Pinoy viewers are currently enjoying the Tagalized run of the K-Drama series The World of a Married Couple (The World of the Married in South Korea).
Since airing its pilot episode on March 27 in South Korean TV network JTBC, The World of a Married Couple is currently the highest-rating cable TV show in Korea, with 28.37% as its peak rating.
The series tells the story of Dr. Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae), a successful doctor married to up-and-coming filmmaker Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon).
Their perfect marriage crumbles when Sun-woo discovers that Tae-oh is having an affair with a younger woman.
The World of a Married Couple’s popularity and success reached the Philippines as Pinoy K-Drama viewers got hooked on watching the series through streaming apps.
In June 2020, ABS-CBN announced that a Tagalog-dubbed version is set to air on the Kapamilya Channel, which currently houses ABS-CBN programs while hearings for the network's franchise are still being held in Congress.
The K-Drama also airs on ABS-CBN’s streaming platform, iWant, where it ranks as the second most-watched series next to Love Thy Women, which stars Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, and Yam Concepcion.
HOW DID ABS-CBN ACQUIRE THE AIRING RIGHTS?
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), ABS-CBN’s Vice President for Integrated Acquisition and International Distribution Ma. Macie Imperial divulged some details.
According to her, their interest in acquiring the airing rights of The World of a Married Couple came from the success of Doctor Foster, upon which the K-Drama is based.
Doctor Foster is an English top-rating series produced by BBC One. It also tells the story of a doctor suspecting that her husband is having an affair.
“We are familiar with the original BBC production, Doctor Foster, which is the basis of The World of A Married Couple. We have been tracking Doctor Foster’s success overseas for a while now.
“So, when it was announced that the Koreans are adapting the series, there was interest right away knowing full well of their creative and production capabilities.”
In fact, the acquisition department of ABS-CBN was able to seal a deal with Korean TV network JTBC to air The World of a Married Couple even before the series began airing in South Korea.
It helped that ABS-CBN has a good relationship with JTBC, having previously aired the South Korean network's K-Dramas Flower Crew Dating Agency and Gangnam Beauty.
Imperial continued, “We’ve been tracking news updates about The World of a Married Couple as early as January this year, prior to the enhanced community quarantine.
“JTBC has been very accommodating in answering our questions regarding production details because we wanted to get an early sense of how they will adapt the source material for Asian audiences.
“As we have acquired other JTBC dramas like Gangnam Beauty and Flower Crew Dating Agency, we have a good working relationship with them, so, the usual process for acquisition applied.”
While Imperial acknowledged that The World of a Married Couple is an addition to infidelity-themed shows, she expressed hope that Filipinos will still enjoy watching the Tagalized drama.
“I hope our Filipino viewers enjoy this gripping drama of a scorned woman.
“Infidelity dramas have been done so many times in the past, but this psychological drama really takes you into a rollercoaster ride of emotions which were effectively portrayed by the actors.”
On June 15, The World of a Married Couple premiered on Kapamilya Channel’s Primetime Bida block.
It was placed on the time slot previously occupied by Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil’s series, Make It With You.
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