The Netflix variety show ‘Driver: In Search of the Lost Screw’, which unveiled on February 23, is a program that continues the legacy of KBS’s ‘Hong Kim Dong-jeon’ while also marking a new beginning. After its first release, it topped the South Korea Top 10 series, generating buzz.
On the 15th, it announced the start of Season 2 under the title ‘Driver: In Search of the Lost Handle’, and it continues to receive a hot response, ranking 6th in the South Korea Top 10 series.
Director Park In-seok, who took charge of the production, established his own production company after leaving KBS and is leading this project as both a representative and a director. Recently, he met with Maeil Business Star Today to discuss various topics after reuniting with broadcasters Hong Jin-kyung, Kim Sook, Jo Se-ho, Joo Woo-jae, and Jang Woo-young (2PM) to achieve good results.
Director Park sought ways to continue working with the ‘Hong Kim Dong-jeon’ team even after its cancellation, which led to their reunion on Netflix as ‘Driver’.
Regarding the new beginning, he said, “When we received the cancellation notice, we wondered if we would end it like this or if we could come together again. Initially, we thought we could at least try it on YouTube. It took a year to come back, but the members were also waiting, asking, ‘When will we do it again?’ Everyone had such deep affection that the process of coming together again wasn’t difficult. I was just grateful and happy that we were able to do it again.”
While everyone came together with one heart, there must have been concerns about adding new members due to the new start.
In response, Director Park said, “Fans really love the ‘Driver’ members, and we do too. Since the member composition is odd, everyone has to step up a bit more, which was a concern. However, we also had the mindset that our fans who waited for us come first, and since we have our own narrative, the concern wasn’t too great.”
How did the title ‘Driver’ come to be? He explained, “I’ve always thought that we couldn’t do things the same as others, so I’ve done a lot of strange things, and I wanted to reflect our own color, so I paid special attention to the title. We considered about 30 to 40 candidates, and when I added the subtitle ‘In Search of the Lost Screw’ to ‘Driver’, I felt certain about it.”
“While ‘Driver’ is a program that continues the legacy of ‘Hong Kim Dong-jeon’, it shouldn’t be the same. ‘Hong Kim Dong-jeon’ had different concepts each time, and so does ‘Driver’, but we shouldn’t go the same way as before. It needs to be a little new, so we are always thinking about that. I know there are reactions expressing disappointment about the changed format. However, what I can say is that due to the nature of the daily variety show that was initially discussed, it can be made shorter, but we are also continuously thinking about how to show a more satisfying ‘Driver’.”
The production team and cast of ‘Driver’ share the same sentiment. They are doing their best to provide ‘fun’ to the viewers of the program.
He stated, “We always gather with the mindset of planning a new program. There are three fixed meetings, and we often start with very trivial topics and build up from there, but sometimes the meetings don’t go well and stay at ‘0’. Implementing ideas can also be difficult at times. However, everyone is sincere about ‘Driver’,” adding, “Currently, we gather for filming about once a month, and even if the recording time extends longer than expected, everyone gives their all, and I’m grateful for that,” showing affection for the ‘Driver’ team.
“I also feel that viewers can see whether the cast is doing this as a job or sincerely enjoying it. It’s not bad to do it as a job, but I think viewers can feel that we are enjoying it together. The members like each other and enjoy being together. That chemistry feels natural, so it seems that both the production team and the viewers are immersed together. The production team says it’s very enjoyable. Although outdoor variety shows can be physically demanding, everyone says they enjoy it. The time spent struggling together on set for over two years has made it more than just entertainment for everyone.” (Continued in Interview ②)
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
