MBC greenlights Dae Jang Geum 2, puts brakes on Unprecedented

31 January 7, 2014January 7, 2014

MBC greenlights Dae Jang Geum 2, puts brakes on Unprecedented

by javabeans

MBC is really, really not giving up on this Dae Jang Geum 2 idea, and is in the thick of plans (again) to bring it about (again). But at least things are shaping up more plausibly this time, because Dae Jang Geum 2 has gotten on the broadcast schedule for this fall, according to a rep with MBC.

However, while one drama secured its space on the schedule, another has lost its slot: Sageuk series Unprecedented (from the Tree With Deep Roots writers) is getting “postponed indefinitely.” It’s not losing out directly to Dae Jang Geum 2, but the two scenarios are somewhat related. Unprecedented (planned for 50 episodes) had been angling for the Monday-Tuesday slot after Empress Ki ends in April, but with Dae Jang Geum 2 on the books for fall, the schedules don’t quite line up.

To make things a little trickier, Dae Jang Geum’s original writer, Kim Young-hyun, is also writing Unprecedented. While Dae Jang Geum 2 hasn’t announced a director or writer yet, if she were to join the sequel project, the two dramas couldn’t air concurrently. Thus decisions surrounding one of the shows necessitates negotiating around the other. Furthermore, there’s the fact that KBS just launched its sageuk drama Jung Do-jeon to solid response, which is about the same political conflict in the founding years of the Joseon dynasty as Unprecedented. Perhaps producers decided they’d like a bit of distance from such a similar competitor.

This explains why Cha Seung-won went actively looking for other dramas after being touted as a possible lead for Unprecedented (he’s currently considering You’re All Surrounded with Lee Seung-gi). In addition, Unprecedented’s production is loath to let go of its other star, Han Seok-kyu, who is set to begin filming a movie soon. Some reports cite that the scheduling delay was in part to accommodate Han’s schedule.

So here’s how things stand: MBC will wrap Empress Ki in April, after which it has a blank spot on its schedule for the summer, now that Unprecedented won’t be filling it. Then Dae Jang Geum 2 will air sometime in the fall. For now, neither Han Seok-kyu nor Cha Seung-won have dropped Unprecedented, though they’ll both be working on other things in the interim; we’ll have to see how the story unfolds.

Via Sports Seoul, IS Plus, TV Report

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1 mskololia1

January 7, 2014 at 2:17 PM

Although I scoffed down DJG or Jewel in the Palace upon discovering the series after it aired, I want or need Unprecedented to air first. :)

With Jeong Do-jeon not being available (boo), I need something along this line in the way of a sageuk soon....

Thanks for the article.

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kelinci biru

January 7, 2014 at 3:42 PM

I kinda hope Jeong do jeon is just not available yet. I'm waiting the kbs world version.

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Kiara

January 7, 2014 at 4:30 PM

Unprecedented was the one sageuk I was looking forward to watching this year. I guess KBS got the upper hand here. Cho Jae-Hyun who is playing Jeong Do-jeon is a great actor. I will definitely check it out.

DJG 2 going forward is up to Kim Young-hyun. She hold all the rights to it and that was one of the reason why she left MBC and wrote TWDR for SBS.

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Jesse

January 7, 2014 at 4:32 PM

What do you mean with Jeong Do-jeon not being available?

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mskololia1

January 7, 2014 at 5:01 PM

The fan channel on Viki does not have the license yet. :(

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tangerine

January 8, 2014 at 7:01 AM

raws on epdrama.com

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2 changhyun

January 7, 2014 at 2:23 PM

Dae Jang Geum was part of my childhood, it was the first sageuk I watched and my friends still sometimes sing "O-nara o-nara..."

Not sure if it's better or worse that it's a sequel/prequel/idk-quel vs a remake

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3 sweetyo0on

January 7, 2014 at 2:52 PM

so is daejanggeum 2 a sequel or a remake? a sequel makes absolutely no sense plot-wise so i guess the better answer would be that it's aiming to be a sequel. but whhy? why mess with a perfect masterpiece???

