his is the only TV show I watch in its original time slot. Each of the children are so beautiful, and the fathers seem like us ordinary dads. They may be a bit better or worse, but isn't that the way we all are?" (Kim Dong-seon, a viewer) "Yoon Hoo, which star are you from? Yoon Hoo with his extraordinary wisdom and depth is so adorable" (Park Jin-hui, a viewer).
On March 10, after an episode of MBC's Sunday Night: Dad! Where Are You Going? ended, more than 60 comments were posted on the program's website on this day alone. The comments continued until the next day, and in the last two months more than 1,200 comments were posted on the website.
On this day, Dad! Where Are You Going? was the most watched show in its time slot with the audience share reaching 13.7% (according to a nationwide survey by Nielson Korea). Another audience share research firm, TNms announced that the audience share of Dad! Where Are You Going? reached 20.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area, surpassing the 20% barrier. Considering that the popular audition program, K-Pop Star, aired a live performance to select the top 5 during the same time, these figures are extraordinary.
Dad! Where Are You Going? first aired on January 6, 2013 and in 10 weeks it has established itself as a top variety show along with Infinite Challenge. The actor Sung Dong-il (45) and his son Jun (7), actor Lee Jong-hyuk (38) and his son Jun-su (6), entertainer Kim Sung-joo (40) and his son Min-guk (9), former football player for the national team Song Chong-gug (34) and his daughter Ji-a (6), singer Yoon Min-soo and his son Hoo (7) take a trip together and the program shows what they go through in the form of a documentary.
The children have become stars in two months. The most popular child is Hoo, Yoon Min-soo's son. On the first day of shooting, Hoo gets in the car after eating breakfast and starts eating a hamburger the size of his face. Since then he has been eating consistently crying that he is "hungry."
Hard-boiled eggs, Jjapaguri (Jjapaghetti + Neoguri: instant noodles in black bean sauce + another kind of instant noodle), rice with eggs and soy sauce: Hoo enjoyed every meal and the sight of him eating made people's mouths water, giving the program the nickname, "eatcast (eating broadcast)." In addition, Hoo's unwavering affection for Song Chong-gug's daughter Ji-a has also become the center of attention.
The actress Lee Yoon-ji posted on her Twitter account, "I wish I were your Ji-a," and on March 7 Yoon So-yi also posted on her account, "I want you. You're so adorable," along with a picture of Hoo. Kang Ji-young, a member of the group Kara also mentioned in her Twitter, "I watch Dad! Where Are You Going? Hoo~♥," to which NS Yoon-G replied, "No. Hoo is mine."
In an interview on MBC's Good Day, which aired on March 11, the actress Ha Ji-won said, "These days I watch TV. Hoo asking his girl friend to go sleigh riding was so cool. He's so cute and honest, I would like to meet him someday."
The other children also have their fans. Yu Shin-ja wrote on the viewer board, "Jun-su's unpredictable actions keep me curious. Listen to his addictive voice, which seems like small babbles." Min-guk, who turned viewers off with his whining and crying in a series of episodes, also has his fans.
Kim Yong-su wrote on the viewer board, "I thought he was exceptional when he fed the old lady after realizing that she had only one chopstick. It was cute when he rushed into the arms of the old lady, whom he had met for the first time, when she invited him to sit on the warm floor."
On the viewer board, one viewer wrote a long letter to Jun, Sung Dong-il's son, and the board flooded with requests such as "increase the airtime of Jun-su" demanding equal distribution of the children's airtime.
* Raw Pictures Stirred the Audience More Intensely
The success of Dad! Where Are You Going? goes in line with the currently popular "docutainments," such as The Human Condition (KBS2), March (SBS), and When a Man Lives Alone (MBC).
While Infinite Challenge and Running Man are real variety shows, which seek to entertain the viewers according to a script, docutainments are a variety show, which adds a touch of entertainment, but in the shape of a documentary by leaving out as many factitious scenes as possible.
The producer only writes the rules of the game in the script of Dad! Where Are You Going? The awkwardness and clumsiness that the dads and the children, who embark on a journey together for the first time, show is what enchants the viewers. The viewers are moved as they witness the relationship between father and child develop.
Dad! Where Are You Going? began from the experience of producer Kim Yu-gon. Kim said, "I have a son who turned seven this year, and our relationship is awkward because I can't spend a lot of time with him. One day, I made up my mind and took my son to a toy museum, but I had a hard time because I didn't know what to do." He added, "Based on this experience, I suggested portraying the relationship between fathers and their children to think about dads nowadays at a meeting for a new show."
* The Biggest Concern Is Children Becoming Celebrities
Dad! Where Are You Going? is a show centered on children. The production crew has banned interviews of the children. The chief producer, Kwon Seok, said, "I think we have a duty to protect the children." They also rescheduled their shootings to the weekend because Hoo and Jun now go to school.
Kwon said, "When shooting in Jeju Island, we were delayed because a crowd had gathered around the children. Considering the children, we plan to go deeper into the countryside rather than visit tourist attractions."
Viewer Bae Jun-suk said, "Yoon Hoo is cute when he eats, but he is also an expressive and sensitive child. I feel like he is being branded as an eater. I'm concerned that the children may end up as characters like other celebrities."
Jung Suk-hee, a pop culture critic, said, "It's a variety show, but it is also educational for parents and children." He said, "The problem is with the eyes of the public rather than with the cast or producers. Excessive attention with comments claiming that one's parenting is wrong, and a child's actions are improper can leave a scar on the cast and their families."
