Pinocchio (2014 TV series)

Pinocchio

Promotional poster for Pinocchio
Genre Romance
Drama
Comedy
Family
Written by Park Hye-ryun
Directed by Jo Soo-won
Shin Seung-woo
Starring Lee Jong-suk
Park Shin-hye
Kim Young-kwang
Lee Yu-bi
Opening theme "Non-Fiction" by Every Single Day
Country of origin South Korea
Original language(s) Korean
No. of episodes 20
Production
Executive producer(s) Choi Moon-suk
Producer(s) Park Chang-yong
Location(s) South Korea
Running time Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Production company(s) iHQ
Broadcast
Original channel Seoul Broadcasting System
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Original run November 12, 2014 – January 15, 2015
Chronology
Preceded by My Lovely Girl
Followed by Hyde, Jekyll, Me
External links
Website

Pinocchio (Hangul: 피노키오; RR: Pinokio) is a 2014-2015 South Korean television series starring Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye.[1][2] It aired on SBS from November 12, 2014 to January 15, 2015 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.[3][4]

Plot

In the year 2000, Ki Ha-myung is leading a happy life with his parents and older brother Jae-myung, until his father Ki Ho-sang, the captain of the firefighting squad, dies in a factory explosion during a rescue attempt along with several of his men. When Ho-sang's body is initially missing, the media sensationalizes the case by scapegoating him. In a battle for ratings, cold and calculating MSC reporter Song Cha-ok alleges that Ho-sang survived the blast, and is currently in hiding because he was responsible for the deaths of his men. This causes the Ki family to become outcasts in their neighborhood and objects of national scorn. Ha-myung's mother attempts to kill herself and her younger son by jumping off a cliff, and Jae-myung blames their deaths on the media, particularly Cha-ok.

But Ha-myung is alive, having been rescued from the water by Choi Gong-pil, a kind elderly man who lives on Hyangri Island. Gong-pil, who may either have Alzheimer's disease or trauma-induced memory loss, believes that Ha-myung is his older son Choi Dal-po, a simpleton who had died thirty years ago. Ha-myung, who has no one else in the world, embraces the deception and treats Gong-pil as his father. Gong-pil officially adopts Ha-myung, now named Dal-po, and places him in the family register as his eldest son. So five months later, when Gong-pil's younger son Choi Dal-pyung moves to the island with his daughter Choi In-ha, they are flabbergasted to be told by Gong-pil to address a mere boy as their "older brother" and "uncle," respectively. In-ha has "Pinocchio syndrome," which causes her to hiccup whenever she tells a lie.[5] She idolizes her mother, and hates living on the island after her parents' divorce. The fledgling friendship between Dal-po and In-ha is dashed, however, when he learns that In-ha's mother is none other than Song Cha-ok.

Five years later, Dal-po and In-ha are high school seniors and classmates at their small-town high school in 2005.[6][7] Dal-po, who is actually a genius, pretends to be dumb (like the real Dal-po) and gets all zeroes in his test scores. With his last-place class standing and scruffy, country bumpkin hair, Dal-po is friendless at school while In-ha is the most popular girl.[8] Dal-po secretly likes In-ha, and he is forced to join a televised quiz show at first to prevent Ahn Chan Soo who has a crush on In Ha from confessing to her on national TV, then later to protect her from losing a bet.[9] At the TV studio, he runs into the show producer Hwang Gyo-dong, who had been a YGN reporter and one of Cha-ok's rivals, but changed careers after what happened to the Ki family. After seeing Dal-po on TV, and despite knowing that her Pinocchio syndrome limits her career choices, In-ha decides to become a journalist.

