Infinite Challenge (Korean: 무한도전; Hanja: 無限挑戰; RR: Muhan Dojeon; abbreviated as Korean: 무도; Hanja: 無挑; RR: Mudo) is a South Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by MBC, that ran from 2005 to 2018.
| Infinite Challenge | |
|---|---|
 Promotional logo | |
| Also known as | Infinity Challenge Muhan Dojeon |
| Hangul | 무한도전 |
| Hanja | 無限挑戰 |
| Genre | Reality television |
| Created by | Kim Tae-ho[1] (de facto) |
| Directed by | Kim Tae-ho (Head dir.)[2] Park Chang-hoon[2] Cho Wook-hyung[2] Kang Sung-ah[2] |
| Creative director | Kim Gu-san |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 563 3 specials (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Kim Tae-ho |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 75-80 minutes |
| Production company | MBC Entertainment Production Division |
| Original release | |
| Network | MBC TV, MBC Drama, MBC every1 |
| Release | April 23, 2005 – March 31, 2018 |
| Related | |
| Infinite Girls (spin-off), The Great Challenge | |
As of January 2013, it had the largest market share for its timeslot; with between 13 and 17 percent of Korean television viewers watching Infinite Challenge every Saturday night.[3] making it the most-watched free-to-air television program on Saturday evenings, and the most viewed non-drama program in South Korea every week (excluding special sporting events, since November 2006, with the exception of January 2009,[4] April and May 2010[5]).[6]
"Infinite Challenge" began airing in 2005 and ended with 563 episodes on March 31, 2018. Infinite Challenge was also listed on the longest variety show. Since 2009, it lasts for roughly 75 minutes, excluding ten minutes of advertising. Episodes are also frequently rerun on several Korean cable broadcasting channels.[7] Since February 19, 2011 (episode 237), the program has been aired in high-definition.[8] Infinite Challenge has been called "the nation's variety show" and "Korea's real first variety" for having been successful for over ten years.[9]
In March 2018, it was announced that, following the departure of lead producer Kim Tae-ho,[10] all current members have stepped down from the show,[11] bringing the program to an end. The last episode was aired on March 31, 2018, but the program continued for 3 more weeks with a recap special looking back at the program over the years.[12][13]
Contents
editInfinite Challenge is recognized as the first "Real-Variety" show in Korean television history. The program is largely unscripted, filmed in almost-secrecy and followed a similar format of challenge-based reality television programs. The challenges are often absurd or impossible to achieve, so the program takes on the satirical comedy aspect of a variety show rather than a standard reality or competition program. In earlier episodes, the show's six hosts and staff would continuously proclaim that, in order to achieve its comedic purposes, the program had to be "3-D": Dirty, Dangerous, and Difficult.[14] It gives people fun to try things that seem impossible.
Recurring segments
editThese segments were featured in multiple episodes over the years due to their popularity.
- "Infinite News" – a parody on news broadcast in which most of the reported stories happened to some or all of the cast members. Those stories revolve around their personal life and tend to balance between facts and the comedic side of them.
- "Infinite Company" – an unscripted skit that parodied on the lives of office employees, similar to The Office. Initially, the skit was a reproduction of the late comedian Kim Hyung-gon work, called President, President, Our President, portraying a situational comedy around a board of directors of a company before it was changed to be about a group of employees in a small department.
- "Ha & Su" – an unscripted situational comedy around the petty quarrels between Jeong Jun-ha and Park Myeong-su, where the latter is aggressive and hot-tempered while the former is timid and simple-minded. In 2011, they were awarded a "Best Couple" award for their dynamic.[15]
- "Jimotmi" – it stands for 지켜주지 못해서 미안해 (jikyeojuji motaeseo mianhae), which means "Sorry I could not look out for you" In this segment, the members play hidden-camera pranks on each other to see how they react to certain contrived situations.
- "Introducing My Ugly Friends Festival" – A segment where the members invited their acquaintances which they considered visually unappealing. Afterwards, the members organize a party where they celebrate with various games.
- "Saturday, Saturday's, I Am A Singer" – Suggested by Park Myeoung-Su and Jeong Jun-ha where the program arranges a stage where old artists were given chances to return and perform their hit songs. Sechs Kies and H.O.T. were able to reunite and came out of retirement through this segment.
- "Please, be..." – a segment which was introduced to instill common principles to all of the members. '"Please, come early"' forces the members to be punctual during filming day as the staff will not inform them when they would film the segment. '"Please, be friendly"', featuring Haha and Jeong Hyeong-don, were created to encourage both members to be more comfortable around each other.
- "Ah-Ha" – a Korean word game in which one member says a word, and the next person must then say that word backwards. Members who failed or made mistakes would be hit over the head. This segment premiered in the 2nd season (Infinite Challenge – The Master of Quiz) and was played occasionally in following seasons.
- "One-flash Telepathy" – after hearing a word which was given from the production booth, each member presented a gesture that would best represent that word. A round is cleared if all six members perform the same gesture and punishments were given when they failed. The original alleged purpose of this segment was to unite the minds of the members; however, they have yet to succeed. Voice narration for this segment was provided by Na Gyeong-eun, an announcer and Yoo Jae-suk's wife.
- Television Advertisements – throughout the episodes, the hosts create some satirical Korean television advertisements.
- Calendar-making Project – the members created a series of unique calendars and donated all profits from these sales to charity. This project has succeeded every season.[16]
National events
editSome of the segments of Infinite Challenge also developed into national events with audience participation.
- 2008 Host-in-Chief Elections – after a humorous request by Park Myeong-su to have a new leader in 2008, all Infinite Challenge members and staff held a vote for a new 'host-in-chief' on December 31, 2007, at the nation's own natural gas field near Ulsan.[17] Prior to the election, each member created campaign pledges to encourage voters to vote for them. All entertainment managers, coordinators, MBC staff and the members voted at the South gate of the MBC Headquarters and the votes were counted on the morning of New Year's Day. Afterwards, Park Myeong-su was declared the new host-in-chief, but evidence showed him of tampering the voting box. The new host-in-chief was given 3 weeks to prove his leadership skills. However, after poor performances for 3 whole weeks, Park Myeong-su announced at an Infinite Challenge press conference that he would step down and wait for the new election to take place. In the aftermath, Yoo Jae-suk was appointed as interim host-in-chief on February 2, 2008. The second host-in-chief election was held on February 4, 2008, at the MBC Dream Center in Ilsan and Yoo Jae-suk won the majority of the votes and was once again reinstated as the host-in-chief.
- WM7 – the "Wrestling Muhan 7" project is an attempt by the members to perform at a professional wrestling event. From July 2009, the members started training by inviting Sonstar, junior-professional wrestler and the drummer of Cherry Filter, as their coach and Park Myeong-su as their club leader. After numerous injuries, including a concussion suffered by Jeong Hyeong-don, setbacks and delays, the members finally put on a performance in front of a live audience on August 19, 2010, at Jangchung Gymnasium. It was broadcast over 11 episodes and MBC also released a DVD edition of this challenge, featuring several unaired segments, stories and the full uncut performance.
- Decision 2014 – the show held another host-in-chief election in 2014 where the show elected a host-in-chief with 10 years tenure. These elections mirrored that of actual governmental elections, in an endeavor to promote voter turnout in South Korea's 2014 local elections.[18] Similarly, the members created campaign pledges to attract viewers to vote for them in the preliminary internet polls before the airing of Decision 2014's first episode. The second internet poll was held after the episode aired. After the results of the second poll, Haha and Jeong Jun-ha decided to form a coalition under Jeong Hyeong-don while Park Myeong-su conceded, endorsing Yoo Jae-suk. About 50,000 people, including the members of Infinite Challenge, cast their votes on May 22, 2014, at polling stations in ten major cities (Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, Gwangju, Busan, Jeju, Chuncheon, and Jeonju). Another 34,000 people cast their votes earlier during the preliminary voting round from May 17–18, 2014. During the day of the election, audiences who could not make it to the polling stations were able to vote through a website, resulting in a turnout of 363,047 people online Combining the live polls and the internet votes, Yoo Jae-suk won the election by defeating Noh Hong-chul with 45,310 marginal votes or 8.29% of the combined votes.
- Infinite Challenge Song Festival – beginning in 2007, the members collaborated with musicians to compete in a music festival every two years.
