[Variety] Grandpas over Flowers 꽃보다 할배

[czakhareina]

rubie

said:

Aww.. no more grandpas & Seo-jinnie after this..

[rubie]

czakhareina

said:

[rubie]

GOF Fighting!


Too bad PGH sunbaenim went back earlier, he missed watching the soccer game in ep8.

[czakhareina]

'Flower Grandpa Investigators' to air Friday
By Kim Ji-soo | koreantimes | may 7 2014
The entertainment program “Grandpas Over Flowers” was almost an unlikely combination for success. Running on cable television tvN, the show with its four veteran Korean actors — Lee Sun-jae, Shin Gu, Baek Il-sup and Park Geun-hyung — and their actor porter Lee Suh-jin has achieved popularity.
Naturally, the cable channel, tvN, has decided to create a spin-off program called “Flower Grandpa Investigators.” The new drama brings over Lee Sun-jae from the travel variety show.
“Because there are rarely dramas and shows that put the central focus on senior actors, the new program is giving me great energy, so I will do my best to do better than the younger actors here,” said Lee Sun-jae at a press conference at the Press Center in Seoul.
He stars along with actors Byun Hee-bong, Jang Gwang and K-pop group Super Junior’s member Kim Hee-chul. The four will play 20-something police officers who, through a mistake, are transformed into 70-something officers with Kim Hee-chul’s character being the only exception. The K-pop star will play the 29-year-old Park Jeong-woo, an elite police officer and the only son of the National Police chief.
The K-pop star stands out not only for his age but also because the other three — Lee, Byun and Jang — are accomplished veteran actors. Byun has starred in director Bong Joon-ho’s film “Monster” and Jang in the film “Dogani” or (“The Crucible.”)
Asked how he is dealing with working with such senior actors, Kim said, “My mindset with the drama is that good acting is a standard criteria and that I should show my utmost devotion to teamwork such as keeping hours.” Kim said so far he has been early to the production, but only to end up seeing the veteran actors already there on the set.
Lee said that he is still watching Kim’s work but, “I have noticed that Kim is very active to chip into the teamwork that a drama production is. He doesn’t just drop out of his car for his scene and leaves immediately afterwards,” Lee said.
The new drama will air Fridays starting May 9 at 9:50 p.m. on tvN.

[rubie]

No Fuss Seo-jinnie

[rubie]

Grandpas Over Flowers Investigation Team
http://forums.soompi.com/discussion/2022435/upcoming-drama-2014-grandpas-over-flowers-investigation-team-%EA%BD%83%ED%95%A0%EB%B0%B0-%EC%88%98%EC%82%AC%EB%8C%80-character-description-on-p5#latest

May 8, 2014
Lee Soon Jae Flaunts 70's Charisma
Source: BNTNews

[by Sunghee Park] On April 7, tvN’s new drama ‘Gandpa Over Flowers Investigation Team’ held a production conference at Press Center in Taepyeong-ro, Seoul. 
‘Grandpa Over Flowers Investigation Team’ depicts a story of three handsome detectives in their 20’s transforming into 70 years old men. Three old men struggle to regain their young bodies. 
Meanwhile, tvN’s drama ‘Grandpa Over Flowers Investigation Team,’ starring Lee Soon Jae, Byun Hee Bong, Jang Gwang, Kim Hee Chul and Park Eun Ji, will be first broadcasted on April 9. (photo by bntnews DB)

[rubie]

It's Friday again.. but..

[rubie]

May 9, 2014
tvN turns disadvantages into critical edgeCJ E&M affiliate grows with new export items: format, knowhow By Park Si-soo The Korea Times

A poster of tvN’s reality travel program “Grandpas Over Flowers” and sci-fi drama “Nine.” The overseas demand for the broadcaster’s content and its production knowhow is on the rise. / Courtesy of tvN 
Lee Deok-jae, executive director of tvN
tvN, a cable television channel that began operating in 2006, is young and inexperienced. So are its directors and film crews.

