On November 6, tvN announced through an official statement that it has confirmed the premiere of its new Monday-Tuesday drama "Signal 2" for December 7. The broadcast time was set for 10 PM, later than usual, considering the genre characteristics of the series and the viewing environment.
Previously, Cho Jin-woong, who had wrapped filming in the role of Detective Lee Jae-han, announced his retirement from the entertainment industry in December of last year after past records of juvenile protective disposition during his youth were belatedly revealed. Consequently, the release of "Signal 2" became uncertain, but tvN decided to schedule the broadcast after deep deliberation.
tvN explained the background of the scheduling decision, stating, "As a network, we can never look lightly upon the wrongful past actions of a specific cast member. However, this production is a collective creation containing the time and effort of many staff members, production crew, and officials, from the planning stage to filming and post-production. We believed there was a need to view the evaluation of an individual cast member separately from the value of the work itself and the efforts of the creators who took part in it."
The production team explored various options to replace Cho Jin-woong's screen time, including digital visual modifications and tests to substitute the actor using AI technology. However, due to limitations in naturally executing performance expressions and narrative flow, they ultimately decided to broadcast the original version as planned.
The production team emphasized, "We state clearly that releasing the work does not mean defending or justifying the issue," adding, "While this decision may not resolve all the concerns that have been raised, we judged that we must also consider those who have waited for the project for a long time, as well as the efforts of numerous actors, staff members, and production crew who did their best in their respective roles to complete the work. While delivering the inherent story and meaning of 'Signal 2' with value, we will not forget our responsibility as a network."
Planned as an eight-episode series, "Signal 2" is adopting an unconventional scheduling format to maximize immersion. On its premiere date of December 7, Episode 1 will be slightly shortened and adjusted to air Episodes 1 and 2 back-to-back, followed by Episode 3 on the next day, December 8, releasing three episodes in the first week alone. Moving forward, one episode will air each week on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 PM.
Attention is now focused on what reception "Signal 2" will receive after its lengthy wait, as key figures behind the success of Season 1, including writer Kim Eun-hee and actors Kim Hye-soo and Lee Je-hoon, join forces once again.
[Photo=tvN]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)