| Year | Festival | Team | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Olympic Expressway Duet Song Festival (올림픽대로 듀엣가요제) |
Future Liger (Yoo Jae-suk with Tiger JK & Yoon Mi-rae) | "Let's Dance" LIVE | Won |
| Charisma (Jun Jin & Lee Jung Hyun) | "Senorita" LIVE | Gold prize | ||
| Three People Pig Face (Hyung Don & Epik High) | "Barbeque" LIVE | Silver Prize | ||
| Dol Brain (Noh Hong-chul & No Brain) | "Heat-Stroke Sea Gull" LIVE | Bronze prize | ||
| Myung-ca Drive (Park Myeong-su & Girls' Generation's Jessica) | "Naengmyun" LIVELIVE M-CORELIVE MBC AWARD | Nominated | ||
| After Shaving (Jeong Jun-ha & After School) | "Youngkye Baeksook" LIVE | Nominated | ||
| Comfortable people (Gil & YB) | "I'm Cool" LIVE | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | West Coast Expressway Song Festival (서해안고속도로 가요제) |
Sagging Snail (Yoo Jae-suk & Lee Juck) | "Apgujeong Nallari" (압구정 날라리) LIVE | Won |
| "As I Say" LIVE | ||||
| GG (Park Myeong-su & G-Dragon) feat. Park Bom | "I Cheated" LIVE | Won | ||
| Sweet Nasal Sorrow (Jeong Jun-ha & Sweet Sorrow) | "Will You Give Your Affection?" LIVE | Won | ||
| Cheolssa (Noh Hong-chul & Psy) | "Shake It" LIVE | Won | ||
| Sentimental Haha (Haha & 10cm) | "Do You Wanna Die or Date Me?" LIVE | Won | ||
| Sea Route (Gil & Bada) | "The Song That Only I can Sing" LIVE | Won | ||
| Parasian (Jeong Hyeong-don & Jung Jae-hyung) | "The Innocent Macho" LIVE | Won | ||
| 2013 | Freeway Song Festival (자유로 가요제) |
Double Play (Jeong Jun-ha & Kim C) feat. Lee So Ra & Beenzino | "Things That Will Float Away" LIVE | |
| Hyung Yong Don Jyeong (Jeong Hyeong-don & G-Dragon) feat. Defconn | "Trying To Do It" LIVE | |||
| How Do Yoo Dul (Yoo Jae-suk & Yoo Hee-yeol) feat. Kim Jo-han | "Please Don't Go My Girl" LIVE | |||
| Leech (Park Myeong-su & Primary) feat. Dynamic Duo's Gaeko | "I got C" LIVE | |||
| Rose Chin (Noh Hong-chul & Rose Motel) | "Call Me Your Oppa" LIVE | |||
| Seventy Finger (Haha with Kiha & The Faces) | "Super Jab-Cho Man (Grassman)" LIVE | |||
| G.A.B (Gil & BoA) | "G.A.B" LIVE | |||
| All Infinite Challenge members | "Here We Are" LIVE | |||
| 2015 | Yeongdong Expressway Song Festival (영동고속도로 가요제) |
Hwangtaeji (Hwang Kwanghee with G-Dragon & Taeyang) | "Mapsosa" LIVE | |
| EU God-G isn't EU (Park Myeong-su & IU) | "Leon" LIVE | |||
| Eutteugeottasi (Haha & Zion.T) | "$ponsor" LIVE | |||
| GG (Park Myeong-su & G-Dragon) feat. IU | "I Cheated" LIVE | |||
| Haha | "Story of a Short Kid" LIVE | |||
| Sagging Snail (Yoo Jae-suk & Lee Juck) | "As I Say"(말하는 대로) LIVE | |||
| Sangjuna (Jeong Jun-ha & OnePiece's Yoon Sang) | "My Life" LIVE | |||
| Dancing Genome (Yoo Jae-suk & Park Jin-young) | "I’m So Sexy" LIVE | |||
| The 5 Emperors (Jeong Hyeong-don & Hyukoh) | "Wonderful Barn" LIVE |
History
edit- "Infinite Challenge," which aired its first broadcast on May 6, 2006, is Korea's first real variety (a portmanteau of reality and variety) program. Following its success, other broadcasters have also produced real variety programs, including SBS' Running Man and KBS' 2 Days & 1 Night. The real variety genre was lauded for its ability to show that even popular celebrities are no different from ordinary people.[19] Several idol groups have featured in their own Infinite Challenge-like real variety programs in the form of web-series or television programs: examples include Run BTS, EXID's Showtime, and Going Seventeen.
Season 1
editThe title of Season 1 was Rash Challenge (무모한 도전). Led by Yoo Jae-suk, six or more Korean entertainers (with Noh Hong-chul and Jeong Hyeong-don as a regular members) tried to complete a 'sporting' mission in an outdoor studio, which was based on a viewer's suggestion submitted through the show's homepage. Some of the absurd challenges included racing in a foot-powered swan-shaped paddle boat against a motor boat, playing a tennis match against Maria Sharapova, appearing live on stage at a public fashion show, and playing football against Thierry Henry. A large part of the humor comes from the fact that the cast is generally not well-suited to the challenges they attempt. This program can be compared to the filmed-in-studio Wetten, dass..? of Germany, as the program mainly focuses on the process and progress of the challenges, rather than focusing on the accomplishment of a mission.[20] This format lasted only from April 23, 2005, to October 22, 2005. Despite having a strong following, its average ratings were very low (roughly 5 percent). Due to its sports-related theme, reruns of Season 1 and sports-related episodes of Season 4 (i.e. WM7) episodes are frequently aired on MBC Sportsplus, MBC's satellite and cable network for sports-casting.
Season 2 and 3
editFrom October 29, 2005, to April 30, 2006, Season 2 was titled Excessive Challenge (무리한 도전). For the first few episodes, the program was fairly similar to the first season. However, because the cast members wanted to redefine their characters, they decided to change the whole program concept, calling it Infinite Challenge - Master of Quiz in the third season. Since then, six hosts (with Yoo Jae-suk as 'host-in-chief') played a Korean-letter game called 'Ah-ha' (see below); competed in their knowledge and mental power; participated in on-line popularity polls about specific themes; and explored other comic features.[21] Although the average ratings were low, the unity and dynamics of the members significantly improved. A panelist from Season 1, Park Myeong-su, came back as a co-host, and Haha and Jeong Jun-ha also became co-hosts of the program.
Season 4
editOn May 6, 2006, the fourth and final season (format) of the program that now simply known as Infinite Challenge (무한도전), went on air. Special coverage of 2006 World Cup Germany was featured for the entire month of June 2006, along with some 'Ah-ha' specials (with Shinhwa, for example) at the beginning of each episode. However, on July 8, 2006, the program took its memorable first step as the first 'Real-Variety' television program in Korean television history, with the airing of a segment called 'Please, come early': The six members were asked to come to the recording session on time or experience some form of punishment (일찍 와주길 바래, a part of the 'Please, be...' series see below), combining elements of both Reality TV and Variety programming, including comic characters from each of the Infinite Challenge members, see 'hosts'). Thereafter, the program has created challenges with regard to anything related to real life (excluding some critical issues such as religions and sexual preferences), in outdoor studios, with little use of acting or heavily based plotting. Since December 2, 2006, the program has received the highest ratings of prime-time lineups for Saturday evening.[22]
Later Seasons
editIn January 2012, the program took a 6-month hiatus due to a labor strike conducted by MBC's reporters and producers. During this period, new episodes were not produced and MBC, instead, aired reruns of previous episodes.[23] In November 2015, Infinite Challenge arranged special exhibition and expo titled "Infinite Challenge Expo", in KINTEX.[24] The program took a 7-week hiatus from broadcast in early 2017, which Kim Tae-ho, the main PD, signified as a period to normalize the production process which has been shortened considerably where the production team had less time and always rushed to meet the deadline. The PD also reveals that the program still continues their regular shooting schedules while being off the air.[25]
The program took another 10-week hiatus from September 9, 2017, due to a labor strike by MBC's reporters and producers. During the strike, new episodes were not aired and reruns of previous episodes were broadcast.[26] The strike ended on November 13, and Infinite Challenge returned to regular broadcasting on November 25.[27][28][29] In March 2018, the program came to an end marked by the departure of Kim Tae-ho, the lead producer, which was followed by the members. However, after the last episode was aired, the program returned for 3 more weeks where it aired recap specials that pays tribute to the achievements of the program called "13 Years of Saturdays".[10][11][12][13]
Hosts
editTimeline
edit
Former
edit| Name | Joined | Nickname | Character Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoo Jae-suk (유재석, Host-in-chief) |
April 2005 - March 2018 | Captain Yoo (유반장)[30] |
|
| Park Myung-soo (박명수) |
May - July 2005[31] October 2005 - March 2018 |
Giant Star/Geo-seong (거성)[32] Father (아버지) The Second-in-command (2인자) The Son of the Devil (악마의 아들) NYSD(뉴욕쇠독) Rash Man(깨방정) Sancho Park (산초박) Alien (외계인) The leafhopper/Rice insect (벼멸구) Worthless older brother (하찮은 형) Unique Myeong-su (고유명수) (A play on 고유명사/"Proper noun") CEO Park/Park sajang (박사장) Point five (쩜오) Great Park (그레이트 박) Flag Park(박깃발) The odd one out (쭈구리) Peter(피터) Reversal Park (박번복) Ten Jobs (십잡스) Mr. Tricky Park Winner Park (박대상) One head, Two smell (한 머리 두 냄새) Waiter Park (웨이터 박) Senior Park (박선배) Boy Park (소년명수) Laughter Hunter (웃음 사냥꾼) Three Meals Myeong-su (명수세끼) DJ Park(DJ 박) Laughter dead (웃음 사망꾼) |
Park has continuously proclaimed his nickname (Geo-seong, or Giant Star). He is often referred to as "Father" by the rest of the members due to his elderly look and his position as the oldest member of the program. This is especially prevalent when Myeong-su's receding hair is flattened or his make-up is removed. See his page for more details. His (on-air) persona is that of a veteran grumpy "upperclassman" of the other members. He often shouts or reprimands his "underclassmen," usually about humorously trivial matters. Thanks to his current work as the co-host of Infinite Challenge, Park Myeong-su gained more than 250 nicknames throughout his appearances on the program as listed by the netizens.[33] |
| Jeong Jun-ha (정준하) |
March 2006 - March 2018 |
The Helmet (헬멧),[34] The Lord of Eating (식신) Monster (괴물) The Third-in-command (3인자) Stupid brother (바보형) Mr. Jeong Joong-ang (정중앙씨) Fat-fatso (뚱뚱보) Jjeori Jjang (쩌리짱) Global Moron[35] Cool Guy(쿨가이) Manager Jeong (정총무) Jeong Jun-yeon-a(정준연아) (Kim Yuna Parody) Somewhat lacking but a good friend (약간 모자라지만 착한 친구) Jonathan(조나단) The Lovester(사랑 전도사, 사랑꾼) Wax drippings Jeong (정촛농) Grandfather (할아버지) Icon of Aging (노화의 아이콘) Variety Show Zombie Jung Jun Grandfather (정준 할아버지) The man that shook the world through dieting Funeral Photo Jun Ha (영정 준하) The Creation Myth of The Dieting World (다이어트계의 신화창조) Ndotto's Father (도토 아빠) MC Minzy (MC 민지) |
His character is mainly defined by 3 things: his size (often referred to as being 0.1 tons, or 100 kilograms), appetite, and a degree of slowness in judgment. His extraordinarily large head (supposedly 8 kg) has gotten him, on a few occasions, called "Chivas Degal" (Degal = is a shortened word for "Degari", a vernacular word for "head"). In the 50th episode special of season 3, he was challenged to eat 50 plates of noodles in five minutes. The plates altogether weighed about 10–30 kg. (He succeeded, but had to go straight to the lavatory and subsequently slept in the back of the studio). On episode 61 of season 3, he went to a hair salon with Hong-chul to curl Hong-chul's hair. He asked a woman who was working there if she knew Jun-ha's name, but she said Joong-ang by mistake. Since that time, the members, including the creator Yoo Jae-suk, have frequently teased him as Mr. Jeong Joong-ang (정중앙씨), which means 'Mr. Square-in-the-middle'. |
| Haha (하하) (Ha Dong-hoon, 하동훈) |
December 2005 - March 2008 March 2010 - March 2018 |
Shorty (단신) Childhood friend(with Noh Hong-chul) (죽마고우) Little one (꼬마) The M.A. Ha (석사 하하) The Top Little one(상꼬맹이) The Friend Who Lacking If Compared With the One At the Same Age (또래에 비해 떨어지는 친구) Hybrid Sammy Sosa Rio Levy (하이브리드 샘이솟아 리오레이비) |
Haha is long considered the cutest and best-looking member of the cast. He is also the most-educated member, having obtained a Master of Arts in Theatre & Film at Daejin University; however, during the episode of the 50th special, he only got 20 points on a 100-point elementary-level spelling test. In episode 62 of season 3, he sang a song called 'A Little Boy's Story' (키작은 꼬마 이야기) as a tribute to his short height, which is a constant target of ridicule among the cast. It was a huge sensation with viewers. Haha temporarily left the show from March 2008 through March 2010 in order to fulfill his mandatory military service. In his final episode before entering the service, Haha performed at a guerrilla concert that was secretly organized by his fellow co-hosts. |
| Hwang Kwanghee (황광희) |
April 2015 - March 2017 | Kwanghee | Hwang Kwanghee was the youngest member among the cast of Infinite Challenge while he was on the show. A member of ZE:A idol group, Hwang Kwanghee joined the Infinite Challenge cast in April 2015. He was selected through the Sixth Man project which was held in order to fill the empty position after Noh Hong-chul left the program following a drunk driving incident.
