The Producers (TV series)

The Producers (TV series)
The Producers is a 2015 South Korean comedy-drama television series written by Park Ji-eun, and directed by Seo Soo-min and Pyo Min-soo. It stars Cha Tae-hyun, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Soo-hyun, and Lee Ji-eun. It aired on KBS2 from May 15 to June 20, 2015 every Friday and Saturday at 21:15 (KST) for 12 episodes.
Synopsis
In the center of Yeouido is the KBS building. On its sixth floor are partitioned offices where employees work in the network's variety department, keeping hectic schedules of filming, editing and all-night meetings.
Cast
Main
Cha Tae-hyun as Ra Joon-mo
Gil Jeong-woo as young Joon-mo
Chae Sang-woo as teenage Joon-mo
A seasoned PD who has worked in the industry for ten years. Despite working on a lot of variety programs, he has no single masterpiece to call his own. A two-faced senior.
Gong Hyo-jin as Tak Ye-jin
Lee Ji-won as young Ye-jin
Ha Seung-ri as teenage Ye-jin
An experienced PD who works on a long-time music program. She is smart, haughty and never holds back in letting people know what she thinks. She uses her high position to abuse newbies.
Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Seung-chan
Park Sang-hoon as young Seung-chan
An aspiring prosecutor who decides to join KBS because of his secret crush on a KBS employee. He becomes a rookie PD (producer-director) with the variety/entertainment division.
Lee Ji-eun as Cindy
Park Seon as young Cindy
A famous singer and celebrity who debuted as a trainee when she was 13 years old. She is called the "ice princess" for her poker face and complete control over her emotions. As the drama progresses we see hints of a fragile Cindy, she has been keeping for all these years.
Supporting
KBS
Park Hyuk-kwon as Kim Tae-ho, chief producer of the variety department.
Kim Jong-kook as Kim Hong-soon, PD of Open Concert
Seo Ki-chul as Jang In-pyo, director of the variety department.
Ye Ji-won as Go Yang-mi, office manager of the variety department.
Gi Ju-bong as Park Choon-bong, the president of KBS.
Lee Joo-seung as Kim Joon-bae, floor director of 2 Days & 1 Night. Turns out to be a legendary ghost of KBS.
Lee Chae-eun as Son Ji-yeon, writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.
Go Bo-gyeol as Wang Min-jung, youngest writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.
Bae Yoo-ram as Ryu Il-yong, assistant director of 2 Days & 1 Night.
Shin Joo-hwan as Hyung-geun, assistant director of 2 Days & 1 Night.
Susanna Noh as casting writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.
Kim Sun-ah as Kim Da-jung, youngest writer of Music Bank.
Jang Seong-beom as assistant PD of Music Bank.
Byun Entertainment agency
Na Young-hee as Byun Mi-sook, CEO of the agency
Choi Kwon as Cindy's road manager
Jo Han-chul as Secretary Kim
Janey as Jini, a trainee of the agency
Na Hae-ryung as Yuna, ex-singer of the agency
Cho Seung-hee as Yu-ju, member of Pinky4
Kim Soo-yeon as Christine, member of Pinky4
Jung Mi-mi as Ha-neul, member of Pinky4
Park Seo-yeon, young trainee
Lee Ji-ho as young trainee
Kim Ye-won as young trainee
Lee Seo-yeong as young trainee
Baek's Family
Kim Jong-soo as Baek Bo-sun, Seung-chan's father
Kim Hye-ok as Lee Hoo-nam, Seung-chan's mother
Park Hee-von as Baek Jae-hee, Seung-chan's older sister
Park Jong-hwan as Baek Young-chan, Seung-chan's older brother
Choi Sun-young as Baek Yoo-bin, Seung-chan's younger sister
Kang Shin-chul as Myung Ji-hoon, Jae-hee's husband
Extended
Im Ye-jin as Park Bong-soon, Joon-mo's mother
Kim Hee-chan as Tak Ye-joon, Ye-jin's younger brother
Jung Han-hee as Kim Tae-ho's daughter
Yoon Yoo-sun as Kim Tae-ho's wife
Kim Sa-kwon
Lee Du-seok
Jo Chang-geun
Jin Yong-wook
Jeon Heon-tae
Hwang Min-ho
Ahn Se-ha as manager
Lee Jeong-ho as Reporter Kang
Ryu Jun-yeol as Joo Jong-hyun
Special appearances
Episode 1
Girls' Generation-TTS
Episodes 1–2 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night - Season 4)
Youn Yuh-jung
Hwang Shin-hye
Geum Bo-ra
Hyun Young
Episodes 1–4
Jo Yoon-hee as Shin Hae-joo, assistant director on Entertainment Weekly and Seung-chan's crush.
