"Running Man" is making a big splash in the variety programme section once again. Thanks to the new producing director (PD) Jung Chul-min who breathed new life into the show following the serious downturn faced by Running Man members after Gary left and how the previous PD treated Song Ji-hyo and Kim Jong-kook. Now, the ratings have climbed back and the show seems healthy more than ever.
As noted by website Soompi, the latest episode of SBS's variety show "Running Man" that was aired on October 1, recorded 3.5 percent rating during the first part of the episode and then 5 percent during the second part, making the total ratings stand at 8.5 percent. The ratings were calculated by AGB Nielsen Korea, based on opinions by viewers aged between 20 to 49. AGB Nielsen Korea's calculations are considered to be the most important index for advertisers.
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With the above-mentioned number, "Running Man" has now scored above 8 percent rating in three latest episodes. The September 17 episode gained 8.2 percent, while the September 24 episode reached 8.7 percent. The show has also secured for the third consecutive week, the highest viewership ratings in its time slot.
Soompi also notes that in the Seoul metropolitan area, the ratings shot as high as 6.1 percent in the first part of the latest episode and 8.8 percent in the second half. Towards the end of the episode, ratings climbed to an impressive 11.1 percent. That was when the show teased how the "Kwangdol siblings" will be carrying out their punishment in Indonesia in a cable car, also known as ropeway.
As noted earlier, the ratings started climbing over the last five months and since this April, viewership has tripled. The replacing of previous PD Gong Hee-chul with Jung Chul-min has sparked off a new brighter phase for "Running Man".
The two new cast members, Jun So-min and Yang Se-chan have also gelled well with the original cast members. Lee Kwang-soo and Jun So-min have now been successfully paired with each other and are referred to as the "Traitor Couple."
The next episode of "Running Man" will be aired on October 8 at 4:50 p.m. KST on SBS.