Kwanghee left the program in March 2017 in order to fulfill his military duty.[36] |
| Jun Jin (전진) (Park Chung-Jae, 박충재) |
July 2008 - November 2009 |
Junstin Jinberlake (전스틴) The roll-in kid (굴러들어온 놈) Jan Jin (잔진) The Million Dollar Boy (백만돌이) |
In June 2008, Shinhwa member Jun Jin appeared on the show to replace Haha. Jin showed his extraordinary physical talent and was a target for all the other members of Infinite Challenge, who envied his looks and abilities during many challenges. |
| Gil (길) (Gil Seong-joon, 길성준) |
April 2009 - April 2014 |
Baldy/Bbaak-Bbaak-ei (빡빡이) Come between-Gil(이간길) Honey jar(꿀단지) Fat-fat-fatso (뚱뚱뚱보) Ip-sae (입새) (as he only brushes his teeth once a day) Gilmeo (길메오) (as a 'cameo' proclaimed by Yoo Jae-suk) Overreacting (무리수) The friend who born unfunny (태생적으로 재미없는 친구) Icon of Betrayal (배신의 아이콘) |
Gil made his first appearance on an episode which featured Korean figure skater Kim Yuna in April 2009, ostensibly substituting for Jeong Jun-ha, who had to leave the episode recording early. He remained a de facto member of Infinite Challenge until he became a full member later that year. During the Boxing episodes in January 2010, Gil showed off his 9-year-long training in the sport. Gil is often called the Unfunny Friend due to his inability to ad-lib as quickly as the other co-hosts.
On April 23, 2014, Gil was caught by the police due to drunk-driving. Fans of the variety show have been flooding the board with requests for Gil to leave the show for his inappropriate actions. Eventually, the MBC executives announced his leave on the same day.[37] |
| Noh Hong-chul (노홍철) |
April 2005 - November 2014 | '돌 아이/Dol I' was created by Yoo Jae-suk during episode 22 of season 3. Quickmouth was his original character, due to his ability to speak very rapidly. 돌 아이 (when written without the plus sign) is a Korean curse word meaning psychopath, or an extremely crazy person. Since this is a show watched by families, the staff humorously put a plus ( ) sign in the middle to separate the word so its literal meaning becomes 'Stone Kid' when in actuality it means 'psycho'. On-screen graphics often depict this nickname by displaying a large capital 'I' that looks to be made of stone ('아이' is pronounced like the letter 'I').
Similarly to former member Gil, Noh Hong-chul was caught driving under influence of alcohol on November 7, 2014. Following the incident, Noh Hong-chul released an official apology to the public through MBC.[40] On the afternoon of November 8, MBC announced that Noh Hong-chul would be leaving the show and Infinite Challenge would continue on with the five remaining cast members.[41] | |
| Jeong Hyeong-don (정형돈) |
April 2005 - November 2015 |
Fatso (뚱보) Awkward fatso (어색한 뚱보)[42] Jinsang (진상, nuisance) Jeong Hang-don (정항돈) The Moon (달님) Doni (도니) Crazy Existence (미친존재감) Gaehwadong Orange-Tribe (개화동 오렌지족) Top Four MC (4대천왕) |
A comedian by profession before joining the team, Jeong Hyeong-don used to appear in the Korean comedy show Gag Concert (where Do-Re-Mi Trio being one of his many skits). However, over many episodes, he has demonstrated remarkable talent in everything imaginable (for example, catching grapes with his mouth or playing a Korean jump-rope game) except being funny. He is teased by the other members for this. His character is also defined by the ability to make anyone around him feel awkward (as seen in the earlier episode)
In November 2015, Jung Hyeong-don had suspended all broadcasting activities for health reasons. On July 29, 2016, Jeong Hyeong-don's label, FNC Entertainment, officially announced that Jeong Hyeong-don would permanently leave the show after a nine-month hiatus from the broadcast due to poor health condition.[43][44] |
| Yang Se-hyung (양세형) |
March 2017 - March 2018 | ||
| Jo Se-ho (조세호) |
January - March 2018 |
Occasional appearances
edit- There are a number of people who both individually work for this program and irregularly appear with Infinite Challenge members (hosts). They are frequently referred to as 'the 8th member' (제8의 멤버).