In 2013, the Choi family has moved back to the city. While In-ha has spent the last three years after college studying to become a reporter after failing her job interviews 35 times, Dal-po works as a taxi driver. Cha-ok, who hasn't seen her daughter in a decade and is now MSC's nightly news anchor and section chief, fails In-ha at her final interview, saying a reporter with Pinocchio syndrome would be useless. Seeing how hurt In-ha is at her mother's rejection, Dal-po becomes determined to help her achieve her dream so he announces that he wants to become a reporter as well. A month later, In-ha and Dal-po apply at YGN's "blind" audition for broadcast news reporters, but only Dal-po gets hired. When confronted by Gyo-dong, now-chief of YGN's news desk, Dal-po confesses his real identity as well as his real motive for taking the job: he wants to find his older brother Jae-myung and clear their father's name. But what he doesn't know is that Jae-myung has taken revenge on the factory workers who lied about their father by killing two of them and framing the third one. Meanwhile, with MSC's credibility rating at an all-time low, Cha-ok hires In-ha, using her Pinocchio syndrome in a publicity stunt. Thus, Dal-po and In-ha become rookies at rival networks, and among their colleagues are Seo Beom-jo, who comes from a rich, sheltered chaebol background and has a connection to In-ha via a wrong cellphone number, and Yoon Yoo-rae, once an idol sasaeng fan who now uses those obsessive and determined traits in her new job.[10]

Cast

Main characters

Ki Ha-myung decides to forget his past and start a new life after being rescued by Choi Gong-pil, as the latter's eldest son. He adopts the name Dal-po and hides his brilliant brain and past memories with the pretense of being a simple old-fashioned country bumpkin. His feelings for In-ha have always been conflicted with his hatred for her mother, but he finds that he cannot deny them as they grow older. After years of being a taxi driver, he decides to become a reporter with In-ha to prove to reporter Song Cha-ok his family's innocence and to show what a true reporter is. However, Dal-po soon realizes that a reporter must constantly struggle with the idea of justice and truth in a world where everyone wants to hide the facts.
While most people with Pinocchio Syndrome choose to withdraw from the world and choose their words carefully, In-ha does the complete opposite. A straight-shooter, she believes in telling it like it is, no matter how painful or embarrassing it might be. Coupled with her stubborn nature and strong-willed personality, In-ha's nickname is the "bluntly speaking witch." After debating on her career path, she chooses to become a reporter because she believes that all news must be completely truthful and it might bring her closer to her mother Song Cha-ok. While she was initially baffled at her "uncle" Dal-po's coldness and antisocial attitude, In-ha eventually discovers Dal-po's warm heart underneath the aloofness and his sharp mind beneath his pretenses and comes to embrace him as family. However, her growing feelings towards him grow undeniable with her hiccups.
As a young man born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Beom-jo grew up never wanting or needing anything that wasn't within his grasp. Raised in such a comfortable and warm environment under a doting mother, he lived an unexciting but satisfied life until he started receiving texts from a girl named In-ha. The texts weren't meant for him, but Beom-jo became intrigued as the texts steadily came over the years, piquing his interest to meet this girl. Abandoning his job as a fashion magazine editor, he decides to join this In-ha girl in becoming a reporter. While he had originally become a reporter to meet In-ha, Beom-jo quickly discovers the power of the media and the thrills of seeking out the truth.
A past sasaeng fan who decides to become a reporter.

Supporting characters

YGN Newsroom
Chief of the YGN news desk. Always stiff-faced and a workaholic, Gyo-dong works with the motto "the truth can change the world." He looks out for Dal-po and tries to discreetly help him in proving his family's innocence.
MSC Newsroom
In-ha's estranged mother. A cold, merciless woman who chose to abandon her family for her career. Not many people like her due to her cold attitude but no one can deny she is one of the best news anchors in the industry.
Chief of the MSC news desk. A man who thinks he has the charisma and leadership of Song Cha-ok but in reality he turns timid around her.
Family
She is a wealthy CEO who owns several malls and seemingly a doting mother who spoils her son Beom-jo. But Rosa hides a darker side, having conspired with Song Cha-ok to deliberately divert the news.

