Referred to as the revival of MBC, 'The Red Sleeve' starring 2PM's Junho and Lee Se Young plans to add one more episode to get a more solid ending.
Following the success of "The Red Sleeve", MBC is rumored to be adding an extra episode. Getting a lot of love, the drama, starring 2PM's Junho and Lee Se Young, is said to be a sign of MBC's "resurrection" after several years.
On Thursday (9/12), local media OSEN received information from the production team that "The Red Sleeve" which was originally planned for only episode 16 will end in episode 17. It is not a special broadcast, one additional episode will later become part of the main broadcast for achieve a more solid ending.
"The Red Sleeve" itself is a traditional historical drama that retells the love story between King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty and his royal concubine Uibin Sung. Interpreted from a modern point of view, this drama adapts the historical novel of the same name. So even though using real characters, there are additional spices in the story.
In the drama, Junho plays Yi San the crown prince who will later become King Jeongjo. Growing up in a royal family full of intrigue, Yi San is someone who puts the interests of the nation above love. Meanwhile, Lee Se Young plays Sung Deok Im, an educated lady-in-waiting who wants to make choices in life instead of being one of the many ladies of the king.
The thrilling story between Yi San and Sung Deok Im turned out to have stolen the hearts of many viewers. Based on Nielsen Korea, the ratings for episodes 7 and 8 which aired last week reached 10.7 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. Such rating increases are rare in today's broadcasting world, where dramas with ratings below 5 percent are considered mediocre and double-digit numbers equal to a "big hit".
For this great achievement, the production team plans to repay viewers' support with a stronger story. With the addition of one final episode, it is hoped that "The Red Sleeve" will produce a beautiful and memorable ending.
For additional information, the script for episode 16 was finished the day before the premiere of "The Red Sleeve" so that with the extension of the story, the additional script work did not encounter any difficulties. Currently, the cast and members of the production team are focusing on the final days of filming.
Meanwhile, "The Red Sleeve" will return to greet viewers on Friday (10/12). This drama airs on Friday and Saturday slots at 22.00 local time. (wk/inta)
