During the press conference for the new Netflix variety show 'Jae-seok's B&B Rules!' held at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on the morning of the 19th, Yu Jae-seok emphasized, "I am not casting people based on my personal connections; I am casting the people who are necessary for the program."
'Jae-seok's B&B Rules!' is a large-scale camping variety show where novice campground host Yu Jae-seok and his unpredictable staff members Lee Kwang soo, Byeon Wooseok, and Ji Ye-eun live together with guests, "chatting and playing away." The show is garnering attention as a new guesthouse-themed variety series from the production team led by PD Jung Hyo-min, who previously directed 'Hyori's Homestay' and 'Kian's Bizarre B&B', teaming up with Netflix once again.
The production team and cast of 'Jae-seok's B&B Rules!' boast long-standing professional relationships. In particular, PD Jung Hyo-min and Yu Jae-seok have worked together on various programs such as 'Sugar Man', 'Laborhood on Hire', and 'Korea No. 1'. Furthermore, Yu Jae-seok, who anchors the program, has already worked with Lee Kwang soo and Ji Ye-eun on multiple variety shows. Due to this, there have been voices questioning "nepotism casting" or "casting based on personal ties," but both the production team and Yu Jae-seok emphasized that these were the best choices for the program.
PD Jung Hyo-min, who has known Yu Jae-seok since his days as an assistant director, expressed his conviction regarding their reunion, stating, "I think it's a question of what kind of different stories we can tell." He continued, "If we repeat the same thing, viewers won't watch. When Yu Jae-seok did a guesthouse variety show, I had a personal conviction and confidence that we could create a different flavor compared to other existing variety shows. We have spent the last year trying to implement that as much as possible, so I hope you will watch and judge for yourselves." He expressed confidence in delivering new entertainment, even with a show featuring Yu Jae-seok again.
Yu Jae-seok praised the production team's capabilities, saying, "I've known PD Jung for about 15 years, and regardless of our relationship, he is a PD who has made numerous programs successful." He explained his casting philosophy, adding, "I'm not casting because of my connections, but casting the people necessary for the program."
Yu Jae-seok also mentioned that when he receives offers to appear on programs, he carefully considers, "Will I be able to do this well?" before deciding to join. He said, "From some people's perspectives, they might think this is composed based on personal connections, but we have our own deliberations and choices. Both the production team and the cast are always thinking, 'Isn't there something new?' or 'Isn't there something fresh?' I believe our job is to continuously create a harmony of that freshness and fun."
'Jae-seok's B&B Rules!' began with the production team discussing the expansion of guesthouse variety shows and wondering, "What if Yu Jae-seok became the owner of a guesthouse?" The production team revealed that they built the cast combination with Yu Jae-seok at the center.
PD Lee So-min shared, "When thinking about various combinations, the first person who was indispensable was Lee Kwang soo. When we ran simulations, it felt like the show wouldn't progress without him. We hadn't seen much of Byeon Wooseok's real self since he doesn't do variety shows, but I thought he would have a human and honest charm, so I wanted to bring him in as a new member. Ji Ye-eun is the only 'experienced' member from 'Kian's Bizarre B&B'; I didn't actually expect her to be good at the work, but rather, I wanted to recruit her because I thought there was fun in her ambiguous proficiency and an energy that we couldn't do without."
Although the cast composition is familiar, the production team promised a new narrative. PD Jung Hyo-min said, "I think making familiarity feel not boring is a difficult task. When a similar combination appears, it seems important whether or not we can provide a new narrative." He added, "We believe we have created a new narrative within this familiar combination in our own way. I hope the viewers will watch it and evaluate it well."
'Jae-seok's B&B Rules!' will be released on Netflix over two weeks, starting with episodes 1–5 on the 26th, followed by episodes 6–10 on June 2.
[Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-cheol]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)