Starting from former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, 'Crazy Rich Korean' throws down the gauntlet with "genuine craziness" for Sunday evening home viewers.
On the morning of the 10th, a production presentation for KBS2's new variety show 'Crazy Rich Korean' was held at KBS's Yeongdeungpo branch in Seoul. PD Lee Chang-soo and broadcasters Jeon Hyun-moo, Park Se-ri, and Ji Ye-eun attended.
'Crazy Rich Korean' is a variety show that captures the fierce lives and success stories of Koreans who have reached world-class status through their passion for their professions. 'KRAZY' symbolizes the passion and challenges of K-People who have achieved success by being crazy about their work, shedding light on their stories in a more interesting and vivid way.
PD Lee Chang-soo has previously directed shows like 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears' and 'The Seasons'. Jeon Hyun-moo, Park Se-ri, and Ji Ye-eun will serve as MCs.
PD Lee Chang-soo stated, "This program is the first in the world to think about 'how to hold a press conference' and plan a program around it. I wanted to create a variety show that deals with social issues when making this program," and added, "After seeing former CEO Min Hee-jin's press conference a year ago, I thought I could create a program, and 'Crazy Rich Korean' came out of that contemplation."
He continued, "I thought that Min showed how crazy one must be to succeed on the world stage. I believe there are many Koreans like that, and when I looked into it, those who succeeded abroad indeed had some crazy aspects. Since conductor Jang Han-na and our MC Park Se-ri have shown that, I think it aligns with the purpose of the program."
Parodying Min Hee-jin, PD Lee said, "I am also handling the press conference normally. I think I need to talk about the KBS guys here. Some may remember 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears', but it was created to fill in for '1 Night 2 Days'. When 'Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook' was canceled, I was told to create something cool, so I made 'The Seasons', and they put me between the top-rated 'My Little Old Boy' and 'The Great Escape'. I'm very disappointed. I've gained 20kg from stress," he revealed.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence, saying, "We start 20 minutes later than 'My Little Old Boy' and 10 minutes later than 'The Great Escape'. I believe I can win even if we go in at the same time."
Park Se-ri remarked, "It's been a while since I've hosted a KBS program," and added, "As Jang Han-na said, I was really confused because I got caught by the PD. I'm not a broadcasting expert, but I've done a lot of broadcasting, and this is the most exhausting and unprecedented experience I've had, so I think this program should turn out better than expected. I feel like the PD is a bit special, so I always have a sense of anxiety."
Jang Han-na, who became the first Crazy Rich Korean, said, "For the first time in my life, I did an observational variety show. Because of PD Lee Chang-soo's unique craziness, I found myself opening my front door. I revealed my home, daily life, shopping, and walks, and I wondered how I lost my mind for a moment."
She continued, "This time, I wanted to share the joy of classical music, which I love and that moves me, so that many people can easily enjoy it."
Jang Han-na added, "I've never revealed my home before. There's nothing about my house on social media. But when they asked to film, I hesitated, but I decided to reveal it due to the PD's genuine craziness."
Jeon Hyun-moo commented on PD Lee, saying, "He's really a 'weirdo'. I've met many PDs, but he's the top among them," and joked, "It's because of that sensibility that he created this program."
He continued, "You might feel that this is a 'national pride' program, but it's not. It takes a subject that could be boring as a documentary and makes it fun as a variety show. You will feel a fresh shock seeing Koreans in the world. It will change the landscape of Sunday variety shows."
'Crazy Rich Korean' will compete against the well-established Sunday variety shows 'My Little Old Boy' and 'The Great Escape'.
In response, Jeon Hyun-moo said, "Of course, it's not an easy fight. Starting later than 'The Great Escape' and 'My Little Old Boy' is like asking for death. Even if I jump into the fire, I trust PD Lee Chang-soo's creativity. And the nature of the content is reliable. Since we are going in a completely different direction from competing programs, if you're looking for fresh content, you will definitely watch it," and added, "I don't know what the ratings for the first episode will be, but I think it will trend upwards. It may not be a hit from the start, but I believe it will keep rising."
Regarding the simultaneous competition with Giann84, he joked, "Giann84 also mentioned the competition. Seeing him say that, it seems like he's trying to keep an eye on us."
'Crazy Rich Korean' will air on the 15th at 9:20 PM.
