The production team of ‘Solo Hell’ season 4 answered all questions about the program, from the criteria for casting participants to behind-the-scenes filming.
The ending interview with ‘Solo Hell’ season 4 PDs Kim Jae-won, Kim Jung-hyun, and Park Soo-ji took place on the 13th at a café in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
‘Solo Hell’ is a dating reality show where singles can only leave a remote island, ‘Hell Island’, if they become a couple. Since the release of season 1 in 2021, which entered the global TOP 10 TV (non-English) category for the first time among Korean entertainment programs, it has successfully achieved high ratings for four consecutive seasons, establishing itself as a representative Korean entertainment program on Netflix, with season 5 confirmed for production.
‘Solo Hell’ season 4 received great love and praise for showing the evolution of dating entertainment based on the honest performances of singles, more than any previous season. It entered the TOP 10 with the highest viewing hours among all seasons in the first week and swept various online forums with each episode release.
When asked about the overwhelming love for ‘Solo Hell’ season 4, PD Kim Jung-hyun said, “I am deeply moved. The last season was also loved, but I felt that this season, in terms of search volume, was particularly popular among teenagers and those in their twenties.”
In response, PD Kim Jae-won added, “Many reaction videos were uploaded on YouTube. We also enjoyed watching them. The reaction video views exceeded 1 million, and as it climbed the trending list, I felt that many people were enjoying it.”
When asked what he thinks is the secret to the popularity of ‘Solo Hell’, PD Kim Jae-won replied, “Honestly, we prioritize visuals when selecting participants. People who can be considered premier league players in the dating market come here to compete, and I think viewers enjoy seeing them struggle with zero votes.”
While there is visual entertainment, authenticity is an indispensable keyword in reality shows.
PD Kim Jae-won emphasized, “Of course, the long-term direction is visuals, but without authenticity, viewers will thoroughly turn away. While directing, there are definitely moments when I think, ‘This would be more fun if we did it this way.’ However, the production team adheres to the principle of never intervening, as such interventions would decrease the program's credibility in the long run.”
We also heard about the selection process for participants that influences the program's popularity.
PD Park Soo-ji explained, “Everyone has different preferences. Some might think, ‘This person is good-looking,’ while others might not feel the same at all. Therefore, to satisfy the majority's preferences, there is a process where more than half of the production team, which consists of about 30 people, must agree.”
Among them, Yook Jun-seo, who participated in this season, was a participant that the production team had been keen on since season 1.
PD Kim Jae-won said, “When we were planning ‘Solo Hell’, he was someone we wanted to cast from the beginning, thinking, ‘What if people like this come out?’ He fits well in the wild.” PD Kim Jung-hyun added, “We requested him since season 1, and we finally connected this season. We kept in touch, but for some reason, he said he hadn’t received any contact until now.” (Continued in Interview ②)
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
