[Interview③] PD Jeong Jong-yeon: "The Saying 'Na Young-seok Earns, I Spend' Is a Kind of Meme"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] ‘Great Escape’ PD Jeong Jong-yeon took the attention on production costs in a lighthearted manner.

On the 10th, PD Jeong Jong-yeon shared various stories about the tvN variety show ‘Great Escape’ Season 3 (hereafter ‘Great Escape 3’) during an interview with our outlet at a cafe in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

‘Great Escape’ is the only domestic adventure variety show that has returned with unpredictable developments and stages that transcend the boundaries of locked rooms, gaining love through three seasons. PD Jeong Jong-yeon, who directed series such as ‘The Genius’ (2013) and ‘Society Game’ (2016), took on the role of chief director, with Kang Ho-dong, Kim Jong-min, Shin Dong, Yoo Byung-jae, Kim Dong-hyun, and P.O attempting to escape.

Season 1 of ‘Great Escape’ began on July 1, 2018, with the Private Gambling Den episode, followed by creative escapes from a closed hospital, gene bank, and haunted prison, receiving great responses. One year after it ended, on March 17, 2019, the second season returned, gaining popularity with episodes including the first-ever escape failure at the Infernal Prison, Hope Research Institute, Jomateo Psychiatric Hospital, and Murder Prison. Returning in March with Season 3, ‘Great Escape’ continued its popularity with legendary episodes such as the Time Machine Laboratory, Zombie Factory, Dark Villa, and Bread Factory.

Season 3 started airing on March 1 and concluded with a special episode on June 14. The last episode aired on the 7th, titled ‘Back to Gyeongseong,’ ended with a subtitle stating a return in 2021, raising expectations for Season 4.

‘Great Escape’ thrives on reality. Unlike other variety shows, no scripts are given to the cast, nor are there any prior explanations. Cast members are placed in fictional situations and actually attempt to escape. Creating such a realistic environment does require somewhat higher production costs.

PD Jeong Jong-yeon said, “I know various stories about production costs are circulating online. I take it as a kind of meme phenomenon, an online playful culture or trend content. I believe we are contributing sufficiently to the company. The company wouldn’t produce a program that results in losses. Saying I will spend only as much as I earn doesn’t make sense. Production costs are a promise with the company.”

PD Jeong continued, “No matter how much production cost is spent, it’s true that from a production standpoint, it’s not always satisfying. If I wanted, I could spend production costs more freely,” he smiled, adding, “I enjoy how ‘Great Escape’ gives the impression of high production costs and how viewers talk about it.”

In ‘Great Escape,’ cast members have mentioned viewer reactions about PD Na Young-seok earning money and PD Jeong Jong-yeon spending it. PD Jeong Jong-yeon said, “It’s funny. Production costs are planned by the company and executed accordingly. Even if sponsorship money comes in one day, that money cannot simply be used as production costs,” adding, “I see the production cost issue as a form of interest in the program.”

He then joked, “Maybe I’ll make a T-shirt later. I want to take a photo wearing a shirt that says ‘the earner’ for PD Na Young-seok and ‘the spender’ for me.”

Having run for three years, ‘Great Escape’ has produced many fans and established itself as a top popular program. Season 3 embraced broader popularity, attracting more viewers. PD Jeong Jong-yeon reflected, “Ultimately, ‘Great Escape’ completes its story with the goal of escape. The end must be escape. Because of that, similar patterns inevitably continue, and various attempts to break away are essential. The fact that quite satisfying results have come out also indicates there is more to talk about. Season 3 gained many good weapons in terms of diversity.”

Photo=tvN

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.