Kim Nam-joo Comes Back, "The Fiery Priest - Season 2", "Jeong Nyeon" and More

The Year of the Dragon, 2024, has just dawned. In the new year, stars visiting the small screen after a long time are set to return. They also have a variety of genres. Broadcasting companies have prepared new works of various genres to attract viewers in a generation full of content. In addition, new seasons and spin-offs of popular works are expected to grab viewership and attention and ease viewers' waiting.

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Selected are the expected works of each broadcaster this Year of the Blue Dragon to see which works will come to the small screen with the magic pearl called the 'jackpot'.

SBS "The Fiery Priest - Season 2"... Will It Surpass "The Fiery Priest" Season 1?

SBS, which had good performances including "Taxi Driver 2", "Dr. Romantic 3" and "Revenant", is back this year with a stellar lineup. "Not Powerful but Attractive Violent Crimes Unit" which is scheduled to air this year, is a comic crime investigation that depicts a process in which the nation's lowest-ranking gangster and the best elite gangster meet to become the strongest team. New works by Lee Young-cheol and Lee Kwang-jae, who wrote the "High Kick" ("High Kick Through The Roof", "High Kick 3, The Short Legs Counterattack") series and "Potato Star", are raising expectations. Kim Dong-wook, Park Ji-hwan, Seo Hyun-woo, Park Se-wan and Lee Seung-woo-I will appear.

Ji Sung and Jeon Mi-do work together in a genre. "Connection" is a crime thriller drama about an ace detective who is unintentionally addicted to drugs. Ji Sung plays Jang Jae-kyeong, an ace detective on a drug team, and Jeon Mi-do plays Oh Yoon-jin, a social media reporter.

Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, who drew attention at the award ceremony, will meet in "Between Greetings". "Between Greetings" is a full-fledged care healing romance between the CEO of a headhunter company, who knows nothing to do except work, and the secretary, who iis good at raising children, living, and working.

Season 2 of "The Fiery Priest", a drama that garnered 22 percent of viewership, is also expected. Kim Nam-gil attended the 2023 SBS Acting Awards as an award presenter and tipped off about filming "The Fiery Priest - Season 2". Han Jeong-hwan, CEO of Studio S, has officially announced that he is preparing for Season 2 this fall.

MBS Lee Je-hoon, Kim Nam-joo, Han Suk-kyu... Lineup Complete

MBC, which had established a reputation with historical dramas such as MBC's "My Dearest" and "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract", will showcase various genres of dramas in the new year. What attracts the most attention is Kim Nam-joo's comeback. Kim Nam-joo will appear on MBC's "Wonderful World", which is scheduled to air in March. "Wonderful World" is not only Kim Nam-joo's return to the drama for about six years after "Misty" but also has high expectations for her collaboration with Cha Eun-woo. "Wonderful World" is a human mystery drama in which Eun Soo-hyeon (Kim Nam-joo), who directly killed the murderer of her son, delves into the mystery behind the day. Director Lee Seung-young of "Tracer" and writer Kim Ji-eun-III of "Lies of Lies" collaborate.

Lee Je-hoon, who won the grand prize for acting on SBS, is aiming for MBC this time. "Chief Detective 1958" is a prequel to the national drama "Chief Detective" which aired from March 1971 to October 1989, and is set in the 1950s and 1960s. Lee Je-hoon plays Park Yeong-han, the head of the investigation team who was played by Choi Bul-am in the original film. Park, the detective who is an impregnable boon, is a person who is strong and insightful like a steel cone that is not affected by external pressure. Lee Dong-hwi, Choi Woo-sung and Yoon Hyun-soo will star in it.

In the second half of the year, "Such a Close Traitor" which Han Suk-kyu has confirmed will be on air. Han Suk-kyu will be working for MBC for the first time in 29 years. "Such a Close Traitor" is a family psychological thriller about a dilemma faced by Korea's best profiler when he learns about his daughter's secret related to the murder crime he is investigating. Han Suk-kyu plays Jang Tae-soo, the best profiler in Korea and a father who raises his only daughter alone.

Will KBS Stand Up From the Slumps?

KBS has prepared a lineup of historical dramas, thrillers, and romance dramas. It is eye-catching whether KBS can overcome its viewership slump by doing so. The first drama of the new year is "Love Song for Illusion" which will premiere on Tuesday. Starring Park Jihoon and Hong Ye-ji, "Love Song for Illusion" is a fantasy historical drama romance that transcends two opposing personalities, a woman who loved the man, and her pure love and obsession. Attention is focused on whether Park's dual roles will work.

