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High Kick 3 pre-empted due to ongoing MBC labor strike

Heads up, High Kick 3 fans: The entire week will be episode-less, and instead specials have been airing daily. If you’ve been watching the show live, you’ll already know this; if you’re a regular recap reader, note that this means there won’t be one this weekend.

The string of specials came without any warning, which caught viewers off-guard and caused some disgruntlement among the fanbase. The show has had a number of pre-empted episodes already (mostly due to soccer), so it’s not like we’re not used to it, but the surprise factor tends to add a bitter note.

But it’s not without reason; MBC has been mired in a labor union strike, which has mostly been affecting its news and variety programming. Dramas have mostly remained unaffected (some because they are produced by outside companies, not the broadcaster directly), but the strike is starting to creep into the scripted realm.

In High Kick 3′s case, the media had initially reported that the show was merely “celebrating” the show’s 100 episodes. (This week would have broadcast Episodes 100 through 104.) A flimsy reason, followed then by the explanation that the production team was simply too exhausted to meet the broadcast deadline. It later came out that the union strike was the culprit.

The strike started January 30, citing unfair administration and demanding the resignation of MBC president Kim Jae-chul. There were 570 participants in the strike, including technical staff members of High Kick, which has been filming for the past three weeks without key crew members. A producer with the sitcom stated that they’re very short-staffed, and feel unfairly blamed by the initial media reports that they were too tired to make broadcast time. While that’s certainly true, the connotation is that the staff is to blame for not managing their time when the situation is largely out of their control.

The show has already been operating on a super-tight schedule, which I can believe — the quality of the episodes (from the directing to the music to the post-production work) has been impressively high for a daily show. Frankly I’d rather have our remaining episodes maintain their narrative strength, rather than wildly churned out because of the strike.

As for other MBC dramas: Don’t panic yet, because as yet the dramas are still chugging along. However, it looks like the strike is taking its toll, and the latest news cycle brings mention of The Moon That Embraces the Sun struggling with completing all its post-production work without some of its staff. The PDs have been working overtime to get through it on their own, according to the news. The episodes this week are ready to go so there’ll be no problem on that front, and I seriously doubt MBC will let its uber-popular cash cow die. But that cow’s showing signs of fatigue, is all. Moooo.

Via Newsen, PD Journal

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NO!!!! T.T

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They can hire me anytime~ LOL I got my degree in broadcasting ~

HIRE ME PPL and I'll quite my job for your deadly schedules !!!!

I hope High Kick 3 resumes in quality, and hopefully we get more awesome episodes

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"The strike started January 30, citing unfair administration and demanding the resignation of MBC president Kim Jae-chul."

Does anyone know what in particular the strikers are protesting? Just curious.

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The mbc president's ties to the President of SK, which affects the neutrality of the station and what the news is allowed to report. Basically, they're upset about the restriction of the freedom of the press.

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/01/mbc-labor-union-votes-for-strike-to-force-mbc-president-kim-jae-chuls-resignation

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Very Interesting, thanks for the link step. It's interesting that they are pushing for him to quit rather than put rules in place that restrict his power. Go freedom of the press!....but if i were the prez, i wouldn't quit just to appease strikers.

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Thanks for the link, step! The drama fan in me is sad about the postponement, but the political junkie in me raises my fist in solidarity with the protesters.

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Me too.

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I really feel terrible for the people that work for MBC...also did they really think viewers were stupid enough to believe those first two flimsy excuses? Celebration indeed!

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I was wondering why I couldn't see any updates on new episodes since monday. I hope the strike would end soon... I wanna watch new WGM episodes!

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guh, i love the fam.~~

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=(

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no! not my MOON-SUN show!
bring it backkkkk!!!
i hate when this suddenly happens although i do feel bad for the staffs and the drama having to film and not have everyone working...darn the economy.

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Thank you for keeping us updated. I am bummed that I won't be seeing High Kick recaps but would have been really upset to tune in to DB on Saturday and not see the expected recap.

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WHAT?! NO! Dang it!

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WHOA. real drama in real life:) I'm not that upset, cos this whole "going on strike" thing is totally new to me. OK.... i mean, totally cool to me. hahah. Too bad my country won't allow such things. They say that holding protests or going on strikes are a threat to national security, so none of that here. So we have a lot of passive-aggressiveness on the internet instead. haha.

anyways, hk3 has been really good so far. i'm surprised that there were crew problems. Respect!

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Very familiar... there was a strike few years if I remember right due to same reasons.

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This is one time I'm happy that they have outside productions for the dramas. Although I suppose it's well within the staffers' rights to protest, given that broadcast stations are profit-first, everything-else-second in mentality.

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There's a joke that the newly-proposed name for MBC is MB-Ssi. (MB = Nickname of SK's president, Lee Myung Bak)

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This is so interesting....protest to bring down the boss. Hehehe..it is somewhat like the History of Salaryman.

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History of A Salaryman is a political satire on the likes of MBC...oh wells, politics really. It's done so subtly that any smart politician or higher up in any corporation should realize that it is a dig at them. Sadly, MoonSun is sooo overrated after the 1st 7 episodes.

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Honestly, if they make the script conistent with the storyline so far, I don't care how many weeks we take off. Anything, but a random, disasterous ending like the last two installments.

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I wonder if there's a documentary out there that depicts how life is working as a PD or a staff in these broadcasting stations... 'cause it sure sounds like it's absolutely crazy.

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That would explain why I haven't been able to find the recent episodes of High Kick 3. I don't mind waiting for new episodes, I just hope the strike doesn't affect the quality of the show especially since we're reaching the end.

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Ah, thank you!

I'd been wondering why there were no new episodes and couldn't seem to find any news on the subject.

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Can MBC get their act together? I remember last year there was a similar strike? But that was because the staff didnt get paid.

Arrghhhh

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Actually since The Spy call MyungWol, I have sworn off watching any drama live because I am so concern about the drama not making it to the end.

Korea just need to pre shoot all their dramas in advance, period.

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SMW was an extreme. 1 case for how many produced dramas ? That said, i agree than live shooting calls out for unexpected interruptions ( accidents of the cast mostly ), and unlikely rewritings because of netizens pressure or supposed low ratings. I think the 2 systems can coexist, and progressively the ratio pre produced / live shooting will increase ( see cable shows ). It's a cultural massive change for Korea. But i don't think they should completely abandon their ways : They have a unique way to deal with entertainment, and they have excellent crews on and behind the sets. Just need improvements mostly when it comes to schedules and working conditions.

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