Divorced people and single parents take spotlight in new TV reality shows

 

The hosts of the new SBS talk show, "Dolsing Fourmen," Im Won-hee, from left, Tak Jae-hun, Kim Jun-ho and Lee Sang-min, pose for pictures during a press conference for the show, Tuesday. Courtesy of SBS

By Lee Gyu-lee

A series of TV shows about divorced life and single parenthood are rolling out, bringing people's attention to topics that have not been much discussed in the reality show biz.

SBS's new talk show, "Dolsing Fourmen" ― which translates into "four divorced men" ― kicked off Tuesday, scoring a 5.3-percent viewership rating.

As the title says, the show is hosted by four divorced male cast members ― singers Tak Jae-hun and Lee Sang-min, actor Im Won-hee and comedian Kim Jun-ho ― from the network's hit reality show, "My Little Old Boy."

The cast members being able to find happiness in single life after their marriages failed sparked interest in producing a reality show, leading them to land their own talk show.

The hosts invite celebrity guests to their actual house to talk about various topics from the guests' personal, romantic, and professional lives. The hosts then share insights and advice they learned from their own ups and downs in life.

The first episode starred K-pop singers Mino and P.O as its first guests. The two best friends discussed their difficult past as trainees, as well as their perspectives on romance and marriage.

Tak said that this show, led by the four men, with their common base of experience as divorced, now single men, is a refreshing type of talk show that people have never experienced before.

"The four of us are dying to be happy, but some people envy our lives. In particular, those who are married might think they want to experience our lifestyle," he said during a press conference for the series, Tuesday.

"We can touch on topics such as sadness that people might have been just avoiding or trying to keep hidden… and as the show is set in our own 스포츠토토사이트 , that makes us feel as though we were just casually hanging out and leads us to open up frankly."

The new reality show, "Naeki," stars three single moms, actresses Jo Yoon-hee, from left, Kim Hyun-sook and comedian Kim Na-young. Courtesy of JTBC

Another new show, "Naeki," which premiered on JTBC, Friday, spotlights celebrities who are single parents. The show stars three celebrities ― actresses Jo Yoon-hee, Kim Hyun-sook and comedian Kim Na-young ― who have been raising their children on their own after divorcing.

With Kim Gu-ra and Chae Rim, who have their own experience of single parenthood, as the hosts, the show follows three single moms' lives, sharing the issues and tips concerning raising kids alone.

"This show is about learning the true meaning of family through a new form of a family," the show's producer Kim Sol noted during the online media conference of the show, last week.

Kim Na-young, who has been raising two children since her divorce in 2019, expressed that she hopes this show will help break down prejudices against single parents.

"Nowadays, the number of single parents is growing. But we are still only used to a very traditional form of family and act as if this form is the only real form of family," she said. "I wanted to show different forms of family, and to offer encouragement to fellow single parents."

A new type of dating show, "Dolsingles" (a direct translation referring to people who have divorced and returned to singledom), premiered Sunday, featuring only divorced men and women.

The show invites eight men and women who have gone through divorces to a mansion to find their new love while living under the same roof.

The first episode showed the group of singles candidly sharing stories about their previous marriage and how it affected their love life after their divorces, offering a different sense of their dating realities compared to previous shows with similar formats, such as "Heart Signal."

The show's production team said that they believe that the show will resonate with single, divorced and married people.

"'Dolsingles' portrays the cast members sharing the weight of their marriages and divorces, what they have learned from these experiences and how they are working up their courage to start loving again. Both singles and married couples will be able to empathize with their romances," it said.