| Name | Nickname | Occupation | Character Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defconn (데프콘) |
Daepho-phone(대포폰) Peh-conn-ie(프콘이) |
Singer Long-time buddy of Jeong Hyeong-don |
Since MuDo's 'Rowing challenge' during the Spring-Summer season of 2011, he is the frequent pinch-hitter of this programme, while one or more cast members in absence. Together with Jung Hyung-don, he formed a hip-hop duo "Hyeongdon and Daejoon" (형돈이와 대준이). Defconn was the cast member of KBS2 Sunday variety show, 2 Days & 1 Night Season 3. |
| Jeong Seok-kwon (정석권) |
Manager Jeong (Jeong Sil-jang 정실장) Narrow-mouth Frog Brother (Mangkongei Hyong 맹꽁이형) |
Long-time buddy & Entertainment Manager of Park Myeong-su |
While serving as a manager, Jeong Sil-jang had aspirations to be a comedian in his own right. Whenever he was given a chance to appear on-screen, he was often ridiculed by other cast members for attempting to constantly outperform others and for overacting in order to gain attention. As such, many of his parts were usually edited out of the final broadcast. To restrain his growing popularity, Park Myeong-su often teasingly ordered that his manager not appear on the show again. |
| Choi Jong-hun (최종훈) |
Entertainment Manager of Jeong Jun-ha | As Jeong Jun-ha's coordinator, Choi also hoped to become a rising star as a professional actor his common hope of rising stardom (as a professional actor), with a lot of help from Jeong Jun-ha himself.[45] He prepared a bunch of radishes for the members on 'Kimchi Preparation' (S03E30) and 'Jun(Semi-) Hines Ward'(S03E77) episodes well, and he presented his professional agricultural skills on the episodes 'MD Goes to country' (S03E25) and 'Rice-planting' (S03E56). | |
| Kim Oak-jeong (김옥정) |
Mrs. Kim (김옥정 여사) Oak-jeong Kim (옥정 킴) Jung d'Oak-jeong (융드옥정, named after her favourite outfit, the Jung Dress) |
Mother of Haha | As has been regularly reported by the hosts, Kim has minimal cooking skills and is often humorously featured on the show to feed the cast members. She appeared for the first time in episode 83 of the third season; her closing comment of 'Hit that jackpot!' (Dae-bak Teo-ji-se-yo! 대박 터지세요) became an enormously popular new-year greeting. |
| Kim Tae-ho (김태호) |
Bro. TEO (태호 형) TEO PD (태호 PD) |
Executive Producer of Infinite Challenge | A pioneer of Korean entertainment, Kim Tae-ho produces and directs the show. Besides helping to create the unique Real-Variety format, Kim also innovated Korean television by adding unique captions to the show. Although captions are commonplace on Korean variety shows, Kim's captions went beyond simple descriptions or commentary, adding information on cast members' emotions and expressing reactions to the show, giving the captions an interactive feel that aligned with the viewing audience's thoughts. With high sensitivity for fashion, he gained extraordinary popularity when he officially opened his 'Cyworld' webpage. Although his presence is mostly felt through his captioning and occasional off-screen soundbites, he appeared as a witness of the Moot court challenge, which aired on February 20, 2010. |
| Kim Tae-hee (김태희) |
Writer Kim (김태희 작가) |
Writer of Infinite Challenge | As a high-profiled co-writer of Infinite Challenge and a Korean actress-namesake, she enjoys her huge popularity from dedicated viewers. During the 'Making a song for X-mas challenge'(S03E33) episode, she became very popular when Noh Hong-chul said that she 'has the posterior of (actress) Kim Tae-hee, but the front of Infinite Challenge.' |
| Shin Mi-so (신미소) |
Miso Co-ordi. (미소코디) |
Fashion Co-ordinator of Yoo Jae-suk | A Busan-native who helped assemble Yoo Jae-suk's wardrobe, Shin was also a popular 'guest' on the show. She debuted during a '100-minute Debate' (episode 42 of season 3), in which she was caught falling asleep in the audience. This incident made her name the top online keyword of March 2007. She was also featured when she accidentally broke a set of illuminators when Lee Young-ae appeared on Infinite Challenge (episode 52 of season 3). She eventually appeared as a co-host of 'Madness Couples' (episode 75 of season 3) with the Host-in-chief Yoo Jae-suk. She was known to be able to argue with all six members of the show, earning her the nickname 'Aegis ship.' |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6th MBC Entertainment Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Yoo Jae-suk | Won |
| Best Programme; Voted By Netizen | TEO PD with entire directing crew of Infinite Challenge | Won | ||
| Distinguished Male Award | Haha | Won | ||
| Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Park Myeong-su | Won | ||
| 2007 | MBC Programme Creating Award | Outstanding Entertainment Programme | TEO PD | Won |
| Best Programme | Won | |||
| Meritorious Service Medal | Won | |||
| 7th MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Programme; Voted By Viewers | Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| Congeniality Award | Park Myeong-su | Won | ||
| 2008 | 8th MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Variety Show | Infinite Challenge | Won |
| Outstanding Male Entertainer | Jeong Hyeong-don | Won | ||
| Special Award - Best Star | Jun Jin | Won | ||
| 89th National Athletic Competition | Aerobic Amateur Club 6-People 2nd place | Park Myeong-su | Won | |
| 44th Baeksang Arts Awards[46] | Best Entertainment Program | Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| 20th Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best TV Entertainment Programme | TEO PD | Won | |
| 2009 | 9th MBC Entertainment Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Yoo Jae-suk | Won |
| Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Noh Hong-chul | Won | ||
| Best New Male Entertainer | Gil Seong-joon | Won | ||
| PD Award | Yoo Jae-suk | Won | ||
| Producer of the Year | Infinite Challenge | Won | ||
| People's Choice - Best Entertainment Program | Won | |||
| 36th Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best TV (Programme) Director | TEO PD | Won | |
| Best TV Entertainment Programme | Won | |||
| 2010 | 10th MBC Entertainment Awards[47] | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Yoo Jae-suk | Won |
| Top Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Park Myeong-su | Won | ||
| Bizarre Award | Park Myeong-su | Won | ||
| 11th Korean National Assembly Awards | Best TV Program of the Year | TEO PD with entire directing crew of Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| 22nd Korean Producers Awards | Best TV Entertainment Program | Won | ||
| 2011 | 11th MBC Entertainment Awards[48] | Top Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Yoo Jae-suk | Won |
| "Best Couple" Award | Park Myeong-su & Jeong Jun-ha | Won[a] | ||
| Popularity Award | Jung Jae-hyung | Won | ||
| 53rd Annual National Rowing Championships | 2000m Novice Inn (Special Award) | Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| MelOn Music Awards | Hot Trend Award | Infinite Challenge West Coast Highway Song Festival | Won | |
| Korea Women Link blue media | Family Award (The Butterfly Effect Feature) | Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| 2012 | 12th MBC Entertainment Awards[49] | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Park Myeong-su | Won |
| PD Award | Yoo Jae-suk | Won | ||
| "Best Couple" Award | Kim C & Jo Jung Chi | Won | ||
| 2013 | 13th MBC Entertainment Awards[50] | Programme of the Year Award | Infinite Challenge | Won |
| Popularity Award | Noh Hong-chul | Won | ||
| "Best Couple" Award | Jeong Hyeong-don & G-Dragon | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Jeong Hyeong-don | Won | ||
| 49th Baeksang Arts Awards[51] | Daesang (Grand Prize) for Television | Yoo Jae-suk | Won | |
| 2014 | 14th MBC Entertainment Awards[52] | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Yoo Jae-suk | Won |
| People's Choice - Entertainment Program of the Year | Infinite Challenge | Won | ||
| PD Award | Haha | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award in a Variety Show | Jeong Jun-ha | Won | ||
| MBC PD's Association | PD of the Year | TEO PD | Won | |
| 2015 | 42nd Korea Broadcasting Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize)[53] | Infinite Challenge | Won[b] |
| Amnesty International Korean Media Awards 2015 | Media Award of the Year | Infinite Challenge | Won | |
| 15th MBC Entertainment Awards[54] | Best Writer Award | Lee Eun-ju | Won | |
| Special Contribution Award | Infinite Challenge | Won | ||
| Top Male Excellence for Variety Show | Haha | Won | ||
