TV Show: Binge-Worthy OG K-Variety Shows to Watch Right Now!

There are thousands of options to choose from on Netflix and Disney+, so if you don’t know which ones are worth the watch, this article is for you. And we’re going old school! There’s plenty of good variety shows to watch now, but it’s never not a time to catch up or re-visit the OG’s! Here’s some of the OG Korean variety shows that you may know about but haven’t seen that’ll have you binge-watching on your couch while clutching your tummy from laughter for hours! The great thing about these variety shows is that there are plenty of episodes for you to binge on non-stop. So you don’t have to worry about running out of things to watch 👀

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Infinite Challenge (2005 - 2018)

Want a good laugh? Then this is the must-go-to show to watch. Talking about OG K-variety shows, most people will probably think of this one first. It’s one of the most popular and loved K-variety shows that aired for a wow-ing 13 years (one of Korea’s longest-running shows). As the title implies, the members of Infinite Challenge go through challenges each week that are often absurd or impossible to achieve. The challenges they tackle can range from games amongst the cast members, completing crazy challenges, and surviving on a deserted island, to competing in professional sports. When I realised Infinite Challenge episodes were uploaded onto YouTube, I binged watched just this show for weeks 🫣 And I enjoyed every one of the episodes! I loved watching the endless range of challenges they take on and just watching the members mess with each other makes no episode not funny. Check out this one of the countless legendary scenes of Infinite Challenge members trying to eat jjajangmyeon on a rollercoaster. It’s a teaser for all sorts of crazy funny things they do on the show! 

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2 Days & 1 Night (2007 - Present)

You can see the beauty of Korea while crying from laughter at the same time with this variety show. The cast travels all over Korea for 2 days to enjoy the country's beautiful nature and attractions. Throughout the 2 days and 1 night trip, the members play games for the cities’ signature dishes and avoid punishment along the trip. Some of the cast even played a game to decide whether if they sleep inside or out in the cold 😂 There have been multiple member changes throughout the many seasons. But my personal favourite are the earlier seasons with popular comedian Kang Hodong, Lee Soogeun and Eun Jiwon as part of the cast. Their chemistry with each other is just unbeatable to me. Each season with the different members shows off various charms and chemistry between them so it doesn’t get boring and still runs after 16 years! Here’s a part of the show where I bursted out laughing. The members play mini-games to get money for local snacks. You’ll be surprised how much they withstand all sorts of disturbances and pain on the train ride to Gwangyang city!

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Star King (2007 - 2016)

OG K-variety shows aren’t just all games and laughs. You can catch all sorts of fascinating, impressive, and funny talents and skills on Star King. It was on the top spot in viewer ratings of any prime-time K-TV shows on Saturdays with many k-celebrities guesting on it. Viewers can upload their talents and stories onto the official website. People and animals with unusual or impressive talents are then invited onto the show after being selected. The audience (celebrities) then vote for their favourite person, video or story, and prize money is awarded to the contestant who receives the most votes. From talents such as singing, dancing, sports, unusual skills & tricks, you can see all types of entertainment here. You can also watch your favourite K-Pop idols and celebs join in to attempt to give the special talents a try too. You may even recognize a few familiar faces here too - some idols made appearances on the show for their amazing skills since they were little! Some of these include Oh My Girl’s Seunghee and Baek Yerin. To get a clue of what you can expect from this show, watch this little 5-year-old table tennis genius show off her skills on the show and the hilarious conversation she has with the host, Kang Hodong (she can even play table tennis using food!).

These shows that all Koreans know and love will for sure bring you laughter till your tummy hurts and make time go by in a flash! My advice for you though, don’t watch these in public because it will have you in fits of laughter. Also, be mindful of your screen time because these shows will have your eyes glued to the screen 👀