As the MBC labor union strike continues, we’ll probably see more delays and exemptions in the station’s drama programming, but one of the earliest affected shows, 20th Century Boy and Girl, will come to an unusual end next month: The rom-com starring Han Ye-seul and Kim Ji-suk will air the last 8 half-hour episodes in one week, from Monday through Thursday.
Honestly, I’m just glad that the show didn’t have its episode count reduced, which were the initial rumors that circulated when the station announced that 20th Century was going to end a week earlier than scheduled. The speculation wasn’t completely unwarranted, given that the ratings for the show have languished in the low-to-mid single digits since the beginning, though I wouldn’t blame the show itself for its less-than-stellar performance.
20th Century Boy and Girl was originally slated to begin its run on September 25, to immediately follow The King Loves, but when filming halted early last month due to the labor strike, the show couldn’t make its premiere date, and the station delayed it by two weeks. On top of that, due to a sports-related preemption, the show had to air its first four half-hour episodes together. It’s really unfortunate, because I hear 20th Century is quite a cute show, and I’m looking forward to watching it when I can.
It’s pretty bad news all around in MBC’s drama department, and I suspect part of the reason why the station decided to have 20th Century air in the Wednesday and Thursday slot in its final week is that there’s no immediate successor to currently airing Hospital Ship. The quirky-sounding romance drama I’m Not a Robot, starring Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin, will follow in that slot, but its tentative premiere date in early December leaves a gap of a few weeks that MBC hasn’t managed to fill yet.
A large part of me is quite happy that the labor strike is having some very real effects on the station, since I will always support those who fight for media integrity and freedom of the press. Aside from its primetime weekday drama programming, weekenders like Man Who Sets the Table and Thief-nom, Thief-nim and its variety programs have all been affected to varying degrees. MBC’s flagship variety show Infinity Challenge has been off the air for about 7 weeks now, and lost profits due to the strike are expected to surpass 15 billion won.
But another, smaller, part of me—the drama addict part—is a little sad to see shows like 20th Century Boy and Girl be so adversely affected by its station’s circumstances. Hopefully, we see a resolution to the situation (for the better!) soon. 20 Century Boy and Girl will air its final episodes on November 20-23.