| People's Choice - Best Entertainment Program | Infinite Challenge | Won | ||
| Achievement Award | Infinite Challenge (Park Myung-su, Jeong Jun-ha, Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, Hwang Kwanghee) | Won | ||
| 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Male Variety Performer | Jeong Hyeong-don | Nominated | |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Jeong Jun-ha | Nominated | |
| 16th MBC Entertainment Awards[55] | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Yoo Jae-suk | Won | |
| Jeong Jun-ha | Nominated | |||
| Top Male Excellence Award in Variety Show | Won | |||
| Yoo Jae-suk | Nominated | |||
| Male Excellence Award in Variety Show | Hwang Kwanghee | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice - Entertainment Program of the Year | Infinite Challenge (Kim Tae-ho PD) | Won | ||
| Popularity Award | Yang Se-hyung | Won | ||
| 2017 | 17th MBC Entertainment Awards[56][57][58] | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Yoo Jae-suk | Nominated |
| Park Myeong-su | Nominated | |||
| People's Choice - Entertainment Program of the Year | Infinite Challenge | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Variety Category | Yoo Jae-suk | Nominated | ||
| Park Myeong-su | Won | |||
| Excellence Award, Variety Category | Yang Se-hyung | Won |
Guests
editInternational
edit| Name | Appeared | Occupation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esper Itō (エスパー伊東) | Season 1, Episode 22 | Japanese comedian | Appeared one episode (Season 1) |
| Maria Sharapova | Season 1, Episode 23 and 24 | Russian tennis player | Appeared two episodes (Season 1) |
| Michelle Wie | Season 4, Episode 1 and 2 | American golfer | Appeared two episodes (Season 4) |
| Fedor Emelianenko | Season 4 Episode 18 and 19 | Russian PRIDE heavyweight champion | Appeared two episodes; he taught each member submission holds - Season 4 |
| Thierry Henry | Season 4, Episode 57 and 58 | French football player | Appeared two episodes (Season 4)[59] |
| Paris Hilton | Season 4, Episode 81 | American socialite | Appeared one episode (Season 4) |
| Tenku Tsubasa (前田睦美) | Season 4, Episode 189 and 190 | Japanese boxer | Appeared two episodes (Season 4) |
| MC Hammer | Season 4, Episode 312 | American singer, rapper | Appeared one episode (Season 4), while featuring PSY for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013[60] |
| Ryan Seacrest | Season 4, Episode 312 | American TV show presenter, broadcaster | Appeared one episode (Season 4), while preparing Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013, with PSY, Yoo Jae-suk, Noh Hong-chul, and Haha[61] |
| Daisy Donovan | Season 4, Episode 326 | British TV show presenter, broadcaster | Appeared one episode (Season 4), to introduce this programme as one of South Korea's 'traditional television show', to the viewers in the United Kingdom. Her report was eventually shown on Channel 4 television show called "The Greatest Shows on Earth", on July 8, 2013.[62] |
| Usain Bolt | Season 4, Episode 371 | Jamaican sprinter | Appeared one episode (Season 4), among Jamaica special episodes (369-371).[63] |
| Ali Bongo Ondimba | Season 4, Episode 445 | President of Gabon | After meeting and delivering food to the president's long-time chief security officer, Park Sang-chul, Jeong Jun-ha did an interview with the President. |
| Jack Black | Season 4, Episode 465 and 542 | American actor, musician | Appeared two episodes (Season 4)[64] |
| Stephen Curry | Season 4, Episode 541 | American basketball players | Appeared one episode (Season 4)[65] |
| Seth Curry | |||
| Manny Pacquiao | Season 4, Episode 551 and Episode 552 | Filipino boxer, senator | Appeared two episodes (Season 4) |
Korean
editNumerous Korean celebrities have appeared on the show due to its popularity. Many of the guests have some relationships with the co-hosts of the show, including:
Korean guests
Hallmark
editPurported foreshadowing of actual events
editInfinity Challenge is famous for predicting jokes before some events occurred in real life, like The Simpsons.[66] Several episodes predicted the drama Squid Game.[67] Another episode, "Manager Jeong", Haha bought a book called American Prometheus, and about 2 months later, he wrote a book review for the book, but the contents were messy, so he made the members laugh.[68] In 2023, twelve years later, Christopher Nolan made the film Oppenheimer based on that book, Haha became the South Korean public relations ambassador for that movie.[69] Other examples purported as Infinity Challenge predicting the future include the Brexit,[70] Among Us,[66] Hangout with Yoo,[71] Koo Jun-yup and Barbie Hsu's marriage,[72][73] and Kim Shin-young's Korea Sings MC selected.[74]
The reason why this makes a lot of prophecy is that this program itself is a format in which different special features with different themes were planned every time, and even though it has been several years since the show ended, it enjoys greater popularity than active programs, and there are overflowing sources that are discovered.[75]
Ratings
editList of 2007 ratings (episodes 35–85)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | January 6, 2007 | 16.0% |
| 36 | January 13, 2007 | 18.5% |
| 37 | January 20, 2007 | 18.5% |
| 38 | January 27, 2007 | 17.8% |
| 39 | February 3, 2007 | 17.5% |
| 40 | February 10, 2007 | 17.2% |
| 41 | February 17, 2007 | 15.6% |
| 42 | February 24, 2007 | 14.9% |
| 43 | March 3, 2007 | 17.7% |
| 44 | March 10, 2007 | 15.1% |
| 45 | March 17, 2007 | 15.2% |
| 46 | March 24, 2007 | 16.6% |
| 47 | March 31, 2007 | 14.2% |
| 48 | April 7, 2007 | 15.4% |
| 49 | April 14, 2007 | 14.7% |
| 50 | April 21, 2007 | 13.4% |
| 51 | April 28, 2007 | 13.0% |
| 52 | May 5, 2007 | 17.2% |
| 53 | May 12, 2007 | 16.0% |
| 54 | May 19, 2007 | 15.3% |
| 55 | May 26, 2007 | 13.1% |
| 56 | June 2, 2007 | 14.0% |
| 57 | June 9, 2007 | 16.1% |
| 58 | June 16, 2007 | 16.0% |
| 59 | June 23, 2007 | 18.6% |
| 60 | June 30, 2007 | 18.8% |
| 61 | July 7, 2007 | 15.8% |
| 62 | July 14, 2007 | 16.4% |
| 63 | July 21, 2007 | 17.7% |
| 64 | July 28, 2007 | 17.6% |
| 65 | August 4, 2007 | 15.6% |
| 66 | August 11, 2007 | 19.9% |
| 67 | August 18, 2007 | 24.1% |
| 68 | August 25, 2007 | 21.9% |
| 69 | September 1, 2007 | 20.0% |
| 70 | September 8, 2007 | 19.3% |
| 71 | September 15, 2007 | 20.7% |
| 72 | September 22, 2007 | 22.4% |
| 73 | September 29, 2007 | 23.5% |
| 74 | October 6, 2007 | 20.5% |
| 75 | October 13, 2007 | 20.4% |
| 76 | October 20, 2007 | 23.1% |
| 77 | October 27, 2007 | 19.5% |
| 78 | November 3, 2007 | 21.2% |
| 79 | November 10, 2007 | 21.9% |
| 80 | November 24, 2007 | 22.4% |
| 81 | December 1, 2007 | 17.6% |
| 82 | December 8, 2007 | 26.1% |
| 83 | December 15, 2007 | 21.3% |
| 84 | December 22, 2007 | 21.3% |
| 85 | December 29, 2007 | 22.3% |
List of 2008 ratings (episodes 86–136)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | January 5, 2008 | 23.6% |
| 87 | January 12, 2008 | 25.8% |
| 88 | January 19, 2008 | 27.9% |
| 89 | January 26, 2008 | 25.0% |
| 90 | February 2, 2008 | 26.4% |
| 91 | February 9, 2008 | 28.9% |
| 92 | February 16, 2008 | 27.4% |
| 93 | February 23, 2008 | 22.0% |
| 94 | March 1, 2008 | 19.7% |
| 95 | March 8, 2008 | 21.6% |
| 96 | March 15, 2008 | 20.1% |
| 97 | March 22, 2008 | 20.9% |
| 98 | March 29, 2008 | 20.6% |
| 99 | April 5, 2008 | 17.2% |
| 100 | April 12, 2008 | 19.5% |
| 101 | April 19, 2008 | 17.9% |
| 102 | April 26, 2008 | 21.2% |
| 103 | May 3, 2008 | 17.1% |
| 104 | May 10, 2008 | 16.3% |
| 105 | May 17, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 106 | May 24, 2008 | 14.9% |
| 107 | May 31, 2008 | 13.9% |
| 108 | June 7, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 109 | June 14, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 110 | June 21, 2008 | 17.0% |
| 111 | June 28, 2008 | 16.9% |
| 112 | July 5, 2008 | 16.0% |
| 113 | July 12, 2008 | 16.8% |
| 114 | July 19, 2008 | 16.6% |
| 115 | July 26, 2008 | 16.7% |
| 116 | August 2, 2008 | 14.7% |
| 117 | August 16, 2008 | 13.6% |
| 118 | August 23, 2008 | 15.6% |
| 119 | August 30, 2008 | 14.9% |
| 120 | September 6, 2008 | 15.8% |
| 121 | September 13, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 122 | September 20, 2008 | 20.1% |
| 123 | September 27, 2008 | 14.6% |
| 124 | October 4, 2008 | 14.0% |
| 125 | October 11, 2008 | 17.7% |
| 126 | October 18, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 127 | October 25, 2008 | 17.0% |
| 128 | November 1, 2008 | 17.9% |