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sweetyo0on

January 7, 2014 at 2:55 PM

i can't even begin to think of an actress with enough grace, poise, and talents that can fill lee youngae's spot!

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4 Evie

January 7, 2014 at 2:58 PM

No, no, no... why must you mess with my precious memories of Dae Jang Geum and Lee Young Ae's amazing performance. Sigh.

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5 Missy

January 7, 2014 at 3:02 PM

Aaa my first sageuk. I have to agree with the comment above that stated that onara onara is still being sung with friends bc i still do so with my friends.
But what's with DJG2?

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6 ddangha

January 7, 2014 at 3:32 PM

Postponing Unprecedented... I'm swearing and cursing them all right now. I'm going to watch it no matter what but I love Han Suk Gyu and if he has to leave it then... It's the drama I've been looking forward to the most in 2014, starting months ago in 2013 just waiting and waiting.

I just don't have words. Screw DJG2. This makes me very angry and sad. I was unsure whether or not to watch DJG2 but now I might just not out of dislike of the whole situation.

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Kiara

January 8, 2014 at 7:41 AM

Jung Do-jeon and Unprecedented are both set in the same era, characters (most) will be the same and same political conflicts etc etc. I understand the need to postpone it and the possibility that it might not air at all which makes me sad.

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7 kanz

January 7, 2014 at 3:33 PM

MBC's crazy! Why do they sideline a show that has secured its actors over a show (DJG2) that not yet has director and writer??

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8 Chiaki

January 7, 2014 at 3:36 PM

i don't think dae jang geum 2 is a good idea...just saying.

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9 Abbie

January 7, 2014 at 3:52 PM

The phrase "What would Anthony do?" comes to mind while reading this article. I don't understand what the people at MBC are thinking. "Postponed indefinitely" makes it sound like Unprecedented is scraped for good. A little disappointing, since I was looking forward to Cha Seung-won in a sageuk, but if he's doing You're All Surrounded, I can understand.

I haven't seen Dae Jang Geum, but I've heard about it. I keep wanting to start it, but something always comes up to prevent my watching it. Or maybe I'm just afraid I'll be disappointed. Either way, DJG2 just sounds like an excuse for MBC to try to get back the glory they had with the first one. Not sure I'll watch. Is it a follow-up, a sequel, or a prequel? Whichever it is will ultimately help me decide whether to watch or not.

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10 Kiara

January 7, 2014 at 4:03 PM

I'm more interested in Unprecedented. Dae Jang Geum is not going to be the same, Kim Young-hyun or no Kim Young-hyun even if she manage to get the original leads back.

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11 woolieeelaala

January 7, 2014 at 4:05 PM

to be honest .. dae jang geum 2 without lee young ae is already an automatic fail. why don't they just write a different story since dae jang geum ended when jang geum life is already at its peak(husband and kids) and she quit the palace so how is dae jang geum 2 going to continue ? the story of her daughter?. no one can be jang geum beside lee young ae. though i have watched that series since i was like 7 or 8 .. her face is still fresh in my mind that how memorable she is. this is kinda off topic but i really want lee young ae to act again :(((...i mean she's like in her 40s now but so is go hyun jung.

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Leona

January 7, 2014 at 4:44 PM

I would love to see a scenario like... Our poor beatiful DJG is widow and again in the palace... hijings ensue and of course a new love in horizon while still loving the deceased... and the third wheel... and I loved Lady Choi(Kyeon Mi Ri Lee YuBi's mom) and Lady Han(Yang Mi Kyung )
are still active: last time I've seen Yang Mi Kyung was in The Moon that Embraces the Sun... she was the mom. and Lady Choi works in a daily drama.
I'd love to see Geum Young but Hong Ri Na isn't active since 2004
Lady Min Mi Geum we've seen her as the nosy neighbor in Flower Boy Next Door or in the remake of Hur Joon,as well as the Eunuch.
I do not remember what happened with Han Ji Min's char in DJG but they could her a greater role... however I can't see her accepting a second lead
However I think Park Eun Hye would accept gladly to reprise her role...lately she is doing mainly daily dramas and so on

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Kim Yoonmi

January 7, 2014 at 6:43 PM

Palace Maids, historically were not allowed husbands or to lose their virginity. There were only extenuating circumstances under which they could, but it's debated a bit. The only situation you could slide is: If you were kicked out of the palace during a drought because they believed that would "restore" balance to the yin-yang.