Yet the company, which is part of entertainment business giant CJ E&M, has successfully turned these apparent shortfalls into fodder for collective creativity and new export strategy for cultural content: exporting format and production knowhow.
It’s a novel recipe in an industry long accustomed to exporting “finished” content.
Early this year, the firm struck multiple deals at the world’s biggest TV content convention NATPE in Miami, the U.S. They include the survival game “The Genius” to the Netherlands; “Super Diva,” a singing contest open exclusively to housewives, to Mexico, Colombia and Argentina; the drama “Yellow Boots” to Italy and Ukraine; and another drama “Crazy Love” to Mexico.
A Chinese satellite TV station is currently shooting a reality travel program based on the format of tvN’s smash hit “Grandpas Over Flowers,” under the on-site guidance and quality control of tvN directors.
“Being young and inexperienced is good on the one hand, but it’s also risky on the other,” Lee Deok-jae, executive director of tvN, told The Korea Times recently at his office in Sangam, northern Seoul.
“I think we are able to generate more creative ideas than big and old TV stations. That’s a great positive for sure. But we lack stability,” Lee said.
He said the company’s achievement was largely attributable to the rough but creative ideas of young employees and a corporate culture that is ready to embrace them. But making the company stable in management is also crucial, he added, to ensure the firm’s long-term survival.
In fact, tvN falls way behind domestic broadcasting giants such KBS, MBC and SBS in many aspects, including manpower, budget and experience. The average age of its 160 employees, including 90 directors, are as young as 31.3. Consequently, field experience of its content creators is mostly short and limited, ranging between one and three years.
Lee, a veteran director who worked at several cable TV stations for many years, joined CJ E&M in 2003. He began to lead tvN in 2008, overseeing core affairs, including content planning, production and distribution. He is credited for developing such acclaimed hits as drama “Reply 1994,” “Grandpas Over Flowers” and “SNL Korea.”
Globalization
tvN’s move to export program formats and knowhow started in 2011 with the establishment of a global content team.
“The team analyzes the taste for cultural contents by regions or countries. It also collects and studies internationally successful programs to sort out things we need to benchmark,” he said. “Everything done by our team laid the bedrock for the export of formats,” he added, showing a thick collection of steel-clipped A4 papers which he referred to as his “format bible.”
With this, he noted, any broadcaster around the world can “perfectly reproduce ‘Grandpas Over Flowers.’”
“It has everything. That’s why we call it a bible,” Lee said. He didn’t allow this reporter to look through the papers. Instead he explained that the bible precisely stipulates everything necessary to make a reality travel program featuring four veteran actors in their 70s as travelers and a 40-something actor as their porter.
“The bible includes the program’s objectives, target audience, an ideal makeup of performers, who to cast and how it should be done, the outdoor recording skills depending on situations, and even possible disputes on duty and their solutions,” he said. “We have seven bibles of this kind. Six of them were already exported to at least one country.” He said several broadcasters in the U.S., U.K., Singapore and Taiwan are interested in buying the “Grandpas Over Flowers” bible.
Media experts say format exports are much easier than that of finished program because the former gives buyers the leeway to localize.
In addition, as is the case with “Britain’s Got Talent” that was reproduced in Korea and many other countries, a format with universal appeal can make an international hit, they said.
Recipe for success
The executive director said a hit program normally has something that viewers can learn from.
“Why do you think Grandpas Over Flowers was so successful? I think it’s because the program dealt with the universal issue of declining communications between old and young generations, and suggested solutions in ways that entertain viewers,” he said. “I think entertainment programs people watch only to kill time are quickly losing ground. For a program to have wide appeal and good feedback, it has to contain either a lesson or warm hearts or suggest something productive.”
He went on, “I’m keeping up with major social issues and trends, and trying to find something that can become a new program idea.”
A trend he is monitoring with keen attention is empowering ordinary citizens.
“I have doubts whether young and handsome/pretty stars are essential to make an entertainment program successful,” he said. “What about making a program only with ordinary citizens? That’s one of my unanswered questions.”
He said he pushes forward tvN staffers as strong as he can in order to make its programs always “fresh, different, apprehensible, exciting and fun.”
“A TV program can change life of many people. Therefore, we should do work with strong sense of responsibility and duty,” he underscored. “I will make my utmost effort to keep up the tvN’s identity.” tvN’s motto is to become “No.1 Trend Leader.”
CJ E&M, which owns tvN and 17 other entertainment and movie-only channels, posted 1.7 trillion won in sales last year with its operating profit estimated at 58.5 billion won. It’s uncertain how big tvN’s contribution was.
Lee said he will try to generate 30 percent of tvN’s sales in overseas markets by 2020 with aggressive marketing campaigns in China and other Asian countries. 