| 129 | November 8, 2008 | 15.8% |
| 130 | November 15, 2008 | 16.4% |
| 131 | November 22, 2008 | 17.2% |
| 132 | November 29, 2008 | 17.1% |
| 133 | December 6, 2008 | 14.8% |
| 134 | December 13, 2008 | 12.6% |
| 135 | December 20, 2008 | 15.4% |
| 136 | December 27, 2008 | 15.3% |
List of 2009 ratings (episodes 137–185)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 137 | January 17, 2009 | 12.4% |
| 138 | January 24, 2009 | 15.9% |
| 139 | January 31, 2009 | 15.2% |
| 140 | February 7, 2009 | 17.6% |
| 141 | February 14, 2009 | 14.4% |
| 142 | February 21, 2009 | 16.1% |
| 143 | February 28, 2009 | 16.4% |
| 144 | March 7, 2009 | 16.7% |
| 145 | March 14, 2009 | 13.6% |
| 146 | March 21, 2009 | 14.0% |
| 147 | March 28, 2009 | 14.9% |
| 148 | April 4, 2009 | 13.7% |
| 149 | April 11, 2009 | 14.2% |
| 150 | April 18, 2009 | 16.9% |
| 151 | April 25, 2009 | 19.7% |
| 152 | May 2, 2009 | 15.7% |
| 153 | May 9, 2009 | 12.8% |
| 154 | May 16, 2009 | 16.6% |
| 155 | May 30, 2009 | 13.2% |
| 156 | June 6, 2009 | 13.1% |
| 157 | June 13, 2009 | 12.9% |
| 158 | June 20, 2009 | 17.5% |
| 159 | June 27, 2009 | 14.1% |
| 160 | July 4, 2009 | 15.8% |
| 161 | July 11, 2009 | 17.9% |
| 162 | July 18, 2009 | 15.3% |
| 163 | July 25, 2009 | 14.7% |
| 164 | August 1, 2009 | 12.8% |
| 165 | August 8, 2009 | 16.8% |
| 166 | August 15, 2009 | 16.7% |
| 167 | August 22, 2009 | 15.3% |
| 168 | August 29, 2009 | 14.5% |
| 169 | September 5, 2009 | 16.2% |
| 170 | September 12, 2009 | 15.3% |
| 171 | September 19, 2009 | 15.7% |
| 172 | September 26, 2009 | 17.2% |
| 173 | October 3, 2009 | 14.1% |
| 174 | October 10, 2009 | 14.3% |
| 175 | October 17, 2009 | 14.4% |
| 176 | October 24, 2009 | 16.8% |
| 177 | October 31, 2009 | 18.1% |
| 178 | November 7, 2009 | 18.0% |
| 179 | November 14, 2009 | 18.6% |
| 180 | November 21, 2009 | 15.8% |
| 181 | November 28, 2009 | 17.1% |
| 182 | December 5, 2009 | 15.9% |
| 183 | December 12, 2009 | 15.3% |
| 184 | December 19, 2009 | 13.6% |
| 185 | December 26, 2009 | 13.4% |
List of 2010 ratings (episodes 186–209)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 186 | January 2, 2010 | 16.5% |
| 187 | January 9, 2010 | 19.5% |
| 188 | January 16, 2010 | 17.4% |
| 189 | January 23, 2010 | 17.1% |
| 190 | January 30, 2010 | 16.3% |
| 191 | February 6, 2010 | 15.2% |
| 192 | February 13, 2010 | 16.2% |
| 193 | February 20, 2010 | 17.5% |
| 194 | February 27, 2010 | 16.8% |
| 195 | March 6, 2010 | 19.3% |
| 196 | March 13, 2010 | 15.6% |
| 197 | March 20, 2010 | 19.0% |
| 198 | March 27, 2010 | 17.2% |
| 199 | May 22, 2010 | 17.2% |
| 200 | May 29, 2010 | 13.9% |
| 201 | June 5, 2010 | 15.6% |
| 202 | June 12, 2010 | 16.1% |
| 203 | June 19, 2010 | 16.0% |
| 204 | June 26, 2010 | 16.5% |
| 205 | July 3, 2010 | 14.4% |
| 206 | July 10, 2010 | 12.9% |
| 207 | July 17, 2010 | 16.8% |
| 208 | July 24, 2010 | 14.3% |
| 209 | July 31, 2010 | 13.6% |
| 210 | August 7, 2010 | 13.5% |
| 211 | August 14, 2010 | 15.7% |
| 212 | August 21, 2010 | 16.3% |
| 213 | August 28, 2010 | 13.5% |
| 214 | September 4, 2010 | 16.2% |
| 215 | September 11, 2010 | 17.5% |
| 216 | September 18, 2010 | 13.8% |
| 217 | September 25, 2010 | 15.8% |
| 218 | October 2, 2010 | 16.0% |
| 219 | October 9, 2010 | 14.0% |
| 220 | October 16, 2010 | 15.4% |
| 221 | October 23, 2010 | 16.3% |
| 222 | October 30, 2010 | 13.3% |
| 223 | November 6, 2010 | 14.4% |
| 224 | November 20, 2010 | 13.2% |
| 225 | November 27, 2010 | 15.0% |
| 226 | December 4, 2010 | 15.1% |
| 227 | December 11, 2010 | 14.5% |
| 228 | December 18, 2010 | 15.2% |
| 229 | December 25, 2010 | 13.5% |
List of 2011 ratings (episodes 230–282)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 230 | January 1, 2011 | 15.8% |
| 231 | January 8, 2011 | 17.8% |
| 232 | January 15, 2011 | 18.4% |
| 233 | January 22, 2011 | 18.9% |
| 234 | January 29, 2011 | 17.9% |
| 235 | February 5, 2011 | 19.4% |
| 236 | February 12, 2011 | 17.1% |
| 237 | February 19, 2011 | 17.3% |
| 238 | February 26, 2011 | 15.2% |
| 239 | March 5, 2011 | 16.6% |
| 240 | March 12, 2011 | 13.7% |
| 241 | March 19, 2011 | 14.8% |
| 242 | March 26, 2011 | 16.4% |
| 243 | April 2, 2011 | 14.8% |
| 244 | April 9, 2011 | 16.2% |
| 245 | April 16, 2011 | 13.4% |
| 246 | April 23, 2011 | 14.4% |
| 247 | April 30, 2011 | 18.7% |
| 248 | May 7, 2011 | 15.1% |
| 249 | May 14, 2011 | 14.4% |
| 250 | May 21, 2011 | 15.3% |
| 251 | May 28, 2011 | 13.3% |
| 252 | June 4, 2011 | 13.8% |
| 253 | June 11, 2011 | 15.4% |
| 254 | June 18, 2011 | 14.1% |
| 255 | June 25, 2011 | 17.4% |
| 256 | July 2, 2011 | 18.5% |
| 257 | July 9, 2011 | 17.5% |
| 258 | July 16, 2011 | 17.2% |
| 259 | July 23, 2011 | 14.4% |
| 260 | July 30, 2011 | 16.1% |
| 261 | August 6, 2011 | 18.0% |
| 262 | August 13, 2011 | 18.0% |
| 263 | August 20, 2011 | 17.1% |
| 264 | August 27, 2011 | 17.5% |
| 265 | September 3, 2011 | 16.8% |
| 266 | September 10, 2011 | 18.1% |
| 267 | September 17, 2011 | 18.0% |
| 268 | September 24, 2011 | 17.4% |
| 269 | October 1, 2011 | 16.4% |
| 270 | October 8, 2011 | 18.6% |
| 271 | October 15, 2011 | 19.2% |
| 272 | October 22, 2011 | 18.0% |
| 273 | October 29, 2011 | 17.4% |
| 274 | November 5, 2011 | 18.6% |
| 275 | November 12, 2011 | 17.1% |
| 276 | November 19, 2011 | 17.0% |
| 277 | November 26, 2011 | 17.0% |
| 278 | December 3, 2011 | 16.1% |
| 279 | December 10, 2011 | 15.6% |
| 280 | December 17, 2011 | 17.9% |
| 281 | December 24, 2011 | 17.5% |
| 282 | December 31, 2011 | 18.2% |
List of 2012 ratings (episodes 283–310)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 283 | January 7, 2012 | 20.6% |
| 284 | January 14, 2012 | 17.9% |
| 285 | January 21, 2012 | 17.3% |
| 286 | January 28, 2012 | 19.5% |
| 287 | Aired online | Unknown |
| 288 | July 28, 2012 | 10.5% |
| 289 | August 4, 2012 | 13.6% |
| 290 | August 11, 2012 | 12.4% |
| 291 | August 18, 2012 | 14.2% |
| 292 | August 25, 2012 | 14.4% |
| 293 | September 1, 2012 | 12.8% |
| 294 | September 8, 2012 | 14.4% |
| 295 | September 15, 2012 | 14.0% |
| 296 | September 22, 2012 | 14.6% |
| 297 | September 29, 2012 | 14.7% |
| 298 | October 6, 2012 | 15.1% |
| 299 | October 13, 2012 | 13.7% |
| 300 | October 20, 2012 | 15.1% |
| 301 | October 27, 2012 | 14.4% |
| 302 | November 3, 2012 | 13.2% |
| 303 | November 10, 2012 | 12.7% |
| 304 | November 17, 2012 | 16.3% |
| 305 | November 24, 2012 | 15.6% |
| 306 | December 1, 2012 | 15.8% |
| 307 | December 8, 2012 | 15.8% |
| 308 | December 15, 2012 | 14.5% |
| 309 | December 22, 2012 | 15.7% |
| 310 | December 29, 2012 | 14.5% |
List of 2013 ratings (episodes 311–362)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 311 | January 5, 2013 | 15.5% |
| 312 | January 12, 2013 | 17.3% |
| 313 | January 19, 2013 | 16.4% |
| 314 | January 26, 2013 | 14.7% |
| 315 | February 2, 2013 | 14.6% |
| 316 | February 9, 2013 | 12.8% |
| 317 | February 16, 2013 | 13.7% |
| 318 | February 23, 2013 | 10.9% |
| 319 | March 2, 2013 | 14.2% |
| 320 | March 9, 2013 | 14.9% |
| 321 | March 16, 2013 | 14.7% |
| 322 | March 23, 2013 | 14.4% |
| 323 | March 30, 2013 | 15.3% |
| 324 | April 6, 2013 | 15.0% |
| 325 | April 13, 2013 | 12.5% |
| 326 | April 20, 2013 | 14.1% |
| 327 | April 27, 2013 | 12.0% |
| 328 | May 4, 2013 | 10.6% |
| 329 | May 11, 2013 | 13.4% |
| 330 | May 18, 2013 | 14.3% |
| 331 | May 25, 2013 | 11.6% |
| 332 | June 1, 2013 | 11.4% |
| 333 | June 8, 2013 | 12.5% |
| 334 | June 15, 2013 | 13.5% |
| 335 | June 22, 2013 | 13.3% |
| 336 | June 29, 2013 | 11.9% |
| 337 | July 6, 2013 | 13.2% |
| 338 | July 13, 2013 | 11.9% |
| 339 | July 20, 2013 | 13.1% |
| 340 | July 27, 2013 | 11.3% |
| 341 | August 3, 2013 | 11.7% |
| 342 | August 10, 2013 | 12.2% |
| 343 | August 17, 2013 | 12.7% |
| 344 | August 24, 2013 | 11.7% |
| 345 | August 31, 2013 | 12.0% |
| 346 | September 7, 2013 | 13.7% |
| 347 | September 14, 2013 | 11.5% |
| 348 | September 21, 2013 | 12.3% |
| 349 | September 28, 2013 | 14.4% |
| 350 | October 5, 2013 | 12.3% |
| 351 | October 12, 2013 | 14.4% |
| 352 | October 19, 2013 | 16.1% |
| 353 | October 26, 2013 | 15.0% |
| 354 | November 2, 2013 | 16.8% |
| 355 | November 9, 2013 | 15.0% |
| 356 | November 16, 2013 | 13.5% |
| 357 | November 23, 2013 | 14.3% |
| 358 | November 30, 2013 | 13.7% |
| 359 | December 7, 2013 | 12.7% |
| 360 | December 14, 2013 | 14.7% |
| 361 | December 21, 2013 | 15.8% |
| 362 | December 28, 2013 | 15.6% |
List of 2014 ratings (episodes 363–410)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 363 | January 4, 2014 | 14.5% |
| 364 | January 11, 2014 | 15.7% |
