News bites: April 17, 2024

A new period crime series called Low Life is in the works for Disney+, lining up Ryu Seung-ryong (Chicken Nugget), Yang Se-jong (Doona), and Im Soo-jung (Melancholia) among many talents in the larger cast. Based on a popular webtoon by the original webtoonist for Misaeng, the story is inspired by the real-life 1970s discovery of a treasure ship along the Sinan coast. Production has Kang Yoon-sung (Big Bet) both writing and directing, with co-writing by Ahn Seung-hwan. [News1]

MBC sends their ominous greetings with a first poster for Bittersweet Hell, capturing a photo of our central family whom Kim Hee-sun (Remarriage & Desires) and Lee Hye-young (Big Bet) will fiercely fight to protect. While I fear for Kwon Hae-hyo’s (Wedding Impossible) fate as number one on the list, we’ll soon find out how the black comedy and thriller unfolds on May 24. [MBC]

Speaking of MBC, Oh Yeon-soo (Military Prosecutor Doberman) has been added to the cast of The Intimate Traitor, reuniting with Han Seok-kyu (Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3) after MBC’s Son and Daughter about 30 (!) years ago. Also starring Han Ye-ri (One Day Off) and Chae Won-bin (Sweet Home 2), the mystery series is being planned to broadcast later this year. [MBC]
Kim Kyung-nam (The One and Only) confirmed casting for SBS’s Connection, playing the chaebol (villain?) in our re-assembled group of high school alums, alongside Ji Sung (Adamas), Jeon Mi-do (Thirty-Nine), and Kwon Yul (Longing for You). The action-suspense is expected to air in 2024, with PD Kim Moon-kyo (Trolley) and writer Lee Hyun (Diary of a Prosecutor) leading production. [SBS]

In the meantime, it’s a busy spring for drama bees with KBS’s Treat Me Carelessly also joining the long list of premieres. With a Confucian-trained L (a.k.a. Kim Myung-soo)(Numbers) and the seemingly chaste Lee Yoo-young (Insider), the first poster promises us an unbeatably well-mannered romance. But I expect we’ll be getting some shenanigans when the opposites-attract rom-com begins on May 13. [Newsen]
Romance is blossoming on JTBC’s newest poster as well, with Jang Ki-yong (Now We Are Breaking Up) and Chun Woo-hee (Delightfully Deceitful) headlining The Atypical Family. Coming to our screens on May 4, the fantasy series has PD Jo Hyun-tak (Snowdrop, SKY Castle) at the helm with Joo Hwa-mi (Welcome, Marriage Not Dating) penning the scripts. [JTBC]