User:Ministerofpain/sandbox

= Important Stuff not included yet =

Since Season 4, Infinite Challenge has had six or seven hosts, or emcees (masters of ceremony, known colloquially as "MC's." (For a brief part of 2008 after Haha went to military service and before Junjin was cast, the show featured five MC's.) Yu Jae-seok has been the main MC for the entirely of the program's duration, with the potential exception of a few episodes in early 2008 during which Park Myeong-su temporary attempted to be the main host.

Hand gesture and opening/closing episodes with it (actually not new, but definitely well-known fixture)

Infinite Challenge (also known as Muhan Dojeon; ; abbreviated Mudo) is a Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by MBC. It has maintained the same broadcast time--6:40 PM on Saturdays--since its inception in 2005. Since 2009, the duration of each episode has been approximately 75 minutes. During most of the fourth season (see History below), Infinite Challenge has been one of the most popular television programs in South Korea and typically has the largest market share for its timeslot, ranging between 15-20% on most weekends. This makes it the top free-to-air television program on Saturday evening and also the most viewed non-drama program in South Korea (excluding special sporting events, and when the show entered hiatuses due to labor strikes in April–May 2010. and February–July 2012. While the show is a mainstay of MBC's entertainment programming, episodes are frequently rerun on several Korean cable broadcasting channels. Since February 19, 2011 (episode 237), the program has been aired in high definition (HD).

= History =

Infinite Challenge is currently in its fourth season. (In Korean television, "seasons" represent distinct formats or iterations rather than a package of episodes for a year.)

Season 1
Season 1 was entitled "Reckless Challenge" (무모한 도전) and featured Yu Jae-seok, Noh Hong-chul, and Jeong Hyeong-don as regular members. A team of six or more Korean entertainers would attempt to complete an absurd sporting challenge that was based on viewers' suggestions submitted through the MBC website. Some examples include racing in a foot-powered, swan-shaped paddle boat against a motor boat; playing a tennis match against professional Maria Sharapova; attempting to remain standing without support in a moving bus; and attempting to blow up an inflatable item faster than a motorized pump. A large part of the humor comes from the fact that the cast is generally not physically adept and largely not well-suited for the challenges that they attempt. The program is comparable to the German, filmed-in-studio show Wetten, dass..?, in which the program mainly focuses on the process and progress of the challenges rather than focusing on the accomplishment of the mission itself.

Despite having a strong following, the show's average ratings were very low (roughly five percent); as such, this format lasted only from April 23, 2005 to October 2005. Due to its sports-related theme, reruns of Season 1 (and sports-related episodes of following seasons) frequently air on MBC Sportsplus, MBC's satellite cable network for sports-casting.

Seasons 2 and 3
Season 2 was called "Excessive Challenge" (무리한 도전) and aired from October 29, 2005 to April 30, 2006. Early episodes were very similar to the format of Season 1. However, because the cast members sought to redefine their characters on the program, the whole program's concept was quickly changed. This led to the third season, called "Infinite Challenge - Master of Quiz." Six hosts (with Yu Jae-seok as host-in-chief) played a Korean word game called "Ah-Ha" (see "Occasional Segments" below), competed in other knowledge-based games, were subjects of online popularity polls that addressed various themes, and featured other comic segments. Although average ratings remained low, the unity and dynamics of the members improved significantly. Most notably, former guests Park Myeong-su, Ha-Ha, and Jeong-Jun-ha become permanent co-hosts, resulting in the original six-member group that was present at the beginning of Season 4.

Season 4
The fourth and current season of Infinite Challenge began on May 6, 2006. Initial episodes featured guests Michelle Wie and SS501. Shows themed on the 2006 World Cup comprised the entire month of June 2006, along with some "Ah-Ha" segments at the beginning of each episode. However, the program took its first formative step toward becoming the country's first "Real-Variety" program on July 8, 2006, when it featured a segment called "Please Come Early" (see "Occasional Segments"). From that point, the show included more random challenges and themes (excluding more sensitive issues such as politics and religion), often took place outside of the studio, and relied almost exclusively on ad-libbing and real interactions rather than acting or pre-written plotting among the cast members. During this season, Infinite Challenge grew dramatically in ratings and became a popular fixture of Korean television.

First time Infinite Challenge became a separate show.

Earlier Episodes
Earlier episodes of Season 4 followed a relatively more rigid format, utilizing a series of segments (called "corners" in Korean) that comprised most of a single episode. The show has become more free-form over time; therefore, many of these segments have become far less frequent or have become running gags instead of separate parts of an episode.


