[HanCinema's News] Ambiguous Performance Haunts tvN as the Network Looks to September

Over the summer, tvN has had one hit show. "Alchemy of Souls" us a fantasy historical adventure drama that, much like "Arthdal Chronicles" before it, takes place in a wholly fictional setting. "Alchemy of Souls" had a ratings high of 9.295% in its eighteenth episode on August 21st, and is likely to break the 10% mark in its final weekend before an extended break before ten extra episodes will conclude the full story.

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But elsewhere on tvN, the drama situation is more ambiguous. The mystery thriller "Adamas" has languished in the network's Wednesday/Thursday slot. Eighth episode ratings of 3.233% on August 18th are an upswing for a show that has never been able to exceed its premiere ratings of 3.502%. "Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist" has done a bit better, with the mystery historical romance opening at 3.864% ratings and ratings of 4.575% in its seventh episode on August 22nd.

These numbers may be passable but they likely weren't what the network was hoping for as they seek to expand from three regular dramas in August to four in September. At that time, tvN will premiere "Little Women" on Setember 3rd, "Mental Coach Jegal" on September 12th, "Blind - 2022" on September 16th, and "Love in Contract" on September 21st. All of these are relatively straightforward genre shows, without the likely reach "Alchemy of Souls" has shown.

Ultimately tvN is probably making a calculated risk. As "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has shown, big hits can often come out of nowhere on South Korean television. Furthermore, the relatively weak performance of "Adamas" and "Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist" obscures the fact that these dramas still have audiences. The run of poor drama performances that caused other networks to cut back on production all languished in the 1% range or worse.

In any case, tvN seeks to cement its brand as the main South Korean network that still considers scripted television dramas a priority at all. While "Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist" had pretensions of a second season, most of tvN's projects are intended to be self-contained. Even a high profile project like "Alchemy of Souls" serves to boost this broader image, with that project's ten episode extension being justified on the basis of storytelling, rather than fan response.

Writte by William Schwartz