SBS bets on franchise power with 'Good Partner,' 'Judge from Hell' and more

"From now through the first half of next year, the core of SBS dramas is 'series power,'" said Kim Gi-seul, SBS programming director.

SBS is rolling out a sweeping slate of dramas led by sequel seasons of proven franchises including "Good Partner" and "Chaebol X Detective," alongside new titles built around rich worlds and characters capable of anchoring the next generation of SBS franchises. The strategy is to cement the network's reputation as a premier content house by maximizing synergy with its in-house production arm Studio S and leading with a broad genre spectrum built on verified intellectual property.

SBS unveiled its drama lineup for the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027 at the "SBS DRAMA: NEXT EPISODE" media day held Monday at Hotel Naru in Mapo-gu, Seoul. "Agent Kim Reactivated," set to premiere June 26, kicks off the slate, which spans new titles conceived with sequel potential in mind as well as follow-up seasons to existing mega-hit properties.

The most anticipated returns are sequels to popular franchises following the success of "Exemplary Detective 3" earlier this year. The second half of 2026 will bring back "Chaebol X Detective," which drew strong viewership in 2024, and "Good Partner," which peaked at an 18.7 percent rating that same year — both returning for second seasons. "Judge from Hell" will then return for its second season next year.

Studio S CEO Hong Seong-chang, who took the stage at the media day, said the key to sustaining a franchise lies in trust between the production team and the cast. "Sequel seasons are only possible when viewers want them, and I believe the secret is the extraordinary trust between the crew and the actors," he said. "With each new season, we produce with the mindset that we must be just a little better than the one before."

Programming director Kim said SBS's success with the franchise model comes down to three things. "I think it's possible at SBS because of the solid fictional worlds, the distinctive characters Studio S has built, and the satisfying sense of justice and common sense that gets delivered onscreen," he said.

Leading the second-half lineup is "Agent Kim Reactivated," the new Friday-Saturday drama that opens the slate. The series follows an ordinary father's fight to get his only daughter back, with So Ji-sub playing the title character.

So, who attended the event, described his character as a father raising a high school sophomore daughter on his own. "The dramatic elements capturing the emotions of a father raising his daughter alone are what make this work so appealing," he said, adding that viewers would see a new side of him.

Also set to air in the second half of the year are "Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia," starring Kim Ji-won and based on the hit Japanese series "Doctor X," and "Nine to Six," an office romance starring Park Min-young and Yook Sung-jae. On top of its signature Friday-Saturday dramas — known for immersive genre storytelling and cathartic, crowd-pleasing plots — SBS plans to push into the weekday drama market through a wider range of genre experiments.

Kim said the strength of SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas comes from a clear identity built around immersive genre pieces and satisfying, justice-driven narratives. "We plan to run a two-track strategy — adding weekday dramas resuming in November to offer romantic comedies and mystery thrillers alongside our Friday-Saturday lineup," he said.

The first half of next year brings a wide-ranging slate of ambitious titles: "Awakening," an occult exorcism drama following "Revenant"; "Odds in Our Favor," a comic courtroom series starring Lee Je-hoon and Ha Young; "Nightmare," a justice drama in which a wrongdoer who cannot be punished by law is trapped in a nightmare; and "Full Count," a new baseball drama carrying on the legacy of "Stove League."

Lee Je-hoon, who became synonymous with the SBS franchise model through "Exemplary Detective," returns in "Odds in Our Favor" as Kwon Baek, an eccentric former lawyer turned court administrator. "After 'Exemplary Detective' received so much love, I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of character to take on next," Lee said. "If Do Ki-gi was a dark hero who operated outside the boundaries of the law, Kwon Baek is someone who moves in and out of the legal arena with flair and ease."

The media day also touched on global content distribution and the adoption of AI technology. SBS supplies original content to audiences worldwide through a strategic partnership with Netflix.

"We've essentially jumped onto a galloping horse called OTT," Hong said. "OTT platforms are essential to globalizing SBS dramas." He added that the company's strategy is to make every project a success — whether it airs on the broadcast channel or premieres on a global streaming service.

SBS is also actively integrating AI technology into its production process, with cost reduction as the biggest benefit. AI was used in select scenes of "Agent Kim Reactivated" ahead of its premiere. Hong said AI cuts costs by more than 60 percent compared with productions that do not use it. "As these efforts accumulate, I believe they will ultimately become a competitive advantage," he said.

Lee Seung-young, the director of "Agent Kim Reactivated," said the pace of AI video technology development had been striking over the five months he spent on the project. "When we had to pull off dangerous or large-scale scenes under limited conditions, I felt that AI could go some way toward satisfying what directors need," he said.