Viewers who are eager to see Lee Jong Suk's new drama "Doctor Stranger" may have to wait just a little while longer than they expected to.
The drama's producers have learned a lesson from the other dramas that dared to compete with the strongest Monday night contender: "Empress Ki."
Since the MBC drama, starring Ha Ji Won, Ji Chang Wook and Joo Jin Mo, began, it has held first place in the ratings without any threat from the competing dramas. Even "God's Gift - 14 Days," starring Jo Seung Woo and Daesang winner Lee Bo Young, could not budge the historical drama from first place.
So, the producers of "Doctor Stranger," starring Lee Jong Suk, Jin Se Yeon and Park Hae Jin, are not even going to try to start their drama while "Empress Ki" is still running. They especially don't want the first episodes of the new drama to compete with the final episodes of "Empress Ki."
The SBS drama was rescheduled because the run of "Empress Ki" was extended. Originally "Empress Ki" was only supposed to be 50 episodes but the popularity of the show resulted in an extra episode being added. That means the drama will now end on April 29. If "Doctor Stranger" had begun on schedule, the first two episodes would have aired at the same time as the last two episodes of "Empress Ki." And if viewers have stayed faithful to a drama for almost 50 episodes they will surely tune in for the finale.
Instead of starting on April 28, after "God's Gift - 14 Days," the start date for "Doctor Stranger" has been shifted to May 5.
An SBS official told Sportsseoul.com that the drama-free time slots will be filled with special drama presentations. "God's Gift - 14 Days: The Untold Story" will be aired alongside a special program for "Doctor Stranger" on the 28th. On the 29th there will be a baseball program.
The new KBS drama "Big Man," starring Daniel Choi, Lee Da Hee, Kang Ji Hwan and Jung So Min, begins on April 14 and will be well underway when "Doctor Stranger" begins. The producers of "Doctor Stranger" are confident about the drama's ability to compete with "Big Man" but so far "Empress Ki" has been unbeatable. Like it's main character Seungnyang a.k.a. Empress Ki, the drama is a force to be reckoned with.