In March, "Nothing Uncovered" starring Kim Ha-neul and Yeon Woo-jin, will come. A melodrama about the story of a scoop reporter and a detective chasing a murder case. Kim Ha-neul plays Seo Jeong-won, a reporter who grabs bad guys by the collar, and Yeon Woo-jin plays Kim Tae-heon, a detective of a homicide team who handcuffs bad guys. Kim Ha-neul will return to KBS2 drama about eight years after "Road to the Airport" and Yeon Woo-jin will return to the drama five years after "I Wanna Hear Your Song".

"Beauty and Mr. Romantic" which will be broadcast in March following "Live Your Own Life" depicts a turbulent love story between an actress who falls to the bottom overnight and a feisty novice drama producer. Ji Hyun-woo and Im Soo-hyang, who starred in the drama, were both loved by KBS2 weekend dramas. Expectations are high on whether Ji Hyun-woo and Im Soo-hyang, who won the grand prize with "Beauty and Mr. Romantic" will be able to revive the weekend drama in crisis.

JTBC's Continued Attempts

JTBC, which surpassed terrestrial broadcasters with "Doctor Cha", "King the Land", "The Good Bad Mother" and "Strong Girl Nam-soon" last year, will make a successful run. "Hide", a Coupang Play drama, is about a woman who discovers a secret about her disappearance after her husband disappears one day and faces a big truth that she cannot handle. Lee Bo-young and Lee Mu-saeng will show their chemistry as husband and wife. Lee Chung-ah and Lee Min-jae-II will also appear.

"The Atypical Family" is Jang Ki-yong's first comeback work since his discharge. Expectations are high for the romantic chemistry between Chun Woo-hee and Jang Ki-yong. "The Atypical Family" is a fantasy romance in which a man with extraordinary abilities who can't save anyone, finally saving the woman of destiny.

Lee Jung-eun, a trusted actress, portrays herself as in her 20s. "She's Different from Day to Night" is a romantic comedy-drama in which a student who is suddenly trapped in her old age one day and a prosecutor of an able-bodied character is caught up in her every day and night. The chemistry between Lee Jung-eun and Jung Eun-ji is another highlight to watch. The two play the role of Lee Mi-jin, a 20-something unlucky student who suddenly turns into a senior intern in her 50s when the sun rises one day. The cold-blooded prosecutor who gets entangled with them day and night is played by Choi Jin-hyuk.

tvN, From "Captivating the King" to "Jeong Nyeon"

tvN will also continue its momentum in various genres. "Captivating the King" which will premiere on the 21st, is a story about the brutal fate of a high-ranking but humble king, Yi In, and a woman who became a concubine to topple him. Cho Jung-seok and Shin Se-kyung meet in a historical drama. Cho Jung-seok plays the role of King Yi In, and Shin Se-kyung plays the role of a spy, who secretly finds out secrets or situations and provides information.

"Queen of Tears" which drew attention with casts of Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, and Park Sung-hoon, is a drama about a miraculous love that a couple achieves while weathering a dizzying crisis. Park Ji-eun who wrote "My Love from the Star" and "The Legend of the Blue Sea" is drawing attention with this. Director Jang Yeong-woo of "Crash Landing on You" and director Kim Hee-won-II, who created "Vincenzo" and "Little Women" will take over the megaphone.

"Resident Playbook" which is scheduled to air in the first half of the year, is also expected to be released. "Resident Playbook" is a drama that depicts the real life and friendship of professors and residents of a high-level general hospital, and is a spin-off version of "Hospital Playlist". Director Sin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jeong-I, who first contributed to the "Playlist" series, will participate as creators, and popular actress Go Youn-jung will lead "Resident Playbook".

Kim Tae-ri, who won the grand prize with her occult genre of "Revenant" has transformed her image into a shortcut. This is because of the shooting of "Jeong Nyeon". "Jeong Nyeon" depicts the entry and growth of a natural-born girl named Yoon Jeong-nyeon (Kim Tae-ri) into a women's classis opera company right after the Korean War in the 1950s. With Kim Tae-ri at the center, Shin Ye-eun and Ra Mi-ran have confirmed their appearance, and Moon So-ri will make a special appearance. Director Jeong Ji-in of "The Red Sleeve" and writer Choi Hyo-bi of "A Time Called You" will collaborate.