MBC’s Variety Show “Hang Out With Yoo” Suffers Its Lowest Ratings Of The Year Despite New Members

The most recent episode of MBC‘s variety show Hang Out With Yoo scored its lowest ratings of the year.

From back row left to right: Jung Jun Ha, Lee Yi Kyung. From middle row left to right: Haha, Lee Mijoo, Park Jin Joo, Shin Bong Sun. From front: Yoo Jae Suk | @hangout_with_yoo/Instagram

The show’s September 10 episode scored a viewer rating of 4.5%, according to Nielsen Korea, the show’s lowest of the year. Especially alarming is the fact that the show scored its lowest rating despite new members, actors Lee Yi Kyung and Park Jin Joo joining the show.

The show’s rating had been stagnant at around 5-7%. After the show’s much anticipated WSG Wannabe arc flopped due to slow pacing and choices made by the production team, the show took a three-week hiatus. The show announced its return with the addition of actors Lee Yi Kyung and Park Jin Joo joining as permanent cast members.

Ratings for Hangout With Yoo by week | Naver

Lee Yi Kyung has been making strides in the variety show circuit recently. The model turned TV Personality and actor was best known as a panelist prior to joining the show. Actress Park Jin Joo was clearly the breakout star of the show’s much-maligned WSG Wannabe arc. The actors joining the show initially raised anticipation, but after just one week, it seems the novelty has already worn off.

| MBC

Netizens gathered online to comment on the show’s dreadful recent form, with many blaming the show’s cliche format. In truth, many of the show’s arcs involve guests making a musical group. Many others stated that they preferred to see Yoo Jae Suk carry the show alone with occasional guests.

• “I watched this show, but it’s so boring. It has gone downhill since Mijoo, Jung Jun Ha, and Haha joined.”
• “The format is so cliche… The production team here is the definition of useless.”
• “Just have Yoo Jae Suk be the lone cast member and have him call on occasional guests.”
• “I was actually hoping they’d fire the whole cast and just start over, but it seems that can’t be helped.”
• “Jung Jun Ha’s sense of humor just doesn’t sit well with me, so I stopped watching the show altogether.”
• “Rather than bringing in more cast mates, they should have fired everyone and started over. The production team really isn’t paying attention to what audiences are saying.”

For context, the show originally relied heavily on Yoo Jae Suk’s chemistry with famed Infinite Challenge producer Kim Tae Ho. The show changed drastically when Kim Tae Ho left the show, and Jung Jun Ha, Haha, Shin Bong Sun, and Lee Mijoo joined. After the show’s WSG Wannabe arc, the show took a three-week hiatus and returned with the announcement that Park Jin Joo and Lee Yi Kyung had joined the cast.