'I Am SOLO' PD Nam Gyu-hong's Ambitious 'Contract Marriage' Faces Humiliation with 0% Ratings in Previous Episode

PD Nam Gyu-hong, who has created the hit formula for dating reality shows with 'I Am SOLO', is struggling to exert any influence in his new work 'Contract Marriage'. Although the show has fronted realistic relationships like marriage and consecutively presented provocative conflicts such as intoxication and smoking issues, the viewership ratings have not exceeded 1% on an individual channel basis even once. Despite the strategic move of simultaneous broadcasting on two channels, all episodes have remained in the 0% range, raising questions about whether the reputation of the production team that led the success of 'I Am SOLO' will work for a new program.

The 3rd episode of 'Contract Marriage', broadcast on the 12th on KBS Joy and MBC every1, recorded 0.8% on KBS Joy and 0.4% on MBC every1. While the simple sum of the two channels is 1.2%, the individual ratings for each channel were all below 1%. The previously broadcast 1st and 2nd episodes also recorded 0.6% on each of the two channels. This means that no clear turning point for a rebound has been made from the first broadcast to the 3rd episode. In that the expansion of exposure through multiple channels did not lead to an influx of viewers, the early report card falls short of expectations.

This day's broadcast unfolded around the conflicts of the couples Kang Jeong-hwan & Jeong Yu-jin and Choi Jeong-hyeon & Jeong Min-hyeon, who have entered their second day of newlywed life. At a point not long after starting married life, realistic problems emerged as different lifestyle habits and expectations clashed. The composition aims to show that minor habits, which were not easily revealed during the dating stage, can become a cause of conflict the moment they live together. However, depending on how multi-dimensionally daily conflicts are handled, empathy and fatigue will inevitably diverge.

Non-smoker Jeong Min-hyeon was flustered by the strong smell of cigarettes coming from her husband Choi Jeong-hyeon's belongings. She confessed that the smell even comes from towels and eye masks, saying, "It feels like it has truly become a reality." The smoking habit, which was not significantly noticed before living together, has become an unavoidable problem after marriage. More important than the smoking itself is how one accepts and coordinates the points where the partner feels discomfort. The process of narrowing the difference in lifestyle can show the reality of a married couple's relationship, but if only conflict scenes are highlighted, the core of understanding and change between individuals may be pushed to the background.

Complex emotions were also revealed for Choi Jeong-hyeon. While grocery shopping at a mart, he recalled his past and said, "I think I have longed for married life until this age," and shed tears out of apology toward his mother. It was a moment where his long-held desire for marriage and his feelings toward his family intersected. In that the inner self of the individual was revealed, which is difficult to explain with only the conflict surrounding the smell of cigarettes, this scene provided an opportunity to look into the meaning the participant attaches to marriage beyond a simple clash of lifestyle habits.

For the Kang Jeong-hwan & Jeong Yu-jin couple living in Seattle, the drinking problem became the spark for conflict. While Jeong Yu-jin was sleeping first, Kang Jeong-hwan drank alone and became intoxicated, causing a disturbance by making calls to several places while drunk. Jeong Yu-jin, who woke up, managed the situation by providing water, but could not hide her disappointment at her husband's behavior. She stated, "I dislike drinking and not remembering," expressing discomfort with his appearance of being unconscious or appearing unable to control himself. Beyond a simple difference in drinking habits, this is a part that makes one think about what trust and responsibility mean in married life.

The problem is that even though conflict materials appear consecutively like this, the program's level of interest is not reviving. Smoking, drinking, and emotional clashes are materials that can show the problems of real couples. However, it is difficult to secure continuous interest from viewers simply by listing provocative scenes. The background of the conflict, the emotions of the parties involved, and the process of solving the problem or changing the relationship must be captured convincingly for viewers to empathize with the participants and wait for the next story.

There is also a possibility that the successful experience of 'I Am SOLO' may actually act as a burden. 'I Am SOLO' created strong topicality through the participants' choices, emotional changes, and the formation and cracking of relationships. However, as the structure of participants and relationships differs for each program, it is difficult to see that the methods that were effective in existing works work identically in a new format. In particular, if marriage life is used as a subject, it is important to show not only the tension of the dating process but also how responsibility, compromise, and trust among people living together are formed.

It is too early to judge the final success or failure of the program based only on the early performance of 'Contract Marriage'. However, the reality that the individual channel ratings remained in the 0% range up to the 3rd episode shows that the production team needs to reflect on whether they have sufficiently conveyed the charm of the program to the viewers. While conflict materials such as intoxication and smoking can create temporary buzz, it is difficult to secure long-term viewing momentum with just that. To reproduce the ability to manufacture topicality that PD Nam Gyu-hong proved in 'I Am SOLO' in a new program, strengthening the perspective on relationships and the persuasiveness of the narrative may come before increasing the intensity of provocation.

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