The Producers (TV series)
2015 South Korean television series
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The Producers (Korean: 프로듀사) is a 2015 South Korean comedy-drama television series written by Park Ji-eun, and directed by Seo Soo-min and Pyo Min-soo. It stars Cha Tae-hyun, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Soo-hyun, and Lee Ji-eun.[1] It aired on KBS2 from May 15 to June 20, 2015 every Friday and Saturday at 21:15 (KST) for 12 episodes.[2]
| The Producers | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 프로듀사 |
| Lit. | Producer |
| RR | Peurodyusa |
| MR | P'ŭrodyusa |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Kim Han-jo |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (+1 special) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Park Jong-min |
| Cinematography |
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| Editor | Kim Young-joo |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | KBS2 |
| Release | May 15 – June 20, 2015 |
Synopsis
Cast
![](#/media/File:KBS_"The_Producers"_press_conference,_11_May_2015_12.jpg)
Main
- Cha Tae-hyun as Ra Joon-mo[3]
- Gil Jeong-woo as young Joon-mo
- Chae Sang-woo as teenage Joon-mo
- A seasoned PD who has worked in the industry for ten years. Despite working on a lot of variety programs, he has no single masterpiece to call his own. A two-faced senior.
- Gong Hyo-jin as Tak Ye-jin[4][5]
- Lee Ji-won as young Ye-jin
- Ha Seung-ri as teenage Ye-jin
- An experienced PD who works on a long-time music program. She is smart, haughty and never holds back in letting people know what she thinks. She uses her high position to abuse newbies.
- Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Seung-chan
- Park Sang-hoon as young Seung-chan
- An aspiring prosecutor who decides to join KBS because of his secret crush on a KBS employee. He becomes a rookie PD (producer-director) with the variety/entertainment division joins with Ra Joon-mo's team. As series progresses his interactions with cindy will turn into a relationship where possibilities of romantic relationship may be in store.
- Lee Ji-eun as Cindy[6][7][8]
- Park Seon as young Cindy
- A famous singer and celebrity who debuted as a trainee when she was 13 years old. She is called the "ice princess" for her poker face and complete control over her emotions. As the drama progresses we see hints of the fragile Cindy especially when interacting with Baek Seung-chan which she has kept hidden for all these years and eventually develops a romantic interest towards Baek Seung-chan.
Supporting
- KBS
- Park Hyuk-kwon as Kim Tae-ho,[9] chief producer of the variety department.
- Kim Jong-kook as Kim Hong-soon, PD of Open Concert[10]
- Seo Ki-chul as Jang In-pyo, director of the variety department.
- Ye Ji-won as Go Yang-mi, office manager of the variety department.
- Gi Ju-bong as Park Choon-bong, the president of KBS.
- Lee Joo-seung as Kim Joon-bae, floor director of 2 Days & 1 Night. Turns out to be a legendary ghost of KBS.
- Lee Chae-eun as Son Ji-yeon, writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.[11]
- Go Bo-gyeol as Wang Min-jung, youngest writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.
- Bae Yoo-ram as Ryu Il-yong, assistant director of 2 Days & 1 Night.
- Shin Joo-hwan as Hyung-geun, assistant director of 2 Days & 1 Night.
- Susanna Noh as casting writer of 2 Days & 1 Night.
- Kim Sun-ah as Kim Da-jung, youngest writer of Music Bank.
- Jang Seong-beom as assistant PD of Music Bank.
