Why Audiences Are Concerned About American Adaptations Of K-Dramas
On August 29, KBS released a statement confirming the adaptation of "Good Doctor" by CBS. CBS approved production on the American adaptation following a pitch meeting which was held on August 8.
At the helm of production for this project is a company called 3AD, which should not be confused with the indie rock label 4AD. 3AD was founded by Daniel Dae Kim of “Hawaii Five-O” and “Lost” fame. The objective of 3AD is to adapt Korean dramas for American television viewers.
“Good Doctor” starred Joo Won as Park Shi On, a developmentally disabled man who endured physical abuse as a miner's son to become a pediatric surgery resident.
Park Shi On is on the Autism spectrum, while displaying the atypical trait of being a savant in medical diagnosis. While he starts off on shaky ground with his fellow residents, Park Shi On develops a relatively functional relationship with pediatric surgeon Cha Yeon Seo (Moon Chae Won). The drama concludes with a happy ending for both Park Shi On and Cha Yeon Seo.
“Good Doctor” was a program which provided an unique opportunity for Korean audiences to view disability in a new light.
K-Drama viewers outside of Korea have different reasons which motivate their viewership of Korean television programming. For many American fans, Korean drama presents an opportunity to watch unique story lines which extend past the current bloat of reality shows and crime procedural series.
Shows like “Panda & Hedgehog” which focus on the dynamics of a couple working within a bakery or the teen pregnancy meets department store drama “Wild Chives and Bean Paste Soup” would almost never make it into the fall must-see TV lineup in the U.S.
Author Euny Hong touches upon the appeal of Korean drama in her book “The Birth of Korean Cool.” In a chapter focused specifically on K-Drama, Euny Hong illustrates the impending “death of must-see [American] TV.” In this chapter, she includes statements from DramaFever co-founder, Seung Bak.
Seung Bak singles out American prime-time television stating “There's only a limited [number of hours in prime time], so studios don't want to take risks.” As Euny Hong points out, those risks include the refusal to air non-American shows.
Readers of Soompi, which maintains some of the most active K-Drama forums on the Internet, had mixed response to news that “Good Doctor” was receiving a green light from CBS. Soompi reader Yan Bu expressed concern stating, “Good Doctor was perfect. I am sure the US will change scenes just because they want to take credit. Like Ninja Warrior, they started sending [a] few people and now they don't even show the original Japanese [version].”
“Ninja Warrior” is one of the few instances in which an Asian variety program has been adapted for American audiences. However, Korean movies have repeatedly received a makeover for the U.S., often with mixed results. One instance is the 2006 film “The Lake House.” “The Lake House” is an adaption of the visually stunning Korean film “Il Mare.”
“Il Mare” was released in 2000 and starred “My Love From The Stars” actress Jun Ji Hyun opposite Lee Jung Jae. “The Lake House” featured Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. While credit is attributed to “Il Mare,” many aspects of the Warner Brothers production differ from the Korean version of the film.
While K-Drama fans have been upset over announcements regarding "Good Doctor," it was an announcement about an adaptation of "Reply 1997" which drew the greatest criticism. Titled "Reply 1999," the Korean drama would be written by the writers of the dance film "Step Up 3D." "Reply 1999" is in the works for Fox, the network which delivered the show choir hit "Glee."
"Good Doctor" and the "Reply" series are not the only Korean dramas receiving American adaptation. In October 2013, it was announced that “Nine: 9 Times Time Travel” was going to be adapted by the production company Fake Empire for the American network ABC. Fake Empire is responsible for delivering popular but racy teen dramas such as “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl.”
Fake Empire producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage were announced as the executive producers of the adaptation.
What are your thoughts on American adaptations of Korean dramas?
Are you opposed to American adaptations of K-Drama? Do you think that the original storyline will be stripped away in the adaptations?
