‘KBS Drama Special’ brings one-act dramas to life

As the last remaining platform for one-act dramas, KBS2’s “KBS Drama Specia” will kick off with its first episode “Modern Girl” on Saturday at 10:30 p.m.

Marking the 10th anniversary of “KBS Drama Special,” one of the 10 one-act dramas prepared this year will be shown every week starting this Saturday. The show‘s online press conference on Friday featured the cast and director of the first three dramas -- “Modern Girl,” “Crevice” and “The Joys and Sorrow of Work” -- set to air over the next three Saturdays.

“‘KBS Drama Special’ is the most important KBS drama. Not only is it the gateway to fame for directors, but also for rookie actors, screenwriters and staff. A second assistant can be first assistant for the first time and first assistant can be the head director,” said director Yoo Gwan-mo of “Crevice.” “In the drama industry that focuses on making profit, 'KBS Drama Special' is like a jewel that we must all protect.”

“KBS Drama Special” provides an opportunity for new talents but whether there will be a next season is always uncertain. Actors that have appeared in previous seasons of “KBS Drama Special” include Park Bo-gum, Son Hyun-joo, Park So-dam, Park Shin-hye, all now household names.

“I probably seem weird right now, unable to make eye contact with the camera. But ‘Drama Special’ is a place where even people like me get an opportunity to direct,“ said director Choi Sang-yeul of “The Joys and Sorrow of Work.” “It’s like a start-up platform for dramas. You can fail, but can get up again. You can try new challenges here.”

Actors also pointed out the positives of one-act dramas at Friday’s press conference. Topics that are difficult to turn into a series can be covered in a one-act drama. Also, actors get to see the entire script before filming, which usually doesn’t happen in a series.

“One-act dramas, unlike longer works, give you the entire script before the shooting. As a result, actors can be aware of the character’s emotional changes beforehand,” said actress Jin Ji-hee of “Modern Girl.”

The first drama “Modern Girl” is about a noble woman during the Japanese colonial period who tries to become modern to grab men’s attention, only to find out her servant has a relationship with the teacher with whom she has fallen in love. “Crevice” is about the affair of a single father with a friend’s wife, while “The Joys and Sorrow of Work” deals with working in a start-up company.

The show will air Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. on KBS2.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)