Variety shows

I watch a lot of variety shows. Usually it's just because one or more of my faves is appearing on whatever it is that I'm watching. I have a lot of faves though so I sit through many different programs.

Variety can be hit or miss, and for the most part, if it's not just some random show that I'm watching for the faves, the cast is what usually makes a show work. If I don't like the cast, then I have a very hard time getting into it.

And too often shows start with a good idea but then either show runners run out of ideas or just get lazy. Then the show fizzles out into a mess, and they lose their audience.

I'm going to use the KBS program Human Condition 2 to try to flesh some of this all out.

I originally started watching this show because Eun Jiwon was a cast member. The show at first was about a group of men staying in the countryside with next to nothing to get through several days. They stayed in an empty, run down house and had no phones or internet. They were given barely any money for food and necessities, and they had to be careful with how much garbage they accumulated over the course of their time there. It was a good idea for a show.

And on top of that, the cast was fantastic. I grew to love all six members, so much so that Jiwon wasn't even my favorite on the show. They all got along so well and were so funny together. Even though I barely knew any of the other cast members before I started watching this show, I have become a fan of the other five (Yoon Sanghyun, Bong Taegyu, Heo Taehee, Hyun Woo, and Kim Jaeyoung). This can be contrasted with another show I was watching at the same time, Shin Dongyup's Bachelor Party. Again I was only watching the show because a fave (Kim Jongmin) was a cast member, and the show had other issues besides the cast, but still, they fairly awkward together. I mean, there was even that whole incident between Kangin and N. The show really didn't give me a new-found appreciation for anyone except for like N.

Now back to Human Condition 2. Eventually, however, the episodes went further away from the original format. It would have been nice if the show was about living a simpler life-style and maybe focused more on reusing and recycling, but then they took the guys out of the red clay house and made them do weirder missions. The episodes that were about collecting old clothes were great since they exposed a somewhat serious issue, but then the episodes about books and the opposite sex didn't fit in with the rest of the season. Of course people stopped watching and KBS decided to end the season.

It was very unfortunate, but even though it ended, if you haven't watched the Human Condition 2, go watch it over on Youtube.