SBS Postpones Ha Young’s Drama Amid Her Family’s Pro-Japanese Controversy, Replaces It With Kim Rae Won And Park Hoon’s New Baseball Drama

SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama slot, which has continued its hits with “Manager Kim” and “Doctor X,” has met an unexpected variable. The airing of “Chance of Winning” has been postponed due to the controversy over actress Ha Young’s family history, and SBS has put forward “Full Count,” starring Kim Rae Won, as the replacement.

According to SBS on October 19, the drama “Chance of Winning,” which was originally scheduled to air in February 2027, has been postponed. It appears the controversy over the pro-Japanese acts of lead actress Ha Young’s great-grandfather had an impact. SBS said, “It is true that the drama’s airing schedule has been adjusted,” and “As it is a work made together with a great number of staff and cast, we are considering various options, but nothing has been decided yet regarding the specific timing of the broadcast.”

The decision came as the SBS Friday-Saturday drama slot was continuing its upward trend. “Manager Kim,” starring So Ji Sub, which ended in July, recorded 23.1% viewership. Its successor “Chaebol x Detective 2” also reached a peak of 11.8%. “Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia” (hereafter “Doctor X”), currently airing and starring Kim Ji Won, recorded 18.5% for episode 4, which aired on October 17.

After “Doctor X,” “Good Partner 2,” starring Jang Na Ra, and “Awakening,” starring Lee Joon Hyuk, are scheduled to follow. “Chance of Winning” was then to be scheduled for February 2027, but as the broadcast was postponed, SBS decided to fill the empty slot with “Full Count.” The drama, starring Kim Rae Won and Park Hoon, depicts the competition over the manager position of the pro baseball team “Stars.”

Kim Rae Won plays acting manager Hwang Jin Ho, and Park Hoon plays Jo Dong Hee, the pitching coach and next manager candidate. Notably, Kim Rae Won is returning to an SBS drama for the first time in about 4 years, since “The Police Station Next to the Fire Station and the NFS” in 2023.

SBS particularly draws attention as it has experience of success with baseball dramas. “Hot Stove League,” starring Namkoong Min and aired in 2019, recorded 19.1% viewership in its final episode. Unlike “Hot Stove League,” which dealt with the story of a team’s operations staff, “Full Count” focuses on the conflict surrounding the manager position.

Attention is on whether “Full Count,” following the success of “Hot Stove League,” which proved the potential of baseball dramas for SBS, can turn the crisis of a sudden schedule change into an opportunity.

Source: (A)