“Gag Concert, I hated you, but thank you for coming back!”

The cast and crew of . Courtesy of KBS

Gag Concert will return, three years and six months after it closed with the 1,050th episode in June 2020.

“I resented KBS a lot, but I’m also grateful that they called me back,” said comedian Kim Won-hyo at an event to announce the show’s production at the KBS Annex in Yeouido, Seoul on the afternoon of November 1.

Gag Concert first aired on September 4, 1999 and was a huge hit. It was a gateway to fame for rookie comedians, and many entertainers who are still active today, such as Yoo Se-yoon, Jung Hyung-don, Yoo Min-sang and Shin Bong-sun, rose to stardom on this show.

At one point, the show was loved by the entire nation with a viewership rating of nearly 30%, but it closed after being criticized for falling behind the times. In the show’s absence, YouTube-based comedians and content, such as “Psick University” and “Shortbox” drew attention. Kim Sang-mi, the chief producer (CP) in charge of Gag Concert, said, “Since YouTube content is really funny we plan to accept and apply what we can. We even brought a segment from YouTube’s FokCine to the stage.”

Since Gag Concert is a comedy show aired on a public broadcasting network, it also aims to present quality skits suitable for the entire family. Kim said, “We want to create a show that won’t make parents or kids feel awkward when they watch it together--a show they can watch and talk about together.” “Spicy tteokbokki is not all that they sell in the market, and just like that we will let people enjoy different flavors (of comedy),” said Kim Won-hyo.

On Wednesday, the comedians demonstrated three sketches before the press. “Golden Kids (Geumjjok) Kindergarten” tells a story of the only two students of a kindergarten for precious kids in an age of the low birthrate. “How about a Girl Like Defconn?” is about a pursuing woman and a man of reason, and “Nitung’s Screening Humanity” portrays the life of a Filipino daughter-in-law, Nitung. The main actors are all newcomers. Kim Ji-young, who plays Nitung, said, “I once auditioned for KBS with this character, but didn’t make it. All the more reason why I wanted to stand on the Gag Concert stage.”

Gag Concert will premiere on November 12. On November 28, the Netflix comedy show, Comedy Royale, will also premiere. Some people say there will be competition.

“I was sad to hear that Comedy Big League was ending when I was preparing the show, but I was happy to hear that such a show would be released on Netflix,” said the show’s chief producer, adding, “We may lack a lot of money for production, but there is no lack of passion. So I hope the viewers will enjoy the show while comparing it with Comedy Royale.”