"Infinite Challenge" by 'Jigumabul' PD Kim Tae-ho... How Did He Break Free from Terrestrial Broadcasting Constraints? [Interview]

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Kim Tae-ho PD [Photo by ENA]

Kim Tae-ho PD, who attracted many viewers every Saturday with the popular variety show ‘Infinite Challenge,’ has once again hit a success with the production company ‘TEO’ he established after leaving MBC. The first project launched after founding the company and recruiting PDs was ‘Jigumabul World Travel’ (hereafter ‘Jigumabul’). It is a travel variety show presented in partnership with Channel ENA, starring three popular YouTubers: Wonji (Lee Wonji), Panibottle (Park Jaehan), and Kwaktube (Kwak Junbin). Season 1, which aired last year, received a positive response, leading to the broadcast of Season 2 this year.

Meeting Kim Tae-ho PD at ENA headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, he explained, “‘TEO’ started as a small company with fewer than 10 juniors, but it officially took off two years ago when PDs Jung Jong-yeon and Lee Taekyung joined. It is a multicultural production company composed of directors from various platforms.” He added, “It has been 2-3 years since our launch, during which we have created various content. ‘Jigumabul’ is a good example of identifying and utilizing our strengths.”

‘Jigumabul’ is styled like board games ‘Blue Marble’ and ‘Monopoly,’ where players roll dice to randomly travel to the country they land on. Kim PD said, “We prepared for all possible variables as much as possible. Through meetings, we estimated how many pieces of content could be produced per country. The cast members have extensive travel knowledge, but we needed mechanisms to pull out when they hit a wall. For example, providing accommodations or gathering them at headquarters. We embedded a device where the production team intervenes using a ‘Golden Key’ card.”

In Season 2, the ‘Gather at Headquarters’ Golden Key card appeared, bringing all cast members together at the headquarters located in Portugal, adding a unique twist. Viewers responded by saying it felt like the ‘Marvel headquarters.’ Kim PD laughed and said, “That was exactly what we aimed for.” Even Kim PD, the head of the Portugal headquarters, could not predict when the ‘Golden Key’ would be drawn and was anxiously pacing. He said, “When it happens, I have to catch a flight immediately, so I kept a suitcase at the office ready. My wife kept asking, ‘When are you leaving?’ I wanted to let the cast rest at the headquarters because I was worried they would get physically tired by rounds 2-3.”

Great care was also taken in selecting travel destinations. Following the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ recommendations, dangerous countries were avoided, and summer and winter destinations were evenly placed on the dice board to depict a variety of scenes. Kim PD said, “I hoped familiar and unfamiliar places would be cleverly mixed. Even for familiar countries like the U.S. and Japan, we tried to go to places that had not been heavily featured in content before. We also wanted to portray strange and unfamiliar countries attractively.”

After breaking free from the shackles of terrestrial broadcasting led by heavyweight broadcasters, things became much lighter. While ‘Infinite Challenge’ featured broadcasters like Yoo Jae-suk and Park Myung-soo, ‘Jigumabul’ partnered with three individual YouTubers. Instead of terrestrial or comprehensive programming channels, they turned their eyes to Channel ENA, relaunched in 2022, and YouTube. It was a bold choice reflecting market changes.

Every Thursday, content from each of the three YouTubers is released on YouTube, and a compilation episode airs on the ENA channel that Saturday. The cast member with the highest combined YouTube view count is selected as the winner. It is regarded as a synergy between YouTubers who are adept at the online content market and the production team creating the broadcast.

Kim PD said, “Season 1 followed the creators’ (YouTubers’) working methods, but for Season 2, we wanted to make it more broadcast-friendly.” He continued, “We decided on the content through discussions between us (the production team) and them (the YouTubers). For example, the superstition that ‘you fail if you go to Europe’ or ‘travel content featuring caves is not allowed’ was broken in Season 1. It was the result of thinking about what parts are suitable for broadcasting.”

YouTube and broadcast content were directed differently to suit each platform’s characteristics. To avoid mutual influence, each PD edited separately. YouTube content was mainly edited from GoPro footage, with subtitles tailored to each YouTuber’s style. While personal perspectives and impressions dominated, broadcast content incorporated various viewpoint shots such as drone footage to present the travel destinations objectively. Kim PD explained, “YouTube is often listened to as audio and watched up close, so even small small talk is heard. On the other hand, TV is watched by multiple people on a big screen, so viewers can lose concentration.”

‘Infinite Challenge’ (2006?2018) was truly a challenge. It tackled seemingly impossible themes every episode and gained great popularity among viewers in their teens to thirties. Kim PD is continuing another challenge in step with the rapidly changing times. ‘Jigumabul,’ as an extension of that, is regarded as a successful attempt. Kim PD cited ‘challenge’ as the growth engine. He began, “When creating content, I try not to judge or evaluate prematurely.”

He continued, “During ‘Infinite Challenge,’ we went through trial and error to find programs that viewers liked. ‘Hangout with Yoo?’ was tested for five weeks and then became a fixed segment. Now, saying ‘we attract viewers’ is a wrong expression. Content must go to where the viewers are. The process of adjusting the ‘zero point’ to suit viewers’ tastes is important. That’s how content lasts long. If you proceed with the mindset that you must keep changing, you won’t hear comments like ‘it’s old’ or ‘it doesn’t fit the trend.’” Kim PD emphasized, “It’s important to throw yourself in even if you’re afraid. You start by moving without high expectations.”