'The Legendary Doctor' on PTV 4

February 28, 2017 at 05:50 pm by Isah V. Red

PTV 4, the government-run television station, joins the teleserye craze when it premiered The Legendary Doctor on Feb. 18.

The story of The Legendary Doctor is set in Joseon during the reign of King Seonjo, 50 years after the death of Jang Geum (reputedly the first female doctor in Joseon).

Hur Jun was the son of a devon (untouchable) mother. Due to his mother’s social position, he was also considered sangnom under Joseon law at the time, even though his father was from the ruling caste and held office as a local magistrate.

As a result, he faced much discrimination, which caused him to lose focus and direction, and eventually led him to participate in smuggling operations. At this time, Hur Jun became familiar with Da-hee, an upper class lady who was in exile. Her father was branded a traitor and died in exile. Hur Jun sympathized with her and and led all of her father’s funeral affairs. Not long after that, Hur Jun’s smuggling activities were discovered, and his life was saved by his erstwhile uncaring father, who also rescued his mother and Da-hee, and smuggled them out of their town. Hur Jun and Da-hee eventually got married and moved to Saneunr in Gyeongsang Province.

PTV executives with the people behind the landmark series ‘‘The Legendary Doctor.’’

The Legendary Doctor is a Korean medical drama that airs every Saturday and Sunday brought to the country by Philippine-Korean Entertainment Inc or PKEI that also was responsible for Here Comes Mr. Oh, a comedy aired on the government station two years ago. Another primetime Korean drama Rosy Lovers airing from Monday to Friday 9:15 pm.

Dino Apolonio who is now the nework’s general manager and COO said under President Rodrigo Duterte and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar there’s a move to improve the signal of the network as they lead the industry’s shift to digital broadcasting in the next months.

The Korean drama series is just the beginning, he said, of the planned transformation of the network from simply being a government propaganda network to a full-blown public service television channel that offers not only informational and education programs but worthwhile entertainment shows as well.

The executives of PKEI said the company’s partnership with PTV4 means a lot to the company as it plans its next moves to provide content to the network, including a series that may be shot entirely or partly in the Philippines with both Korean and Filipino actors.

Apolonio expressed his optimism for the network in the next years, specifically during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.