Great Escape (South Korean TV series)

Great Escape is a South Korean comedy reality show that premiered on tvN on 1 July 2018. The show features large-scale themed escape rooms, with a team of celebrities (Kang Ho-dong, Kim Jong-min, Shindong, Yoo Byung-jae, Kim Dong-hyun and P.O) finding clues and solving puzzles in order to successfully escape.

The show ran for 4 seasons, featuring the same cast and airing every Sunday at 10:40pm (KST).

The show's slogan is "나가야산다", literally meaning 'escape to survive'.
 * Season 1: 1 July to 23 September 2018
 * Season 2: 17 March to 9 June 2019
 * Season 3: 1 March to 14 June 2020
 * Season 4: 11 July to 3 October 2021

Season 1
Each escape challenge has a different theme, and members uncover the storyline by discovering clues as they progress through different areas of the large-scale escape room. New areas are unlocked by finding and solving puzzles or accomplishing tasks, eventually leading the members to the final exit. In addition, members may have to interact with NPCs and/or assist them in order to proceed further. No time limit is stipulated for each challenge, which ends only when all members, and NPCs if any, successfully escape.

The escape locations are kept unknown to the members at the start of each challenge. They are transported there in a bus with blackout windows, and blindfolded before being escorted to the starting point.

Beginning with the second challenge, a team captain (주장 jujang) is assigned before the members arrive at the escape location, based on the best-performing member in the previous challenge.

Season 2
Rule changes introduced include:


 * Possibility of failure to escape (e.g. if a critical task is failed), with the challenge ending immediately
 * Possibility of individual elimination during the challenge (e.g. if they "die" or go "missing" in the storyline), with the surviving member(s) continuing without the eliminated member(s)
 * Removal of captain (주장) assignment

Season 3
There is no change in the rules from season 2. Between 12 and 26 April 2020, no new episodes were aired as filming of the show was postponed due to COVID-19.

Season 4
With the tagline of "Post-Earth adventure (탈 지구급 어드벤처)", this season introduced the concept of the DTCU, or Great Escape Universe. This universe contains several running storylines and world settings that string together multiple escape challenges across the four seasons.

Ratings

 * In the ratings below, the highest rating for the show will be in red and the lowest rating for the show will be in blue.
 * Note that the show airs on a cable channel (pay TV), which plays part in its slower uptake and relatively small audience share when compared to programs broadcast (FTA) on public networks such as KBS, SBS, MBC or EBS.

Chinese franchise
In 2019, Mango Television purchased the rights for a Chinese adaptation of the show, titled Great Escape (密室大逃脫), which premiered on 30 March 2019.

Russian franchise
In 2023, channel STS released an official Russian adaptation of the format, titled  Большой побег, which premiered on 7 March 2023.

Vietnamese franchise
In 2022, a program called Thử thách trốn thoát, was aired on channel VTV3 at 9.15 pm every Sunday night.