'My Name Is Gabriel' losing viewership battle with 'Jinny's Kitchen'

"My Name Is Gabriel," starring Park Bo-gum (left) (JTBC)

"My Name Is Gabriel," one of the most highly anticipated entertainment shows of this year, going head-to-head with the second season of star producer Na Young-seok's "Jinny's Kitchen," has continued to suffer low viewership, with experts noting the show has failed to leverage Kim's strengths.

"My Name Is Gabriel" stars top celebrities such as actor Park Bo-gum and TV personality Kim Jin-young, otherwise known as Dex, who adopt different identities for 72 hours.

Directed by popular producer Kim Tae-ho, known for hits such as "Infinite Challenge," the show initially generated considerable interest.

This interest was heightened as it aired at the same time as Na's "Jinny's Kitchen," resulting in a high-profile weekend battle between two top producers.

"My Name Is Gabriel" has logged low viewership ratings, with its first two episodes on June 21 and 28 logging 1.5 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, while "Jinny's Kitchen" premiered at 6.9 percent in the ratings on June 28.

Perhaps wishing to avoid direct competition, "My Name Is Gabriel" switched from 8:50 p.m. on Friday to a later time slot, at 10:30 p.m.

Despite the change, the show continued to struggle with ratings in the 1 percent range. The fifth episode on July 19 even dipped below the single-digit mark to record 0.9 percent. Eight episodes remain in the season.

From left: Choi Woo-shik, Park Seo-jun, Lee Seo-jin, Jung Yu-mi and Go Min-si of "Jinny's Kitchen "(tvN)

Experts have attributed the low ratings of "My Name Is Gabriel" to its failure in leveraging Kim Tae-ho's strength of highlighting the chemistry among stars.

"Kim excels at highlighting the chemistry between diverse cast members, but 'My Name Is Gabriel' focuses on a reality show format with the cast living abroad for 72 hours, missing this key element," said pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik.

"Additionally, the program's concept feels outdated. It seems to aim for presenting multicultural values, reflecting a time when Korean viewers were interested in understanding other cultures. This 'multicultural code' was popular from 2008 to 2010, but there is no longer a demand for it in Korea's current popular culture," he added.

Kim also pointed out that unlike "Jinny's Kitchen," the missions in "My Name Is Gabriel" lack clarity.

"With so many entertainment programs available, a show needs a clear purpose to engage viewers. In this regard, 'My Name Is Gabriel' falls short, as its missions are briefly handled and are a collection of disparate tasks without a cohesive goal," Kim said.

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)