Episode 3
Shin Dong-yup
Lee Young-ja
Cultwo
You Hee-yeol
Yoon Jong-shin
Jo Jung-chi
Jun Hyun-moo
Ahn Hee-yeon
Nichkhun
Jackson Wang
Jo Kwon
Sunmi
Hong Kyung-min
Jang Hyuk as Jang Hyun-sung, Ye-jin's ex-boyfriend
Lee Chun-hee as Lee Min-chul, Ye-jin's ex-boyfriend
Episodes 3–4
Park Jin-young
Episodes 4–5, 12 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night – Season 5)
Sandara Park
Minwoo
Kim Ji-soo
Episodes 4–5, 10, 12 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night – Season 5)
Kang Seung-yoon
Kim Min-jae
Episode 5
Yoo Ho-jin as PD of 2 Days & 1 Night – Season 3
Episode 6
Lee Seung-gi
Norazo
Episode 8
Go Ara
Episode 9
K.Will
Park Bo-gum
Monsta X
Kim Ryeo-wook
Episode 10
Jung Joon-young as Cindy's anti-fan
Roy Kim as Cindy's anti-fan
Seol In-ah as Cindy's anti-fan
Seo Kyung-seok as Cindy's lawyer fan
Episode 12
Song Hae
Kim Saeng-min
Production
Development and filming
The Producers was dubbed as "the most anticipated show" of 2015 because it served reunion between the actor Kim Soo-hyun and the screenwriter Park Ji-eun after the pan-Asia successful television series My Love from the Star (2013–14). The series was produced by KBS's entertainment department instead of the drama department and was helmed by director Seo Soo-min, whose past experience has been on variety shows. It was also the first terrestrial network drama to air in the Friday–Saturday time slot.
First script reading was held on 23 March 2015 in Gangnam District, Seoul, with no media presence. The first day shooting was held on April 1, 2015 on the 6th floor of the KBS building in Yeouido. Official posters for the drama were unveiled on 29 April 2015.
Original soundtrack
Notes
Included in the special edition physical album only.
Chart performance
Reception
Commercial performance
Yonhap News Agency reported The Producers would earn according to the broadcaster and industry sources. It reportedly earned alone from product placement and other sponsored advertisements which was above the average amount for a 16-episode series of about at that time. Also, it was sold to 12 Asian countries at high prices. However, KBS officials said that it would log lower-than-expected profits due to rise in initial production cost stating various reasons including the change of producer in the middle of the series.
Critical response
The Producers drew a solid average viewership rating of 12.5% and topped the Content Power Index (CPI) rankings.
The Producers received mixed critical response. Kwon Ji-youn writing for The Korea Times called the premier of drama "great boast and small roast" reasoning that despite having "an all-star cast, impressive cameos and an original setting and plot" the drama was "nothing out of the ordinary." She praised Kim Soo-hyun's acting calling the transformation from his former character on My Love from the Star "striking" and he and Gong Hyo-jin were only able to pull off humour scenes. It also received criticism from entertainment industry insiders regarding its verisimilitude, particularly in the drama's depiction of producers as the weaker party in dealing with celebrities, which they claimed is "highly unrealistic" unless top stars are involved.
Viewership
In the table below, the represent the lowest ratings and the represent the highest ratings.
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
2010s comedy-drama television series
2015 South Korean television series debuts
2015 South Korean television series endings
Korean Broadcasting System television dramas
Korean-language television shows
Television series about television
Television shows set in Seoul
Television series produced in Seoul
South Korean comedy-drama television series
Television series by Chorokbaem Media
Television shows written by Park Ji-eun