In fact it was so severe, that if a Palace maid was caught with a husband, she would be executed. She got pregnant--executed. If she had sex with another female--also executed. Only one palace maid escaped safely and that was under Sejong when he caught one of his concubines (one of many) with another palace maid. It was *notable* because he gave her mercy and she was let free and NOT executed. (I'd love to see that story, but I know it's a long shot in K-drama land.)

Palace maids were also often lonely in the palace, so would sometimes look for other females for companionship and love, because, in effect, they were married to the King for life if they liked it or not. (and if he paid attention to them or not.)

Many were not happy about getting selected either since there were many laws, etc to regulate the influx of palace maids. (and the pay was lousy for the family who often could get better money by marrying her off).

The probability of her coming back as a Palace Maid and historically accurate is zilch. (Palace life was harsh.)

Not sure how they are going to pull it off since Dae Jang Geum was mostly about exploring Palace Life. There were other departments of the palace besides medicine and food they haven't really explored, though.

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Kiara

January 8, 2014 at 8:04 AM

"Only one palace maid escaped safely and that was under Sejong ..."

I think it that part was shown in The Great King Sejong (2008)? or maybe I read it somewhere before.

I loathe the Joseon era but it's a great era for good sageuks.

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12 coffeenlucia

January 7, 2014 at 4:13 PM

My first kdrama ever :D

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13 hanie

January 7, 2014 at 4:39 PM

ahhhh... memories......
My first sageuk & introduction to Lee Young Ae. Few years ago, I found the DVD set of DJG, I almost cry at the dvd store... It was an emotional reunion.

Not sure how to response to this. What's the plot? But for now, I'm not liking this news at all. Leave DJG alone, MBC. Find a good script and get a hit drama. Why cling to past glory??

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14 earthna

January 7, 2014 at 5:04 PM

Aw, I've been waiting for Unprecedented. That's too bad.

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15 neyrie

January 7, 2014 at 5:48 PM

I love DJG but are they gonna bring in the same cast back? cause I don't think it would be the same without the same cast.. and last I heard Lee Young Ae was undecided.. and Ji Jin Hee is in the other network with warm words. And I so love to have Ji Jin hee back... but does this mean he gonna ddo a double whammy like what Lee Tae Ran does... or will warm words end before this start.. but tat wouls still make him he immediately dive into this..?

as much as I admire what Lee tae Ran was able to do it with her weekend drama Goddess of marriage then Wang Family, it is still not good to have this projects coincide or start one after another...

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16 coby

January 7, 2014 at 9:16 PM

I was looking forward for Unprecedented... I remember how crazy Pinoys were about Jewel in the Palace.. my colleagues will take their break to go to the pantry and watch it..

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17 Stephanie

January 8, 2014 at 8:24 AM

seriously? There must be a serious fandom within MBC for DJG. Either that or a pride thing.

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18 Soosoosoo

January 8, 2014 at 9:03 AM

I wonder what the plot of Dae Jang Geum 2 could be... I doubt it could be as brilliant as the first...

It's not a bad time to film it if they could pull the original cast back together. It's been so many years, the original cast has naturally aged just as the characters would have. It's meaningless they don't use the same characters though. Doubt anyone can pull off DJG other than Lee Young Ae. She left too deep of an impression and shoes too big for anyone else to fill.

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19 myra

January 8, 2014 at 9:17 AM

i don't understand...so there won't be any dramas on mondays and tuesdays until fall? i hope it's not the case...

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20 lovin

January 8, 2014 at 5:15 PM

This is the same MBC that is on something right? Why would they remake this though? Almost all sequel fail. Producers should know that

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21 bubbles

February 25, 2014 at 8:02 AM

I want this cuz no matter what even if it fails it's going to be good. I can watch that drama so many times.. but please wait till Yoo Seung Ho leaves the army so that he can play Min Jung-ho. please. and IU can be Jang Geum. No more cute stuff for her. please and thank you.

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