[rubie]

May 21, 2014
Geriatric TV Show Boosts Business for Korean Carriers
Source: The ChosunIlbo
The hugely popular reality TV show "Grandpas Over Flowers," about the adventures of a group of elderly actors on an overseas tour, is doing wonders for Korean airlines. 
Korean Air and Asiana are increasing flights to Spain, Taiwan and Turkey, where the tourist attractions provided the backdrop for the show.
Korean Air said Tuesday that the occupancy rates on flights to cities that appeared in the TV show stood at 89 percent in the first quarter, up an average of eight percentage points on-year. In contrast, overall passenger occupancy on international flights fell four percent.

"Grandpas Over Flowers" /Courtesy of tvN
Thanks to the explosive popularity of the latest episode, which saw the grandpas travel to Madrid, the occupancy rate on flights to the city rose 12 percentage points on-year to 84 percent.
The occupancy rates on flights to Taipei stood at 91 percent and on flights to Istanbul 87 percent. 
Korean Air plans to deploy the B747-400 passenger plane on the route to Madrid until June 16 because it can carry 147 more passengers than the A330-200s that currently serve that route.
Asiana saw the number of passengers on flights to Taiwan rise 13 percent on-year in the first quarter to 68,000. Numbers on flights to Istanbul rose 35 percent to 24,800. Asiana is also offering direct flights to Barcelona from last week until June 20.
Budget carriers' cash registers are also ringing. Eastar Jet's occupancy on flights to Taiwan rose 20 percentage points to 98 percent in the first quarter, and T'way Airlines' a whopping 30 percentage points to 95 percent. 

[emmie]

The first 2 seasons of GoF (France and Taiwan) is now shown on Ch U in Singapore.  Yay!  Can rewatch Seojinnie and the halbaes. 

[rubie]

May 27, 2014


CONGRATS TO GRANDPAS OVER FLOWERS FOR WINNING THE BEST VARIETY PROGRAM AWARD AT THE 50TH BAEKSANG AWARDS!
Thanks to Beatus Corner for the results and video. 
PD Na went up to accept the award.

[rubie]

May 27, 2014
Song Kang Ho and Jun Ji Hyun Win Grand Prizes for the Baeksang Arts Awards + Full List of Winners
by jnkm soompi
It was a night of glamour and celebration as Korea’s hottest actors, actresses along with the staff and insiders of the drama/film industry all gathered together for the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards on May 27.
With Shin Dong Yup and Kim Ah Joong hosting the awards, the Baeksang Arts Awards ran for 150 minutes, announcing this years winners for outstanding performances.
Song Kang Ho was the only “triple crown winner” of the night as he took home three different awards for the Grand Prize, Best Film and Best New Director. Kim Soo Hyun took home two awards for his film “Secretly, Greatly” for Best New Actor and Most Popular (Male). Seol Kyung Koo won the Best Leading Actor for “Wish,” which also won the award for Best Screenplay.
Other films that won awards include “Cold Eyes,” “Elegant Lies,” “No Breathing,” and “Miss Granny.”
For the television awards, Jun Ji Hyun won the Grand Prize for her performance in “Man from the Stars.” The drama also helped Kim Soo Hyun win the Most Popular (Male) award and Lyn for the Best OST. The Best Director award went to Ahn Pan Suk and the Best Writing award to Jung Sung Joo, both from “Secret Love Affair.”
Other dramas and shows that received awards include “Good Doctor,” “The Its Know,” “Grandpas Over Flowers,” “Jeong Do Jeon,” “I Hear Your Voice,” “Reply 1994,” “Empress Ki,” “The Heirs,” “Witch Hunt” and “Gag Concert.”
Here is a complete list of winners for the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards:
FilmGrand Prize – Song Kang Ho (“The Attorney“)Best Film – “The Attorney”Best Director - Bong Joon Ho (“Snowpiercer“)Best Leading Actor – Seol Kyung Koo (“Wish”)Best Leading Actress – Shim Eun Kyung (“Miss Granny”)Best Supporting Actor – Lee Jung Jae (“The Face Reader“)Best Supporting Actress - Jin Kyung (“Cold Eyes”)Best New Actor – Kim Soo Hyun (“Secretly, Greatly”)Best New Actress - Kim Hyang Ki (“Elegant Lies”)Best New Director – Yang Woo Suk (“The Attorney”)Best Screenplay – Kim Ji Hye, Jo Joong Hoon (“Wish”)Most Popular (Male) – Kim Soo Hyun (“Secretly, Greatly”)Most Popular (Female) – Kwon Yuri (“No Breathing”)


