The January 6 Tuesday episode of the SBS variety series posted a 5.4% peak minute and 3.7% household rating, continuing its climb. Most notably, it led the key 20-49 demo with 1.9% (Nielsen Korea, Seoul metro), ranking No. 1 across all Tuesday programming and extending its No. 1 streak in the time slot to three consecutive weeks.
This week’s “gap” adventures took the quartet to an egg R&D lab and a music studio, with good-luck vibes to spare.
Welcoming “ratings magnet” Cha Tae-hyun and variety natural Kim Do-hoon, Yoo Jae-suk joked about Cha’s habit of popping up everywhere. Cha played along, quipping that he’ll swing by "Whenever Possible" whenever there’s a spare moment―and tossed in a cheeky New Year’s wish about having another drama in 2027, asking the show to keep thriving until then. The chemistry was instant.
First stop: an egg lab. The owner, a devoted “egg-head,” stunned everyone by sampling around 100 eggs while developing products. Kim Do-hoon matched the enthusiasm, claiming he pounds 15 eggs a day, and the two launched into an egg-centric chat that had the set cracking up.
The first New Year mission, tailor-made for an egg lover, was “Eggs Are Here!” The team had to bounce ping-pong balls along an egg tray, moving them one row at a time. Kim quickly figured out the trick and nailed it in practice, drawing gasps from Yoo, Yoo, and Cha. Even after clearing level one on his sixth try, the lab owner kept the mood up with a relentless “Go!” mantra―and, in a surprise run, the foursome cleared levels two and three back-to-back. “Our teamwork was insane,” Yoo Yeon-seok marveled. Yoo Jae-suk added, “I need to learn that positive mindset. 2026 is giving us great energy,” while Kim Do-hoon rode the high: “I’m buzzing―my whole body’s shaking.”
Over lunch, Kim opened up about rookie variety jitters, admitting that filming a recent travel show with friends was so nerve-wracking it made his friends feel less like friends. Cha empathized that scripted actors can struggle in unscripted settings―only for Yoo Jae-suk to rib him, “Aren’t you a variety pro?” Cha immediately flipped, “True. Honestly, I prefer no script,” prompting big laughs. Yoo advised Kim to channel the lab owner’s spirit and “just go,” with Yoo Yeon-seok backing him up: “No second-guessing―just swing.”
The second location was a music studio helmed by the music director behind the OSTs for "Extreme Job" and "The Roundup 2," who shared behind-the-scenes stories. Their next game, “Hands Up! OST Quiz,” tasked the team with identifying a title after just 10 seconds of score. Despite Yoo Jae-suk’s worries―quiz missions have historically been brutal―Kim came in confident and even nailed a 2006 title. Then came the chaos: when the "200 Pounds Beauty" OST played, he blurted, “Mamma Mia!” Later, hearing The Greatest Love, he shouted, “You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin!” Cha volleyed back, “Do-hoon, you’re the best,” sending everyone into stitches. The run ended in level two when Yoo Yeon-seok mixed up "Friend" with "City of the Rising Sun." Kim tried to save the moment with a pun: “So… the sun didn’t rise today?” and the laughs kept rolling.
With sharp teamwork and rapid-fire banter, Yoo Jae-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun, and Kim Do-hoon kicked off 2026 on a high note.
"Whenever Possible", a “gap-hacking” variety show where the two MCs drop into everyday in-between moments to deliver a little luck, airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)