Extended cast

Cameo appearances

Production

This series reunited actor Lee Jong-suk and actress Kim Hae-sook with screenwriter Park Hye-ryun and television director Jo Soo-won, who had collaborated a year before on I Can Hear Your Voice (2013).[24]

Ratings

Episode # Broadcast date Episode title[nb 1] Average audience share
TNmS Ratings[25] AGB Nielsen[26]
Nationwide Seoul National Capital Area Nationwide Seoul National Capital Area
1 12 November 2014 Pinocchio[nb 2] 7.8% (19th) 9.9% (14th) 7.8% (19th) 8.4% (17th)
2 13 November 2014 The Ugly Duckling[nb 3] 10.6% (14th) 12.8% (6th) 9.8% (15th) 10.8% (11th)
3 19 November 2014 The Snow Queen[nb 4] 9.4% (18th) 10.9% (14th) 9.4% (15th) 10.9% (11th)
4 20 November 2014 Romeo and Juliet[nb 5] 10.6% (14th) 12.8% (6th) 10.4% (16th) 11.8% (10th)
5 26 November 2014 The King Has Donkey Ears[nb 6] 9.2% (16th) 11.6% (9th) 10.2% (13th) 12.2% (8th)
6 27 November 2014 Two Years' Vacation[nb 7] 11.0% (11th) 14.1% (5th) 10.4% (14th) 12.1% (7th)
7 3 December 2014 The Frog in the Well[nb 8] 8.9% (18th) 11.3% (15th) 8.7% (16th) 9.6% (16th)
8 4 December 2014 A Lucky Day[nb 9] 10.8% (16th) 12.7% (10th) 10.2% (16th) 11.4% (11th)
9 10 December 2014 The Pied Piper of Hamelin[nb 10] 9.2% (16th) 11.1% (11th) 10.1% (12th) 11.9% (8th)
10 11 December 2014 The Boy Who Cried Wolf[nb 11] 10.8% (14th) 13.2% (6th) 10.7% (14th) 12.3% (8th)
11 17 December 2014 A Midsummer Night's Dream[nb 12] 11.1% (14th) 13.3% (7th) 10.4% (15th) 11.6% (10th)
12 18 December 2014 The Magic Flute[nb 13] 11.3% (14th) 13.5% (6th) 9.7% (18th) 10.9% (15th)
13 24 December 2014 The Gift of the Magi[nb 14] 10.4% (14th) 12.2% (9th) 9.8% (14th) 11.1% (8th)
14 25 December 2014 Hansel and Gretel[nb 15] 11.6% (11th) 13.3% (9th) 10.8% (14th) 11.7% (12th)
15 1 January 2015 Don Quixote[nb 16] 13.3% (9th) 15.6% (7th) 12.9% (9th) 14.6% (5th)
16 7 January 2015 The Emperor's New Clothes[nb 17] 12.9% (9th) 15.7% (5th) 11.8% (9th) 14.0% (5th)
17 8 January 2015 The Scarlet Letter[nb 18] 12.7% (8th) 15.1% (5th) 12.9% (5th) 15.2% (4th)
18 14 January 2015 The Red Shoes[nb 19] 12.6% (8th) 16.0% (5th) 11.9% (8th) 13.3% (5th)
19 The North Wind and the Sun[nb 20] 12.1% (11th) 15.5% (6th) 11.3% (10th) 12.1% (7th)
20 15 January 2015 Peter Pan[nb 21] 13.6% (6th) 16.7% (5th) 13.3% (5th) 15.1% (5th)
Average 11.0% 13.4% 10.6% 12.1%

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014
27th Grimae Awards
Best Actor Lee Jong-suk Won
SBS Drama Awards
 SBS Special Award Lee Jong-suk Won
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special Lee Jong-suk Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special Park Shin-hye Won
Top 10 Stars Lee Jong-suk Won
Park Shin-hye Won
Netizen Popularity Award Lee Jong-suk Nominated
Park Shin-hye Nominated
Best Couple Award[27] Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye Won
New Star Award Kim Young-kwang Won
Lee Yu-bi Won
2015
51st Baeksang Arts Awards
Best Actress (TV) Park Shin-hye Pending