- Byun Entertainment agency
- Na Young-hee as Byun Mi-sook, CEO of the agency
- Choi Kwon as Cindy's road manager
- Jo Han-chul as Secretary Kim
- Janey as Jini, a trainee of the agency
- Na Hae-ryung as Yuna, ex-singer of the agency
- Cho Seung-hee as Yu-ju, member of Pinky4
- Kim Soo-yeon as Christine, member of Pinky4
- Jung Mi-mi as Ha-neul, member of Pinky4
- Park Seo-yeon, young trainee
- Lee Ji-ho as young trainee
- Kim Ye-won as young trainee
- Lee Seo-yeong as young trainee
- Baek's Family
- Kim Jong-soo as Baek Bo-sun, Seung-chan's father
- Kim Hye-ok as Lee Hoo-nam, Seung-chan's mother
- Park Hee-von as Baek Jae-hee, Seung-chan's older sister
- Park Jong-hwan as Baek Young-chan, Seung-chan's older brother
- Choi Sun-young as Baek Yoo-bin, Seung-chan's younger sister
- Kang Shin-chul as Myung Ji-hoon, Jae-hee's husband
- Extended
- Im Ye-jin as Park Bong-soon, Joon-mo's mother
- Kim Hee-chan as Tak Ye-joon, Ye-jin's younger brother
- Jung Han-hee as Kim Tae-ho's daughter
- Yoon Yoo-sun as Kim Tae-ho's wife
- Kim Sa-kwon
- Lee Du-seok
- Jo Chang-geun
- Jin Yong-wook
- Jeon Heon-tae
- Hwang Min-ho
- Ahn Se-ha as manager
- Lee Jeong-ho as Reporter Kang
- Ryu Jun-yeol as Joo Jong-hyun
Special appearances
Episodes 1–2 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night - Season 4)
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Episodes 4–5, 12 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night – Season 5) Episodes 4–5, 10, 12 (cast members of 2 Days & 1 Night – Season 5)
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Production
The Producers was dubbed as "the most anticipated show" of 2015 because it served reunion between the actor Kim Soo-hyun and the screenwriter Park Ji-eun after the pan-Asia successful television series My Love from the Star (2013–14).[19][20] The series was produced by KBS's entertainment department instead of the drama department and was helmed by director Seo Soo-min, whose past experience has been on variety shows.[19][21] It was also the first terrestrial network drama to air in the Friday–Saturday time slot.[19]
First script reading was held on 23 March 2015 in Gangnam District, Seoul, with no media presence.[22] The first day shooting was held on April 1, 2015 on the 6th floor of the KBS building in Yeouido.[23] Official posters for the drama were unveiled on 29 April 2015.[24]
Original soundtrack
| The Producers | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released | 23 May 2015 |
| Language |
|
| Label |
|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Begins With a Confession" (타이틀 사랑의 시작은 고백에서부터) | Kim Bum-soo | 3:44 |
| 2. | "And... And" (And...그리고) | Baek Ji-young | 4:06 |
| 3. | "To Be With You" | Kim Yeon-woo | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Darling (OST Version)" (달링 (OST Version)) | Lee Seung-chul | 3:00 |
| 5. | "The Two of Us" (우리돌) | Ali | 3:22 |
| 6. | "Palpitations" (두근두근) | Ben | 3:22 |
| 7. | "Soul Mate" (소울메이트) | Kihyun | 3:51 |
| 8. | "If You Really Love Me" (정말로 사랑 했다면) | Hael | 3:47 |
| 9. | "Spring Snow (OST Version)" (봅는 (OST Version)) | Lucid Fall | 3:28 |
| 10. | "TV Show (OST Version)" | Zitten | 3:00 |
| 11. | "ZigZag Step" (지그재그 스템) | Jang Jiwon | 2:19 |
| 12. | "Could we?" | Various Artists | 1:49 |
| 13. | "Way to Work" | Various Artists | 2:08 |
| 14. | "Reunion" | Various Artists | 2:25 |
| The Producers (Special Edition) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released | 19 June 2015 |
| Language |
|
| Label |
|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You and I" (너와 나) | Taru | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Love Begins With a Confession (OST Version)" (사랑의 시작은 고백에서부터) | Soulcry | 3:41 |
