.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL February 7 (Yonhap) -- “For the bald, by the bald, festival for balding people”

Cast members of “Monegi Club” (literal translation) opened up their show while throwing their hats in to the air. MBN is showcasing a brand new variety show named “Monegi Club” which features cast members and audiences with balding problems.

“Monegi Club” which first premiered on February 4, features casts battling through quizzes and featured stories in order to obtain the fun for hair transplant. Moreover the program addresses helpful tips to slow down the process of balding and more.

According to the media industry, various media companies on Tuesday, companies are showcasing unique programs targeting those with specific needs and wants.

As the time where viewers visit YouTube or OTT services in order to pick contents suitable for their needs and wants, variety shows are taking a different approach in order to surviving throughout the changing scene of media.

“Monegi Club” features TV personal Park Myung-soo, and Kim Kwang-kyu as the head emcees and couple more of the famous celebrities who have addressed their problems with balding will appear throughout the show.

Throughout the first episode of the program, former baseball player Yoon Seok-min appeared on to the show and checked his hair which he received the hair implant 5 years ago while looking for answers to his questions regarding hair. Moreover, singer Yook Joong-wan shared his sad memory of splashing his face with water during his concert, not remembering that he has drawn the hairline with black marker.

Producer Kim Sung, addressed “This show is for everyone with balding issues,” adding “It might be a sensitive topic to address to some people however, if we were to implement such subject through a format of variety show more people will be susceptible with the subject.”

Broadcast provider ENA has showcased “The Boot Camp” which is a spin off series of a black comedy drama “The Recruit.”

“The boot Camp” will feature various cast members from the drama “The Recruit” actor Cha Young-nam, Lee Choong-gu, Kim Min-ho, Lee Jung-hyun, Nam Tae-wook, Lee Sang-jin, Kim Hyung-kyu and more where casts will re-enlist into a military boot camp. Cast members will follow the training routines under the supervision of Choi Young-jae who previously worked as a training assistant in a special force of South Korean military branch.

Moreover, under the overlaying theme of project of combining every military related variety shows into one, the newly introduced show “The Boot Camp” is attracting a lot of viewers interest by showcasing a preview of the cast members going up against the members of “The Blue Tower.”

Producer Min Jin-ki who successfully created “The Blue Tower” and “The Recruit” addressed “I really wanted to create a realistic military variety show,” adding “Military contents have its own portion of enthusiasts but that can be interpreted as loyal viewers.”

Continuing on, JTBC has showcased a program called “Strongest Baseball” featuring director Kim Sung-geun, baseball player Lee Dae-ho, Jang Won-sam, and various legendary figures receiving a lot of love from baseball fans. Also ENA’s “Oh Eun-young Game” featuring doctor Oh Eun-young known for her helpful tips when raising a child, and Channel A’s “Dr. Oh’s Golden Counseling” are viewed by majority of mothers with kids.

Survival variety show which uses the K-pop fandom as the subject is transforming away from idol audition formation. Especially in various OTT services variety shows being showcased regarding survival shows are geared towards finding the most talented figure within a specific subject.

Netflix recently showcased “Physical 100” which looks for the strongest and physically trained figure, Wavve showcased “WET!(World EDM Trend” which looks for the best EDM DJ.

As seen by these trends, contents being premiered nowadays are focusing on specific group of audiences instead of broadly fit the needs of the general audience.

Hwang Jin-mi pop culture critic addressed “Current audiences have specific intentions when turning on the TV, they look for specific contents before they watch the content,” adding “As the connection between contents and audiences strengthens, the media companies are focusing on producing contents which will suit the need of small but loyal group of audiences.”

Moreover critic stated “Survival variety shows are not as common, however the shows which feature subculture aspects are receiving more attention, not only because of the loyalty, but also some might be mind blown by the fresh subject which they have not been introduced to.”