SBS's flagship variety show My Little Old Boy (hereafter My Little Old Boy) has maintained its position as a long-running program, but recurring casting of the same talents again raises questions about the program's identity.
After its first broadcast in 2016, the program My Little Old Boy, which has been on Sunday nights for about nine years, started with the concept of portraying the daily lives of unmarried children from their mothers' perspectives, but in recent years major cast members who were regulars, such as Kim Jun-Ho, Lee Sang-min and Kim Jong Kook, announced their marriages one after another and some replacement of members has taken place. However, Kim Jun-Ho and Lee Sang-min continued to appear afterward, and criticism persisted.
In fact, as of last September, a portal site poll mentioned this, and among about 3,600 respondents, a striking 91% answered that the continued presence of married cast members runs counter to the program's purpose. By contrast, only 9% said they were necessary for entertainment.
Amid continued noise over married people remaining on the program, the two subsequently appeared less frequently. As the program somewhat recovered its identity, on the broadcast yesterday, the 29th, Lee Sang-min appeared again and confused the members. The show was styled as a spring picnic of the "old My Little Old Boy" and the "new My Little Old Boy," and Lee Sang-min introduced himself by saying, "I bought a new bird and appeared as the new face youngest."
Tak Jae-Hoon responded, "With what face are you coming here," and Lim Won-hee chimed in, "You ruined the program, so why are you here?" This is because the program Dol-Ssing Four-Men, in which Lim Won-hee, Tak Jae-Hoon, Kim Jun-Ho and Lee Sang-min appeared together, was canceled after Kim Jun-Ho and Lee Sang-min got married. When Heo Kyunghwan asked, "Did you break up and come back?" Seo Jang-hoon replied, "Then you qualify," and they exchanged comments about the qualifications for My Little Old Boy.
When Tak Jae-Hoon asked, "Are you happy now?" Lee Sang-min answered, "I'm happy." Tak Jae-Hoon shot back, "Then you're not My Little Old Boy," and made remarks that probed the program's essence. He added, "You shouldn't date while doing the program; officially there shouldn't be any, " and even suggested, "You should meet secretly." It was a self-deprecating reflection of the situation the My Little Old Boy members currently face.
Of course the broadcast treated the situation with humor, but critics say that to continue as a long-running variety show, the program needs a balance between new changes and its identity. In particular, there are calls for Lee Sang-min to actively seek a program that fits his current style. Having even won an SBS Entertainment Award last year, it is a time when he needs a new change for himself.
Lee Sang-min, who received jeers from the members simply by appearing after a long time, is back in the spotlight: whether he, who once hid his appearances amid viewers' calls for him to leave, will remain on My Little Old Boy or whether the producers will choose a new direction is drawing attention.
[Photo] 'My Little Old Boy, portal'
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