The broadcast of CJ ENM tvN medical drama “Resident Playbook,” which was postponed to the second half of this year due to the serious doctors’ strike in Korea, was completely canceled.
As the medical staff strike, which was expected to be resolved soon, has been prolonged, public animosity towards doctors has grown, and medical dramas have been forced to give up being aired altogether in the future.
According to the entertainment industry insiders on September 13, CJ ENM’s new medical drama “Resident Playbook,” which was expected to air in the second half of this year, has been excluded from this year’s broadcast plan. Some say that it is difficult to air the drama at all in the future.
At a time when many patients lost their lives due to the strike of doctors, these dramas can be criticized for ‘idealizing doctors’. “Resident Playbook” is a drama about the dedication of doctors and medical staff to patients in the hospital.
“Resident Playbook” was originally scheduled to be aired in May as a follow-up to tvN’s weekend drama “Queen of Tears.” The broadcast had been postponed to the second half of the year due to the medical strike. It was scheduled to be aired on Netflix, but due to the failure of the broadcast, Netflix could fine the production company.
Korean people’s attitude on medical staff is getting worse as doctors have left their jobs en masse in protest against the government’s policy to increase medical schools. As the protest has been held for more than half a year, the number of patients suffering from damage is increasing.
When tvN posted the trailer and related posts for its drama “Resident Playbook” on YouTube and social networking services, many people commented, “Please include the scene where doctors are going on strike right before a patient’s surgery” and “Isn’t it a drama that glorifies the medical profession?” The public sentiment has worsened so much that it is impossible to broadcast medical dramas right now.