| 365 | January 18, 2014 | 13.4% |
| 366 | January 25, 2014 | 13.2% |
| 367 | February 1, 2014 | 13.4% |
| 368 | February 8, 2014 | 12.8% |
| 369 | February 22, 2014 | 13.0% |
| 370 | March 1, 2014 | 13.7% |
| 371 | March 8, 2014 | 11.1% |
| 372 | March 15, 2014 | 11.8% |
| 373 | March 22, 2014 | 11.5% |
| 374 | March 29, 2014 | 10.7% |
| 375 | April 5, 2014 | 10.0% |
| 376 | April 12, 2014 | 10.9% |
| 377 | May 3, 2014 | 10.1% |
| 378 | May 10, 2014 | 11.8% |
| 379 | May 17, 2014 | 11.6% |
| 380 | May 24, 2014 | 13.4% |
| 381 | May 31, 2014 | 12.6% |
| 382 | June 7, 2014 | 12.2% |
| 383 | June 14, 2014 | 11.4% |
| 384 | June 21, 2014 | 12.7% |
| 385 | June 28, 2014 | 9.1% |
| 386 | July 5, 2014 | 9.9% |
| 387 | July 12, 2014 | 10.0% |
| 388 | July 19, 2014 | 10.2% |
| 389 | July 26, 2014 | 11.8% |
| 390 | August 2, 2014 | 12.6% |
| 391 | August 9, 2014 | 11.6% |
| 392 | August 16, 2014 | 12.3% |
| 393 | August 23, 2014 | 11.1% |
| 394 | August 30, 2014 | 13.1% |
| 395 | September 6, 2014 | 12.3% |
| 396 | September 13, 2014 | 11.8% |
| 397 | September 20, 2014 | 12.7% |
| 398 | October 4, 2014 | 10.3% |
| 399 | October 11, 2014 | 12.5% |
| 400 | October 18, 2014 | 12.4% |
| 401 | October 25, 2014 | 10.9% |
| 402 | November 1, 2014 | 12.5% |
| 403 | November 8, 2014 | 14.2% |
| 404 | November 15, 2014 | 13.3% |
| 405 | November 22, 2014 | 14.0% |
| 406 | November 29, 2014 | 13.8% |
| 407 | December 6, 2014 | 13.5% |
| 408 | December 13, 2014 | 14.6% |
| 409 | December 20, 2014 | 15.3% |
| 410 | December 27, 2014 | 19.8% |
List of 2015 ratings (episodes 411–460)
| Episode
|
Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 411 | January 3, 2015 | 22.2% |
| 412 | January 10, 2015 | 14.1% |
| 413 | January 24, 2015 | 13.9% |
| 414 | February 7, 2015 | 12.7% |
| 415 | February 14, 2015 | 13.7% |
| 416 | February 21, 2015 | 13.0% |
| 417 | February 28, 2015 | 13.2% |
| 418 | March 7, 2015 | 13.3% |
| 419 | March 14, 2015 | 12.2% |
| 420 | March 21, 2015 | 13.5% |
| 421 | March 28, 2015 | 13.2% |
| 422 | April 4, 2015 | 15.0% |
| 423 | April 11, 2015 | 12.6% |
| 424 | April 18, 2015 | 12.9% |
| 425 | April 25, 2015 | 12.2% |
| 426 | May 2, 2015 | 11.3% |
| 427 | May 9, 2015 | 11.3% |
| 428 | May 16, 2015 | 11.7% |
| 429 | May 23, 2015 | 10.6% |
| 430 | May 30, 2015 | 13.1% |
| 431 | June 6, 2015 | 13.0% |
| 432 | June 13, 2015 | 12.1% |
| 433 | June 20, 2015 | 16.5% |
| 434 | June 27, 2015 | 13.4% |
| 435 | July 4, 2015 | 15.6% |
| 436 | July 11, 2015 | 14.9% |
| 437 | July 18, 2015 | 16.1% |
| 438 | July 25, 2015 | 15.2% |
| 439 | August 1, 2015 | 14.1% |
| 440 | August 8, 2015 | 14.5% |
| 441 | August 15, 2015 | 15.2% |
| 442 | August 22, 2015 | 21.1% |
| 443 | August 29, 2015 | 15.1% |
| 444 | September 5, 2015 | 16.9% |
| 445 | September 12, 2015 | 14.8% |
| 446 | September 19, 2015 | 14.9% |
| 447 | September 26, 2015 | 16.0% |
| 448 | October 3, 2015 | 13.4% |
| 449 | October 10, 2015 | 14.8% |
| 450 | October 17, 2015 | 13.7% |
| 451 | October 24, 2015 | 14.0% |
| 452 | October 31, 2015 | 14.4% |
| 453 | November 7, 2015 | 14.6% |
| 454 | November 14, 2015 | 11.6% |
| 455 | November 21, 2015 | 14.1% |
| 456 | November 28, 2015 | 13.2% |
| 457 | December 5, 2015 | 13.8% |
| 458 | December 12, 2015 | 12.4% |
| 459 | December 19, 2015 | 12.6% |
| 460 | December 26, 2015 | 14.8% |
List of 2016 ratings (episodes 461–513)
| Episode | Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 461 | January 2, 2016 | 17.0% |
| 462 | January 9, 2016 | 13.4% |
| 463 | January 16, 2016 | 12.8% |
| 464 | January 23, 2016 | 17.4% |
| 465 | January 30, 2016 | 15.6% |
| 466 | February 6, 2016 | 16.5% |
| 467 | February 13, 2016 | 16.2% |
| 468 | February 20, 2016 | 14.6% |
| 469 | February 27, 2016 | 12.7% |
| 470 | March 5, 2016 | 13.0% |
| 471 | March 12, 2016 | 12.0% |
| 472 | March 19, 2016 | 11.3% |
| 473 | March 26, 2016 | 11.5% |
| 474 | April 2, 2016 | 10.8% |
| 475 | April 9, 2016 | 13.6% |
| 476 | April 16, 2016 | 15.0% |
| 477 | April 23, 2016 | 14.3% |
| 478 | April 30, 2016 | 16.4% |
| 479 | May 7, 2016 | 11.4% |
| 480 | May 14, 2016 | 12.0% |
| 481 | May 21, 2016 | 13.5% |
| 482 | May 28, 2016 | 13.8% |
| 483 | June 4, 2016 | 14.2% |
| 484 | June 11, 2016 | 13.3% |
| 485 | June 18, 2016 | 13.1% |
| 486 | June 25, 2016 | 12.1% |
| 487 | July 2, 2016 | 13.0% |
| 488 | July 9, 2016 | 12.1% |
| 489 | July 16, 2016 | 15.0% |
| 490 | July 23, 2016 | 12.3% |
| 491 | July 30, 2016 | 11.8% |
| 492 | August 6, 2016 | 11.8% |
| 493 | August 13, 2016 | 13.0% |
| 494 | August 20, 2016 | 13.9% |
| 495 | August 27, 2016 | 14.7% |
| 496 | September 3, 2016 | 15.7% |
| 497 | September 10, 2016 | 13.3% |
| 498 | September 17, 2016 | 14.1% |
| 499 | September 24, 2016 | 13.8% |
| 500 | October 1, 2016 | 14.0% |
| 501 | October 8, 2016 | 12.6% |
| 502 | October 15, 2016 | 12.5% |
| 503 | October 22, 2016 | 12.4% |
| 504 | October 29, 2016 | 11.8% |
| 505 | November 5, 2016 | 13.1% |
| 506 | November 12, 2016 | 12.3% |
| 507 | November 19, 2016 | 14.9% |
| 508 | November 26, 2016 | 14.0% |
| 509 | December 3, 2016 | 11.7% |
| 510 | December 10, 2016 | 12.8% |
| 511 | December 17, 2016 | 12.9% |
| 512 | December 24, 2016 | 10.8% |
| 513 | December 31, 2016 | 11.9% |
List of 2017 ratings (episodes 514–551)
| Episode | Original airdate | AGB Nielsen
Nationwide Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 514 | January 7, 2017 | 12.5% |
| 515 | January 14, 2017 | 15.4% |
| 516 | January 21, 2017 | 12.6% |
| 517 | February 18, 2017 | 8.9% |
| 518 | February 25, 2017 | 8.0% |
| 519 | March 4, 2017 | 9.0% |
| 520 | March 11, 2017 | 9.1% |
| 521 | March 18, 2017 | 10.8% |
| 522 | March 25, 2017 | 11.2% |
| 523 | April 1, 2017 | 11.4% |
| 524 | April 8, 2017 | 8.9% |
| 525 | April 15, 2017 | 10.2% |
| 526 | April 22, 2017 | 9.8% |
| 527 | April 29, 2017 | 10.8% |
| 528 | May 6, 2017 | 9.6% |
| 529 | May 13, 2017 | 12.0% |
| 530 | May 20, 2017 | 9.8% |
| 531 | May 27, 2017 | 10.2% |
| 532 | June 3, 2017 | 10.0% |
| 533 | June 10, 2017 | 10.9% |
| 534 | June 17, 2017 | 12.5% |
| 535 | June 24, 2017 | 10.1% |
| 536 | July 1, 2017 | 11.7% |
| 537 | July 8, 2017 | 14.5% |
| 538 | July 15, 2017 | 14.9% |
| 539 | July 22, 2017 | 12.1% |
| 540 | July 29, 2017 | 11.1% |
| 541 | August 5, 2017 | 9.8% |
| 542 | August 12, 2017 | 9.6% |
| 543 | August 19, 2017 | 10.8% |
| 544 | August 26, 2017 | 8.8% |
| 545 | September 2, 2017 | 9.2% |
| 546 | November 25, 2017 | 9.8% |
| 547 | December 2, 2017 | 9.6% |
| 548 | December 9, 2017 | 11.9% |
| 549 | December 16, 2017 | 9.8% |
| 550 | December 23, 2017 | 11.2% |
| 551 | December 30, 2017 | 10.4% |
List of 2018 ratings (episodes 552–563 3 specials)
| Episode | Original airdate | AGB Nielsen Nationwide Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 552 | January 6, 2018 | 11.4% |
| 553 | January 13, 2018 | 11.7% |
| 554 | January 20, 2018 | 12.7% |
| 555 | January 27, 2018 | 14.3% |
| 556 | February 3, 2018 | 12.5% |
| 557 | February 17, 2018 | 8.3% |
| 13.6% | ||
| 558 | February 24, 2018 | 12.5% |
| 13.0% | ||
| 559 | March 3, 2018 | 10.8% |
| 560 | March 10, 2018 | 11.3% |
| 561 | March 17, 2018 | 11.0% |
| 14.3% | ||
| 562 | March 24, 2018 | 9.6% |
| 12.8% | ||
| 563 (End) |
March 31, 2018 | 9.3% |
| 11.1% | ||
| Special | ||
| 1 | April 7, 2018 | 5.3% |
| 6.4% | ||
| 2 | April 14, 2018 | 5.6% |
| 7.0% | ||
| 3 | April 21, 2018 | 3.9% |
| 5.2% | ||
The show in popular culture
edit- During the 12th episode (aired on August 16, 2007) of MBC's Monday-night variety programme 'Jippijiggi'(지피지기), comedian Park Su-hong urged Noh Hong-chul, Jeong Hyeong-don, and Ha Ha (members of Infinite Challenge) to create a new comic-variety program called 'Yuhan Dojeon'(유한도전, 有限挑戰, Finite Challenge). However, this was a joke when he attended this program as a guest.[76]
- MBC Drama, MBC's Drama and Entertainment channel on Skylife and Cable TV, has decided to launch a brand-new comic variety show called Infinite Girls (무한걸스), the female edition of Infinite Challenge. Six Korean entertainers including Song Eun-i, Shin Bong-sun, Kim Shin-young, Hwangbo, Baek Bo-ram and Jung Ga-eun serve as the co-hosts of this program. Previous hosts who have already left the show include Ahn Hye-kyung (안혜경, who is former Haha's girlfriend), Kim Hyun-sook (김현숙), Bin-woo (빈우), Kim Ga-yeon and Jung Shi-ah.[77] It aired on September 23, 2007, as a pilot (special) program for Hangawi holidays. Since October 15, 2007, This format went a regular-scheduled programme at the MBC every1, MBC's Cable and Satellite network for comedy and variety shows, eventually.
