MBC’s long-running ‘Surprise Mystery TV’ is closing a 23-year chapter today and will pause for a format refresh before returning in early 2026 KST. The finale (episode 1,185) airs Oct. 26 at 10:40 a.m. KST, capping a run that began on Apr. 7, 2002 KST and re-created everything from everyday curiosities to unresolved mysteries and headline-making global stories.
Two weeks earlier, on Oct. 17 KST, the cast and crew gathered for their final shoot. Photos from set show eleven cast members of various nationalities posing in front of a coffee truck arranged by actress Kim Ha Young, who has been with ‘Surprise Mystery TV’ for 22 years. Kim Ha Young’s notes on site read, "The most mysterious story was our time together. Thank you for making it with me," and, "To everyone who ran beside me for over twenty years—truly, thank you for all your hard work." She later reflected on social media that she learned of the hiatus on the first day of her honeymoon in Bali and struggled to enjoy the trip, adding, "We all knew this day would come, but I still didn’t want to accept it. Let’s keep smiling as we film, take a short rest, and meet again soon."
A production spokesperson echoed that outlook, saying, "We’re upgrading the program to meet a changing media landscape. This is a brief pause, not a permanent ending—please look forward to our return."
Today’s finale covers the notorious box-office disaster ‘Cutthroat Island’, presenting it as a lavish proposal gone wrong—“the tragedy of a 310 million USD proposal”—then turns to ‘My Son’s Woman’, a story about a mother-in-law who moves to block her son’s sudden wedding. It also covers an outlandish rumor aimed at France’s president and first lady, commonly referred to as the “Brigitte Macron transgender” conspiracy.
SEE ALSO: ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunters’ becomes Netflix’s most-watched film, earns Sony M bonus
SHARE
