The tvN series, “When The Stars Gossip”, follows the story of Eve Kim (played by Gong Hyo-jin), a boss who works in a zero-gravity space station, and Gong Ryong (played by Lee Min-ho), a mysterious guest with a secret mission.
Despite the stellar cast, including Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, and a huge budget of 500 billion won, the show started with a viewership rate of 3.3% in the first episode, which increased to 3.9 % in the second, only to then collapse. to the 2% range in the third and fourth episodes.
In contrast, SBS weekend drama “Love Scout” started with a 5.2% rating and surpassed 10% in the third episode, and JTBC’s “The Tale of Lady Ok” also surpassed 10% . This stark difference in ratings highlights the challenges faced by “When The Stars Gossip.”
The drama’s failure is attributed to several factors. The creators’ claim of “the first ever depiction of a zero-gravity space station in a Korean drama” did not appeal to viewers. Although the genre combination of science fiction, romantic comedy, and space office was innovative, it did not resonate with audiences. Despite attempting to introduce something new to a genre that often features infidelity and melodrama, the show failed to win over viewers.
Another problem is inflated expectations due to the 500 billion won production budget. The show used impressive CGI and VFX to depict space, with over 10 billion won spent on special effects alone, generating expectations that the show could not meet. The big budget made the low viewership even more embarrassing.
Unnecessary bed scenes also detracted from the narrative. From the first episode, there were unexpected bed scenes involving Lee Min-ho and Han Ji-eun, as well as Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Joo-heon, while the fly mating scene in the space station led to embarrassing laughter. Other bizarre “mating” topics were also presented, such as distorted sperm and ectopic pregnancies. The preview for the fourth episode also included a bed scene between Lee El and Kim Joo-heon. The series risked becoming known more for its embarrassing scenes than its plot, and even the writers of past hits like “Pasta” and “Don’t Dare To Dream” seemed to lose their appeal.
The failure of “When The Stars Gossip” further destabilized CJ ENM, threatening its reputation as a leading entertainment company. While competing with Netflix and other broadcasters for original content, CJ ENM saw its shares plummet from 70,000 won to an all-time low of 50,000 won. With lowered expectations for this year’s performance, securities firms have reduced their stock price targets for CJ ENM. KB Securities revised its operating profit estimate for CJ ENM to 227 billion won, down 24%, lowering its target stock price from 80,000 won to 70,000 won. Samsung Securities also lowered its stock target price from 91,000 won to 78,000 won.
