[EPN NPinow reporter Seo Hye-bin] ‘The Monk and the Guest’ captured viewers’ attention on both broadcast TV and streaming platforms from its premiere.
According to Netflix’s \”Today Korea TOP Series\” rankings released on the 21st, SBS’s new variety program Beopryun Road: The Monk and the Guest ranked seventh overall and second in the variety category.
The show’s television ratings also peaked at a minute-by-minute high of 3.7%, drawing notice as a road-trip variety series that bridges broadcast and OTT platforms in its first week.
Premiering on the 19th, The Monk and the Guest is an on-the-road, impromptu Q&A series that follows Venerable Beopryun and cast members Noh Hong-chul, Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Joo-bin, Lee Ki-taek and Woo Chan as they search for their true selves. The episode followed the group as they arrived in Kolkata in northeastern India.
Venerable Beopryun said the journey would be both a trip and a spiritual practice. \”Travel is about seeing and hearing the world’s scenery and facts, which can bring pleasure,\” he said, \”while practice is examining the anger and irritation that arise in the mind.\”
He also issued a challenge: pack only what fits into a barang, the small bag monks use during practice, and travel light.
In an interview, Venerable Beopryun explained the mission’s purpose: to loosen the attachment to possessions and the false security they provide. The cast hesitated at first, but one by one they set aside their most prized items and set out carrying only a barang.
SBS scheduled a special rebroadcast of the premiere for the Buddha’s Birthday holiday. The first episode will re-air on the 23rd at 6:10 p.m. and again on the 24th at 10:55 a.m.
SBS’s Tuesday variety series Beopryun Road: The Monk and the Guest airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Photo=SBS
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