BBC airing K-Pop Reality Show in the UK this Summer
The BBC is launching a K-Pop reality show that is airing in the UK on BBC One this summer. ‘Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience’ will follow five boys from the UK who are taken to Seoul and taken through the K-Pop training process to become a boyband trained using the K-Pop method.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: ‘This unique acquisition will showcase a sense of exactly what it takes to make it in the world of K-pop. Witnessing the band come together and be put through their paces promises to be a very exciting prospect for audiences.’
This collaboration between SM Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment America will be a six-part series following the five boys in South Korea as they are immersed in K-Pop culture. They will be put through 100 days of training like K-Pop idols, facing schedules of intense choreography, vocal and performance lessons, life coaching techniques, alongside immersion into all aspects of Korean life - all set against Seoul’s stunning scenery and some iconic K-Pop locations fans are sure to recognise.
The show will also take K-Pop fans, and the K-Pop curious amongst the British public, behind the scenes at SM Entertainment to showcase the band working with some of the world’s greatest choreographers, songwriters and experts in the K-Pop industry. Each week, the band’s progress will be critiqued by K-Pop experts - similarly to survival show formats that international K-Pop fans will recognise in shows like the ‘Produce’ and ‘I-Land’ series and Boys Planet.
Daniel Jang (Jang Cheol-hyuk), CEO, SM Entertainment says: ‘Through this UK boy group project, we anticipate a palpable synergy between SM Entertainment's prowess in K-pop production and Moon&Back Media's expertise in developing music-genre TV shows. This collaboration will yield exceptional content that will captivate pop music fans, not only in the UK, but worldwide.’
Credits: SM Entertainment, Moon&Back
Over the past three decades, K-pop has transformed into a global phenomenon, shaping the realms of fashion, styling, and music. SM Entertainment, recognised by many as the creators of K-pop, has played a pivotal role with its innovative and thorough artist development system. This system has produced more than 100 groups and solo artists, such as NCT, aespa, and RIIZE. The company has also orchestrated over 2,300 global tours, while its artists have collectively garnered over 100 billion views on YouTube.
Joseph Chang, Co-CEO, Kakao Entertainment Corp said: ‘This endeavour marks the first time we’ve utilised K-pop’s production expertise within the UK, the birthplace of pop music, to directly showcase the creation of artists and music IP. It represents a meaningful opportunity to connect with a global audience through a reality show that traces the group’s journey and development. We’re confident that this project will open a new chapter for K-pop, offering a unique entertainment experience to music enthusiasts worldwide. We look forward to witnessing the debut and growth of this boy group together, with hopes that viewers will discover a new side of K-pop and fall in love with it all over again.’
The producers of ‘Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience’ are Moon&Back Media, global entertainment and music genre specialists. This team has previously developed and produced some of the world's most widely recognised formats, such as Got Talent and The X Factor, as well as popular bands like One Direction. Nigel Hall, Co-founder, Moon&Back Media says: ‘Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience combines best in class from both K-pop and global entertainment production worlds. Forming a British boy band, schooling them through the unrivalled rigours of the K-pop process, and launching them on the global stage is creating both a world first and unmissable television.’
Each episode of the 6 part series is expected to be 45 minutes long, so plenty of UK K-Pop goodness for fans to watch over the summer period. The release date is yet to be announced - watch this space!