Original soundtrack

Pinocchio:
Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released January 15, 2015
Genre Pop, K-pop, soundtrack, R&B
Length 52:56
Language Korean, English
Label CJ E&M, Gazi Contents
CD/Digital download[28]
No. TitleLyricsMusicArtist Length
1. "First Love" (첫사랑; Cheossarang)Jihoon, Tiger JK, BizzyConanTiger JK featuring Punch 3:20
2. "Pinocchio" (피노키오; Pinokio)Jihoon, Gu Ji-anRocoberryRoy Kim 3:33
3. "Non-Fiction"  Moon Sung-namMoon Sung-nam, Jung Jae-wooEvery Single Day 4:24
4. "Love Is Like Snow" (사랑은 눈처럼; Sarang-eun Nuncheoreom)Park Shin-won, Conan, RocoRocoberryPark Shin-hye 3:19
5. "The Only Person" (하나뿐인 사람; Hanappunin Saram)RocoberryRocoberryK.Will 3:20
6. "Kiss Me"  Jihoon, RocoRocoberryZion.T 3:09
7. "Passionate to Me" (뜨겁게 나를; Tteugeopge Nareul)JihoonJihoonYounha 3:49
8. "You're the One" (그대 하나로; Geudae Hanaro)JihoonOh Chang-hoon, Park Sung-hoKim Bo-kyung 3:35
9. "Dreaming a Dream" (꿈을 꾸다; Kkumeul Kkuda)Jihoon, Gu Ji-anRocoPark Shin-hye 3:20
10. "Challenge"  Moon Sung-namMoon Sung-namEvery Single Day 3:26
11. "My Story"  Moon Sung-namMoon Sung-namEvery Single Day 3:22
12. "Tears in the Crowd (Strings)"   Moon Sung-namVarious Artists 4:27
13. "Pino Dream (Strings)"   Moon Sung-namVarious Artists 3:52
14. "Calm and Passion"   Lee Kyung-sikVarious Artists 2:56
15. "Mysteric Them"   Jung Cha-sikVarious Artists 3:04
Total length:
 52:56

International broadcast

Notes

  1. ↑ Each of the episode titles is excerpted from well-known works of fiction, such as fairy tales, fables, novels and plays.
  2. ↑ The Adventures of Pinocchio
  3. ↑ The Ugly Duckling
  4. ↑ The Snow Queen
  5. ↑ Romeo and Juliet
  6. ↑ Midas
  7. ↑ Two Years' Vacation
  8. ↑ Chinese fable 井底之蛙 ("a frog in a well")
  9. ↑ Korean short story 운수 좋은 날 ("A Lucky Day") written by Hyun Jin-geon, published in 1924.
  10. ↑ Pied Piper of Hamelin
  11. ↑ The Boy Who Cried Wolf
  12. ↑ A Midsummer Night's Dream
  13. ↑ The Magic Flute
  14. ↑ The Gift of the Magi
  15. ↑ Hansel and Gretel
  16. ↑ Don Quixote
  17. ↑ The Emperor's New Clothes
  18. ↑ The Scarlet Letter
  19. ↑ The Red Shoes
  20. ↑ The North Wind and the Sun
  21. ↑ Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up

