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| ▲This photo, provided by ENA, shows poster of drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲This photo, captured image from AStory website, shows logo of AStory. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) |
SEOUL, August 18 (Yonhap) -- ENA Wednesday-Thursday drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (“Attorney Woo”) has brought new sensation to the broadcasting industry.
There is an rising expectation from the broadcasting industry that the era where a good work can be a hit regardless of what channel it is aired on has come after the popularity of drama “Attorney Woo.”
Even before “Attorney Woo” was aired, there has been talks among the broadcasting industries that the “drama is well-made” with well-organized plot and Park Eun-bin’s enthusiastic acting. But some predicted that it would be difficult to gain public’s popularity if it is aired on ENA, unfamiliar channel to viewers.
The first episode received low audience viewership ratings, 0.8%, as expected. But through the word of mouth, it recorded amusing audience ratings of 15.8% on episode 9.
The success of “Attorney Woo” shows changing viewing behaviors of audiences.
Today viewers actively look for dramas known to be funny even if it aired on unpopular cable channel, unlike the past when they used to passively watch dramas that were aired on main channels at golden time.
This is due to the influence of Over-The-Top streaming services like Netflix where viewers can choose which film to watch. Viewers’ tastes for films became more sensitive as the number of contents, other than the dramas currently aired on TV, to watch increased to almost infinity.
There are also no qualms to find films that meet one’s taste by switching between different platforms, since provided films vary by different OTT streaming services.In that sense, the preference for specific TV channels has decreased, and the line between terrestrial television, general service channel, and cable has been blurred.
Critics of popular culture Kim Sung-soo said, “Viewers are really wise. 2040 (20~49 yrs. old), categorized as the main viewers, move practically and if they have a value they pursue, they go for it,” adding, “Whether it is terrestrial, general, cable, or OTT, if there's a good content, they find it."
He then said, “In that sense, ‘Attorney Woo’ has proved the centuries of reinforcement: If content is good, it will succeed.”
“Attorney Woo” also implies that the power is leaning on the production company, these days.
Even until the 1990s when three major land-based television stations led the drama market, broadcasting company and production company were not a separate concept in that broadcasting companies produced dramas on their own. From the 2000s, when producers left broadcasting companies and started setting up production companies, the concept of outsource production companies appeared, and broadcasters and production companies made dramas through joint investment. But even then, broadcasters’s programming rights were still stronger.
Lately, Production companies have been producing dramas in advance while broadcasters aired them. Although there are some differences depending on the contracts, increasing number of production companies are taking the IP (Intellectual property) of work.
Production company of “Attorney Woo”, A-Story, has the original IP as well. The reason AStory can produce webtoon and musical of “Attorney Woo” and sell whale goods from the drama is due to their possession of drama’s IP. This is an opportunity for content creators to expand their businesses through works.
The influence of well-know production companies is becoming massive like old broadcasters’ fame. Among the viewers, more focus on what production company made the drama compared to what channel it is aired. On-air MBC drama “Big Mouth” also gained more popularity when it was revealed that production company of “Attorney Woo” produced the drama.
Critics of popular culture Jeong Duck-hyeon said “Now It is changing from platform (broadcasters, Over-The-Top streaming service) to studio (production company) system,” adding, “Studios make contents like AStory, and they are growing by staking Know-hows.”
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Jiwon Woo.)
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