[drama 2008] Spotlight 스포트라이트

[Guest santa007]

hi, I'm just curious about this girl playing as the senior reporter to SWJ I think her name in the drama is Myung Eun, is she the same girl played as Kim Ha Neul and Go Soo's sister in Piano ? She looks so familiar that I thought I might seem her in other dramas... I think she's joining the acting industry in a young age like maybe as a child actress in other dramas like Present/Gift as the cute little girl and Love in Beijing! Hope someone can help to clear my uncertainty.....

[Guest vananh229]

hi, I'm just curious about this girl playing as the senior reporter to SWJ I think her name in the drama is Myung Eun, is she the same girl played as Kim Ha Neul and Go Soo's sister in Piano ? She looks so familiar that I thought I might seem her in other dramas... I think she's joining the acting industry in a young age like maybe as a child actress in other dramas like Present/Gift as the cute little girl and Love in Beijing! Hope someone can help to clear my uncertainty.....

ok, she's in many Lee Soo Young's (a singer) MV's if you know whom I'm talking about ...She was also in Snow White (2004) or Taste Sweet Love starring Lee Wan.. I don't think she was in Piano... I could be wrong though.. Hope that helps...

[Guest shuky]

As promised.....highlights of episode 8: (SPOILERS AHEAD)

What struck me about episode 8 are:

a. The practice of bribery

b. News can be bought after all

c. The budding romance between SWJ and OTS

Will be back with the practice of bribery in a while......

Apologies!! The promise of finishing this off in a while became a LONG while!!! Here we go....(SPOILERS AHEAD)

The practice of bribery

What started out as a report on a near-fatal stabbing of a three-term Member of Parliament led to the uncovering of a can of worms, with OTS leading SWJ in the clandestine investigation.

Why was the social news team involved? Shouldn't it come under the Political desk since an MP was involved?

SC explained in the basement carpark after OTS/CME/SWJ and him rushed back to the office from their retreat upon getting the phone call from Mr Ahn. As long as it was a stabbing incident involving a sports star, a celebrity or in this case, a politician, social news would be involved as it would be a police investigation (their beat).

Why was the investigation done in secrecy? Meeting at the cafe

The main reason was that the station chief had specifically told OTS to kill the story as YW Construction was a big advertiser. OTS decided to dig further on the quiet. At the desk meeting to raise story ideas, OTS announced that CME and another guy in blue shirt were to join the new team for the new weekend programme. This was a surprise as he had told the vice-cap that he would choose SWJ and her name was written on his filofax. SWJ was disappointed that she was not chosen. Her disappointment was short lived as she received a call from OTS to meet at the cafe near their office.

At the cafe, OTS explained that the reason for meeting in the cafe and not in the office was the sensitive nature of the story. He asked if SWJ was interested in uncovering YW Construction's dirty deeds in ensuring their successful bid for the New City project. He warned that it would not be easy and she would be facing pressures from all over, even threatened. SWJ could not breathe a single word to anyone regarding the investigation and she had to juggle her day-to-day reporting duties with this as well. SWJ agreed.

The case

YW Construction had bribed its way to half the Approving Committee (this is only my guess since I'm not familiar with the Korean system) to award the tender for the New City Development in their favour. (This info SWJ managed to get on tape when she visited the construction site and spoke to the foreman. This made YWC very jittery, anxious to put a stop to what could turn out to be an explosive scoop) The key player was the injured MP, who was a former employee of YW Construction. The MP was not only in the pocket of YWC, but he was said to be on the take from YWC's competitor for the same project. The tenacles of YWC were far reaching, besides buying off politicians and high-ranking officials:

a. The police chief

While resting in the staircase landing of the police station, SWJ spotted the departure of the police chief. Later, she found out (and reported to OTS at their desk meeting) that the chief met with the police station chief for half an hour. What was strange was that if his purpose was to keep tabs on the on going investigation into the stabbing incident, he should have dropped by the investigation centre, which he did not. SWJ further argued that the real story behind the case was the New City Development project (same conclusion as OTS when he reported to their chief earlier). OTS told her to drop the story (instructions from chief earlier) as their discussion was for story ideas for news, and not for the weekend programme.

b. The media (GBS and Mr Jung, political editor)

While it was not explicitly stated that Mr Jung was on the take, YWC seemed to have him in their pocket too and had him under their beck and call. When YWC CEO (? not sure if that's his title) Lee Ji Min (again, not sure of the spelling of his name)

realised that reporters were digging around the construction site for information, he gave Mr Jung a call to find out more on what they knew. So Mr Jung waylaid SC at the toilet and fished for information on what SWJ was working on. Sensing something was not quite right, SC did not squeal on SWJ. Mr Jung then went to the editing suite and uttered veiled threats at SWJ in an attempt to put brakes on the developing story. He warned that when he was a junior reporter like SWJ, he was dogged by a court case for 5 years and it was very tiring. His parting shot- before SWJ went out for news gathering, she should think very carefully of the grave consequences before releasing the story. Lastly, at the office corridor, he bumped into CME and found out that SWJ was working independently on the New City project, against the wishes of her supervisor. To stop the story from going on air, they need only to stop SWJ.

