KBS's new show 'The Entertainer' focuses on star quality and talent, featuring diverse performances and a unique audition format.

The entertainer, which puts talent and star quality in the forefront rather than ability, emphasized the differences from other audition programs. Today (31st) afternoon, at KBS's new variety program 'The Entertainer' production presentation held at the KBS New Hall Art Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, Park Jin-young (J.Y. Park), Red Velvet's Wendy, Kim Ha-neul, Cha Tae-hyun, and producer Yang Hyuk attended. The program is a project to find 'Tantara (entertainers)' who can sing, dance, act, and do variety shows, presented by Park Jin-young in collaboration with KBS. The audition will evaluate various genres such as comedy, acting, singing, dancing, classical, vocal music, and trot (Korean enka). Producer Yang Hyuk stated, 'It’s more of a program where drama, music shows, and performances can be enjoyed together rather than just an audition program. There are really many auditions just in the second half of the year. At that point, I pondered how to approach it from a different angle. I think there are lives of participants in audition programs. Together with the masters, we will explore the potential of the participants, putting their lives into it.' He introduced, 'It has been 30 years since Park Jin-young debuted, but I think we need to pay attention to this word again. 'Tantara' is a hot word.' Park Jin-young, who has been a judge for many audition programs like 'K-POP Star,' teamed up again with producer Yang Hyuk and scriptwriter Choi Moon-kyung of the 'Golden Girls' production team. He expressed his frustration when he had to eliminate participants who had star quality but lacked ability in 'K-POP Star,' saying, 'Just because you have ability doesn’t mean you become a star. Star quality manifests in various ways.' He added, 'I tried to simplify the judging criteria. I chose people who sparked interest, no matter what they did.' He mentioned late stars like Baek Nam-bong, Nam Bo-won, Lee Joo-il, and Kong Ok-jin as his ideas of 'Tantara (entertainers),' saying, 'I want to create a playground where participants can fully express their talents. It feels like a blend of 'SNL' and past 'Hey Hey Hey.' While excellent talents should emerge, I think viewers will be truly surprised from the first broadcast. One participant crawls on the stage floor, not out of shallow wit, but to genuinely express something. Only those who presented something ordinary were eliminated. As long as it’s interesting, there are no restrictions.' He spoke about the differences from other audition programs. Centered around Park Jin-young, Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, and Wendy joined as masters. Kim Ha-neul, who is making her regular variety show appearance for the first time in 28 years since her debut, said, 'I hesitated to participate because I had to evaluate someone, but I decided to join because I was attracted to the differences from other auditions.' She expressed, 'I wanted to do my best to help (the participants). I found it interesting. Although it’s a field I don’t know well, I think the emotions are similar to the music and dance I listened to and watched. I feel a sense of fulfillment in expressing and evaluating those aspects.' Cha Tae-hyun said it was more meaningful because he was a winner of 'Super Talent,' which has a similar atmosphere to 'The Entertainer.' He joked, 'The place hasn’t changed at all. I thought KBS doesn’t decorate the interior much.' He added, 'Back then, there were no observation cameras, and it remained just our memories, but now viewers can see those memories. I became very close with older participants, and on the day of the competition, I didn’t care about the results. This program is the same. You can see various aspects, and I think you’ll see a lot of chemistry and affection among them.' The youngest, Wendy, shared her fresh feelings, saying, 'I felt like I found someone I’ve never seen before. I couldn’t forget it even on the way home after watching the stage, thinking, 'What is this combination?' I think that lingering feeling is a big reason to become 'Tantara.' Producer Yang Hyuk noted, 'Kim Ha-neul has never appeared in a variety show, while Cha Tae-hyun has too much experience. They are opposites.' He added, 'We needed idols with rich abilities and backgrounds who can be viewed with the MZ generation (Millennial + Gen Z) perspective. Wendy is a perfect idol who is good at everything, having experience as an audition judge.' The winner will sign an exclusive contract with JYP Entertainment, led by Park Jin-young. Producer Yang Hyuk expressed hope for a Season 2, stating, 'Many KBS audition programs often have no follow-up, and many are worried about that.' He mentioned, 'We are specifically discussing the activities after the program with Park Jin-young. I think those who participated must succeed.' Cha Tae-hyun advised, 'Even if participants get eliminated, they should create a 'Chal' (short video or image like a meme). We will judge, but the goal is to stand out to the viewers. I hope this program is chosen as this year’s program at the 'KBS Entertainment Awards.' If those who create the program do well, I don’t think it’s an impossible dream.' Kim Ha-neul expressed, 'When a child is very adorable and beautiful, you want to boast to those around you, 'My child has this charm. They are so cute.' But during the judging, I already found participants I want to boast about. I have that feeling, so I’m confident. If viewers watch with similar feelings, I think they will support and become fans of the participants.' KBS 2TV's new variety program 'The Entertainer' will start airing on November 3 at 9:20 PM.