Handsome Boys of the 20th Century
GenreVariety, reality
StarringMoon Hee-joon
Tony Ahn
Eun Ji-won
Danny Ahn
Chun Myung-hoon
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Production locationSouth Korea
Camera setupMulti-camera
Original release
NetworkQTV
ReleaseApril 16 (2013-04-16) –
November 19, 2013 (2013-11-19)

Handsome Boys of the 20th Century is a South Korean variety-reality show which aired on the cable channel QTV (ko).[1] It began airing on April 16, 2013 and ran for two seasons with a total of 29 episodes.[2]

Premise and concept

The show features five members from four disbanded or inactive "first-generation" K-pop idol groups, which debuted during the 1990s: H.O.T., Sechs Kies,[fn 1] NRG and g.o.d.[fn 2] H.O.T. is acknowledged to be the first ever highly successful K-pop idol group and was largely rivaled by Sechs Kies. NRG was a pioneer of what has now been termed as the Korean Wave (Hallyu; Hangul: 한류) and were the first Korean idol group to successfully break into the market in China. g.o.d was the first idol group to be dubbed "the nation's group" due to their broad popular appeal and became only the second K-pop idol group to have more than one album sell over a million copies.[1]

Moon Hee-joon, leader of H.O.T., personally invited his H.O.T. bandmate Tony An, Sechs Kies leader and rapper Eun Ji-won, dancer and singer-songwriter Chun Myung-hoon of NRG and rapper Danny Ahn of g.o.d, all of whom were born in the same year (1978) and have remained active in the entertainment industry.[2] They would meet in a rented house where they could have a candid chat about issues and topics that they had not been able to speak about due to the closed and highly taciturn culture of the K-pop industry while they were active as members of their groups.[3] Moon had proposed the concept of the show following the success of the television series Reply 1997 and a renewed interest in first-generation K-pop idol groups.[1]

Episodes

Season 1

Episode # Air Date Description Guests Notes
1 April 16, 2013 Eun Ji-won, Tony An, Chun Myung-hoon and Danny Ahn meet at an empty rented house at the invitation of Moon Hee-joon but have no idea why they are there. They decide to call themselves "HOTSechgodRG".
2 April 23, 2013 HOTSechgodRG holds an official press conference to promote the show. They discuss their past dance routines and compare choreography.
3 April 30, 2013 The production team has prepared a "memory room" full of various items and memorabilia. The members of HOTSechgodRG take turns picking an item and reminiscing about the memories associated with their chosen item.
4 May 7, 2013 HOTSechgodRG unanimously agree to do a music video but have difficulty deciding on a song to cover. They finally decide on NRG's debut song "I Can Do It" (할 수 있어) after learning about the background story behind the song.
5 May 14, 2013 HOTSechgodRG prepare to record the single and film and choreograph the music video. However, they encounter difficulties along the way as they realize that their bodies are no longer as agile.
6 May 21, 2013 A long-time fan visits the house with special lunchboxes and tells HOTSechgodRG about the how the fans feel about their show. They decide to hold a fan meeting to thank fans for their support.
7 May 28, 2013 During the fan meeting, HOTSechgodRG perform their own individual solo songs and listen to fans' stories and memories.
8 June 4, 2013 HOTSechgodRG each invite a friend over for a mini reunion of the first generation groups and update one another about individual activities and endeavors.
Note: Continues to the next episode		 Kim Jae-duck (Sechs Kies), Noh Yoo-min (NRG), Jang Su-won (Sechs Kies), Lee Jae-won (H.O.T.) and Kim Tae-woo (g.o.d)
Episode 9 only: Bada (S.E.S.), Son Ho-young (g.o.d)
9 June 11, 2013 HOTSechgodRG and their friends decide to play some games and two guests drop by unannounced. While Bada and the H.O.T members prepare dinner, members of the other groups sift through a box of memorabilia and photographs donated by fans.
10 June 18, 2013 HOTSechgodRG talk about how they each entered the K-pop industry and the beginnings of their idol groups. Members of Rainbow pay a visit and a discussion ensues as they compare and contrast what it was like to be in an idol group back then and in the present. Jaekyung, Jisook and Hyunyoung (Rainbow)
11 June 25, 2013 In a throwback to g.o.d's Baby Diaries, HOTSechgodRG is tasked with caring for a toddler for an entire day.
12 July 2, 2013 HOTSechgodRG prepare for their performance on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend. Hong Kyung-min, 100%, Niel (Teen Top), Park Nam-jung [4]
13 July 9, 2013 HOTSechgodRG go camping in the backyard and reflect on their performance on Immortal Songs and the success of the music video.

Season 2

Episode # Air Date Description Guests Notes
14 August 27, 2013 HOTSechgodRG reunite at the press conference to announce the second season and prepare for the promotional photo shoot. They discuss what they think about one another after filming season 1. Bong Jung-keun
15 September 3, 2013 HOTSechgodRG decide to get away from the city for a bonding trip but the day begins badly for Tony, who is pranked by the other four members. The members discuss the ups and downs of their lives thus far and their hopes for the future, both professionally and personally. Special guests appear and share their memories of the first-generation groups. Videos: Shin Dong-yup, Choi Hyuk-jun (ko), Suzy (miss A)
Kim Jae-duck
16 September 10, 2013
17 September 17, 2013 As the date for their magazine shoot draws closer, HOTSechgodRG must decide on a theme and what they will be wearing.
18 September 24, 2013 HOTSechgodRG discuss how age has caught up with them and ways to stay healthy.
19 October 1, 2013 Excitement builds for HOTSechgodRG as they fly to Guam for a rare holiday.[5] They try out different activities for the first time and compete against one another in a series of Running Man-style missions but impending bad weather threatens to ruin their tropical getaway.
20 October 8, 2013
21 October 15, 2013 HOTSechgodRG discuss the best and worst of each other's drinking habits. They get a surprise visit from their managers, who spill the beans about what it is like to work with them.
22 October 22, 2013
23 October 29, 2013
24 November 5, 2013 Hip-hop legend Tiger JK visits the set and reminisces with HOTSechgodRG. Tiger JK, Lee Si-eon
25 November 12, 2013 Uhm Hyun-kyung
26 November 19, 2013 HOTSechgodRG discuss their first impressions of one another's group members while they were still active.

HOTSechgodRG

Upon meeting to film the first episode, the five entertainers decided to name their "group" HOTSechgodRG (핫젝갓알지), which combines all of their idol group names. They released a digital single (a remake of NRG's "You Can Do It") and music video,[6][7] appeared together on Happy Together[8][9] and other variety shows and performed on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend.[4][10] The single reached #72 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[11] There were plans to hold a concert in December 2013 but with Tony An under investigation for illegal gambling, the four remaining members decided not to continue.[12]

In 2014, Moon Hee-joon, Eun Ji-won, Danny Ahn and Chun Myung-hoon reunited and starred in Where Is My Superhero? (W.I.S.H) which aired on OnStyle.[13] HOTSechgodRG did not make anymore appearances after that as Danny Ahn's group g.o.d had just recommenced group activities after a nine-year hiatus while Tony An was banned from television appearances by two major broadcasting stations due to his gambling conviction. The group remains close friends and have occasionally made guest appearances on one another's shows such as Eun Ji-won's travel show Plan Man.

Reception and impact

The show received considerable attention amongst long-time fans of the four groups and international netizens, especially after the episode of Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend which HOTSechgodRG participated in was broadcast and a subtitled version uploaded on YouTube by KBS World.[4] Reception was generally positive as many long-time observers and fans commented that during the 1990s and early 2000s, members from different groups (especially H.O.T. and Sechs Kies) collaborating for a television show was inconceivable back then due to the highly exclusive nature of the industry and such interactions had been discouraged.[1][4] According to the AGB Nielsen ratings, the first season had an average rating of 1.974% (a rating above 1% is considered a success for a cable channel in South Korea).[14]

Riding on the increased interest in first-generation groups, DSP Media announced in November 2013 that its "DSP Festival" concert in December would also feature disbanded first-generation groups Sechs Kies and Click-B alongside current artists.[15][16][17] Rumors also began circulating that HOTSechgodRG's respective idol groups would be reuniting;[15] g.o.d came out of hiatus in May 2014 while Sechs Kies, pioneering girl group S.E.S.[18] and NRG all reunited between 2016 and 2017.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sechs Kies reunited in 2016.
  2. ↑ g.o.d came out of hiatus in 2014 and recommenced group activities.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "HotSechGodRG to deliver memories of the '90s". The Korea Herald. May 15, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "1세대 원조 아이돌 '20세기 미소년'으로 돌아온다". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). April 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ "문희준ㆍ은지원 등 QTV '20세기 미소년' 출연" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. April 1, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "핫젝갓알지 '비에 스친 날들' 열창, "30대팬들 쓰러져"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). June 23, 2013.
  5. ↑ "핫젝갓알지, 괌 출국 포착..극과 극 공항패션". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). September 6, 2013.
  6. ↑ "20세기 미소년 프로젝트". Mnet.
  7. ↑ "[QTV] 20세기 미소년: 핫젝갓알지 - 할 수 있어 MV (Full Ver.)". YouTube (myrealQTV). May 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ "핫젝갓알지 (1)". KBS. July 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ "핫젝갓알지 (2)". KBS. July 11, 2013.
  10. ↑ "'20세기 미소년' 핫젝갓알지 "너희들, 우리 알지?"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). September 27, 2013.
  11. ↑ "2013년 22주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association.
  12. ↑ "'핫젝갓알지' 콘서트 취소, 불법도박 토니안 탓". The Korea Times (Los Angeles) (in Korean). November 19, 2013.
  13. ↑ "온스타일, 그룹 핫젝갓알지 예능 '위시' 방영" (in Korean). KBS. June 26, 2014.
  14. ↑ "'20세기 미소년' 스페셜, 핫젝갓알지 모든것 다시보기". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). July 20, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "핫젝갓알지 기다리다 팬들 목 빠지겠네". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). November 15, 2013.
  16. ↑ "[리뷰] 젝스키스·핑클·카라 'DSP페스티벌'…DSP미디어, 22년의 모든것". JoongAng Ilbo. December 14, 2013.
  17. ↑ "KARA's Gyuri confesses she tried out for the Big 3 (JYP, SM, YG) + Sechskies & Click B reunite at the 'DSP Festival'". allkpop. December 29, 2013.
  18. ↑ "[이정아의 셀러브리티]S.E.S.-젝스키스-god, 추억으로만 머물기에는 너무 뜨거워요" (in Korean). SBS. November 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ "NRG To Make First Comeback In 12 Years For 20th Debut Anniversary". Soompi. September 18, 2017.
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