‘Running Man’, ‘I am a Singer’ and 8 other Korean reality TV shows that got a Chinese remake
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ stars Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill and Simon Pegg appear in one of many shows that have been adapted for mainland viewers
When American actor Tom Cruise went to South Korea to publicise his latest blockbuster film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, he chose to appear in the hugely popular reality television show, Running Man.
The variety show has been a hit not only with domestic audiences, but also across Asia – most notably in mainland China, where the format has been remade into a hit Mandarin-language series.
The success of the Chinese version of Running Man has inspired numerous Chinese television stations to adapt other popular Korean reality show formats for mainland audiences.
So here are our top 10 South Korean television reality shows that have inspired Chinese remakes.
‘Running Man ’
Chinese remake: ‘Running Man / Keep Running ’
Launched in 2010, the SBS television show has proved popular not only in South Korea, but also among “hallyu” or “Korean wave” fans worldwide – thanks to subtitles to episodes created by devotees in many languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Burmese and Russian.
The main master of ceremonies, or MC, of the series is popular South Korean television host, Yoo Jae-suk, who is joined by seven other regular MCs.