 * "Please Come Early" ('일찍 와주길 바라') - Typically the opening to an episode, this segment would see at what time the cast members arrived to the recording session. Whenever members arrived later than their scheduled filming time (a common occurrence), they would be chastised by the members who had arrived earlier. In a handful of episodes, this segment was called "Please Be Friendly" ('?? ?? ??') and featured Ha-ha and Jeong Hyeon-dong. In these segments, the other cast members tricked or forced Ha-ha and Jeong Hyeon-dong to be together by themselves in an effort to make them less awkward with one another.
 * "Jitmotmi" - Jimotmi which stands for 지켜주지 못해서 미안하다 (Jikyeojuji motaeseo mianhada), which means 'Sorry I could not look out for you.' In this segment, the members play hidden-camera pranks on each other and reveal the ploy by saying "지켜주지 못해서 미안하다" to the person who was fooled.
 * Ah-Ha - A Korean word game. To play, the members would sit in a row. The first person to start shouts out a word, which the next person must repeat but with the syllables in reverse order. (For example, the title of the show "mu-han-do-jeon" would be "jeon-do-han-mu.") If he succeeds, the second person would shout out a different word, which the third person must repeat in reverse order, and so on. Between each word, the members would collectively yell "ah-ha" to provide a short period of time during which the next player could think, hence the name of the game. Any individual who made a mistake would be hit over the head. The segment began in Season 2 and was played frequently through the early part of Season 4.
 * One-flash Telepathy - The six members (at the time) were given a single word and then had three seconds to think of a physical gesture that they felt best represented that word. They would then simultaneously make the gesture with the hope that all six individuals did the same thing. If not, they were punished. Purportedly a segment meant to help the members become united, the members never succeeded at this game. Voice narration for this segment and "Ah-Ha" were provided by MBC announcer Na Gyeong-eun, who would eventually marry Yu Jae-seok in 2008.
 * Muhan Theatre - Members would perform a "conte" (brief comic sketch) that randomly punctuated the episode.
 * Muhan News - A comic news segment during which Yu Jae-seok would provide updates about the the goings-on of the cast and crew of the program. The news would also frequently feature information about the cast members' lives outside of the show. The segment often included false news was decidedly humorous in nature. However, over time, the segment has become far less frequent and more factual (though still humorous) in nature.
 * "Ha & Su" (in Korean, '하와 수') - A short situation comedy acted out by Jeong Jun-ha and Park Myeong-su in which the two would argue with each other about petty issues. No longer a segment, the cast and crew still refer to the two members as "Ha & Su" whenever they engage in bickering or perform some comedic act as a pair.

Later Episodes
The fourth season has gradually become more free-form over time. As such, the segments listed above are seldom featured; typically engage in more random challenges or activities that often span two episodes. One key aspect of the program's claim to be the first real-variety show is this highly malleable characteristic of each episode and the opportunity to watch the hosts deal with new and unpredictable scenarios.

Though certainly not an exhaustive list, some episodes which illustrate this variety in the program include the following:


 * Kimchi Making - Taste kimchi (some are really spicy), and make their own. Have to eat it the next week.
 * Mr. Jeong, the Manager - With all studios occupied and two of the members in wheelchairs (undermining plans to perform a physical activity), the hosts must come up with an idea for the next week's episode or will be forced to air a rerun. In the midst of brainstorming, the hosts come up with a challenge. They call Jeong Jun-ha a "manager" and travel to several locations. At each location, all the hosts except Jeong Jun-ha have a certain time period in which they can freely collect items they would like to buy or foods that they want to eat. Jeong Jun-ha must then attempt to guess the total cost of the purchases within 5% of the correct price. If he fails, he must pay for everything; if he succeeds, the other hosts must split the bill.
 * The Butterfly Effect - Environmental message
 * Haha vs. Noh Hong-cheol
 * Gangs of Seoul - The episode featured Korean pop group BIGBANG. With BIGBANG and Infinite Challenge hosts as "rival" gangs, the two groups pursue each other around Seoul and play a large-scale game of Rock, Paper, Scissors through which members of each gang are gradually knocked out.
 * Grab the Tail

= Annual Projects =

Beyond the episodic challenges that make up much of the series, Infinite Challenge has also engaged in larger-scale, longer-term projects that span substantial portions of the year. Progress on these challenges are typically aired over multiple episodes. Unlike the smaller challenges in which the MC's are ill-suited for the endeavor, these periodic projects involve substantial periods of preparation and have higher stakes, often culminating in the MC's competing in an actual public competition. The first of these projects--competitive dancing--took place in 2007 and have continued thereafter.

Calendar Project
Each year since 2008, the cast members have worked on developing a calendar that is eventually sold to the public, with all profits being donated to charity. Much of this process is shown in multiple episodes aired during the year. The method through which the calendar is created has differed each year. (Numbers below refer to the year for which the calendar was made.)

2009
Throughout 2008, the MCs spun two wheels. One listed many activities, while the other listed various locations. One MC would shoot blow darts at the wheels to determine what the cast would do for the month's photo shoot. The combinations were usually nonsensical, leading to bizarre images (such as making Korean pancakes while wearing traditional Korean dresses in the middle of a dance club). This random aspect of the calendar project was continued and enhanced in the following year.

2010
Each month in 2009, the cast members would spin three wheels which comprised three key elements of that month's photoshoot: an activity, a location, and (new in this year) which member(s) would be in the picture. As such, the activities and locations became even more extreme, and the MC's would often hope that they would not be involved in the actual shoot.

