What is ‘Queen of Tears’, tvN’s reckless programming again?

≪Tae Yuna’s Oh Ye≫
‘The era of content overflow’. For readers who are wondering what to watch, reporter Tae Yu-na and Ten Asia will serve as an ‘entertainment guide.’ It adds fun to watching the program by delving into hot issues in the entertainment industry, as well as watching points, major characters, and behind-the-scenes stories.

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tvN's entertainment show 'Outside the Tent: Europe-Southern France' (hereinafter referred to as 'Outside the Tent 4') is suddenly cancelled. With viewership ratings going downhill, even the drama 'Queen of Tears', which is considered tvN's most anticipated drama, stood in the way. This is why the cancellation of 'Outside the Tent 4', which was sacrificed for no reason to show off the 'Queen of Tears', feels bittersweet.

According to tvN's schedule, 'Outside the Tent 4' will be canceled on the 17th. There was no mention of the cancellation in the trailer released at the end of the broadcast on the 10th, and there was no announcement whatsoever, so it is a somewhat disappointing cancellation.

At 7:40 PM on the 17th, when 'Outside the Tent 4' was canceled, episode 3 of 'Queen of Tears' was rebroadcast. Previously, episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Queen of Tears’ will air at 4:20 PM, and episode 4 of ‘Queen of Tears’ will air at 9:10 PM. 'Outside the Tent 4' was excluded, and episodes 1 to 4 of 'Queen of Tears' were binge-watched.

Accordingly, the 'Outside the Tent 4' side told Ten Asia on the 14th, "It is true that there is a break. 'Outside the Tent 4' has decided to take a break for a week," adding, "The filming has finished a long time ago, and all the editing points have been set in advance." He stated that he is not taking a break due to any special issues or problems. ‘Queen of Tears’ did not say anything about the continuation.

However, looking at it objectively, it seems like there is some intention in shutting down an entertainment program for no particular reason and rebroadcasting a drama. 'Queen of Tears' is a 'masterpiece' created by writer Park Ji-eun, who wrote 'Crash Landing on You', which recorded tvN's highest viewer ratings of all time, and actors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won. Although the viewer rating for the first episode was lower than expected at 5.9%, it jumped to 8.7% after two episodes and began to spread word of mouth.

tvN must have felt the need to put a wedge in the 'Queen of Tears', which was on the rise. Above all, since it competes with SBS' Chaebol

In the end, it was ‘Outside the Tent 4’ that fell victim to the ‘Queen of Tears’ push. 'Outside the Tent 4' recorded the highest viewership rating of all time among the 'Outside the Tent in Europe' series, recording 5.9% in the first episode, but has been declining for three consecutive weeks since then. The viewership rating for the recently aired fourth episode dropped to 4.0%. The wonder of the vast scenery and small healing are the program's unique charms, but since there are not many entertainment devices, there are mixed reviews that it is somewhat dull and uninteresting.

The topicality is not high either. In ‘Outside the Tent 4’, the person responsible for the topicality is Han Ga-in. Revealing the faces of gifted children and their eating habits of not eating ramen or cola became hot topics. It is also disappointing that Jo Bo-ah and Ryu Hye-young's performances are weaker compared to Ra Mi-ran and Han Ga-in.

Whatever the reason, the sudden cancellation is disappointing. This is because the fact that a program is pushed out in favor of ‘Queen of Tears’, which should be doing well, is a decision that does not take the viewers into consideration. tvN's choice may lead to an increase in the ratings of 'Queen of Tears', but tvN's continued arbitrariness in programming changes is an act of breaking its promise to viewers.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr