Actress Doctor X K-drama star Kim Ji-won is smiling once again as the ratings for the SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia’ have rebounded sharply following a temporary dip.
According to Nielsen Korea on the 8th, the 10th episode of ‘Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia’ (hereafter ‘Doctor X’), which aired on the 7th, recorded a nationwide household rating of 17.7%. This is a 2.4% percentage point increase compared to the 15.3% recorded by the 9th episode.
It also marks a 2.1% percentage point increase compared to the 8th episode, which recorded 15.6% at the same time last week.
The 10th episode of ‘Doctor X’ peaked at 20.2%, breaking past the 20% mark and continuing an astonishing box-office streak. The nationwide and metropolitan viewership ratings of 17.7% proved its unstoppable upward momentum. This not only ranked first in its same time slot but also secured the top spot across all channels and programs for 5 consecutive weeks, showcasing overwhelming popularity. In particular, the 2049 demographic rating peaked at 8% with an average of 7.2%, proving its hot buzzworthy status as the top trendy show of the period.
‘Doctor X’ has maintained a steep upward curve since its premiere on the 9th of last month. Starting at 11.4%, it quickly captured viewers’ attention with 14.9% for episode 2, 15.1% for episode 3, and 18.5% for episode 4. Although it dipped slightly to 17.5% in episode 5, it surged back to 19.5% in episode 6, bringing it right to the doorstep of the 20% ratings milestone.
However, the drama entered a downward slope as it coincided with various controversies that erupted early in its run. A section of the medical community raised objections, taking issue with how medical staff and the medical environment were depicted in the series.
Furthermore, an episode based on the May 18 Democratization Movement also became the center of controversy. Matters escalated to the point where a national petition titled ‘Petition regarding the suspension of SBS Doctor X drama broadcast’ was posted on the National Assembly’s electronic petition board.
As a result, the ratings for ‘Doctor X’ plummeted to 16.5% for episode 7 on the 30th of last month, dropping further to 15.6 for episode 8. Contrary to the usual trend of Friday-Saturday dramas where Saturday viewership is typically higher than Friday’s, this time the Saturday broadcast ratings came in lower than the previous day’s.
Nevertheless, as the controversy subsided, the viewership ratings began to slowly climb back up. Although episode 9 dropped to 15.3%, Saturday’s broadcast on the 7th surged to 17.7%, achieving a substantial recovery in ratings.
With only 2 episodes left until its 12-episode run concludes, attention is focused on whether ‘Doctor X’ can maintain its current atmosphere and successfully finish with a strong sense of closure.
