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| ▲ Director Park Joon-woo (L) and writer Oh Soo-jin of ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama "Crash" appear in this photo provided by ENA on May 28 ,2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- "Our characters are not the typical elite police officers, and I think viewers like that they're a bit lacking," said Director Park Joon-woo. "My initial goal was a 3% viewership rating. We've already achieved that, so I'm quite satisfied, but now I'm getting greedy," added writer Oh Soo-jin.
ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Crash,' which follows a team of traffic crime investigators tackling criminals behind the wheel, has been breaking its own viewership records with each episode. Starting at 2.232% on the 13th, it nearly doubled to 4.116% by the fifth episode on the 27th.
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| ▲ A still photo of ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama "Crash," provided by ENA on May 28 ,2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
During a press conference at a cafe in Mapo, Seoul on the 28th, Director Park and writer Oh shared behind-the-scenes stories about the drama.
While police are a common subject in dramas, 'Crash' focuses on the Traffic Crime Investigation Team (TCI) rather than the usual detective squads. The show delves into crimes like murders disguised as car accidents, deliberate accidents, and road rage.
The unique idea came from writer Kim Eun-hee, known for 'Signal' and 'Kingdom.' Oh explained, "I'm personally close with Kim Eun-hee. During a casual conversation, she suggested the idea, and it made me realize there hadn't been a crime drama focused on traffic. Researching various incidents, I found many interesting cases and thought it would be fun to feature the TCI team, established in 2013, as the protagonists."
To craft the script, Oh consulted a police officer who played a key role in creating the TCI and researched materials from the police and insurance corporations to build the episodes.
'Crash' follows an omnibus format, with each case leading to the next. Early episodes included a murder disguised as a traffic accident targeting the elderly and a rental car company causing deliberate crashes.
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| ▲ Director Park Joon-woo (L) and writer Oh Soo-jin of ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama "Crash" appear in this photo provided by ENA on May 28 ,2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Director Park noted, "When I first discussed the drama with writer Oh two years ago, the script was about halfway done. For the latter part, we brainstormed different ideas to bring unique elements." He added, "In the second half, we tackle issues like the problematic freight truck owner-operator system and introduce new types of cases."
Both Park and Oh hope 'Crash' raises awareness among all drivers. The show features a segment called 'People at the Police Station' where actors explain traffic-related topics. Park stated, "Since this is a new topic in Korea, we wanted to provide useful information to viewers, which is why we chose to convey messages through epilogues and 'People at the Police Station'."
Oh shared her sentiments: "Writing the script made me fearful of driving. I hope viewers realize that anyone could be a perpetrator or a victim and that this encourages them to drive safely."
With 12 episodes in total, 'Crash' reaches its halfway point with the broadcast of episode six on the 28th. As the tvN drama 'Run Away with Seonjae' ends, the production team of 'Crash' is optimistic about even higher viewership ratings for the second half.
Director Park, known for the hit SBS drama 'Taxi Driver' series, which achieved ratings exceeding 20%, assured fans of intense action scenes in the latter part of 'Crash'. He teased, "Starting from episode six, we'll feature large-scale car action scenes in each episode, which haven't been seen in dramas before."
However, 'Crash' is more than just an action-packed series. It tells the story of Cha Yeon-ho (played by Lee Min-ki), a KAIST graduate tormented by guilt from a past accident, and the struggles of the TCI team members around him. Writer Oh emphasized, "I consider this more of an office drama than a crime show. I wanted to highlight the importance of people who are dedicated to their roles and uphold professional ethics."
Director Park concluded, "These are not extraordinary police officers but ordinary ones who do their best. I hope viewers recognize and appreciate the efforts of these everyday heroes."
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