Hitmaker writer follows Seo-young, 49 Days with Two Weeks
by javabeans
My Daughter Seo-young was one of the biggest drama hits of the past year — its finale hit 47.6% ratings — so there’s automatic interest in the news that its writer, So Hyun-kyung, is coming back to television with a new drama. (And if the mega-hit weekend series isn’t enough to get you onboard, perhaps it’ll help to know that she also penned the fantasy-heart-tugger 49 Days and Prosecutor Princess.)
The new drama is titled (for now) Two Weeks and is centered around a man who lives life rather meaninglessly, until he somehow becomes wrongfully accused of murder. Furthermore, he discovers that he has a daughter who is sick with leukemia, and what ensues is two weeks of his desperate struggle to save her life.
Wait a second. Isn’t this just Mandate of Heaven, the modern years? Okay, admittedly the modern years does turn it into a different drama. But still! Familiar familiar.
Also: Isn’t this rather like Three Days, that real-time(-ish) thriller from the Ghost writer and Tree With Deep Roots PD that takes place at a presidential villa?
I think we’ve just found our Drama Concept Of The Year, folks! And here I was wondering what would be this year’s time-traveling, or sports drama, or cross-dressing vehicle. For a while it was looking like the plague might be it, though the two shows in that subgenre have tanked. But now we’ve got the pseudo-real-time ticking clock, which is different enough right now that I could really enjoy the concept. At least for a show or two, before the rest of dramaland hops onboard that train.
Two Weeks will be a Wednesday-Thursday drama, which means writer So will have to anticipate much smaller numbers compared to Seo-young’s monster ratings; midweek shows just don’t reach the same heights that the weekenders do. But she’s had miniseries in the past, so perhaps she’s already scaled back those expectations. On the upside, this is an idea she first began working on in 2007, and she’s already written the first five episodes. This project got pushed back when she got busy working on other shows, but has now gotten the greenlight from MBC.
This drama still has plenty of time to get all its ducks in a row; it will follow Queen’s Classroom (the show headlining Go Hyun-jung), which premieres in June.
Via TV Report
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1 MeeisLee
April 16, 2013 at 5:42 PM
I think I might be looking forward to this one. I loved PP and 49days. I've been in a drama rut lately anyway and hopefully the summer season of dramas will be a pick me up.
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2 Smile134
April 16, 2013 at 5:52 PM
I love 49 Days for the meaningful story that it was, so I will definitely look forward to this one. Hopefully the drama will carry as many touching moments as 49 Days, but with a happier ending :)
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3 danna
April 16, 2013 at 5:59 PM
She's one of my favorite writers thanks to 49 days, Prosecutor Princess and Shining Inheritance...although I didn't like Seo-Young very much and dropped after the first few weeks I'm thinking this will be a better show since its a miniseries
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Rach ^^
April 17, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Seo Young only got better towards the last 8 or so episodes. Maybe you want to watch from there since you already know the characters? The middle part was soooo draggy. Thank goodness they didn't extend the drama.
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4 DayDreamer
April 16, 2013 at 6:14 PM
Huh. When I started reading the description, I too thought of the same exact upcoming dramas that you mentioned, Javabeans. I think I'll just stick with those dramas instead of seeing a mesh between them.
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Jo
April 17, 2013 at 12:42 PM
What I argue is that although the synopsis seems familiar I highly doubt that a modern drama with have the same story or feel as a saguek. For example, our heroes in the saguek era would travel weeks to travel from one end of Korea to the other whereas now, it takes about 2.5 hours (if there is no traffic at all, lol). Differences here might make it totally totally different.
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5 June
April 16, 2013 at 6:15 PM
I haven't watched Seo-young, but I really did enjoy both 49 days and Prosecutor Princess. I'm excited for this one!~
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6 crazedlu
April 16, 2013 at 6:16 PM
hrm. kind of liking this concept, so i'm down to check it out.
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7 Huong
April 16, 2013 at 6:23 PM
I have a question. Why the weekend dramas, which most I feel are boring due to the high number of episodes, always have super-high ratings that the mid-week dramas can only dream of? Because people have more time during the weekend to watch dramas???
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Annie
April 16, 2013 at 6:26 PM
That and they tend to be family-themed makjangapaloozas. Perfect background noise.
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kaka
April 16, 2013 at 6:33 PM
because there is no competition. I heard other channels air news at that timeslot.
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Annie
April 16, 2013 at 6:36 PM
That's only KBS.
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Gala
April 16, 2013 at 7:13 PM
Same reason why [KBS] daily drams get higher number ratings than primetime series: people love watching dramas centered on family values. There more than three, most of the time, story lines going. So sometimes a viewer might fall in love with one storyline, not necessarily the main one, they still tend to follow.
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8 kaka
April 16, 2013 at 6:40 PM
I didn't watch pp & seoyeong, but I love the writing of 49 days. I even like the ending. I'm so gonna watch it!
