With the return of the original cooking show, ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,’ the production team has promised even more enhanced entertainment.
Set to premiere on the night of the 15th (Sunday), JTBC's flagship entertainment IP ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ brings guests' refrigerators directly into the studio, where famous chefs compete to create dishes using the ingredients within in just 15 minutes.
The program, which has produced numerous chef entertainers and sparked a cooking show syndrome in South Korea, is set to return in a dazzling upgraded form that will make the five-year hiatus feel nonexistent. Below is a Q&A with original staff members PD Lee Chang-woo and self-proclaimed ‘fan of Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ PD Lee Rin-ha.
Q. What was the most important aspect you considered while preparing the new ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’?
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: I worked hard to maintain the identity of ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.’ I believe the identity that viewers want is for famous chefs to compete in a 15-minute cooking challenge using limited ingredients from a celebrity's refrigerator, so I made sure that any changes we made did not stray from that identity.
Q. What has changed in the returning ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ compared to before?
A. PD Lee Rin-ha: The change in the chef lineup seems to be the most noticeable. The chefs on ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ are not just participants but also play the role of hosts, which has garnered a lot of interest.
Internally, we are trying to bring freshness within the established framework of the ‘15-minute cooking challenge.’ While the previous format leaned heavily towards individual competitions, this time we are also incorporating team competitions. Viewers will be able to feel these changes from the very first broadcast, and we plan to gradually try more as the show progresses.
Q. The chef lineup is a hot topic. What was the process of assembling the chef lineup?
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: This was the most challenging aspect. Ultimately, by considering the viewers' perspective, we were able to establish a direction. We focused on questions like, ‘Which chef's 15-minute cooking would viewers want to see?’ and ‘What kind of chef matchups would viewers be interested in?’
At the same time, I felt that we needed original chefs to anchor the show among the new chefs who might feel awkward in a TV entertainment setting. Therefore, we divided the recruitment process between original chefs who could lead and new chefs who could provide a fresh perspective.
Q. What was the atmosphere like during the recording after five years?
A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Before the recording, I felt a lot of pressure taking on the direction of a program I used to watch religiously, and I worried about whether it would be entertaining. However, once we started recording, it turned out to be even more fun than I expected.
The sense of urgency in the ‘15-minute cooking challenge’ was incredible. The 15 minutes felt even shorter than it does on air, filled with energy.
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: The energy of the MCs was amazing. The duo of Kim Sung-joo and Ahn Jung-hwan was as expected, and during the recording, I truly felt that we couldn’t do without them.
There were some chefs meeting for the first time, which made the atmosphere a bit awkward, but the MCs did a great job bridging that gap. Thanks to them, the chefs quickly became friends during the first recording, and the process of them getting closer will also be a fun point to watch.
Q. If you had to pick a dark horse from the first recording?
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: Chef Edward Lee. Despite the tough schedule with a 15-hour flight and time difference, he gave his best effort.
In ‘Black and White Chef,’ his seriousness and creativity in cooking were highlighted, but in ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,’ his entertainment skills really shine. He may not have extensive experience as an entertainment PD, but I felt, ‘This person is a complete entertainer.’
A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Chef Choi Kang-rok. Chef Choi Kang-rok is truly a fun person.
He has less media exposure, which adds freshness, but he has a unique aura even when doing nothing. I expect a lot of entertaining moments from him, and his growth will also be a point of interest.
Q. What are the unique advantages of ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ compared to other cooking shows?
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: The first advantage is the lightheartedness. While ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ has its set rules and constraints, the focus is on the process rather than the outcome, which keeps both viewers and creators in a good mood.
Next is the unique visual appeal. Viewers can take a peek into the refrigerators of celebrities, getting a glimpse of their eating habits. Coupled with the chefs' dazzling performances, it offers a variety of visual entertainment.
Lastly, it is viewer-centric. Although ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ is conducted like a cooking show, it ultimately revolves around cooking with the ingredients found in the refrigerator. The celebrities' refrigerators are similar to those of the viewers, and since all the cooking recipes are disclosed, they can easily follow along.
Q. If you could invite any chef or guest, who would it be?
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: Chef Gordon Ramsay. When he appeared before, he had so much fun that he even suggested doing it in the UK. I think both the viewers, including myself, would want to see a showdown between Gordon Ramsay and Edward Lee.
I would also like to invite Chef Ahn Sung-jae and CEO Baek Jong-won. I’m curious about their refrigerators, and if they participated as chefs, it would create interesting matchups like ‘Black and White Chef Judge vs. Black/White Spoon’ or ‘Michelin 3-Star vs. Dark Chef.’
As for guests, I would like to invite G-Dragon and Taeyang again. They were a hot topic during their previous appearance, and since both they and we have changed a lot, it would be great to reveal their refrigerators once more.
A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Chef Kim So-hee. Not only her cooking skills but also the matchup between Judge Kim So-hee from ‘Master Chef Korea’ and Winner Choi Kang-rok would be interesting. Since we’re at it, I’d like to combine various cooking show universes.
As guests, I think it would be good to have celebrities who live alone. In fact, both celebrities and the general 2030 generation living alone often don’t cook much at home, resulting in similar refrigerators. I want to show that even with limited ingredients, these guests can make delicious meals.
Q. Any final words?
A. PD Lee Rin-ha: The first episode turned out to be incredibly fun. There are so many entertaining moments that it’s hard to fit them all into the allotted broadcast time, so I think viewers can look forward to it.
A. PD Lee Chang-woo: We are creating this with the viewers in mind. We are continuously working on recruiting chefs that viewers want to see, and the pool of chefs has expanded compared to before, so we are trying to show as many interesting moments as possible. I want to hear viewers say, ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator has really come back well.’
The upgraded refrigerator makeover project, JTBC’s ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,’ will premiere on the night of the 15th at 9 PM.
