Whenever Possible ratings drop for second week despite Yoo Jae-suk's apology

The SBS variety show 'Whenever Possible' recorded a 3.7% viewership rating on the 20th, marking a 0.3 percentage point decline and a downward trend for the second consecutive week. Despite Yoo Jae-suk's attempt to boost the atmosphere with a humorous "apology broadcast" in Gwanghwamun, the program failed to reverse its declining ratings.

Even Yoo Jae-suk's cheerful apology could not halt the declining viewership trend. The SBS variety program 'Whenever Possible' recorded a downward trend for the second consecutive week, remaining in the 3% range. Although the cast reunited following a canceled recording to create a more pleasant atmosphere and Yoo Jae-suk volunteered for a so-called 'apology broadcast,' it did not lead to a decisive reversal to boost topicality or ratings.

The episode of 'Whenever Possible' aired on the 20th recorded a national viewership rating of 3.7%. This figure is a 0.3 percentage point drop from the previous episode, marking a decline for two weeks in a row. The broadcast featured MCs Yoo Jae-suk and Yoo Yeon-seok, along with actors Shin Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin, as they spent spare time with citizens in the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul.

From the beginning of the broadcast, Yoo Jae-suk led the atmosphere with his characteristic humor. Declaring, "Today is Yoo Jae-suk's apology broadcast," he treated his juniors with increased generosity. Even when Yoo Yeon-seok, a fellow member of his agency, emphasized their friendship, Yoo Jae-suk offered praise, saying, "Thank you, our King Kongs." It was an attempt to resolve the atmosphere surrounding the previous recording through humor.

Chae Soo-bin shared an anecdote that her mother, who takes great pride in exercising, felt embarrassed after watching the game scenes from the previous broadcast, prompting her vow for revenge. In response, Yoo Yeon-seok expressed anticipation, stating, "An elite force has arrived today." The four participants challenged the games with heightened competitive spirits, but the situation resulted in laughter as things did not go as planned despite their enthusiasm.

The first "spare-time owner" was a group of office workers at the Seoul Global Center. These foreign workers, now accustomed to life in Korea, surprised the cast with their fluent Korean and witty remarks. The first game they played together was 'Eraser Killing Shot!', which involved flicking an eraser to knock over a ballpoint pen box. When National Museum of Korea goods appeared as prizes, Yoo Jae-suk expressed his determination, saying, "I will throw my whole body into this."

Contrary to the initial momentum, Shin Seung-ho provided laughter with his cautious play, leading Yoo Yeon-seok to express frustration, asking, "Why are you being so timid?" Meanwhile, Chae Soo-bin emerged as an ace by hitting the box on her third attempt. Stimulated by this, Shin Seung-ho learned the knack for success by even utilizing his forearm muscles. Following Yoo Jae-suk's feat of hitting two at once and Shin Seung-ho's decisive hit, they succeeded up to the second stage, but they could not overcome the wall of the third stage during additional attempts.

The cast's unpretentious charm was also revealed between games. Regarding the image he pursues, Yoo Jae-suk described it as "Old-geu-keu-keu" (a play on being an old man) and said, "I like the freedom of an ahjussi." As he showed ease by naturally greeting citizens, Chae Soo-bin empathized, noting that her friends call her an "celebrity ajumma." The conversation between the two, expressing a desire to live comfortably and naturally rather than being bound by age, drew laughter.

Yoo Jae-suk also showed a generous side during shopping. When Shin Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin discovered a prop shop and requested, "Senior, please buy this for us," he readily agreed, saying, "Buy everything today." However, when Shin Seung-ho asked if he could also buy accessories, Yoo Jae-suk immediately appeared flustered. His wavering in the face of higher-than-expected spending while trying to accommodate his juniors became another point of humor.

The second "spare-time owner" was the director of a gayageum academy that runs cultural experience classes for foreigners. He confessed that on days when there are no students, he feels regretful while watching nearby tourists, but he shared how the academy's operations became lively thanks to the global popularity of BTS. The story, where traditional culture and the global influence of K-pop intersected, added minor cultural interest to the program.

The second game was 'Sogo Tong-tong!', which involved bouncing a ping-pong ball using a sogo (a traditional small drum) to land it inside a gat (a traditional Korean hat). The cast built momentum by passing the first stage on their first attempt, but tension rose from the second stage as a 10-second countdown was added. As the production crew began counting, Shin Seung-ho showed his timid side again, saying, "Please don't count the numbers." After intense practice, they passed the second stage, but when Shin Seung-ho, who was overly immersed in the game, complained of leg pain, Yoo Jae-suk lamented, "Seung-ho is a lot of work."

Ultimately, even after succeeding in placing the ping-pong ball on top of the gat during the final challenge, the ball bounced off, resulting in failure at the third stage. The challenge lasted so long that even the "spare-time owner" cautiously asked, "Can I stop even now?" and the cast members repeatedly apologized amidst their disappointment. Yoo Jae-suk's "apology" concept introduced at the start of the broadcast added to the laughter when paired with the game failure, but it did not lead to a rebound in ratings.

Of course, it is difficult to judge a program's competitiveness or the influence of its cast based on a single episode's ratings. While this broadcast maintained the friendly chemistry of the cast and the small joys found in the daily lives of citizens, the ratings remained at 3.7%. It appears that Yoo Jae-suk's variety skills and the guests' performances were insufficient to re-attract viewer interest. Attention is now focused on whether 'Whenever Possible,' which has seen a downward trend for two weeks, can reverse the atmosphere in the next broadcast.

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