MBC’s “Undercover High School” has been experiencing a decline in viewership ratings. The drama started with a 5.6% rating for its first episode and peaked at 8.3% in episode 4. However, the numbers have been on a downward trajectory since then, dropping to 7.2% in episode 5 and hitting a low of 6.1% in episode 6.
“Undercover High School” is an action-comedy drama about a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent who goes undercover as a high school student to track down the whereabouts of Emperor Gojong’s missing gold bars. It also marks the highly anticipated return of actor Seo Kang Joon after completing his military service.
As ratings decline, the production team of “Undercover High School” is focusing on boosting the show’s buzz through marketing efforts. However, even in terms of online discussions, the drama is being overshadowed by the Netflix series “When Life Gives You Tangerines“. According to FUNdex, the official platform of Good Data Corporation, the TV-OTT drama market share for the second week of March was as follows:
1 “When Life Gives You Tangerines” – 41.71%
2 “Undercover High School” – 10.35%
3 “Buried Hearts” – 6.41%
Meanwhile, SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Buried Hearts” has maintained consistently strong ratings. It debuted with 6.1%, surpassed the 10% mark by episode 4, and has continued its upward trend, reaching 12.3% in the recent episode. Out of the 8 episodes aired so far, the show has broken its own rating record 6 times forming a stark contrast to “Undercover High School“.
MBC Struggles in the Prime-Time Drama War
MBC’s struggle in the Friday-Saturday drama slot is not new. Looking back at the second half of last year, MBC dramas repeatedly fell behind SBS competitors:
• “Black Out” (MBC) lost to “Good Partner” (SBS).
• “Doubt” (MBC) lost to “The Judge from Hell” (SBS).
• “When the Phone Rings” (MBC) lost to “The Fiery Priest 2” (SBS).
• “Motel California” (MBC) lost to “Love Scout” (SBS).
This trend continues with “Undercover High School” (MBC) and “Buried Hearts” (SBS). Even with Seo Kang Joon’s return, MBC has failed to break its streak of prime-time drama flops.
Can MBC Turn the Tide?
MBC is set to launch “Crushology 101“, starring Roh Jeong Eui, Lee Chae Min and Cho Jun Young. Meanwhile, SBS will introduce “The Haunted Palace“, featuring Yook Sung Jae and Kim Ji Yeon in leading roles. After “Undercover High School” was criticized as “shallow and childish”, will MBC’s upcoming romance drama “Crushology 101” be able to change its fortunes? Only time will tell.
