Saimdang, Light’s Diary pushed back to next year

by tineybeanie

SBS has finally confirmed a time slot for its much-anticipated historical drama Saimdang, Light’s Diary. It will be broadcast starting in late January 2017 on Wednesday-Thursday, rather than on weekends as originally planned. The time slot is currently being occupied by Jealousy Incarnate, and will be followed by Jeon Ji-hyun’s Legend of the Blue Sea, after which Saimdang, Light’s Diary will air.

The 100 percent pre-produced Saimdang, Light’s Diary is about an art historian (played by Lee Young-ae) who comes across an old Joseon relic in Italy that contains the hidden secrets of Saimdang, arguably the most revered female poet-philosopher in Korean history. Lee Young-ae also plays the part of the ancient poetess in prolonged flashback sequences that slowly reveal the mystery behind the artifact. Song Seung-heon co-stars as a man in love with Saimdang.

Originally, the drama was supposed to start airing in October on the weekends after Second to Last Love finished its run. However, SBS made the final decision to move Saimdang, Light’s Diary to weekdays because “a miniseries format suited the nature of the drama” more than the already planned weekend drama special format. But now, there is an empty hole in SBS’s broadcasting schedule, where Saimdang, Light’s Diary was supposed to go. The network is currently thinking over its options, but there is a high chance that the weekend drama slot might go to a variety program instead. Many pilot variety shows aired as specials during the Chuseok holiday period, and there’s talk that one might be chosen as Second to Last Love’s successor.

Saimdang, Light’s Diary has been in the works for nearly a year already. The filming finished this past June, and it has received much attention because it will be Lee Young-ae’s first comeback to the small screen since her Hallyu-fame-launching drama, Dae Jang Geum. According to reports at the moment, the production team is in a flurry of activity, editing and revising to create a polished finished product. It was supposed to be broadcast simultaneously in China and Korea, and the bidding war over broadcasting rights in China was fierce. But there’s been a slight hitch, which some speculate may be due to souring Chinese-Korean relations because of the recent THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) installation. Negotiations are still underway, but it looks like Saimdang, Light’s Diary will air later than expected in China.

This modern-day and sageuk combo drama will start airing on SBS in Korea next January on Wednesday-Thursday after Legend of the Blue Sea ends.

Via Star News, Korea Times

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