Survival Island

The broadcasting station for the drama Parabola had been a tug-of-war between JNBC and TVM right up to the end, but the final choice settled on TVM.

Dramas distributed through pre-production usually receive about eighty percent of their production budget from the network, with the intellectual property rights belonging to the broadcaster.

We've already got follow-up variety shows lined up and the goods shop is running successfully. There's no need to hand over the IP just to get production funding.

When you really looked at it, Parabola was not a drama that required a massive production budget.

A drama's production costs typically break down into the fees for the writer and director, the actors' appearance fees, and the actual production expenses.

Among those, Writer Choi Mi-hyeon and Director Kim Han-su were not particularly expensive compared to the writers and directors Yeon-woo had worked with so far.

They're not as famous as Director Park Chan-hong or Writer Kim Jin-ju, after all.

But he already knew their talent was outstanding—he had worked with them on his debut project.

And the actors' appearance fees were pure honey.

Every single lead is an actor under our own entertainment company…

Of course they still guaranteed each actor the same per-episode fee they would have received on any other project, but the company's share was essentially offset, which was the same as reducing the production budget by that amount.

Money leaving Saebyeol Media simply went straight into Saebyeol Entertainment.

Finally, the actual production costs of the work itself did not have many expensive elements either.

There was no CG, and they did not need to build multiple sets.

Aside from the staff salaries, the biggest expense was basically just renting basketball gyms.

So they signed the final contract with TVM, which offered to cover a portion of the per-episode production costs while leaving the IP fully under Saebyeol Media.

A fair amount of time had already passed since filming on Parabola began in earnest.

With roughly the first three episodes wrapped, a meeting was in full swing over the drama's scheduling.

"So we're looking at a December air date. They say they'll do their best to match whatever day and time slot we propose."

"And if there's already a program assigned to the slot we want?"

At Yeon-woo's question, Executive Director Yoon Mi-yeon shrugged.

"Who knows? The way they were talking, they'd even move an existing program's time slot to make it work."

"Hmm. Pretty aggressive of them."

"They've been short on hit shows lately, so they're getting impatient."

That was one of the advantages of airing a drama on a cable network.

On a terrestrial network the schedule was packed so tightly that securing a desired day usually meant waiting for the previous show to finish, making it hard to premiere at the exact timing you wanted.

If the day of the week was already that difficult, specifying a particular time was even more impossible.

You could not suddenly shift a news or variety program's slot just because a drama wanted to air.

"Hmm. In that case, I have a personal preference for the date and time slot."

Yoon Mi-yeon and the media staff ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked at him with mild surprise.

"When would that be? Saturday night at ten?"

"No. Wednesday-Thursday at ten. Starting around the second week of December, I think."

"Wednesday-Thursday? Hmm, second week of December Wednesday-Thursday… Min-jeong, any conflicting events on those air dates?"

At Yoon Mi-yeon's words, Gong Min-jeong, who was attending the meeting, checked the calendar and shook her head.

"It avoids Christmas, the holidays, and New Year's Day, so there's no risk of sudden cancellations or schedule delays."

"Then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that works. Whatever we say, the network will go along with it."

Yeon-woo nodded at Director Yoon's words.

In truth, he had not chosen that premiere date with Christmas or New Year's cancellations in mind.

Two days earlier a report had come in that SBC's Daytona had been assigned its first broadcast for the second week of December on Wednesday-Thursday, so he had simply matched the exact same date for a head-on clash.

Their production team and SBC's programming department probably put their heads together and picked an auspicious date that would let them air continuously without breaks, too.

In any case, Yoon Mi-yeon seemed unaware that Daytona's premiere fell on the same day.

Of course she would not know—Lee Gyu-jin, who was monitoring Lake Film, had learned it by intercepting internal conversations. Even TVM's drama department would be in the dark.

"Then let's lock that date in."

"Yes. I'll pass it along to the network."

Anyone who knew the full picture might look at the matchup—terrestrial versus cable, a blockbuster tentpole drama versus a low-budget youth sports drama—and call it a David-and-Goliath fight.

But they have no idea that this David is hiding weapons, and that the strategy guide for taking down Goliath is already complete.

A few days later, Shin Jae-gwon, Director of Drama at TVM, received a report first thing in the morning with a gloomy expression.

He had just learned that SBC's major project Daytona would, by sheer coincidence, premiere on the exact same date and time slot as Parabola, whose schedule they had locked in only days earlier.

"So you're saying it premieres the second Wednesday of December?"

"Yes, that's what they're saying. Wouldn't it be better to avoid that slot even now? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If we contact Saebyeol, I think they'd agree to move to a different time."

"Hmm…"

As Shin Jae-gwon stroked his chin in thought, the programming team leader added,

"They're putting up eighty percent of the production capital themselves. There's no way they'd spend their own money just to go head-to-head with a major production, right?"

"…True."

"Exactly."

"Then call them and suggest changing the date. Among the programs we've already scheduled, is there anything we can move?"

At Director Shin's words the programming team leader checked something on the tablet he was holding, then nodded.

