The wildly popular “The Queen’s Crown,” co-produced by tvN and TVING, and the SBS Friday-Saturday drama “Love Scout” are embroiled in separate controversies: more than 19 explicit scenes for the former and allegations of past violent conduct by of the PD for the latter.
Both shows attracted significant attention and impressive ratings, emerging as standout works in the new year. However, controversies surrounding the production teams threaten to dampen their success. Despite the networks’ claims, damage to drama series’ reputations may be inevitable, potentially impacting their audiences.
“The Queen Who Crowns,” a tvN Monday-Tuesday drama and a TVING original, is released with ratings of 15+ and 19+ depending on the platform.
Since its debut, it has dominated TVING’s paid subscription charts and weekly viewing metrics, garnering strong ratings for cable TV. Its most recent episode averaged a national viewership rating of 5.6%, peaking at 6.8%, setting a new personal best.
However, the series faced backlash due to its explicit bed and nudity scenes, sparking debates over their necessity for storytelling. Some viewers argue that the scenes were inevitable for the story, while others criticize them as a marketing ploy.
Concerns increased when it was revealed that some scenes involving actresses Cha Joo-young and Lee Yi-dam used CG and stunt doubles to enhance the explicit content. A report from Munhwa Ilbo further fueled the controversy, stating that the original script lacked descriptions of such intense nudity. According to the report, the actors only learned of the higher exposure levels during the storyboard phase, with the production team reportedly using both CG and stunt doubles to amplify the scenes.
Despite the backlash, the production team of “The Queen Who Crowns” explained that the 19+ content was disclosed during casting and that the explicit scenes were part of the OTT version of the drama. They added that discussions about levels of nudity took place with the actors and their agencies during production.
However, criticism continues, with some accusing the work of using deepfake-like techniques and questioning the ethical implications of such methods.
SBS’ “Love Scout,” starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, started off strong with a 5.2% rating and recently hit its high with 11.3%. However, the revelation of PD Ham Jun-ho’s violent past caused a stir.
On January 13, reports emerged of an incident in 2020 involving PD Ham, who was arrested for indiscriminately pouring soju on passersby and assaulting them in Hannam-dong. The police requested an arrest warrant for Ham Jun-ho, citing his criminal record, but the prosecution denied the request and he was released.
SBS confirmed the allegations, saying Ham had apologized to the victims, had reached a settlement and faced disciplinary action from the company. After three years of reflection, he returned to work as a director.
Viewers, however, are outraged, expressing disappointment and frustration.”It was a really fun romantic comedy, but knowing the PD’s violent past makes it hard to keep watching”, “For the sake of drama, the PD should resign”, “If it were an actor, they would be immediately removed from the industry”, “Leave the show altogether“…
Both “The Queen Who Crowns” and “Love Scout” are now mired in controversies stemming from their production teams, not their cast. With episodes airing in the wake of these revelations, all eyes are on whether the dramas can sustain their audiences or whether scandals will take a toll on their popularity.
