“…he’s really lost his touch now.”
1 hour ago
Producer Kim Tae Ho, also known as one of Korea’s most renowned TV producers for his mega-hit entertainment program Infinite Challenge, is now being dubbed “old” and “out of touch” for his latest work, The Secret Friends Club.
“The Secret Friends Club” | MBC
The premise of The Secret Friends Club is simple: a variety show in which celebrities secretly give each other gifts while hiding their identities. The idea of turning a gift-exchange game—once featured on Infinite Challenge—into a full-fledged variety show format was certainly an intriguing starting point. Anticipation was especially high because the project was produced by Kim Tae Ho himself. However, after finally being unveiled, The Secret Friends Club has faced more criticism for feeling outdated than praise. Despite a flashy lineup including BLACKPINK‘s Jennie, Single’s Inferno‘s Dex, actors Go Youn Jung and Jung Hae In, and more, the show has struggled to generate buzz or escape the 1% ratings range.
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The first major viewer criticism focuses on the show’s overall concept. The idea of celebrities carrying out secret missions and building relationships through gift exchanges has already been used in many previous variety shows. Because similar segments appeared on Infinite Challenge, viewers say the format now feels less familiar and more like déjà vu. The sense that past successful ideas have been transplanted directly into today’s variety-show landscape has hurt the program’s immersion. Ironically, Kim Tae Ho, who has experimented with a wide range of formats since Infinite Challenge, has chosen a concept that feels strikingly familiar.
| theqoo
- Just hearing the concept already sounds boring.
- Instead of just hanging out among yourselves, make us laugh. Why should we watch you guys just playing around?
- This really proves that Infinite Challenge succeeded because of the members’ talent and their characters, not because of Kim Tae Ho.
- Celebrities networking with each other just isn’t that interesting as content. I don’t even know why they’re doing it, and if you watch it for the first time you’re just confused.
- Why should we watch celebrities give each other gifts and build friendships? No sense for what’s entertaining.
- The concept itself… LOL. Why would anyone want to watch that?
- It was honestly the worst. The premise wasn’t fun, the concept was poorly planned, the editing wasn’t great, and now celebrities are even making money just by networking with each other? If it’s fun for them, they should just enjoy it themselves. Why broadcast it?
- The problem is the incompetent PD. Honestly, Infinite Challenge was carried by the members.
- Whenever something feels completely tone-deaf, it always turns out to be Kim Tae Ho.
- From a regular viewer’s perspective, why would I want to watch people I don’t even care about giving each other gifts? To enjoy watching a manitto game, you’d have to already care about that group. LOL.
- Completely tone-deaf.
In fact, the bigger issue isn’t simply that the format is familiar. Even well-known concepts can be entertaining if they are reinvented creatively. However, The Secret Friends Club has yet to demonstrate that potential. While the cast members are all personalities with their own appeal, the show has not made them feel like newly formed characters within the program. There have also been few memorable relationship storylines or standout moments for viewers to latch onto, but they’ve all failed to translate into broader interest.
For the most part, though, the struggle stems from today’s viewers who have simply changed since Infinite Challenge days. In the past, simply seeing celebrities’ daily lives and/or interactions felt fresh and entertaining. Today, however, YouTube and social media already offer constant glimpses into celebrities’ personal lives. A premise based solely on “celebrities hanging out together” no longer provides a competitive edge. Viewers now expect stronger narratives or themes that connect with real-life experiences.
| theqoo
- Completely tone-deaf, IMO. There’s not a single interesting element.
- Kim Tae Ho’s shows are always boring. He always builds them around whatever person or topic is trending at the time, but there’s zero fresh planning. Even during Infinite Challenge, the really funny moments were either copied ideas or just the members’ banter with each other.
- I only forced myself to watch because I like one of the celebrities on it.
- The concept is boring and the cast is boring too.
- Apparently Jennie was actually the one who came up with the “secret friends” idea. I heard she suggested it to Kim Tae Ho because she’d wanted to do it since last year. She suggested Gabriel before too, and since she proposed this one first as well, it seems like she and Kim Tae Ho work well together.
- It probably would’ve been fun back in the day, before celebrities started being treated like a new aristocracy, getting showered with luxury gifts and showing off flashy lifestyles. Honestly now, what would gifts even mean to rich celebrities anyway?
- I’m tired of celebrities openly networking with each other like this.
- Who even enjoys watching celebrities build friendships in their own little world?
- It feels like Kim Tae Ho wasn’t the one who made things work. It’s the staff under him were the truly talented ones. Everything he puts out now feels completely tone-deaf. And it’s not just that it feels outdated—it’s not even as good as the Infinite Challenge days.
- Completely tone-deaf.
- The whole gift-giving concept is boring to begin with. It’s only fun for the people actually playing the game.
As it stands, the show remains somewhat celebrity-centric, making it difficult for viewers watching at home to relate to the situations or feel a sense of dramatic excitement. While it may be too early to declare the show a failure based on its early response, if the current trend continues, The Secret Friends Club is likely to fall further behind in the battle for audience attention.
Watch the full teaser for the next episode here:
Source: Hankook Ilbo and theqoo