| JTBC's drama “The World of the Married” hit a 24.3 percent rating Saturday, setting a record for cable channel dramas. Courtesy of JTBC |
By Lee Gyu-lee
JTBC drama “The World of the Married” became the highest viewership rating drama aired by cable channels Saturday, surpassing the previous record set by the hit drama “Sky Castle.”
The remake of the BBC series “Dr. Foster” garnered a rating around 24.3 percent nationwide and 26.7 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area with Saturday's episode. The previous record was 23.8 percent from the last episode of “Sky Castle”.
The series started with a 6.3 percent rating, but has soared as it became the talk of the town with its intense, unpredictable storyline and much-teased cliffhanger for each episode.
The Korean adaptation, starring Kim Hee-ae and Park Hae-jun, closely follows the story of the British series and revolves around successful doctor Sun-woo (Kim) whose perfect life falls apart after her husband's affair.
However, the series has made a few changes, including additional characters, to add elements to suit the Korean sentiment and bring up issues like dating violence.
“I wanted to 'Koreanize' the original series to put more emphasis on the relationship that stems from love, marriage and spouses,” producer Mo Wan-il said during a recent media conference.
With only four of the 16-episode drama remaining, attention is on whether it will continue to rise in ratings to push the record higher.