'Taxi Driver 3' is once again breaking various box office indicators, proving the power of a super IP.
SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Taxi Driver 3 (writer Oh Sang-ho / director Kang Bo-seung / produced by StudioS, Group Eight, B.A. Entertainment) is a private revenge-for-hire drama in which the secretive taxi company Rainbow Transportation and taxi driver Kim Do-gi complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims.
In episodes 5 and 6, Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon) and the 'Rainbow Heroes' struggled to uncover the truth of the 'Jin Gwang University volleyball team's murder without a body,' the first revenge-for-hire request for 'Rainbow Transportation' and its only unsolved case from 15 years ago. In the process, Do-gi displayed a variety of alter ego activities such as 'Tazza Dogi' and 'gym owner Dogi,' drawing explosive viewer response with a flashy financial punishment lesson aimed at villain Im Dong-hyun (Moon Soo-young).
At the same time, viewer praise for the show's craftsmanship has grown day by day. From season 1 through season 3, the organically connected solid story, cinematic visuals that feel like watching a film, direction that has matured along with music that deepens the narrative, and performances by actors that complete the Taxi Driver world with lively acting—the synergy of the writer, director and actors is truly complete.
As the seasons continue, Taxi Driver 3 is thrilling viewers with ever greater satisfaction and proving the power of a super IP through various box office numbers. As of episode 6, Taxi Driver 3 recorded a new personal best with a nationwide average rating of 12.0%, breaking its highest weekly score once again. In addition, the 20-49 rating, an indicator used to gauge topicality and channel competitiveness, ranked first among all channels and programs aired in December with a peak of 4.21% and an average of 3.6%, showcasing an unstoppable run at the box office. (Provided by Nielsen Korea)
Also, in the first week of December (Dec. 1–7 tally) rankings of topicality released by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex, Taxi Driver 3 ranked first in the TV category, integrated across drama and non-drama, for three consecutive weeks. In particular, it held the top spot in the TV program SNS topicality rankings for three straight weeks and took an overwhelming first place in the post index tallied from VON (blogs/communities/cafes), SNS and others, demonstrating a dominant presence. Moreover, the online craze for Taxi Driver 3 continued, with cumulative video views surpassing 107 million as of Dec. 8, exceeding the 100 million view milestone. (SBS official SNS multi-channel total)
Meanwhile, in episodes 7 and 8 airing this week, Do-gi and the 'Rainbow Heroes' are scheduled to finally face the real mastermind behind the murder, Cheon Gwang-jin (Eum Moon-seok), in a final showdown. The ugly match-fixing crimes surrounding Jin Gwang University's volleyball team have already come to light. All eyes are on what kind of 'punishing instruction' the 'Rainbow Heroes' will present and what ending the 15-year revenge-for-hire service will reach.
SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Taxi Driver 3, which continues its unrivaled run by setting new weekly records, will air episode 7 on Friday the 12th at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] SBS 'Taxi Driver 3'
[OSEN]