References

  1. ↑ Sung, So-young (8 November 2014). "Actors picked for Pinocchio". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  2. ↑ Lee, Min-ji (6 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye Praise Each Other Repeatedly". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  3. ↑ Hwang, Hye-jin (23 October 2014). "Lee Jong Suk, Park Shin Hye and More Attend First Script Reading for Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  4. ↑ Jeon, Su-mi (12 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye Ask Fans to Watch First Episode of Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  5. ↑ Choi, Shin-ae (4 November 2014). "Six Symptoms of Park Shin Hye's Pinocchio Syndrome Revealed". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  6. ↑ Jeon, Su-mi (4 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk Gives Park Shin Hye Piggyback Ride in Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  7. ↑ Choi, Shin-ae (7 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye Explode with Chemistry in Pinocchio BTS Photos". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  8. ↑ Lee, Ji-young (30 October 2014). "Lee Jong Suk Transforms into Country Boy for Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  9. ↑ Park, Ah-reum (3 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk Gets Exhilarated Upon Entering City in Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  10. ↑ "Characters Images and Descriptions Released for Pinocchio Actors Park Shin Hye, Lee Jong Suk, Kim Young Kwang, and Lee Yoo Bi". Soompi. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
  11. ↑ "Actor Lee Jong-suk Confirmed to Star in Pinocchio Alongside Park Shin Hye". Soompi. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
  12. ↑ Jeon, Su-mi (12 September 2014). "Lee Jong-suk Confirmed as Lead of Drama Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  13. ↑ Lee, Min-ji (6 November 2014). "Lee Jong-suk Lost Hair After Wearing a Bushy Wig for Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  14. ↑ Lee, Min-ji (1 February 2015). "Interview: Lee Jong Suk Wants to Keep Acting without Worrying About Managing His Filmography". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  15. ↑ "Lee Jong-suk Finds Acting Harder as He Gets More Famous". The Chosun Ilbo. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-06.
  16. ↑ "Actress Park Shin Hye Confirms Casting in New Drama Pinocchio". Soompi. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-09.
  17. ↑ "Park Shin-hye confirmed to star in Pinocchio". The Korea Herald. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  18. ↑ Lee, Ji-young (4 September 2014). "Park Shin Hye Confirmed as Lead of Drama Pinocchio". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  19. ↑ Lee, Min-ji (6 November 2014). "Park Shin Hye Isn't Concerned About Comparisons to The Heirs". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  20. ↑ Kim, Ji-yeon (1 February 2015). "Interview: Park Shin Hye Talks Having Good Luck with Men, Pinocchio and More". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  21. ↑ Lee, Min-ji (6 November 2014). "Lee Jong Suk Asked to Hit Kim Young Kwang in Drama". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  22. ↑ Hong, Hye-jin (15 January 2015). "Lee Joon appears in Pinocchio". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  23. ↑ "Kang-nam joins Pinocchio in cameo". K-Pop Herald. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  24. ↑ Jo, Hye-ryeon (6 November 2014). '피노키오' 이종석 "'너목들' 제작진과 두 번째 호흡, 기쁘다" [Lee Jong-suk from Pinocchio says "Glad to work with I Can Hear Your Voice crew once again"]. TV Report (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-11-19.
  25. ↑ "TNmS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNmS Ratings (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-11-12.
  26. ↑ "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-11-12.
  27. ↑ Kim, Min-jin (1 January 2015). "Four couples win best couple prize in SBS Drama Awards". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
  28. ↑ "iTunes — Music — Pinocchio (Original Television Soundtrack) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  29. ↑ Kim, Min-jin (24 November 2014). "Pinocchio sells distribution rights to China for record price". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  30. ↑ Choi, Shin-ae (24 November 2014). "Pinocchio Sold in China for Price 8 Times More than You Who Came From the Stars". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  31. ↑ Hong, Hye-jin (19 January 2015). "Pinocchio gains popularity in China". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  32. ↑ "Pinocchio continues making waves in China". K-Pop Herald. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "Pinocchio to premiere on December 17". One TV Asia. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  34. ↑ "EISEI GEKIJO to premiere Pinocchio in Japan on March 29, 2015". EISEI GEKIJO. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  35. ↑ "Channel 40, ETTV to premiere Pinocchio in Taiwan on April 2, 2015". ETTV. Retrieved 2015-02-10.

External links