Intrigue and suspense is the name of the game and our newest dramas have those elements in spades.
Doctor Prisoner
Time slot: Wednesday & Thursday
Broadcaster: KBS
Genre: Prison, medical, crime
Episode count: 40 episodes
Reasons to watch: Namgoong Min stars as an antihero who unfairly loses his position as a hotshot doctor at a prestigious hospital following a medical scandal. Down but not out, Namgoong then pivots to take a position at a prison’s medical unit. It’s clear he’s not at the prison for altruistic reasons–he wants power–and we’ll have to watch to see how far he’s willing to go to get what he wants. Namgoong’s costar Kim Byung-chul (in his first lead role since his debut 18 years ago!) will play the chaebol in charge of the prison who finds his iron grip on the prison is starting to crack after Namgoong’s arrives on the scene. The main cast is rounded out by Kwon Nara and Choi Won-young.
Confession
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: tvN
Genre: Legal, suspense
Episode count: 16 episodes
Reasons to watch: Junho and Yoo Jae-myung star in this legal thriller about searching for truth when the court system’s principle of double jeopardy actually perverts the course of justice and shields those who have done wrong. Junho plays lawyer who chose his career path after he saw his father wrongly convicted of murder. Yoo Jae-myung is a former detective who joins forces with Junho as they seek justice for old wrongs. Nam Ki-ae has a supporting role as the office manager for Junho’s one-man law firm. Shin Hyun-bin will be playing a journalist-turned-staff member of Junho’s law firm in Confession.
Kill It
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: OCN
Genre: Action, thriller
Episode count: 12 episodes
Reasons to watch: Jang Ki-yong works two jobs in Kill It: his official job is veterinarian–he spends his days saving and healing animals. His off-the-books job? Elite hitman hired by shadowy figures all over the world. He’s the best killer money can buy, and while he can finish off any mission with ease, he can’t remember his own past. On the other side of the law is Nana, a talented and persistent detective who’s on the trail of what she believes is a serial murderer. (I wonder who that could be?) It’s personal for Nana as she believes her boyfriend died by the hand of the serial killer in question. Will these two end up as friends, foes, or lovers?