| 3. | "I Like you" (나는 너 좋아) | Kihyun | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Because of You" (너 땜에) | Jung Kyul | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Palpitations" (두근두근) | Ben | 3:22 |
| 6. | "And... And" (And...그리고) | Baek Ji-young | 4:06 |
| 7. | "To Be With You" | Kim Yeon-woo | 3:43 |
| 8. | "Love Begins With a Confession" (사랑의 시작은 고백에서부터) | Kim Bum-soo | 3:44 |
| 9. | "The Two of Us" (우리 둘) | Ali | 3:22 |
| 10. | "Love Sweet" (러브스윗) | Heyne | 2:51 |
| 11. | "If You Really Love Me" (정말로 사랑 했다면) | Kihyun | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Darling (OST Version)" (달링) | Lee Seung-chul | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When Spring Comes" (봄이 되면) |
| 1:59 |
| 2. | "Like Star Coffee" | Kang Mi-yeon | 1:32 |
| 3. | "Lolly" | Kim Jae-young | 0:53 |
| 4. | "You're mine" | Choi Seong-ho | 1:13 |
| 5. | "Truly" | Various Artists | 1:45 |
| 6. | "Way to Work (Piano Version)" | Park Seung-joo | 2:07 |
| 7. | "After a Long Time" | Park Dong-il | 2:24 |
| 8. | "Love is Love" (사랑은 바로 Love) | Kim Kyeong-mo | 2:14 |
| 9. | "One Fine Day" | Baek In-wo | 2:43 |
| 10. | "Your Love" | Choi Ga-ram | 2:29 |
| 11. | "Fishbowl" | Various Artists | 1:45 |
| 12. | "And... And (Inst.)" (And... 그리고 (Inst.)) | Kim Eui-seok | 4:06 |
| 13. | "The Two of Us (Inst.)" (우리 둘 (Inst.)) | Choi Hee-jun | 3:22 |
| 14. | "Palpitations (Inst.)" (두근두근 (Inst.)) | 4planet | 3:22 |
| 15. | "Love Begins With a Confession (Inst.)" (사랑의 시작은 고백에서부터 (Inst.)) | Yang Jeong-seong | 3:44 |
| 16. | "To be with You (BG)" | Kim Eui-seok | 2:02 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "To Be With You [M/V]" | |
| 2. | "Love Begins With a Confession [M/V]" | |
| 3. | "And...And [M/V]" | |
| 4. | "Soulmate [M/V]" |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Sweet" (러브스윗) | Heo Sol-ji | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Heart" (마음) | IU | 2:48 |
Notes
- ^[a] Included in the special edition physical album only.
Chart performance
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales [A] |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR Gaon [25] | ||||
| "Heart" (IU) | 2015 | 1 | KOR: 2,500,000[B] | OST Special Edition |
| "Darling (OST Version)" (Lee Seung-chul) | 80 | KOR: 21,893[C] | OST _ Preview 01 | |
| "To Be With You" (Kim Yeon-woo) | 51 | KOR: 37,421[C] | OST _ Preview 02 | |
| 73 | KOR: 109,090[D] | N/a | ||
| "And... And" (Baek Ji-young) | 39 | KOR: 81,675[E] | OST _ Preview 03 | |
| 63 | KOR: 108,147[F] | N/a | ||
| "Love Begins With a Confession" (Kim Bum-soo) | 11 | KOR: 657,531[G] | N/a | |
| "Palpitations" (Ben) | 29 | KOR: 208,347[H] | N/a | |
| "The Two of Us" (Ali) | 93 | KOR: 69,317[I] | N/a | |
| "You and I" (Taru) | 66 | KOR: 27,831[J] | OST Special Edition |
Reception
Commercial performance
Yonhap News Agency reported The Producers would earn ₩8.4 billion according to the broadcaster and industry sources.[36] It reportedly earned ₩2 billion alone from product placement and other sponsored advertisements which was above the average amount for a 16-episode series of about ₩1–1.5 billion at that time.[36] Also, it was sold to 12 Asian countries at high prices.[36] However, KBS officials said that it would log lower-than-expected profits due to rise in initial production cost stating various reasons including the change of producer in the middle of the series.[36]
Critical response
The Producers received mixed critical response. Kwon Ji-youn writing for The Korea Times called the premier of drama "great boast and small roast" reasoning that despite having "an all-star cast, impressive cameos and an original setting and plot" the drama was "nothing out of the ordinary." She praised Kim Soo-hyun's acting calling the transformation from his former character on My Love from the Star "striking" and he and Gong Hyo-jin were only able to pull off humour scenes.[37] It also received criticism from entertainment industry insiders regarding its verisimilitude, particularly in the drama's depiction of producers as the weaker party in dealing with celebrities, which they claimed is "highly unrealistic" unless top stars are involved.[38]
