"Gag Concert" Declines In Ratings

KBS’s “Gag Concert” recently recorded its lowest viewer ratings yet.

Although “Gag Concert” had once been a powerhouse show that reached a viewership ratings of 21.8 percent just five years ago, according to Nielsen Korea, the viewership ratings for the August 20 episode recently fell to 4.9 percent, its lowest yet.

“Gag Concert” began to decline in ratings two years ago. Although the show would introduce new comedy corners, it would continue to show similar patterns of repetition, boring the audience. Veteran comedians like Kim Joon Ho, Kim Dae Hee, Shin Bong Sun, and Yoo Min Sang are trying to help out despite their busy schedules on variety shows, but it has not been enough.

Comedy that can’t keep up with the trend is not popular. There is no longer catch phrases for the audience to follow because there is not one popular segment that everyone knows. At one time, the advertisement market had parodied lines from “Gag Concert,” but this can be seen no longer.

On top of that, there are more opportunities to watch comedies nowadays. Comedy shows like “Gag Concert” were only able to be seen on TV, but now, people can go to different festivals like Hongdae’s Comedy Week to easily get in contact with live comedy performances. In addition, viewers prefer to watch these comedies because those shows prioritize a sense of realism.

One source said, “Like the saying that no comments are worse than negative ones, it’s been a long time since [many people] forgot about ‘Gag Concert,’ which is a pity. There are more people who ask if the show is still around. Rather than simply thinking of which comedian to cast, it’s time [the show] got a major renovation.”

What are your thoughts on this matter?

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