"You know that animal variety show Only Pets? It's on Monday, so we can push its time slot back, and Tuesday is just the TV Special Lecture Show anyway. I'll propose Monday-Tuesday."

"Good. Team Leader Han, handle that conversation carefully."

The programming team leader immediately called Saebyeol and relayed the proposal.

But the answer that came back was an unexpected refusal.

"What? They said they're not moving and will stick with it?"

"…That's what they said."

"Why on earth? When a typhoon's coming you get out of the way—why would they charge straight into it?"

The programming team leader scratched his head and opened his mouth.

"Well… they said if they move to Monday-Tuesday, episodes five and six would fall on the Christmas holidays and they don't want that. And Actor Ryu Yeon-woo is strongly insisting on that date…"

"Haa…"

Shin Jae-gwon let out a long sigh.

It was not as if he could not understand the reasoning.

Episodes five and six were the critical window when you had to retain the viewers gathered in the early episodes while simultaneously accelerating ratings through additional influx.

If you went on hiatus then, or if special variety programs on other channels caused the ratings to dip, recovery became difficult.

"Still, going up against the highest-budget production of the year is worse than…"

"Director. Saebyeol actually made a proposal of their own."

"A proposal?"

"Honestly, when I heard it I found it pretty tempting."

Watching the programming team leader drag it out, Shin Jae-gwon pressed him.

"So what is it? This tempting proposal."

"Since it's pre-produced, filming will be almost finished before the drama even premieres, right? So while their schedules are relatively free, the cast will appear on our channel's variety shows for proper promotional activity. And among them, the show Ryu Yeon-woo said he'd appear on is… unusual."

"Unusual? What unusual variety shows do we even have?"

Meanwhile, in the Saebyeol Media conference room, Executive Director Yoon Mi-yeon was staring at Yeon-woo with wide eyes and asking again.

"You're really going on this program?"

"Yes. Nothing generates buzz more reliably, don't you think?"

"Well, that's true, but…"

The variety proposal sitting on Yoon Mi-yeon's table was one Yeon-woo had personally selected from among TVM's existing shows and new programs scheduled for filming, declaring he would appear on it.

After rereading the proposal, Yoon Mi-yeon looked back and forth between Yeon-woo's face and the document.

"So you're saying Actor Ryu, who hasn't even enlisted yet, is going into a group of military veterans…?"

"Wouldn't that make it even more fun? I may not have served, but I can play the concept of a moderate military enthusiast. I've fired guns a fair bit myself, you know."

"You've fired guns, Actor Ryu?"

"Yes. On a day off Jin Yu-han and I went out and tried a survival game. I've got a bit of talent for it."

At Yeon-woo's words Yoon Mi-yeon stroked her chin.

In the end, even if she tried to stop him the final decision rested with Actor Ryu Yeon-woo himself, so fretting was meaningless…

But the mere news of his appearance would definitely set the internet on fire.

The variety show was scheduled for Wednesday—the same day the drama aired—so if Yeon-woo's participation made the show a hit…

We could pull that entire viewer base straight over to the drama.

Yoon Mi-yeon gazed steadily at Yeon-woo.

"What if you go on and only end up looking ridiculous? Reality variety has so many variables…"

"I doubt that will happen. I told you, I'm pretty good at this."

When Yeon-woo answered with a smile, Yoon Mi-yeon shook her head.

"Honestly, I can never tell what you're thinking, Actor Ryu."

At that, Yeon-woo shrugged and turned his gaze toward the distant view outside the window.

Yoon Chang-joon, the PD who had borrowed the idea from a famous foreign film to create Survival Island, was summoned to the director's office first thing in the morning the moment he arrived at work.

"Ah, damn it. They said they'd be generous with the budget allocation, and now they're calling me in to complain?"

Last month he had spent a fair amount on construction costs building ruins suitable for urban combat scenarios on the uninhabited island.

The invoice for that had probably gone up this month, and he assumed that was why he had been called.

"They didn't say anything when I submitted the approval, so why all of a sudden…"

Muttering to himself, PD Yoon opened the director's office door—and took a half-step back when he saw the director greeting him with a beaming face.

"Well now! Our PD Yoon is here!"

"Ah, yes. You called for me…?"

The director nodded vigorously and offered Yoon Chang-joon a seat.

"Yes, yes. Sit down and let's talk. You know, when the proposal first came up I was honestly half-skeptical? Who would even like something like this—it just eats budget. I thought a regular civilian dating show where people just draw love sticks would be better."

"Ah… yes."

Watching Yoon Chang-joon's expression as if he had just bitten into something foul, the variety director held up his smartphone and gave it a little shake.

"Well, I just got a call. Turns out there's a major star who's interested in your program and wants to appear on it?"

"Pardon? A major star, you say…?"

At PD Yoon Chang-joon's words the variety director grinned.

"Ryu Yeon-woo wants to appear. On Survival Island."

"……"

Unable to decide whether he had heard correctly, Yoon Chang-joon tilted his head and asked again.

"I think I misheard. Who…?"