2011
In 2010, the calendar project was guided by Korean model Jang Yoon-ju, who hosts South Korea's version of Next Top Model. Adopting a very similar format to that show, the cast members took professional photographs based on a predetermined theme of the month, which then were judged by a panel of photographers, fashion leaders, and celebrities. The picture that was deemed to be the best of the month would be featured in the final calendar. The cast member with the worst picture would receive a strike (a large button with a frowning face); any person who accumulated two of these strikes during the year would no longer be able to participate in subsequent months and would eventually have to participate in a nude photo shoot. At the end of the year, Park Myeong-su was declared the ultimate winner of the calendar project, and a photograph of him impersonating Charlie Chaplin became the cover of the calendar.

2012
Unlike previous years, Infinite Challenge did not focus much attention on the calendar project. Due to his artistic abilities, Jeong Jun-ha was entrusted as the designer of the calendar; several of his hand-drawn designs were featured in the final product, which was ultimately a year-in-review with many photo collages. A year-end episode featured the cast members personally delivering many of the calendars to citizens around Korea.

Yearly Challenges
Since 2007, the members have engaged in a long-term project each year. Unlike some of the more humorous challenges that make up most of the program's episodes and for which the cast members do not prepare, these projects typically require substantial amounts of training and involve much higher stakes, often involving participation in an actual competition or public performance.

2007
Sports/Ballroom Dancing

2008
Aerobics

2009
Bobsledding

2010
Beginning in July 2009, the hosts started training in wrestling with the goal of performing a professional wrestling show in front of a live audience. Son Star (손스타), junior-professional wrestler and the drummer for the popular band Cherry Filter, was enlisted as the instructor and head coach. After numerous injuries (including a concussion suffered by Jeong Hyeong-don), technical setbacks, delays, and illness on the day of the show, the members performed in front of several thousand audience members on August 19, 2010 at Jangchung Gymnasium. The arduous training process was broadcast in nine half-hour segments between July 3 and August 28, and the final wrestling show was aired over two full episodes on September 4 and 11, 2010. MBC eventually released a DVD edition of the full challenge--the most ambitious one to date--featuring unaired footage and an uncut version of the performance.

2011
Rowing

Biennial Concerts
Every other year (2007, 2009, and 2011), Infinite Challenge leads a humorous musical concert in which each member teams up with a real Korean musical artist in order to create a song to perform in public.

2011
In 2011, the program held three concerts.

West Coast Highway Festival
Episodes leading up to the West Coast Highway Festival began airing in April 2011. Seven musical artists were invited to the program and each partnered with a host of the program. Over several episodes, the pairs wrote and recorded new songs while also participating in various games. The seven teams performed their songs, all of varying genres, live near the West Coast Highway on _____ in front of ______. The concert aired on July 3, 2011.

Hanamana
Following the popularity of the songs and performances from the West Coast Highway Festival, the hosts of Infinite Challenge sought to give an encore performance. However, the musical artists were replaced with lookalike comedians and personalities. This performance took place at Hanamana and aired on _____.

I'm a Singer Too
A third concert led into the end of 2011. The format was quite similar to that of another Korean show which had become quite popular at the time entitled I Am a Singer. Each MC was randomly assigned another MC's body of songs--many from previous Infinite Challenge concerts--and then randomly assigned a song from this body that they would have to cover. (This song assignment process took place on the actual set of I Am a Singer.) The covers were significantly distinct in tone and genre compared to the original songs, and in the case of Jeong Jun-ha, involved a complete rewrite of the song's lyrics. The hosts performed their interpretations in front of an audience of 600, and this was aired on ____.

Real Variety

 * Infinite Challenge is recognized as the country's first "Real-Variety" program, combining elements of reality television with those of a variety program.

Design Elements

 * Logo changes to episode's theme.
 * Infinite Challenge is credited for his innovative use of captions,. Captions are quite commonplace in Korean entertainment television, as they typically add some descriptions or transcriptions. However, additional captions on Infinite Challenge are more interactive and are meant to add entertainment value, providing information on the emotional statuses of the cast members. Furthermore, the captions are predominantly added by producer/director Kim Tae-ho himself, who often freely writes his thoughts and reactions, therefore allowing audience members to vicariously interact with the program. The purpose of these captions is easily determined from the different fonts and styles used to differentiate information on screen. This method of captioning programs to be more interactive has since been adopted to varying degrees by other South Korean television programs.

Program Distribution and Spinoffs

 * Sale to Sweden
 * Muhan Girls

Other

 * Most episodes of Infinite Challenge begin and end with the hosts in a row. Yu Jae-seok exclaims "무한" ("muhan"), at which point the rest of the hosts yell "도전" ("dojeon"). As they say "도전," all of the hosts also make a gesture with their arms outstretched, palms facing outward toward the front, and the wrists close to one another (looking somewhat similar to the hadouken gesture in the Street Fighter video games). While Infinite Challenge is not the only program to be associated with a "branded" gesture or opening/closing, the gesture is widely known throughout South Korea. In many episodes of program where the hosts encounter citizens in public, the hosts will say "muhan" and the citizens will complete the gesture.
 * On an episode of Infinite Challenge, an MBC programming executive noted the show's influence on Korean variety television by saying that people in the entertainment industry described programs as being pre- or post-Infinite Challenge. (NEEDS CITATION AND DATE OF EPISODE)