"The Moon that Embraces the Sun" to Get an Extension?

Popular drama “The Moon that Embraces the Sun,” starring Kim Soo Hyun, Han Ga In, and Jung Il Woo, may be extended by four episodes. Earlier today, producers of the series stated, “We’re currently looking over the possibility of extending the show by four episodes. The senior members of MBC’s drama department are discussing a possible extension.”  

It’s highly likely that MBC will grant the extension, especially because “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” has been doing so well. It achieved 18% (AGB Nielsen) viewership ratings for its first episode and reached 31.7% by its eighth.

The fact that the series went past 30% before the halfway mark has many fans and critics predicting that the drama will reach 40%, and possibly 50%, before its end. Only a handful of dramas have rated more than 40% in the last ten years, including “Queen Seonduk,” (2009), “My Name is Kim Sam Soon,” (2005), and “Dae Jang Geum,” (2003). “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” was originally scheduled to air 20 episodes and end on March 8. However, if it is granted the extension, MBC will air its last episode on March 22, pushing back Lee Seung Gi and Ha Ji Won’s “The King.”

All three major broadcasting stations aired new Wednesday-Thursday dramas (SBS’s “Take Care of Us, Captain,” KBS’s “Wild Romance,” and MBC’s “The Moon that Embraces the Sun) on the same date, January 4, initially causing a lot of hype. However, “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” was a clear favorite from the start, leaving its competitors with low single digit ratings. The drama was enough of a threat to have competing broadcasting station KBS think of airing a mini four episode drama once its “Wild Romance” ends on February 23 – a measure KBS is thinking of taking in order to give its Wed-Thurs followup, “The Equator Man,” a chance at good ratings.