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| Actor Ryu Jun-yeol, left and Lee Je-hoon travel Cuba in the new JTBC show 'Traveler,' which airs on every Thursday at 11 p.m. Courtesy of JTBC |
Can JTBC's 'Traveler' distinguish itself through backpacking?
By Kang Aa-young
To distinguish itself from a cluster of travel-themed shows, new JTBC program "Traveler" has found a breakthrough with its fresh format that features the real backpacking journey of two rising stars.
"Traveler," which ran its first episode on Thursday night, earned an average of 4.2 percent viewership nationwide, according to Nielson Korea.
Its 2049rating was 2.1 percent, topping the chart among programs aired at the same time. The rating is a viewership index of those in their 20s to 40s that also considers streaming and social media.
The new travel show, starring heartthrobs Ryu Jun-yeol and Lee Je-hoon, is about their backpacking experience in Cuba, with the aim of finding their "true selves" through the journey.
The first episode showed Ryu's solo journey to Cuba as Lee couldn't join him because of other commitments. After taking off from Seoul and landing in Havana, Ryu struggled to find a proper place to sleep and get internet access.
In Havana, Ryu met a group of Cubans who unexpectedly introduced themselves as K-pop fans,and his clumsy journey brought smiles to viewers.
Amid a flood of cookie-cutter travel shows, director Choi Chang-soo said "Traveler" distinguishes itself because it shows real backpacking experiences.
During a press conference at the JTBC headquarters in Seoul, Thursday, Choi said he has been planning the show for over a decade, when he was an experienced backpacker who dreamt of becoming a director. Co-director Hong Sang-hoon, writers Kim Mut-ji and Wee Sun-im, and Ryu and Lee also attended the event.
"As you can guess from the show's title, 'Traveler' is a show depicting the realistic experience of backpackers," Choi said."I first thought about creating a program when I was traveling Eurasian countries from 2005 to 2006, for about a year and half. After quitting the production of 'Knowing Bros,' the chief allowed me to start making a new show.
"Also, I published a photo book after my journey. It wasn't a best-seller. However, at the end of the book, I wrote a note that I am dreaming of making a television show that combines a trip, youth and love altogether, someday. For me, this is a dream-come-true moment."
Production staffers are experts in backpacking, according to Choi, especially writers Kim and Wee,who he found online because they were well known for their travel blogs.
"We two were bloggers who just love travelling, before Choi invited us to join his team," Kim said. "We participated in the production process as if we were just traveling with them."
Without support and help from production staff, Ryu and Lee had the freedom to get an authentic backpacking experience.
Choi cast Ryu and Lee to satisfy his basic idea of traveling. Ryu is a veteran backpacker, while Lee was picked for his youthful, innocent image."We could only think of Ryu as a lead member," Choi said."We desperately needed a person who knew a lot about backpacking."
As the show progresses, the duo will show off their friendship, dubbed a "bromance," through their chemistry for being good travel mates.
"Lee was a perfect travel mate," Ryu said."I have never clicked with someone like this before, though I've traveled many times. Lee is someone that anyone would like to travel with."
Lee said: "When I was first asked to participate in the program, I had mixed feelings ― I had no desire or knowledge about Cuba and I didn't know what to do without a script. It felt like a burden because I've never gone backpacking before. I was able to do this program thanks to Ryu, despite all the struggles. I relied on Ryu a lot."
When asked how the program distinguishes itself from tvN's travel reality program "Youth Over Flowers," Choi said he focused on depicting the real experience of traveling by showing the processes of finding a place to stay or grabbing a taxi.
"Unlike previous travel shows, 'Traveler' aims to make viewers feel they are traveling," Choi said."I hope viewers feel that they want to travel like the program. The program is expected to depict how different it is to travel by backpacking rather than with a wheeled suitcase. There are a lot of differences."
"Traveler" airs every Thursday at 11 p.m.
