The innovation of Chinese variety show under the impact of Korean variety show—taking Chinese variety show “Kitchen in the Wild” as an example

Key Words: Kitchen in the Wild, the copying of variety show, the innovation of variety show, text analysis, case study

Abstract. In recent year, China copying Koreanrsquo;s original variety show has become a prevailing practice. The number of original works in China accounts for a small part in comparison with copied works. As an original variety show, Kitchen in the Wild is questioned to be a copy of Back to Field. Hence, Kitchen in the Wild will be the object of this study in order to find out if it is original and innovative, and its merits and demerits. These results will reflect the problems facing the whole Chinese variety show, followed by solutions. Firstly, the content of Kitchen in the Wild and Back to Field Season One will be compared for proving that the former is not copied from the other. Then, analyze the feature of reference and innovation. Next, text comments of the program on Douban.com will be divided into two parts, the reasons of its popularity and its problems, which would be analyzed with specific examples. At last, give recommendations to the program and Chinese variety show, combined with policies and current situation of variety show in China.

1. Introduction

South Korea experienced a long time copying original TV programs in Europe, America and Japan before the appearance of their own original programs. They finally created various popular original shows with their own cultural features with the financial and political support of Korean government in culture industry (Shuyue Hui, 2017)¹⁴. For example, variety shows like X-Man, Lover Letter, Two Days One Night, Three Meals a Day, Dad Where Are We Going?, I Am a Singer and Running Man are not only popular in the origin Korea, also prevalent among Chinese after imported to China. Due to their innovative program format, professional team, advanced filming technology, policy in both countries, cultural origin, geographical location, etc. Korean variety show has deeply influenced Chinese peoplersquo;s lives in many ways, including clothing, cosmetics, food, entertainment, etc. Shuyue Hui (2017)¹⁴ indicates that Korean variety show is so influential that it can be called cultural hegemony, which has undoubtedly constituted a threat to the security of Chinese national culture.

To curb the momentum of Korean wave, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has launched a series of policies to limit the development of Korean wave and encourage independence and innovation of Chinese program. A policy has taken into effect in October 2013, the number of program each television station importing from abroad must not be more than one, which is the enhanced version of cutback on TV entertainment. From then on, China has emerged a large number of copied variety shows originated from South Korea, Back to Field made by Hunan Satellite TV is one of them. This is a copy of the original Three Meals a Day. The obvious feature of both is three celebrities settle at a village home and cook. Recently, one of celebrities called Lei Huang in Back to Field directed a new program named Kitchen in the Wild, in which three actors have self-driving tour and cook in different places in the wild, which is an innovation, despite that both are the same type of show.

However, some internet users doubt that Kitchen in the Wild is another copy of Back to Field. Is Kitchen in the Wild really a copy or innovative while absorbing the merits of Korean program? What are strengths and weaknesses of Kitchen in the Wild? How to improve Kitchen in the Wild? How to improve Chinese variety show? In this study, I will discuss about these questions. I will compare Kitchen in the Wild to Back to Field in terms of format and Channel of distribution, then analyze audiencersquo;s evaluation of Kitchen in the Wild on Douban.com in order to find out its merits and demerits. In the end, I will make suggestions on both Kitchen in the Wild and the development of Chinese variety show.

2. Format discovering of Kitchen in the Wild

Back to Field is similar to Three Meals a Day in many ways, including the program value, the design of the house where participants lived in, domestic animals, roles of participants, the way of guests showing up, the way of obtaining ingredients, the design of poster, etc. Although Hunan television denied copying due to different content, it cannot convince the audience as the planning is obviously a copy. Recently, Kitchen in the Wild aired on this TV station are accused of copying Back to Field, but the television denied and some internet users see it as an original program. To explore the truth, six aspects including program value, main content, filming location, participants, the way of guests showing up and the way of obtaining ingredients of Back to Field Season One and Kitchen in the Wild will be compared and discussed in this section.

3. Program value and main content

Back to Field Season Onersquo;s intention origins from fast-paced life in cities. The program is intended to arouse city dwellersrsquo; consciousness of living a slow-paced life. However, Kitchen in the Wildrsquo;s intention origins from the life of ordering take-out food, which is different from Back to Field Season One. Nowadays many people are very busy at working and studying, hence ordering take-out has been one of their ways of living and they are

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