The first episode of the new KBS TV drama "Heaven's Order" began broadcasting this week and made a strong initial showing.
The drama about a royal court physician who must flee because he is unjustly accused of poisoning the king earned a noteworthy 9.3 percent rating but understandably could not surpass those of the competition, the MBC drama, "When A Man Loves."
According to Nielson Media Research, "When A Man Loves" earned a 10.5 percent rating, a 0.8 percent increase from last week's viewer rating of 9.7 percent.
The ratings for "Heaven's Order" resulted in a 1.1 percent decrease from the KBS viewer ratings for last week's finale of the series "Iris 2."
While "Heaven's Order" promises to be a compelling historical drama, "When A Man Loves" is more than a half dozen episodes along. The drama already has viewers entangled in the complicated love affair of Han Tae Sang, played by Song Seung Hun, and Seo Mi Do, played by Shin Se Kyung. In last night's episode, Seo Mi Do finally decided to date Han Tae Sang and forget about Lee Jae Hee, played by Yeon Woo Jin. Lee Jae Hee discovers the relationship between the girl he loves and the man who mentored him. It changes him in a less than positive way.
"Heaven's Order, the story of fugitive physician Choi Won, played by Lee Dong Wook, may yet attract a larger audience. The series also stars Song Ji Hyo as the nurse who loves Choi Won and 2AM's Lim Seulong as the Crown Prince who feels betrayed by Choi Won's departure. While Choi Won is on the run, he must also try to prove his innocence and find a cure for his seriously ill daughter.
The SBS series, "All About My Romance," about two people whose political affiliations create problems in their romance, lagged behind, earning only 4.7 percent ratings.
The KBS series "Cheer Up Mr. Kim," which recently won a plaque of appreciation for highlighting the issues faced by North Korean refugees, received a 26.8 percent rating. According to a press release by South Korea's Ministry of Unification, "Cheer Up, Mr. Kim" helped to improve the nation's acceptance of such refugees' presence by portraying their daily lives. The series finishes this week.
The variety show, MBC's "Radio Star" earned 8.4 percent ratings, while the SBS show "Couples" earned 6.6 percent.
Will "When A Man Loves' win next week's ratings war? Stay tuned and find out.