TelevisionGrand Prize – Jun Ji Hyun (“Man from the Stars”)Best TV Drama – “Good Doctor”Best Educational/Cultural Show – “The Its Know”Best Entertainment Program – “Grandpas Over Flowers”Best Director – Ahn Pak Suk (“Secret Love Affair”)Best Leading Actor – Jo Jae Hyun (“Jeong Do Jeon”)Best Leading Actress – Lee Bo Young (“I Hear Your Voice”)Best New Actor - Jung Woo (“Reply 1994″)Best New Actress - Baek Jin Hee (“Empress Ki”)Best Writing – Jung Sung Joo (“Secret Love Affair”)Most Popular (Male) – Kim Soo Hyun (“Man from the Stars”)Most Popular (Female) – Park Shin Hye (“The Heirs”)Best Variety Performer (Male) – Shin Dong Yup (“Witch Hunt”)Best Variety Performer (Female) – Kim Young Hee (“Gag Concert”)Best OST – Lyn (“Man from the Stars”)
MiscLF Fashionista Award - Im Siwan, Kim Hee AeInStyle Best Style Award – Jun Ji Hyun
Congratulations to all the winners! 

[rubie]

Thanks to @nikkisjs at Wonderful Days thread for the highlight 
June 20, 2014

Backstage Chat with Lee Seo Jin
Source: KBS World

Interview Hello KBS World Radio listeners. My name is Lee Seo-jin. It’s nice to meet you. 
I’m currently playing the role of prosecuter Kang Dong-seok in the drama . It’s about a prosecuter who spent time away from his family, but returns to his hometown, reunites with his family, and runs into his first love from earlier forgotten times. 
How did you prepare for the role of a prosecutor?I was actually the ambassador for the Public Prosecutors’ Office in the past. So I ran into a lot of prosecutors often and saw their hairstyles and how they dress. I did ask them how their uniform changes during hotter weather like now. In the beginning [my character] worked a lot, but these days [he] focuses more on dating so I don’t get to show the prosecutor side too much.
What project was most memorable for you?All my projects were memorable, but because it’s the one that put my name out there for many people, I would have to say . is especially memorable and gave me the new experience of seeing people’s reactions [to my work].
This question is from our Indonesia broadcast listener Ahlul Rayyan. Is there any genre you want to try?I want to try a specialized professional job in a professional drama. Whether that’s a prosecutor or doctor, a role I can really dig deep into, professionally-speaking. I think there are roles like that. I don’t think I match melodramas.
This question is from Vietnamese broadcast listener Pham Minh Huyen. I heard that your ideal woman is one that’s small, cute, and fun. Is that still your ideal type? And have you met such a woman? Rather than small, I just don’t like tall women. I like fun people. I don’t like to be serious. Anything depressing or serious I don’t really like, so I like someone fun and always bright.
This question is from listener Estela in Peru. From the various characters or personas, which nickname do you like the best? I don’t think the term “Nation’s ___” should be used loosely. But after I filmed “Grandpas Over Flowers”, I got a “Nation’s ___” nickname: “Nation’s Luggage Man”. I really liked that one. You can’t use that on just anyone. Actors have been called the “Nation’s actor” before, but it was the first time the “Nation’s Luggage Man” was coined, so I really liked it.
This is from our French broadcast listener Florence. You were able to get many roles because of your straight-edge image, but has that ever been a hindrance for you? I think so. It’s not like I lived a straight-edge life, but it’s an image that I didn’t make, people created it for me. There’s various reasons, but I don’t think I’m a straight-edge, model-student person. Of course I’m thankful, but as an actor, it’s never good to have a specific and/or set image.
What type of image do you think you are then?I don’t really want a specific image. I want diversity. I can be straight-edge, but I can also be not so straight-edge. I don’t know why I come off so straight-edge. It’s not like I really lived that way. I don’t think I publicly displayed straight-edge behavior either…
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? I really listen to pop. I really liked music when I was young. I like rock and pop. I also go to many concerts. I’ve been abroad a lot because of concerts. When overseas, if there’s a concert there, I make it a point to see it. Coming up in Korea is Jeon In-kwon’s concert.
Did you ad-lib the scene where you say “Call!” (**”call” in Korean is an answer similar to “I’m in!/ I’m up for it!”) in the drama “Very Good Times”? It was in the script. Do you think I would’ve ad-libbed that? No, it’s scripted. I did think, “Does this really match my character?”. Even when saying something like “call!”, I tried to do it in a non-funny manner. Because it could’ve been funny. I tried to keep it simple and fitting my style.
When it comes to acting, who’s your role model? I can’t help but think that the veteran actors on “Grandpas Over Flowers” are all incredible. They’ve been acting all their lives, something they can only do if the people want to see them. It’s not something they can do just because they want to do it. They’re people that are still getting offers and requests. They’ve been at it for decades. Listening to them talk, there were many people who gave up along the way. There’s not many that have stuck around for decades. For example, actor Lee Soon-jae, who’s in his 80’s, is still acting. I think such people are just amazing. They’ve only had one job all their lives. They’ve lived their entire lives as actors. Truth is, you can easily get distracted. You can try different jobs along the way. But they’re people that only know acting. It’s really something. Ten years later, it’s easy to still want to act, but if nobody wants you, you can’t. It’s really incredible to see such people having done that their whole lives.
Please watch the drama . Show your support and interest. Thank you.

