Signal (South Korean TV series)
| Signal | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Written by | Kim Eun-hee |
| Directed by | Kim Won-seok |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "I Will Forget You" by Jung Cha-sik |
| Ending theme |
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| Composers |
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| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editor | Kim Na-young |
| Camera setup | Single camera |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Production company | AStory |
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | January 22 – March 12, 2016 |
| Related | |
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Signal (Korean: 시그널; RR: Sigeuneol) is a 2016 South Korean police procedural television series starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo and Cho Jin-woong. It premiered on tvN on January 22, 2016. A total of 16 episodes aired on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 KST, with the final episode airing on March 12, 2016.[2][3][4] The series was inspired by real-life criminal incidents in Korea,[5] including the Hwaseong serial murders.[6][7]
The series received widespread acclaim from audience and critics alike for its story and performances. It also became one of the highest rated dramas in Korean cable television history with a peak audience share of 12.54%.
A Japanese remake starring Kentaro Sakaguchi aired from April 10 to June 12, 2018 on Fuji TV.[8][9]
Synopsis
A mysterious walkie talkie allows a detective in the year 2000 to communicate with a cold case profiler from 2015; with the power of fore and hindsight the two not only solve crimes but prevent them from ever taking place. However, a long-standing murder case is closer to home than either realizes. A detective Lee Jae-han(Cho Jin-woong) tries to create a world where those who have done wrong deserve punishment, but a huge force interferes with it.
Cast
Main
- Lee Je-hoon as Park Hae-young[10]
- Kim Hye-soo as Cha Soo-hyun[11]
- Cho Jin-woong as Lee Jae-han[12]
Supporting
Police officers
- Jang Hyun-sung as Kim Bum-joo
- Jung Hae-kyun as Ahn Chi-soo
- Kim Won-hae as Kim Gye-chul
- Jung Han-bi as Oh Yoon-seo
- Lee Yoo-jun as Jung Han-ki
- Kim Min-kyu as Hwang Eui-kyung
Extended
- Jung Han-Bi as Oh Yoon Seo (Forensic Scientist)
- Kim Hyun-Bin as young Park Hae-Young
- Kang Chan-hee as Park Sun-woo
- Lee Moon-soo as Lee Jae-han's father
- Seo Ju-hee as Cha Soo-hyun's mother
- Lim Hwa-young as Cha Soo-hyun's younger sister
Special appearances
- Oh Yeon-ah as Yoon Soo-ah (ep.1-2)
- Lee Young-eun as Kim Yoon-jung (ep.1-2)
- Lee Si-a as Kim Won-kyung (ep.2-4)
- Kim Jung-young as Won-kyung's aunt (ep.2-4)
- Kim Ki-cheon as Lee Chun-goo (ep.3-4)
- Lee Dong-ha as Han Se-kyu (ep.5-8)
- Jung Suk-yong as Oh Kyung-tae (ep.5-7)
- Park Si-eun as Oh Eun-ji (ep.5-6)
- Choi Woo-ri as Shin Yeo-jin (ep.5-6)
- Yoo Ha-bok as Shin Dong-Hoon (ep.5-7)
- Son Hyun-joo as Jang Young-chul (ep.7,11,14,16)
- Lee Na-ra as Shin Da-hye (ep.7-8)
- Lee Sang-yeob as Kim Jin-woo (ep.9-11)
- Lee Chae-kyung as Jin-woo's mother (ep.10)
