tvN is starting a promising 2026, following the triple success of its Saturday-Sunday dramas with a hit in its Monday-Tuesday lineup.
First, the recently concluded tvN Saturday-Sunday drama PROBONO, following last year's Bon Appétit, Your Majesty and Typhoon Family, surpassed a peak average viewership rating of 10%, marking a three-hit streak and proving the competitiveness of its weekend dramas. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty captivated viewers worldwide with Lim Yoona and Lee Chae-min's exquisite chemistry and a wealth of storytelling akin to a 12-course banquet, while Typhoon Family delivered warm feelings by vividly reviving the stories of ordinary people who survived the IMF through powerful performances by Lee Jun-ho and Kim Min-ha. PROBONO received praise for drawing attention to the meaningful journey of public interest lawyers on behalf of the socially vulnerable until the end with the new subject of public interest litigation.
Spring Fever, the Monday-Tuesday drama that opened 2026, is drawing attention as a light and cheerful romantic comedy. In just two weeks on air it broke an average viewership rating of 5.4% and also surpassed 100 million total views for related videos. This is evidence that, following live broadcasts, digital spread is continuing and popular reach and topicality are growing. In its first week on air it ranked in the global top 10 in the TV shows category on Amazon Prime Video by FlixPatrol, and it has appeared in the top 10 in a cumulative total of 48 countries and regions, drawing intense interest from global viewers.
tvN says it intends to maintain momentum by presenting consecutive new dramas and variety shows featuring global stars. Undercover Miss Hong, which premiered on Saturday the 17th (directed by Park Seon-ho / written by Moon Hyun-kyung / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Celltrion Entertainment, Studio Dragon), began smooth sailing by recording a peak viewership rating of 7.2% in just two episodes amid a rising ratings trend. Set in the 1990s, it turned the weighty subject of an investigation into securities firm corruption into a retro office comedy, delivering thrilling fun and immersion. In particular, Park Shinhye has earned praise for a perfect transformation into Hong Geum-bo, who alternates between a cold-blooded elite securities inspector and an innocent junior employee, with an irreplaceable, multidimensional performance.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Our Universe (directed by Lee Hyun-seok and Jung Yeo-jin, written by Sujin and Shin I-hyun, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Scene & Studio Co., Ltd.) will premiere. Our Universe depicts a chaotic cohabitation romance that unfolds when Bae In Hyuk and Roh Jeong-Eui, relatives by marriage with a tangled first meeting, suddenly must raise a 20-month-old nephew named Wooju overnight. Above all, the popular young actors Bae In Hyuk, Roh Jeong-Eui and Park Seoham are expected to create fresh excitement, and together with the harmless and cute nephew Wooju, showcase adorable chemistry.
Following Undercover Miss Hong, The way to become a building owner in Korea (written by Oh Han-gi / directed by Im Pil-seong / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Mindmark, Studio329), starring Ha Jung-woo, Lim Soojung, Kim Jun Han, Jung Soojung and Shim Eunkyung, is preparing to meet viewers. The way to become a building owner in Korea is a suspense story in which a livelihood-building owner drowning in debt joins a fake kidnapping plot to protect the family and the building he values more than his life.
Following Spring Fever comes Siren (directed by Kim Chul-gyu / creator Cho Hyun-gyeong / written by Lee Young / produced by Studio Dragon, Cape E&A). Siren is a fatal romantic thriller drama about a woman suspected of insurance fraud whose irresistible charm draws others in, and a man who suspects and digs into the deaths around her. Park Minyoung and Wi Ha-jun share the screen, and director Kim Chul-gyu promises a special synergy with stylish direction.
New variety shows should not be overlooked either. On Friday the 30th at 8:40 p.m., Park Bo Gum, who holds a barber's national license, and his close friend Lee Sang Yi, along with Kwak Dong- yeon, will premiere Bogum Magical, a special barbershop operation story set in a remote rural village where they groom both hair and hearts. The warm chemistry among the three cast members and the customers who visit the country barbershop is expected to add heartwarming fun to the cold winter.
A reality show, After-school teacher Taeri, which deals with the only after-school theater class in the world opened at a small village elementary school, is also ready to go on air. It is Kim Taeri's first regular variety show since her debut, and there is growing interest in her challenge as a theater club teacher. Choi Hyun-wook and Kangnam will appear as assistant teachers who will lead the theater club with Kim Taeri, and it is scheduled to premiere on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 7:40 p.m.
In addition, the second project co-produced by CJ ENM and TBS, Syncro Game, is also about to premiere. It is a survival variety show in which the best brain with a perfect mind and the best physical boasting overwhelming athletic ability form two-person teams to survive, and it will air on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 24, at 8:20 p.m.
A tvN official said, "Thanks to viewers' interest and support, the Saturday-Sunday dramas are being loved one after another, and Spring Fever is also spreading rapidly online and overseas, making a meaningful start to 2026 in a good flow," and added, "We will continue to do our best so that 'trusted tvN' content can be a seal of approval for K content and become a global standard. We will continue to visit viewers steadily with new dramas and variety shows filled with tvN's unique color and enjoyment together with global stars, so please show a lot of interest."
[Photo] tvN
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