Five Videos to Introduce Korean Variety Shows

After our last installment of Bethany Introduces Korean Pop Culture, I’m sure you are all avid kpop fans now... right? Did you see the latest Block B MV? It’s pretty much my favorite music video at the moment! So many fantastic “only in kpop” moments!

Anyway, we aren’t here to talk about kpop today (sorry, I’ll try not to get distracted like that again). Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite things about Korea- Variety Shows! Seriously, I adore Korean variety. It’s really not like anything I’ve watched before and is highly addicting.

It’s hard to come up with a short description of what exactly variety shows are. You really just have to watch a few. And of course not all variety shows are exactly the same. There are, however, a few themes that seem to run through most of the them. 

Most variety shows are touted as a type of reality show. It’s a chance for fans to see and “get to know” what their favorite idols are really like. It seems to me this is done in a rather tongue and cheek way on most shows. Everyone knows and accepts the fact that the situations are set up by writers for entertainment purposes. In fact it’s not uncommon for the cast to get upset or tease the production staff on screen, usually along the lines of “Really?! You want me to do what?!”.  They basically take a "this is reality... but not really" approach and I kind of like that.

So, without further ado here are five variety shows to get you started:
*Please note:  there is a very wide world of Korean TV. I am limited to what I can find online with subtitles  Therefore this may or may not be a truthful cross-section of what Korean television is like. In other words- these are just shows I like and my own opinions about them.


Family Outing
This is an older show that's not airing anymore but one of my absolute favorites for laugh out loud moments. Every week a group of regulars and a guest or two take care of the home of a family on vacation. They are usually on a farm or in a fishing village, prime settings for hilarity to ensue. My favorite part of the show is always the dinner making scenes... I’ve learned a lot about how to kill and gut different kinds of seafood thanks to them!

Ok I had to choose this clip because 1) it's Daesung and TOP (remember, from Big Bang? What?! You don't know kpop members names yet?! tisk, tisk...) 2) it gives you an idea of the relaxed set up that the show takes and 3) well, it's TOP and Daesung from Big Bang...

Sesame Player- MBLAQ

Mblaq's season of Sesame Player probably goes into the books as my favorite Korean show... ever. Granted, it helps that they are my favorite group (*cough* Seungho- I love you * cough*) but I also love how the whole premise of the show is about putting a bunch of entertainers in a room and filming them playing random and strange games. You wouldn't think it'd be all that exciting... and yet it's strangely hilarious.

Oh I almost forgot, the other half of the show is the boys interviewing each other... in a bathroom. Because where else would you question an idol? Oh Korea....

Games and punishments play a big role in variety shows.  Being first is usually less important then just not being last, since there is a painful or embarrassing punishment for the looser.... poor Joon....

Running Man
If the Korean Variety Fairy visited me tonight and said "Beth, you can be a guest on one show for one episode", I wouldn't pause, I wouldn't think, I'd pick Running Man! Advertised as "urban variety", it creates different challenges and puzzles for the crew to complete or solve every episode  Sometimes they have a theme like Sherlock Holmes (were they basically played a live version of Clue) or Prison Break (were they had to, well, breakout of a prison). But my favorite episodes are the ones with The Chase, pretty much a fancy, more intense version of hide and seek in fun settings like museums or old Korean Palaces.... I want to do that just once in my life!

Hello Baby

Not much to explain about this one. It's a show were a group of 20-something-year-old idols take care of a child or group of children.... obviously. I mean what could be more normal?
Ok, when I first heard about this one I had the- "they do what?! and why?" reaction (I had a similar reaction to We Got Married, in which idols pretend to be married. Still can't quite get into that one though.). But after watching the season with Shinee I was oddly hooked. Definitely one of the shows you just have to watch to understand. Oh and Mblaq filmed one of the most recent seasons which I think was the funniest so far... just sayin'.

The first few minutes gives you a bit of a recap and idea of what the show is like.

And one more... how could I resist Mblaq and kids?

The three kids were "multicultural" in this season. Cutest. Kids. Ever.

Happy Together
This one is a little different. It takes more of a talk show format. And yet there are still lots of games and creating humors situation for the idols to show off their talents.
And yes, they are sitting in a sauna wearing the typical Korean sauna outfits because...

So there you have it. Five of my favorites! It sometimes take a bit of trail and error to find some you like. But be warned, similar to kpop, they can be addicting and before you know it you've lost an entire day to youtube and variety shows!

Next time: Five Videos to Introduce Korean Dramas... that's right, there's more!

Kpop Video of the Week:

Just in case you missed it.