Viewership
The Producers drew an average viewership rating of 12.5% and topped the Content Power Index (CPI) rankings.[39]
In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Title | Average audience share | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nielsen Korea[40] | TNmS | |||||
| Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | Seoul | |||
| 1 | May 15, 2015 | The Variety Department, Unintentionally | 10.1% (11th) | 10.5% (9th) | 10.5% (10th) | 11.8% (8th) |
| 2 | May 16, 2015 | News of Quitting, Unintentionally | 10.3% (6th) | 10.7% (5th) | 11.2% (4th) | 12.3% (5th) |
| 3 | May 22, 2015 | Pheasant Instead of Chicken, Unintentionally | 10.2% (10th) | 11.4% (6th) | 9.6% (15th) | 10.8% (10th) |
| 4 | May 23, 2015 | Acting That Way, Unintentionally | 11.0% (5th) | 11.3% (5th) | 13.5% (5th) | 13.3% (5th) |
| 5 | May 29, 2015 | Understanding Editing | 11.2% (8th) | 12.0% (6th) | 10.8% (10th) | 12.3% (8th) |
| 6 | May 30, 2015 | Understanding Broadcasting Accidents | 13.5% (3rd) | 14.5% (3rd) | 12.8% (4th) | 14.4% (5th) |
| 7 | June 5, 2015 | Understanding How to Play the Media | 11.7% (7th) | 12.3% (6th) | 11.8% (9th) | 13.4% (5th) |
| 8 | June 6, 2015 | Understanding Love Lines | 13.4% (3rd) | 13.7% (3rd) | 13.8% (3rd) | 16.7% (4th) |
| 9 | June 12, 2015 | Understanding Cancelled Broadcasts | 12.6% (3rd) | 13.5% (3rd) | 11.7% (10th) | 13.3% (3rd) |
| 10 | June 13, 2015 | Understanding Previews | 14.6% (3rd) | 15.4% (3rd) | 13.8% (3rd) | 15.6% (4th) |
| 11 | June 19, 2015 | Understanding Ratings | 13.4% (3rd) | 14.5% (3rd) | 13.3% (4th) | 15.3% (3rd) |
| 12 | June 20, 2015 | Understanding a long-running program | 17.7% (2nd) | 17.9% (3rd) | 18.2% (2nd) | 20.4% (2nd) |
| Average | 12.5% | 13.1% | 12.4% | 14.1% | ||
| Special | June 26, 2015 | Understanding NGs | 5.5% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 7.9% |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Award | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | [41] |
| Best Drama | The Producers | Nominated | [42] | ||
| Best Production Director | Seo Soo-min, Pyo Min-soo | Won | [41] | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress | IU | Nominated | [42] | ||
| Hallyu Star Award | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | [41] | ||
| 4th APAN Star Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Won | [43] | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | [44] | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | IU | Nominated | |||
| 29th KBS Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | [45] | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Cha Tae-hyun | Won | [45] | ||
| Kim Soo-hyun | Nominated | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | |||
| IU | Nominated | ||||
| Netizen Award, Actor | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | [45] | ||
| Popularity Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Popularity Award, Actress | Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | |||
| IU | Nominated | ||||
| Best Couple | Kim Soo-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin | Won | [45] | ||
| Cha Tae-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | [46] | |||
| Kim Soo-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin | Nominated | ||||
| Kim Soo-hyun and IU | Nominated |
Notes
- Korean sales are paid digital downloads weekly, monthly and annually provided by the Gaon Music Chart.