Ways to stop SWJ (some were mentioned in earlier post)

a. LJM met SWJ in the cafe and offered her some travel vouchers for a short stay in one of their hotels. This was rejected by SWJ and he threatened to sue her.

b. Withdrawal of advertisements from GBS

c. Kill her off

d. Physical assault

e. Legal avenues

f. Working through her friends (Mr Pink shirt)

When SWJ reported her meeting with LJM to OTS (meeting at the roof top), he told her to ease off the investigation, lie low for a while and keep watch. He asked for LJM's name card and did his own investigation on the man. OTS found out through his contacts that LJM was a dangerous character, not to be messed with. Concerned, OTS warned SWJ not to actively dig any further into the case. This was after discovering that SWJ had met with a disgruntled employee forced to resign from YWC. The employee had passed some incriminating information on YWC shady deals to SWJ.

Enjoy!

[Guest markho826]

Shocking news update!!! Repeat: Shocking news update!!!

The Spotlight's writer is going to change from Episode 9.

Articles say that there is a difference in opinion (or conflict?) on the loveline between the PD and the script writer.

There'll definitely be a big change to the script and the loveline will be 'strengthened' in the coming episodes, i.e. against the original synopsis of the drama.

According to Spotlight staff, the new writers are of good ability.

But the truth is that they (two writers) are not that experienced...

Actors and staff of Spotlight are having the 'worst schedule' ever. They are filming day scenes in the middle of the night. They should film days and nights since the 8th day .......

The script and plot will be changed.

God, how can this happen??????

[liquidfir]

Shocking news update!!! Repeat: Shocking news update!!!

The Spotlight's writer is going to change from Episode 9.

Articles say that there is a difference in opinion (or conflict?) on the loveline between the PD and the script writer.

There'll definitely be a big change to the script and the loveline will be 'strengthened' in the coming episodes, i.e. against the original synopsis of the drama.

According to Spotlight staff, the new writers are of good ability.

But the truth is that they (two writers) are not that experienced...

Actors and staff of Spotlight are having the 'worst schedule' ever. They are filming day scenes in the middle of the night. They should film days and nights since the 8th day .......

The script and plot will be changed.

God, how can this happen??????

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh??????? this can either turn out to be a disaster ORRRRRRRRR a miracle....

which way LOLLLL.

i think the PD would want more love thingy going on with the 2 of them ?????

i was thinking along the same line. because the show is 16 episodes. and looking at the ratings mbc wouldnt wanna extend it.

already 8 episodes have passed.

they have to fill in the love between woojin and taeseok in 8 episodes to NOT make it into to a "i fell in love in 1 episode" kinda thing.

make sense as well. i think the previous script writers did a good job. but they like to add in too much technical reporting stuff into the show.

itz not exactly interesting to know the stuff too detailedly - get what i mean? esp episode 8. i was drowning in boredom.

[Guest markho826]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh??????? this can either turn out to be a disaster ORRRRRRRRR a miracle....

which way LOLLLL.

i think the PD would want more love thingy going on with the 2 of them ?????

i was thinking along the same line. because the show is 16 episodes. and looking at the ratings mbc wouldnt wanna extend it.

already 8 episodes have passed.

they have to fill in the love between woojin and taeseok in 8 episodes to NOT make it into to a "i fell in love in 1 episode" kinda thing.

make sense as well. i think the previous script writers did a good job. but they like to add in too much technical reporting stuff into the show.

itz not exactly interesting to know the stuff too detailedly - get what i mean? esp episode 8. i was drowning in boredom.

Yes, this can either turn out to be a disaster OR a miracle..........

The two 'new' writers are the assistant script writer of 'Dae Jang Geum' and 'Hae Shin', while the other one wrote the script of 'Life Special Investigation Team(?)(I have no idea about the exact name)'.

I also want to have more loveline. But I think it's entirely against the original synopsis of the drama.

[shirley]

sigh .so pressure of the ratings finally set in . if it is purely because the writer wanted to keep to the original intent of the drama and not over do the loveline and that resulted in the changes then i think MBC is really dispappointing . granted the writing of the script , there might be room for improvment but defintely shouldnt be because of the lack of love line . i dun really understand why loveline theme must always be the focus --; this wasnt intend to be a romance drama right from the start . so i guess tha that is why the esp till now , didnt really need to focus too much on the love theme .because in the end , the love is just a hinting or implied .actually i think the writer had already given in abit showing the love development

, isnt it time that kdrama see a decent occupational drama ( i am not asking for a documentary --;;; . but just not another love story in a TV station or etc . . ..but . what done had been done , since they change the writers , i hope all goes well .