[czakhareina]

I don't know where to park this, but I thought this would be the best place to do it...

And I am a little sad if we don't get another outing with the Halbae's but I guess a change of phase is a good thing...and I am sure with Na PD and writer Lee on board this is gonna be another fun ride!
But I wonder who will be the guide/porter..? a girl? I think it is definitely a time for the girl to be a porter...if it's a girl, will it be an idol? a singer? an actress? I think it would be epic if they get a comedian.... shin bongsun?

Younger actors chosen for ‘Flowers’

Lee Juck and Yoo Hee-yeol
Prominent ’90s musicians teamed up with producer Na Young-seok for the tvN “Flowers” travel show sequel. According to local media reports yesterday, singer-songwriters Yoon Sang, Yoo Hee-yeol and Lee Juck will be the main cast of “Flowers over Youth” (working title).

Launched last July, the “Flowers” series garnered much attention from both Korean and international audiences for showing its older actors’ - dubbed “grandpas” - backpacking trips to Europe. 

The broadcaster said the musicians took off to Peru yesterday.

By Kim Hee-eun, contributing writer 

[czakhareina]

its officialthe news installment of ...Over Flowers series is out



Na PD’s next travel variety spin-off Youth Over Flowers sets sailby girlfriday | June 25, 2014
I was wondering how many things you could put over flowers before running out, but something tells me Na PD will never run out of combinations of people to send overseas on a tiny budget for their pain and our enjoyment. Variety PD Na Young-seok’s next installment of his hit tvN franchise Grandpas Over Flowers and Noonas Over Flowers is called Youth Over Flowers. Why it isn’t called Oppas Over Flowers beats me. I mean, you had noonas, so why not oppas next?
read full: http://www.dramabeans.com/2014/06/na-pds-next-travel-variety-spin-off-youth-over-flowers-sets-sail/


do we make a new thread for that show...
and there is no guide/porter this time...
I hope it is not so and they have someone coming in a day after...

[the girl who!]

I'm still in shock with the news ..., my love Lee Juck , cute Yoo Hee Yeol , my beloved writer Lee and evil Na PD are coming to my city( n country!!  ) #groupiecellsawakened ) what a surprise!!  As a fan of the flower series I cannot be more happy with this ... Peru is truly a treasure for this kind of shows and I'm sure they'll make beautiful memories here :-) 
I'll try to catch the crew during the filming in Lima ... wish me luck!! T_T

[czakhareina]

Na PD accepting Best ENtertainment award from Baeksang Award show

[sgsairl]

'Noona over Flowers' as this show spin-off got another thread. Maybe 'Youth over Flowers' should get one also?

[czakhareina]

sgsairl said: 'Noona over Flowers' as this show spin-off got another thread. Maybe 'Youth over Flowers' should get one also?

[alzalya]

The new spin off is quite interesting. Lee Juck & Yoo Hee Yeol can be vey funny. I wonder what kind of situations will they face in Peru. Can't wait for August to come... :-bd