MBC Drama Producers Protest Disney+ Series 'Casino' Scheduling

MBC's drama department is facing internal dissent as 53 producers and staff members issued a statement on April 14, opposing the scheduling of the Disney+ original series 'Casino'. They expressed their discontent after the series was proposed during a meeting of the Drama Competitiveness Committee on March 27, where they clearly voiced their objections. The producers believe that the decision to air 'Casino' in July, which has led to the postponement of the anticipated drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' to early next year, is a strategic move to artificially balance this year's budget.

'Casino' follows the story of a man who becomes the king of a casino but loses everything due to a series of events, forcing him to return to the game for survival. The first two seasons were released on Disney+ from 2022 to 2023. In contrast, 'Judge Lee Han-young' tells the tale of a judge who, after an unjust death, regains consciousness and returns to the past to judge the world, featuring actors Ji Sung, Won Jin-ah, and Park Hee-soon.

The producers criticized MBC's management for potentially turning the network into a channel primarily for rebroadcasting Disney+ content. They highlighted that the scheduling decision necessitates renegotiations with the lead actors of 'Judge Lee Han-young', jeopardizing the trust built over time and undermining the recovery of MBC's drama lineup. They are calling for a reassessment of the 'Casino' scheduling, a guarantee of actual decision-making power regarding drama lineups, and improvements in budget management practices focused on profitability.

In response, MBC stated that they are discussing the scheduling strategy with a comprehensive view of enhancing channel competitiveness and profitability, assuring viewers of their commitment to providing quality content and ongoing investment in internal production capabilities. Previously, MBC had collaborated with Disney+ to air all 20 episodes of 'Moving' from December last year to February this year, aiming to present high-quality content to a broader audience through partnerships between free terrestrial broadcasting and paid subscription OTT platforms. 'Moving' achieved viewership ratings of 4-5%.