"Life Special Investigation Team " i think is something like CSI , with different cases each esp . so maybe the change in writers might bring in some good changes .

[Guest ys_jen]

I think this is much closer to a disaster than a miracle... The original synopsis hardly had any love line, so it wasn't going to be a "I fell in love in 1 episode" type thing, it was supposed to be more like an "implication" of love until the end... The genre of this drama is not romance, so they should keep it the way it is... The actors did not choose this drama because of romance..

Anyway, a person that read the changed script said that the changed script seems to be better than the original script for episode 9... so maybe there's a little bit of hope.

Whether or not the script improved, I feel sorry for the actors and staff... their busy schedule must be killing them...

[shirley]

The original synopsis hardly had any love line, so it wasn't going to be a "I fell in love in 1 episode" type thing, it was supposed to be more like an "implication" of love until the end... The genre of this drama is not romance, so they should keep it the way it is... The actors did not choose this drama because of romance..

Anyway, a person that read the changed script said that the changed script seems to be better than the original script for episode 9... so maybe there's a little bit of hope.

Whether or not the script improved, I feel sorry for the actors and staff... their busy schedule must be killing them...

precisely . i share your thinking for the cast, i think some of them join the project because of the scriptwriter and now you have to get adjusted to such changes .but i think maybe there wont be huge changes for the recent esp script , othewrise it will be pretty choatic .

. sigh anyway . as i said , i hope the scriptwriter change does bring forth a better script . we shall see how this goes.^^.

[Guest MisterX]

pretty obvious what happened, and even reading the interview with the PD (how come he's got time to do interviews already? Meh) if I were writer Lee my blood pressure would hit defcon 5 pretty fast.

The writer was more or less using the same structure of White Tower, i.e. extreme focus on the main character and everyone else gravitating around him, with the social commentary sprayed around for effect. If the planners didn't know things would get this way, they clearly don't know squat about the writer they employed. But then again, Happytale/Storyhub is An Pan Seok's company. They did White Tower together... wtf.

Kim Do Hoon shouldn't have become the producer. He's done trendy dramas and mostly insignificant Best Theater eps before this, of course he didn't have "it." He sees the ratings go down, and starts pressuring the writer for more melodrama (might be pressure from the higher ups, but not necessarily). More melodrama means deviating from his established formula, which takes enormous time. Writers can fly down the pages when they have a structure, tell them "we need this and that" in post-it fashion and they'll go insane. And waste time. Lots. And make mistakes. Think King & I and you're there.

Things get to a point where, like now, parts of the script, 20 scenes at a time, are being uploaded to the staff cafe, and it all gets crazy. The PD and writer fight, writer ends up going the "the hell with it" way, and there you go.

Everyone on DC is throwing insults at Lee Gi Won, and of course it's kind of unprofessional the way he got out. But then again, a real writer wouldn't endure that kind of crap for much longer. MBC is insane, and Kim Do Hoon... go back to shooting trendy dramas. How can you screw up even things like this....

Maybe one day they'll learn 사전제작 is the only hope. Poor actors...

Choi Yoon Jung is not bad, Life is quite fun and this actually could work well if they do indeed go the 사건중심 way and don't just up the melodrama, but not at this point. Too late. The other writer was mostly a sub for the last 3-4 years, but doesn't promise too well.

[liquidfir]

sigh .so pressure of the ratings finally set in . if it is purely because the writer wanted to keep to the original intent of the drama and not over do the loveline and that resulted in the changes then i think MBC is really dispappointing . granted the writing of the script , there might be room for improvment but defintely shouldnt be because of the lack of love line . i dun really understand why loveline theme must always be the focus --; this wasnt intend to be a romance drama right from the start . so i guess tha that is why the esp till now , didnt really need to focus too much on the love theme .because in the end , the love is just a hinting or implied .actually i think the writer had already given in abit showing the love development

, isnt it time that kdrama see a decent occupational drama ( i am not asking for a documentary --;;; . but just not another love story in a TV station or etc . . ..but . what done had been done , since they change the writers , i hope all goes well .

"Life Special Investigation Team " i think is something like CSI , with different cases each esp . so maybe the change in writers might bring in some good changes .

the main goal shouldnt be the lack of love line i agree. but i honestly feel that the storyline need some improvement.

itz getting a little too technical and i think thatz one of the main reason why ppl are not watching this show.

