Cha Seung-won’s variety show failed “‘Expedition to Maya’ ended with lowest rating of 1.5%”

tvN’s variety show “Expedition to Maya” ended with a disappointing rating of 1.5%

“Expedition to Maya”, which concluded on Sep 29th, followed the journey of explorers led by Cha Seung-won as they sought to unlock the secrets of the ancient Maya civilization, one of the seven wonders of the world. Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun and Juyeon were part of the cast.

“Expedition to Maya” gained attention as it was the first program directed by PD Bang Geul-yi, who previously directed KBS2’s “1 Night 2 Days Season 4” after moving to CJ ENM. The main attraction was Cha Seung-won, who previously earned the nickname “Aunt Cha” for his amazing cooking skills on “Three Meals a Day”.

Cha Seung-won previously enjoyed immense popularity with tvN’s variety shows. Programs featuring him all easily exceeded 10%. “Korean Hostel in Spain” also achieved a peak rating of 11.7%. The combination of Cha Seung-won, Yoo Hae-jin and PD Na Young-seok was considered a trustworthy formula.

However, the change in PD from Na Young-seok to Bang Geul-yi and the introduction of new cast members Kim Sung-kyun and Juyeon, instead of Yoo Hae-jin, led to disappointing ratings for “Expedition to Maya”. The show started with a rating of 3.8% but dropped to the 2% range in just 4 episodes. In episode 8, the rating dropped to 1.9%, and the final episode recorded the show’s lowest rating of 1.5%. Even considering the risk of airing during the Chuseok holiday, the consistent decline in ratings indicated clear disappointment.

Critics believe that “Expedition to Maya” failed to capture viewers’ interest due to its lackluster exploration of the Maya civilization and chemistry among cast members. The chemistry among the cast did not shine, and this affected Cha Seung-won’s charisma. The attempt to highlight the Maya civilization as a differentiation fell flat, resulting in a travel variety show that left much to be desired.

Source: Daum