JTBC is shifting to a new drama scheduling format by introducing a Friday drama lineup, creating a weekend-long drama broadcasting system from Friday to Sunday. This move is seen as a strategic attempt to boost viewership ratings and compete more directly with terrestrial broadcasters.
JTBC previously announced that starting in July, it would launch a “Friday Series,” airing two drama episodes back-to-back every Friday at 8:50 PM. The existing Saturday-Sunday dramas will remain in place, meaning JTBC will now broadcast dramas throughout the entire weekend.
The first drama of the Friday Series will be 'The Good Man,' a sentimental noir starring Lee Dong Wook and Lee Sung Kyung, premiering on July 18.
'The Good Man' tells the story of Park Seok Chul (Lee Dong Wook), the eldest grandson of a gangster family, and Kang Mi Young (Lee Sung Kyung), an aspiring singer with stage fright. The drama follows their reunion and emotional healing as they grow together, promising a deep human story filled with themes of family, love, and conflict within organizations.
Following this, the Friday Series will also feature the romance drama 'My Youth' starring Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee, and the coming-of-age melodrama 'Love Me' led by Seo Hyun Jin.
A JTBC representative stated that the scheduling decisions take into account production timelines and cast availability. They added that while Saturday and Sunday dramas are designed to appeal to a broad age range, Friday dramas are selected for their unique and creative concepts.
This change in JTBC's programming could pose a challenge for terrestrial broadcasters. Until now, JTBC’s weekend dramas aired only on Saturdays and Sundays, avoiding direct conflict with SBS and MBC’s Friday-Saturday dramas. However, with the addition of Friday programming, a more direct competition for viewership has emerged. JTBC expressed confidence in the Friday Series launch, stating it will “further strengthen JTBC’s influence in the weekend prime time slot.”
The Friday Series is also aimed at boosting ratings. JTBC previously scheduled dramas on Wednesdays and Thursdays but struggled with low ratings and visibility. Of the four dramas aired on Wednesday-Thursday last year, only 'Queen of Divorce' starring Lee Ji Ah surpassed the 5% viewership mark. Friday, by contrast, is a weekday with high TV viewership, making it a logical target for JTBC’s new strategy.
There are also practical reasons behind the shift from weekday to Friday scheduling. JTBC’s popular variety show 'Divorce Camp' airs on Thursdays at 10 PM, while 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' is broadcast Wednesdays at 9 PM. Both have strong, loyal audiences, and moving them to make room for dramas would have been risky. Thus, JTBC opted to create a new drama slot on Fridays instead.
The decision to air two episodes in a row each week also reflects current viewing habits, especially the “binge-watching” trend popularized by OTT platforms. JTBC explained that the back-to-back format is designed to align with viewer preferences for watching multiple episodes at once. The network also shared plans to continue offering a diverse range of content to broaden viewer choices.
SEE ALSO: 'The Good Man' starring Lee Dong Wook unveils new poster ahead of anticipated premiere
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