I THINK they are doing this because they dont wanna follow too closely to the drama on air. but people dont wanna watch a drama full of technical details

without involving human relationships.

and i thought the genre of the drama is ROMANCE>< after 8 episodes i dont see any romance at all.

but itz a bad thing to change writers in the middle of a show o.0 that sounds unfair to the writer really.

but well whatz done is done. letz hope for the best for this little drama

edited and i really enjoy the implications of love u know? LOLLL like what wojin and taeseok are having now. keeps us viewers on our toes. LOLL

we will wonder are they or are they not. instead of awhhh they are together so well. hmmm. LOLLL.

but again having a PD who doesnt work well with a writer = bad o.0

so either one of them have to go i guess. o.0||||| the world is unfair.

[Ha Tinh Nhi]

The theme for Spot light in each episo is a bit boring. I sometime found myself fast forwarding when watching it.

HIT or Life Special Investigation Team, On air (has big love story but they) has some kind of small element to draw me in. I found it hard with Spot light (like the villain of each episo is not that....intense or funny). I even found Aircity was a bit easier to watch.

[liquidfir]

i think i really pity the actors. havin to endure a suddent change of writers and not to mention sleepless nights.

[Guest markho826]

News update

An article has just come out after 5 pm today (Korean time).

After talking over the phone with KIM PD, the original script writer LEE will be helping the two new writers out in terms of the broad outline, theme, character development of the drama until the end.

As for the development of the drama, KIM PD said that it would still focus on journalists' lives, dreams and love but 'Spotlight' would not become a traditional drama focusing on loveline.

[Guest MisterX]

The guy even mentions 백의종군... I know that's a figure of speech but the aura is something like "I'm the boss, you're getting all the insults now, so I'll allow you back in." When 90% of the insults should be directed at the PD... pathetic. If Dramatique was still alive we'd probably read something about this down the line in candid fashion. But since they're not, from now on everything wrong with Spotlight will be blamed on Lee Gi Won. Which is a shame, because it was a pretty good script up to Ep. 7. Hope 제중원 goes better for him.

Eh... business as usual. Yeouido is run by scummy businessmen who only care about ratings, anybody trying to swim the other way faces this kind of situation. How the mighty have fallen... no surprise the few good dramas this year are all either written by super veterans who don't give a rat's richard simmons (Jeong Ha Yeon, Kim Un Kyung), or were completed before shooting (I Love You, Don't Ask About The Past etc.).

[shirley]

pretty obvious what happened, and even reading the interview with the PD (how come he's got time to do interviews already? Meh) if I were writer Lee my blood pressure would hit defcon 5 pretty fast.

i think i really pity the actors. havin to endure a suddent change of writers and not to mention sleepless nights.

lol .i think i can imagine his pressure shot up with the constant changes and hectic schedule of the script , it is really time they seriously think of pre boardcast production as the only option to create better working enviornment . everyone is like working endlessly without sleep , amazing how they can still deliver their work under such stressful conditions . and then u still need to monitor the RATINGS .tsk .

i think the writer cited or was said to have some health problems so that why he left . mentall and physically tired out .

'½ºÆ÷Ʈ¶óÀÌƮ'PD, "À̱â¿ø À۰¡

[Guest shuky]

News update

An article has just come out after 5 pm today (Korean time).

After talking over the phone with KIM PD, the original script writer LEE will be helping the two new writers out in terms of the broad outline, theme, character development of the drama until the end.

As for the development of the drama, KIM PD said that it would still focus on journalists' lives, dreams and love but 'Spotlight' would not become a traditional drama focusing on loveline.

And now we are back to square one- well almost, with PD Kim's assurance that the series will maintain the original tone, feel and pace. These behind-the-scene antics between PD Kim and writer Lee is turning out to be a more exciting soap opera in itself. I certainly hope that it's not a desperate attempt by the PD to drum up publicity for the show to bump up ratings. My sympathies go to the new writers (as well as the actors) as they will now be sandwiched between the warring factions with conflicting views. It would be a pity to see this potentially great show (albeit with its fair share of flaws) go down the slippery slope of melodrama, or worse, turn schizophrenic, with two halves that are so different from each other that they are no longer recognisable.

Thanks Markho826 for your updates. BTW, do you have translated versions of the reports?

[Guest markho826]

Thanks Markho826 for your updates. BTW, do you have translated versions of the reports?

You mean translations of my news updates?

If you don't mind my poor English, I can try my best to do it.

[Guest shuky]

You mean translations of my news updates?

If you don't mind my poor English, I can try my best to do it.

Hohoho...no need to bend backwards and at such great inconvenience...I was curious to read the full news reports, if there are ready-made, translated versions. Thanks a lot any way.

[Guest markho826]

Hohoho...no need to bend backwards and at such great inconvenience...I was curious to read the full news reports, if there are ready-made, translated versions. Thanks a lot any way.

I did not find any translated versions for the time being.

Should I find any, I'll post it here.

Or if you want Chinese translation, I can also post it here.