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9 snow_white
April 16, 2013 at 7:11 PM
I have not seen any of the two shows..but the concept surely promises to be a good thriller..
but it is so similar to mandate of heaven!!!!
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10 Cynthia
April 16, 2013 at 7:29 PM
MDSY really was an excellent watch and the subbers did an great job in keeping us fairly current.
SHK is one talented writer. She manages to produce a well-rounded drama that easily flows from one episode to the next, no matter how many episodes are aired. I was concerned that MDSY with 50 eps was going to hit the mid doldrums where plotlines bog down and the boredom sets in, but nope - she skated right through and the writing quality was right up there. He Who Rolled In Unexpectedly was the same in length and quality. These big ratings weekend dramas really succeed with a firm writing hand at the helm. It's interesting to compare these two to the currently airing Hundred Years Inheritance with Eugene. 30 eps in and we still can't decide if it wants to be fish or fowl (rom/com, dramady, makjang or flat out drama) it's that uneven - each aspect is fairly well written but just doesn't meld into a whole. It's very jarring to watch, but I really like Eugene so I put up with parts that make my head want to explode.
I'm looking forward to this new project of SHK - she sure won't have a problem getting top level actors to jump on board.
:)
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11 kaka
April 16, 2013 at 7:52 PM
Ah, you're right. When i read 'super-high ratings that the mid-week dramas can only dream of', i instantly thought of dramas that aired on that particular timeslot.
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kaka
April 16, 2013 at 7:56 PM
Ups, this meant to be a reply for 7.2.1
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12 Trina
April 16, 2013 at 8:09 PM
I love her all three dramas of hers. Now who will be cast?
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13 anon2
April 16, 2013 at 8:25 PM
I did not like both My Daughter Seo-young and 49 Days... Should I watch Prosecuter Princess then?
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Dorotka
April 17, 2013 at 12:19 AM
49 Days wasn't my cup of tea... but I loved PP. I found the first half very funny... and as I watched it without reading the synopsis before, there were quite some surprises for me (like who was the leading man :--) ).
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J
April 17, 2013 at 12:27 AM
Do yourself a favor and watch Shining Inheritance (2009) instead. There you'll find a lovely (if flawed) storyline and a delicate romantic chemistry between Lee Seung Gi and Han Hyo Joo <3 Still love HwanSung OTP til this day.
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14 varms
April 16, 2013 at 9:20 PM
Korean Dramaland just went all Liam Neeson and Taken on us.
But My Daughter Seo Young, 49 Days (for a short time) and Prosecutor Princess were all so gripping!
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15 zashi
April 16, 2013 at 10:52 PM
I liked MDSY AND 49 DAYS and look forward this new drama. Hopefully it will be a good story.
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16 Caffeine_Ninja
April 17, 2013 at 2:00 AM
I haven't seen PP or MDS, but 49 Days had one of the worst KDrama endings I have ever seen. It's one thing to end on a disappointing note as plenty of KDramas have, but the ending to 49 Day (IMO) pretty much rendered the whole show pointless. I don't trust the writer not to pull the same trick again.
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Rach ^^
April 17, 2013 at 9:39 AM
I get the point of the ending, I just HATE it. Can't my Kang Ah live happily ever after with the love of his life?
To me the drama ended when Han Kang and Ji Hyun went on the picnic date and they got married and lived happily ever after. *in denial forever*
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Pipit
April 18, 2013 at 9:26 PM
LOL! I'm sure you're not alone ^_^
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17 Lilian
April 17, 2013 at 4:20 AM
I enjoyed watching 49 days so will most likely give this a try. Is the casting done?
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18 lemonade candy
April 17, 2013 at 6:27 AM
49 days is one of my fave. so, imma watch it~
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gg
April 17, 2013 at 7:39 AM
49 days is one of the best K dramas I've ever watched!
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19 cynkdf
April 17, 2013 at 8:05 AM
Love "49 Days" and "Brilliant Legacy". Writer So also wrote "Crying in the Glow of Sunset", a one-episode drama starring Bae Soo Bin. I haven't seen this drama before (only watched bits of it on Youtube) but a passionate Korean fan of BSB tells me that he earned praise for his acting in that drama.
Here's hoping (fingers crossed) that perhaps BSB will work with So Hyun-kyung for the third time :)
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cynkdf
April 17, 2013 at 8:17 AM
erm .. I mean "fourth time" :)
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20 Rach ^^
April 17, 2013 at 9:36 AM
Ew MBC.
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21 Rach ^^
April 17, 2013 at 9:40 AM
Ooh I hope Jo Hyun Jae or Nam Gyu Ri get casted in this!
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22 Cashie
May 6, 2013 at 9:32 AM
Lee Junki is officially casted in this drama! YES!!!!! can't wait to see who the other actors/actresses will be. This is very promising since I loved 49 days, PP, BL and others that this writer has done. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!
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23 Chammie
July 5, 2013 at 12:52 AM
I'll watch this for the writer So Hyun Kyung and Lee Jun Ki. Yay!!!
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