Who Deserves the Credit?
-Today's format might feel a bit unfamiliar to viewers who've been watching Elegant, Wow up until now.
-It's...
-A debate!
On Tuesday evening, viewers tuning into Uu tilted their heads at main MC Choi Seok-hoon's words.
The cast introductions were the same as always, but suddenly they were doing a debate?
But the subtitles that popped up after a short sound effect were intriguing.
If a drama is a hit.
Writer's credit VS Director's credit.
The actors on screen looked flustered by the sudden debate topic.
-You don't need to even out the numbers. Just pick whichever side feels right for you.
-Director Do Hyun-woo doesn't need to pick a side. Please help me moderate alongside.
Do Hyun-woo, who had been standing there like a scarecrow, moved to Choi Seok-hoon's side, and the actors finished choosing their sides.
Coincidentally, it ended up exactly 4:4.
It had taken quite a while on set to pick sides, but it was all edited out for the broadcast.
-Uh...
-Um...
As the actors, on their first variety show appearance, floundered with the tough assignment, Choi Seok-hoon's skilled mental care kicked in.
The first to speak up was actor Jeong Min-woo, from the director's side.
-Wouldn't a drama where the director handles the script, shooting, and editing alone be more fun than one where the writer does all that?
It started with a pretty plausible argument, leading to a fairly serious debate for a few minutes.
It wasn't the most entertaining footage for variety show purposes.
But Elegant, Wow wasn't a program that chased pure comedic fun to begin with.
The vibe of each episode changed based on the guests' personalities—even with the same group of doctors, some episodes were hilarious while others were serious.
So viewers just thought, Guess it's not a funny one today, and kept watching without much fuss.
Still, there were things to see.
People tend to base their opinions on personal experience.
Their stories naturally revealed struggles from their no-name days, evoking a pang of sympathy even without them playing it up.
-But everyone who's ever cut me out so far has been a director, not a writer.
-Ah...!
Lee Seon-jae's stirring midway drew some light laughs.
Thanks to that, viewers kept watching without much dissatisfaction, even if it wasn't a huge laugh riot.
But the serious debate itself didn't last long on air.
Maybe five minutes at most?
The actual recording had gone over an hour, but it wrapped up super quick on broadcast.
Because Choi Seok-hoon switched topics.
-Looks like we're not reaching a conclusion. Probably because 'drama' is too broad a category, right?
-Yeah, seems like it.
Do Hyun-woo, still playing scarecrow, nodded and chimed in.
That's when Choi Seok-hoon flashed a wicked grin.
-Then let's narrow it to Criminal Community.
-Pardon?
-Is Criminal Community's success thanks to writers Ko Young-tae and Gil Sang-hoon, or director Jeong Hee-soo?
The actors' eyes started twitching.
Watching the broadcast, I felt it again: that was a really wicked question.
It wasn't in our cue sheets.
Plus, the network folks were clever—they'd loosened up the actors' lips with over an hour of fake debates first.
Made them answer on reflex when the real question hit.
On screen, MC Choi Seok-hoon tossed it out.
-Actor So Jeong-hoon?
-Uh, yeah.
-You said writers create, while directors just dress up what's already made, so directors lack creativity, right?
-No, no, no. I never said it like that.
-But you did say it?
-Director Jeong Hee-soo is the exception!
-Oh? So Jeong Hee-soo's creativity surpasses writers Gil Sang-hoon and Ko Young-tae?
-W-Well...
At that moment, a figure loomed up behind So Jeong-hoon—right at the director-side actors—from the opposite side.
It was director Jeong Hee-soo, grinning broadly.
So Jeong-hoon sweated bullets, making excuses in front of the soul-state Jeong Hee-soo (who of course wasn't actually there), and sank.
Next, MC Choi Seok-hoon turned to Eum Sung-hyun.
-Actor Eum Sung-hyun, you said a script is meaningless without proper direction, right?
-Meaningless...
This time, Ko Young-tae and Gil Sang-hoon in checkered shirts popped up in soul state, grinning.
The network must've scouted them separately for this.
Director Jeong was active enough publicly to scrape footage, but not those two writers.
They could've made it subtle, but they cranked up the obvious CG for laughs. Ridiculous.
From there, it was chaos.
The actors turned on each other, no one wanting to go down alone.
But even this got breezed through on air.
The two-plus hours shot on set probably clocked under ten minutes.
Up to this point, watching the screen, I had two thoughts.
First: If they edit it well, it'll make decent broadcast material.
Second: Then why'd they call me?
But I was too naive.
I didn't know the network's evil plan.
-When shooting part 3, scene 32. That was mostly the director's role, right?
-No. That was before shooting...
On screen, Eum Sung-hyun and So Jeong-hoon started detailing a Criminal Community shoot incident, then froze.
They slyly turned to look at me on screen.
-The director...
-CE Do...
Too awkward for director's side, too awkward for writer's side?
Then do what you're good at.
Pick Do Hyun-woo's side!
I'll set the table right!
It felt like the main writers' voices were echoing.
What made this ploy diabolically evil was me sitting smack in the middle of the debate set.
-Come to think of it, without Director Do, Criminal Community might not have even gotten made, right?
-Yeah. No time loop idea to begin with.
Unfortunately, the actors realized their one escape hatch.
Praise me.
From then on, it was my humiliation show.
Bzzz.
The more they overpraised me, the better MC Choi Seok-hoon's reactions, so the actors went wild.
I was used to praise from actors.
But not with dozens staring, multiple cameras zooming on my face, and nonstop bomb after bomb for tens of minutes.
Even Lee Seon-jae said drinking water while looking at my face made it taste sweet.
Damn, they didn't edit that out.
Humble reactions only work once or twice.
Later, I had no idea what face to make.
"......"
I learned something new watching the broadcast.
My face could get that red.
Of course, it wasn't just teasing me the whole time.
As they testified to their "faith" in me(?), the actors shared tons about how they got cast.
The network milked that.
Highlighting how tough things were for the actors, how desperately they needed that chance.
The broadcast balanced variety fun and touching moments well...
But who was gonna fix my public image?
Bzzz.
Ah, damn.
I slammed my smartphone shut and focused on the broadcast.
But I didn't just take it lying down.
Once the teasing died down, on-screen MC Choi Seok-hoon spoke up.
-First debate conclusion: Director Do Hyun-woo is the best.
-Shall we move to the second debate?
The actors' faces, smirking at my expense, froze instantly.
-Theater vs. drama. Which is more appealing content?
On screen, I opened my mouth with venom in my eyes.
-Actor Park Sung-won?
-Y-Yes? Yes...
-You said dramas are just mass-media friendly, but can never beat theater, right?
-No! No, no, I never said that!
-I even remember the date. March 1st. And how'd that come up...
Suddenly, the souls of Jeong Hee-soo, Ko Young-tae, and Gil Sang-hoon reappeared, staring down Park Sung-won.
The Elegant, Wow special with the Criminal Community cast wrapped up.
Viewer reactions poured in.
Not a scorching hot response, but enough to spread steadily.