PD Kwon Jae-o expressed his respect for MC Yoo Jae-suk from the beginning of 'Syncro U'.
KBS2's entertainment show 'Syncro U' is a variety music show that finds fantastic cover performances by top dream artists, where their voices serve as their business cards, in a stage created by AI with a 99% synchronization rate. After receiving positive reviews from its pilot broadcast in May, it was confirmed for regular programming on September 17, meeting viewers weekly.
A video featuring Kim Ki-tae and Kang Hyung-ho's performance of 'Wind and Cloud' surpassed 2.52 million views on YouTube, and the AI Park Myung-soo's ad-lib while singing 'Ditto' has garnered a hot response. The broadcasting rights for 'Syncro U' were also purchased in Taiwan.
In a recent interview with Maeil Business Star Today, PD Kwon Jae-o revealed, "I saw a cover of Lim Jae-bum's 'Hype Boy' on YouTube. In a way, it seems like an absurd combination, but I thought a real singer could sing it. I wanted to develop this idea. At first, I was worried about how to proceed if the singers were reluctant, but rather than a rejection of AI, many people showed more interest than I expected," explaining the reason for planning 'Syncro U'.
He also mentioned, "KBS has many programs for middle-aged viewers, but I thought there was a need for a format for younger audiences. Although the ratings are disappointing, I am grateful for the positive response from the 2049 demographic that we expected. With covers by Lee Jeok and performances by Insooni, various generations of singers and the guessing team enjoy the show in a game-like format. The singers seem to feel less burdened and enjoy the stage more than in competitions," and added, "We also put a lot of thought into the structure. We thought it shouldn't appear as a competition between singers and AI, so we focused on the composition, such as dividing the dream artists and the guessing team to create a structure where AI cannot lose."
How did the name 'Syncro U' come about? PD Kwon explained, "The concept came from finding the real 1% among the AI that boasts a 99% synchronization rate, and the word 'synchronization' stuck with me. I added the surname of the main MC, Yoo Jae-suk, to it."
MC Yoo Jae-suk has led 'Syncro U' from the pilot to the regular show.
PD Kwon spoke about Yoo Jae-suk, saying, "Since this is my first directorial work, I was intimidated by the name Yoo Jae-suk, but I am very grateful that he said it was fun and enjoyable every episode. I felt the power of MC Yoo Jae-suk while working together. No matter who comes on, the conversation flows comfortably. He facilitates conversations easily, from idols to masters, which I appreciate. Even those who are hesitant to talk during casting feel comfortable just with the name Yoo Jae-suk. I had only heard about it, but now I understand why he is called 'Yoo-neunim'."
He continued, saying that the idea for the audience seating also came from Yoo Jae-suk, "Each broadcast has a concept, such as first-generation idols or trot singer specials, and he suggested that if we arrange the audience seating accordingly, the talk would be more interesting. So, for the first-generation idol episode, we invited fans, and for the audition special, many singers who went through obscurity were invited, including new idols to listen to the stories together. When we invited comedians for the comedian special, it created a much more entertaining scene," he hinted.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
