Idols and Legends Gather in Massive Showdown

To capitalize on the 2025 Chuseok Golden Week holiday, KBS, SBS, and MBC have launched over 10 new variety programs to compete for high viewership ratings.

The three terrestrial broadcasters deployed pilot programs using distinct strategies tailored to the five-day holiday spanning from the 18th to the 22nd. KBS and SBS focused on experience-based and physically demanding variety shows, while MBC presented special programs centered around idols and legendary singers.

KBS released numerous experience-based and physically intense variety shows targeting fathers. “Baradeun Bada” follows men who escape by sailing on yachts, claiming they “sometimes want to be alone,” and will air during the holiday. “Superman Is Back” and “Star Babysitter, Come See Me” are parenting programs that pair fathers who care for their own children with those who look after others’ children. “Real Sports Show Tuhon” is a physically challenging show featuring fights between celebrities and ordinary people, attracting significant audience interest.

MBC revived the controversial idol sports competition by organizing its “Idol Star Athletics, Archery, and Futsal Championship” for the seventh time. Over 160 idols will participate, with those who stand out having the chance to rapidly rise as “sports idols.” Additionally, “The Return of Kings” features former contestants from “I Am a Singer” such as Yoon Min-soo, Park Jung-hyun, Kim Bum-soo, Park Wan-gyu, Kim Kyung-ho, Guukkassten, Jang Hye-jin, Insooni, and YB, who will present “I Am a Singer’s Top 10 Greatest Hits.”

SBS prepared “Star Face-Off,” a program where top-tier idols dress up similar to legendary singers and imitate their performances. “Biography Customization Studio” is a show where Kim Gu-ra, Kim Sung-ju, Lee Ki-gwang (BIST), and Bora (SISTAR) create biographies for famous individuals based on interviews with people around them at their request. “Song Po Yu” is an emotional human-interest program where Lee Seung-chul and Uhm Jung-hwa form teams with “problematic” high school students to compete in a choir competition ahead of a world choir festival. “Awesome Guys” aims to deliver laughs through a one-person, multiple-role comedy format.

On ENA, “Salon de Doll: You Talk So Much,” hosted by SHINee’s Kei and BTOB’s Lee Chang-seop, will premiere on the 25th. This talk show features idol seniors and juniors engaging in fierce debates over trivial topics. The dynamic interaction between Lee Chang-seop, known for his shy yet playful “Asura” character, and his close friend Kei is highly anticipated, with Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon joining as a guest host for the prequel content.

This variety show competition during the Golden Week appears to reflect the three terrestrial broadcasters’ desperate determination to regain lost viewership from weekday late-night shows, now overshadowed by cable and specialty channels. A representative from one broadcaster’s variety department described the situation, saying that although “healthy competition through innovative planning” is often cited, reality has turned into a race driven solely by ratings figures.