- On December 27, 2007, the SERI, a well-known economic research institute of South Korea, picked this program as the 6th most-influential product and service of the year 2007, due to its strong public popularity and its own productive characters.[78]
- Infinite Challenge is often mentioned on other similar programs, when guests asking if the staff of the show in question copied the idea for a segment from Infinite Challenge.
- In the first quarter of 2008, the Global Marketing Department of MBC reported that MBC had attempted to sell the format of Infinite Challenge to a European agency in Sweden. This was the first time in Korean television history that such a deal had been made. However, the contract was not finalized, as there were too many characters on the program for the Swedish company to reproduce. Even so, rights to the show were eventually sold to Air France and Qatar Airways' in-flight broadcast.[79]
- The creators of Infinite Challenge filmed an advertisement about Bibimbap which has been shown in Times Square since November 26, 2010.[80] Due to this involvement, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had been put up a Plaque of Honour, to acknowledge MuDo's dedication.[81]
- In 2011, Infinite Challenge held the West Coast Highway Music Festival. At this festival 7 teams participated and everyone got a trophy.[82]
- The show is also famous for its loyal fans, especially from the youth demographic. Despite the show's hiatus of 22 weeks due to MBC's Union Labor Strike in 2012, the show was able to keep its strong popularity with television audiences. It was acclaimed as "the most favorite program in South Korea" numerous times.[83][84]
- Members of Infinite Challenge cast (Yoo Jae-suk, Park Myeong-su, Jeong Jun-ha, Jeong Hyeong-don, Noh Hong-chul, Haha, Gil) are featured on "Gentleman" music video by Psy.[85]
International
edit- On June 30, 2015, the rights to air the show was sold to one of the big channels in China; “CCTV-1” proving Infinite Challenge’s rise in popularity as a Korean Variety Show Program.[86][87][unreliable source?] The Chinese version of the show started airing in China on December 6, 2015.
- Before the export publication rights to China, the program was already popular throughout Asia. People of the world watched this program by YouTube and the highest hit is 3,202,248 (Infinite Challenge Yeongdong Expressway Song Festival, Hwangtaeji's "Mapsosa".)
- The program went to Japan, China, Thailand, America, Africa, Germany, etc. for filming. Many international celebrities participated in one of the episodes.
- In April 2013, a British TV program called The Greatest Shows on Earth came to Korea to showcase Korean TV, and visited Infinite Challenge on set.[88][unreliable source?] The episode aired on Channel 4 on July 8, 2013. While visiting the recording session for Infinite Challenge, presenter Daisy Donovan also went in front of the cameras and guested a sketch segment which was shown on both shows.
Plagiarism
editIt has been alleged that the show was copied without permission by a Chinese variety program called Go Fighting.[89]
According to production company MBC: "Currently in China, multiple broadcasting and production companies are saying they are personally producing 'Infinite Challenge' or a similar program, causing a disturbance in the market and damaging MBC Contents' image. From hereon, excepting the broadcasting of 'Infinite Challenge' on CCTV1, we will take firm legal action against any behavior that has nothing to do with MBC while making people confused and misunderstand [that program] as MBC's 'Infinite Challenge."[90][unreliable source?]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Infinite Challenge to His Life Archived August 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, article from The Granite Tower, June 5, 2007
- ^ a b c d "Infinite Challenge > Introducing the Production Team". MBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ Infinite Challenge's Rating is still No.1 slot - 9 week in a row Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Xportsnews, January 13, 2013, Retrieved on January 14, 2013
- ^ Demonstration against controversial media-related bills draws 4,000 Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Hankyoreh, Retrieved on December 31, 2008.
- ^ MBC labor union suspends strike Archived May 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Allkpop, Retrieved on May 31, 2010
- ^ List of the Ratings of South Korean TV Programmes Archived July 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Conducted by TNS Media Korea corp.
- ^ The resource of the superb power of Infinite Challenge Archived November 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Joongang Ilbo, Retrieved on May 28, 2007.
- ^ MuDo has been laughed in High Definition Archived October 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine(in Korean), Sports Hanguk, February 19, 2011, Retrieved on March 1, 2011
- ^ a b 한국방송대상 '무한도전', 어떻게 '국민예능'으로 우뚝 섰나 [Korea Broadcasting Awards' Grand Prize Winner "Infinite Challenge", How Did They Stand Tall as "The Nation's Variety"?]. Daum (in Korean). Sports Chosun. September 3, 2015. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b Woo Jae-yeon (February 27, 2018). "Producer Kim Tae-ho to leave popular variety show 'Infinite Challenge'". Yonhap. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ a b Sung Ji-eun (March 14, 2018). "'Infinite Challenge' to go on indefinite hiatus". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ a b Hong Dam-young (March 30, 2018). "'Infinite Challenge' producer explains why he had to end program". Kpop Herald. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ a b "'Infinity Challenge' to air a legends special featuring the members' commentary". Allkpop. April 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ 'Infinite Challenge Dictionary' got hugely popular Archived January 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Dkbnews, Retrieved on January 22, 2007
- ^ "Park Myeong-su-Jung Junha, MBC Entertainment Awards - Best Couple Award". Sports Chosun. December 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ '무한도전' 달력 예약 폭주 (in Korean). TV Report. November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ ""Infinity Challenge" to Hold Nation-wide Election for New Leader". Soompi. May 6, 2014. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "한국형 쌩얼 : 문화 : 문화＆과학 : 한겨레21". legacy.www.hani.co.kr. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Showmanship, demolished the wall Archived October 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), The Hankyoreh, Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
- ^ Korean True-face, Infinite Challenge Archived January 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Hankyoreh 21, Retrieved on October 31, 2006
- ^ The rating of Infinite Challenge renewed again to its highest mark Archived March 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Starnews, Retrieved on November 26, 2006
- ^ Na, Jeong-ju (January 5, 2012). "MBC strike holds viewers hostage". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017.
- ^ "'무한도전 엑스포' 관람료 단 돈 천원, '12/19부터 1/31까지'". Hankook Ilbo. December 4, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
- ^ Park, Hyeon-taek (January 11, 2017). "[직격인터뷰] 김태호PD "무도, 7주 '정상화' 돌입…휴식기 아니고요" (공식)". Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Jae-young (August 30, 2017). "'무한도전'·'나혼자산다' 결방 현실화…이번 주까지만 정상방송 (공식입장)". Xports News. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017.
- ^ "'무한도전' 측 "녹화 일정 논의 중…빠른 복귀 노력"". Xports News. November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ "After 71 Days Of Striking, The MBC President Has Been Removed". Soompi. November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ "MBC Variety Programs Set Recording Dates In Preparation for Return". Soompi. November 14, 2017. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ Popular Nickname boosts the Programme Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Starnews, Retrieved on January 31, 2007
- ^ S01E04(May 14, 2005) - S01E15(July 30, 2005).
- ^ The Rank of Korean Celebrities after starting Military service Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Segye Ilbo, Retrieved on May 4, 2007
- ^ 무한도전 별명 정리 "박명수 별명 무려 294개...대박" (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Jeong Jun-ha crosses straightly Archived November 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), The Hankyoreh, Retrieved on January 8, 2007
- ^ Infinite Challenge Ep. 78 4/7 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine(00:50)
- ^ ‘무한도전’ 광희 "형들 생겨 든든, 많이 배웠다" 울컥. Newsen (in Korean). March 25, 2017. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ "MBC Offers Official Statement For 'Infinite Challenge' Gil Caught Driving Drunk". kpopstarz. April 24, 2014. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ 'Editing' decides the quality of Variety programmes Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Starnews, Retrieved on March 28, 2007
- ^ To live happy, not discouraged Archived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Ohmynews, Retrieved on March 12, 2007
- ^ 노홍철 음주운전 적발…"출연 중인 프로그램에서 하차". KWNews (in Korean). November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ^ '무한도전'의 단호한 결단, 터줏대감 노홍철도 예외 없다. Osen (in Korean). November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ^ Awkward as a progress of combining each programme Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine(Korean), Starnews, Retrieved on January 24, 2007
- ^ Pyo, Jae-min (July 29, 2016). "정형돈 측 "'무도' 최종 하차, 정신적 고통 부담감" [공식입장]". Naver. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ 정형돈 측 "‘무도’ 최종 하차, 정신적 고통 부담감" [공식입장]. Osen (in Korean). July 29, 2016. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Choi Jong-hoon; "My common dream is to become an actor"[permanent dead link], Starnews, Retrieved on July 16, 2007
- ^ "44th Baeksang Arts Awards Winners and Works". Baeksang Arts Awards (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
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External links
edit- Official website (in Korean)