- Seo Eun-ah as Yoo Seung-yeon (ep.10-11)
- Shin Yi-joon as Kang Hye-seung (young / ep.11-14)
- Kim Woo-suk as Lee Dong-Jin (ep.12-14)
- Hwang Seung-eon as Han Do-yeon (ep.13)
- Jeon Su-ji as Kang Hye-seung (adult / ep.13-14)
- Seo Ji-hoon as Jang Tae-jin (ep.14)
Original soundtrack
| Signal OST | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | 15 March 2016 |
| Genre | Pop, K-pop, soundtrack |
| Producer | CJ E&M |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "회상" (Reminisce) | Jang Bum-joon (Busker Busker) | 4:27 |
| 2. | "떠나야할 그사람" (The One Who Will Leave) | INKII | 4:06 |
| 3. | "나는 너를" (I Will Forget You) | Jung Cha-sik | 4:24 |
| 4. | "길" (The Road) | Kim Yoon-ah | 4:27 |
| 5. | "행복한 사람" (Happy Person) | Jo Dong-hee | 3:34 |
| 6. | "꽃잎" (A Petal) | Leesa | 3:16 |
| 7. | "꽃이 피면" (As Flower Blooms) | Lee Seung-yeol | 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Detective Lee Jae-han" (형사 이재한) | Various Artists | |
| 2. | "For Those Who Left Behind" (남겨진 이들을 위해) | Various Artists | |
| 3. | "Young Park Hae Young" (소년 박해영) | Various Artists | |
| 4. | "Conclusive Evidence" (결정적 증거) | Various Artists | |
| 5. | "Heartfelt Desire" (절실한 염원) | Various Artists | |
| 6. | "Send The Signal Desperately" (간절함이 보내온 신호) | Various Artists | |
| 7. | "New Clue" (새로운 단서) | Various Artists | |
| 8. | "Past Can Be Changed" (과거는 바뀔 수 있습니다) | Various Artists | |
| 9. | "Jae Han's Reason" (재한의 추리) | Various Artists | |
| 10. | "Pain That Can't Be Heal" (치유되지 않는 아픔) | Various Artists | |
| 11. | "Footsteps of Nostalgia" (그리움의 발자취) | Various Artists | |
| 12. | "Profiling" (프로파일링) | Various Artists | |
| 13. | "형기대의 하루" | Various Artists | |
| 14. | "Tracking" (추적) | Various Artists | |
| 15. | "Don't Give Up" (포기하지마) | Various Artists | |
| 16. | "Crime Scene" (범행현장) | Various Artists | |
| 17. | "A Series of Labyrinthine" (미궁의 연속) | Various Artists | |
| 18. | "Real Culprit" (진범) | Various Artists | |
| 19. | "Run Too, Today" (오늘도 달린다) | Various Artists | |
| 20. | "Only I Didn't Know" (혼자만 모른다) | Various Artists | |
| 21. | "Long-term Unsolved Case" (장기미제사건) | Various Artists | |
| 22. | "The Truth Revealed" (드러나는 진실) | Various Artists | |
| 23. | "Cool Air" (서늘한 공기) | Various Artists | |
| 24. | "Plot" (음모) | Various Artists | |
| 25. | "Suggestion" (암시) | Various Artists |
Reception
Upon its premiere, the series attracted attention for weaving actual cases into its plot and attained high ratings.[13][14] With its finale rating of 12.54%, it is one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history.[15][16] It received praise for its solid acting, tightly-constructed plot and detailed and sophisticated direction; and enjoyed success internationally in China and Japan.[17][18][19]
The drama went on to win several awards from different award-giving bodies, including Best Drama, Best Screenplay for Kim Eun-hee, and Best Actress for Kim Hye-soo at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as another Best Actress award for Kim and the Daesang (Grand Prize for Television) for Cho Jin-woong at the tvN10 Awards. Cho also won the Daesang at the 1st Asia Artist Awards for his performance.
