The ratings for tvN's ambitious space-themed drama When the Stars Gossip have hit an all-time low, leaving netizens and industry insiders stunned.
According to Nielsen Korea, the drama's fifth episode, aired on January 18, recorded a nationwide average viewership of just 1.8%, the lowest since its premiere. The Seoul metropolitan area fared only slightly better, with a rating of 1.9%.
This marks a steep decline for the show, which debuted with a respectable 3.3% rating. By its third episode, the drama had already dropped to the 2% range, and now it has dipped even further into the 1% range—a significant blow for a project of this scale.
With an incredible production budget of around 50 billion KRW (~$38 million USD) and five years of preparation, the series was expected to be a game-changer as the first Korean drama set on a space station.
However, despite featuring major stars like Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, the show has struggled to maintain viewers' attention.
In comparison, other dramas airing on the same day saw much stronger ratings. KBS2's Darimi Family soared with a 17.4% viewership rating, followed by SBS's My Perfect Secretary at 11.4%, JTBC's The Tale of Lady Ok with 8.4%, MBC's Motel California at 3.6%, and Channel A's Check-in Han Yang at 2.5%.
The dramatic ratings drop for When the Stars Gossip raises questions about its future and whether the series can recover from this low point.
Source: [1]
