'Whenever,' Season 5 hits peak 6.2% rating... Cha Tae-hyun's lucky charm achieves 3-stage all-kill

SBS 'Whenever,' set a new record for its Season 5 highest viewership rating during the broadcast on Tuesday, August 25 at 9 PM. On this day, the ratings reached a peak of 6.2%, with 4.2% for households and 1.6% for the 2049 demographic. The household rating ranked first among all entertainment, drama, and educational programs in the same time slot, and the 2049 rating also took first place among all Tuesday programs. These figures are based on Nielsen Korea's Seoul metropolitan area data.

'Whenever,' (directed by Choi Bo-pil / written by Chae Jin-ah) is a niche-targeting variety show that gifts luck during brief moments of downtime in daily life. In this episode, guests Cha Tae-hyun and Jin Ki-joo joined the two main MCs, Yoo Jae Suk and Yoo Yeon Seok, to visit Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

Meeting the Pickleball Club and the Four Children

The first "gap owner" the four visited was the pickleball club 'Chillae-malle.' In the 'One-touch Pickleball' game, where they hit the ball back and forth and try to put it into a goal, they successfully completed stages 1 and 2 in just four attempts. Although they faced a crisis in stage 3 due to repeated mistakes and an 'unlucky chance,' Yoo Jae Suk led them to success in the final challenge. Subsequently, in the 'Stick It' game with the second gap owner—four 9-year-old Children from Gwangjin Elementary School—the four completed up to stage 3 on their fourth attempt, achieving the first "3-stage X 3-stage all-kill" of Season 5.

Cha Tae-hyun's Lucky Charm Performance and On-site Atmosphere

During the broadcast, Cha Tae-hyun expressed his confidence, saying, "When I received the casting call here, the PD told me I am like a lucky charm. I am the pig's head of 'Whenever,'." He also remarked, "Jin Ki-joo's former agency CEO said because Inseong is the manager, our agencies were connected through In-Yun. Is luck this good?" Yoo Jae Suk drew laughter by saying, "Let's listen to Ki-joo! Ki-joo, you should Teach You a Lesson to your CEO," as Jin Ki-joo struggled to find a moment to speak. When Yoo Yeon Seok praised the comedic acting of Yoo Jae Suk and Cha Tae-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun replied, "You shouldn't compare us. That hyung just does it randomly, while I analyze it systematically," to which Yoo Jae Suk countered, "Isn't it me who analyzes and you who just does it randomly?" After completing stage 3, Yoo Jae Suk said, "Even Santa Claus couldn't give (gifts) like this," adding, "Thank you to our 'Whenever,''s pork head, Cha Tae-hyun."

Following the broadcast, reactions flowed in on online communities and SNS, such as "Another legendary episode came out today," "At this rate, Cha Tae-hyun should carry his photo cards around. His luck is crazy," and "The children's transparent reactions are so cute." Meanwhile, the preview at the end of the broadcast showed Hyun Bin and Woo Do-hwan appearing as next week's guests. In the preview video, Hyun Bin's hands trembled during a bolt-stacking game as he said, "I hate the sound of 'Challenge'," while Yoo Jae Suk looked surprised, saying, "Look at Hyun Bin's sweaty hands." Hyun Bin and Woo Do-hwan, who are attempting variety shows for the first time in 23 years since their debut, will appear in the broadcast on Tuesday, September 1.

Source: SBS Press Release

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