Ratings
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGB Nielsen[20] | TNmS[21] | |||
| Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | ||
| 1 | January 22, 2016 | 5.415% | 5.960% | 6.4% |
| 2 | January 23, 2016 | 6.926% | 7.343% | 6.1% |
| 3 | January 29, 2016 | 8.239% | 8.910% | 8.5% |
| 4 | January 30, 2016 | 7.666% | 8.601% | 7.5% |
| 5 | February 5, 2016 | 7.789% | 7.568% | 7.6% |
| 6 | February 6, 2016 | 7.077% | 6.710% | 7.3% |
| 7 | February 12, 2016 | 8.612% | 8.454% | 9.0% |
| 8 | February 13, 2016 | 7.784% | 7.913% | 8.6% |
| 9 | February 19, 2016 | 7.803% | 7.672% | 8.4% |
| 10 | February 20, 2016 | 9.195% | 8.945% | 8.7% |
| 11 | February 26, 2016 | 10.456% | 11.915% | 8.8% |
| 12 | February 27, 2016 | 10.065% | 10.865% | 9.2% |
| 13 | March 4, 2016 | 9.667% | 8.918% | 9.7% |
| 14 | March 5, 2016 | 11.120% | 12.155% | 10.6% |
| 15 | March 11, 2016 | 10.772% | 12.145% | 9.8% |
| 16 | March 12, 2016 | 12.544% | 13.541% | 12.8% |
| Average | 8.821% | 9.226% | 8.7% | |
- This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Signal | Won | |
| Best Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Cho Jin-woong | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Kim Hye-soo | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Eun-hee | Won | |||
| 5th APAN Star Awards | Best Screenwriter | Won | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Cho Jin-woong | Won | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kim Hye-soo | Nominated | |||
| 9th Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Signal | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Director | Kim Won-seok | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Kim Eun-hee | Nominated | |||
| tvN10 Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang), Actor | Cho Jin-woong | Won | [22] | |
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Lee Je-hoon | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress | Kim Hye-soo | Won | [22] | ||
| PD's Choice Award | Lee Je-hoon | Won | |||
| Scene Stealer Actor | Jang Hyun-sung | Nominated | |||
| Best Content Award, Drama | Signal | Won | |||
| 1st Asia Artist Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Cho Jin-woong | Won | ||
| Kim Hye-soo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Celebrity Award, Actor | Lee Je-hoon | Nominated | |||
| 18th Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best OST | Jang Beom-jun | Nominated | ||
| Korea Content Awards | Presidential Commendation Award | Kim Eun-hee | Won | ||
| 2017 | Brand of the Year Awards | Drama Writer of the Year | Won |
Remakes
The series was re-made as a Japanese drama on 2018.
On October 23 2019, Unknown Number, a Chinese remake of Signal, started airing on Tencent Video.
See also
International broadcast
Philippines: Cine Mo! - July 2 to September 3, 2017 and Asianovela Channel - February 4, 2019 to present
Streaming on Netflix (India) as of October,2019
Streaming on Netflix (US) as of October, 2019
References
- ^ ""Signal" and "Prison Playbook" to Come Back as Multi-Season Dramas". HanCinema. August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Radwa Ashraf (9 December 2015). ""Signal": a paranormal cop drama debuts in 2016". The Asian. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "New tvN thriller to pick up where 'Reply 1988' left off". Yonhap News Agency. 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Signal drama plot and cast update". The AsiaN.
- ^ Jung, Min-kyung (2016-03-07). "Crimes in 'Signal' based on real Korean cases". The Korea Herald.
- ^ '시그널' 김혜수·이제훈, 화성연쇄살인사건 맡았다. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 23 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
- ^ "Unsolved cases that 'Signal' could crack". The Korea Times. 18 February 2016.
- ^ "[단독] '시그널' 日 리메이크 확정, 사카구치 켄타로 출연". YTN.
- ^ "坂口健太郎、ドラマ初主演で警察官に！過去と現在が交差…未解決事件に挑む". Cinema Today.
- ^ Lee, Mina (August 20, 2015). "이제훈, tvN 드라마 '시그널' 출연". Oh My Star News (in Korean). Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Hwang, Joo-won (September 21, 2015). "김혜수·조진웅·이제훈 tvN 드라마 '시그널' 출연 확정". Interview 365 (in Korean). Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Park, So-hyun (September 21, 2015). "'시그널' 김혜수, 그 우아한 도전에 거는 기대". Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ "TV drama 'Signal' enjoying high viewer ratings". The Korea Herald. 29 February 2016.
- ^ "'Signal' sets another ratings record". The Korea Times. 28 February 2016.
- ^ "'Signal' lures record TV audience". Korea Times. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Drama 'Signal' concludes with double-digit viewership". The Korea Times. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ^ "'Signal' tells Korea's true crime tales". Korea JoongAng Daily. 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Korean drama 'Signal' sees critical success in China". The Korea Times.
- ^ "'Signal' to begin airing in Japan next month". The Korea Herald.
- ^ "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "TNmS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNmS Ratings (in Korean). Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ a b "'Reply 1988' chosen as tvN's top drama". Yonhap News Agency. 10 October 2016.
External links
- TVN (South Korea) television dramas
- 2016 South Korean television series debuts
- 2010s South Korean television series
- Korean-language television programs
- South Korean crime television series
- South Korean fantasy television series
- Police procedural television series
- Television series about multiple time paths
- Television series about time travel
- Films with screenplays by Kim Eun-hee