South Korea · Variety · 2017
Master Key
Binge Brief
- 13 episodes on SBS, Saturdays, 14 October 2017 to 6 January 2018
- Cha Eun Woo appears in episode 1 only, broadcast on 14 October 2017
- Kang Daniel and Ong Seong-wu were regulars from episode 4 to episode 10
- From episode 10, seven players competed for one Master Key
Synopsis
Master Key (마스터 키) was a Saturday evening game show on SBS. It ran for 13 episodes, from 14 October 2017 to 6 January 2018, at 18:10. Each week twelve celebrities, most of them idols, hunted for keys hidden around the set. Two of those keys were Master Keys. Their holders kept quiet, and everyone else tried to work out who they were through team games the show called investigation missions. Viewers could take part as Watchers and vote on the players.
Comedian Lee Soo-geun and broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo were the two fixed members, and Lee also ran the games. Kang Daniel and Ong Seong-wu of Wanna One came as guests for the first week and returned as regulars from episode 4 to episode 10. The rules kept changing: later weeks added an Angel and a Devil Master Key with different prizes, and from episode 10 only seven players competed for a single key. Before the premiere, PD Im Hyung-taek told reporters he had made the programme so the cast could have fun together in a relaxed setting.
Cha Eun Woo of ASTRO was part of the opening lineup only. In episode 1 he played for the Black team with Jun Hyun-moo, Kim Jong-min, Henry, Ong Seong-wu and Kang Han-na. The Red team was Lee Soo-geun, Park Sung-kwang, B1A4's Jinyoung, EXO's Baekhyun, Kang Daniel and Jo Bo-ah. Cha and Henry turned out to be holding the two Master Keys, yet the Red team took the win, and Baekhyun topped the Watchers' vote. That week drew 4.8% and 5.7% for its two parts on AGB Nielsen, the best figures of the run.
Master Key cast
Billing not confirmed for these names.
Themes and messages
The game is about bluffing. A player who finds a Master Key wins only by hiding it, so most of the airtime goes to players reading each other's faces during the missions. The Watchers' vote added a second contest decided by the audience rather than by the game itself.
Episodes
| Ep | Title | Air date | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twelve players in Red and Black teams; Cha Eun Woo and Henry held the two Master Keys, but the Red team won and Baekhyun took the Watchers' vote. | 2017-10-14 | Aired | |
| 2 | 2017-10-21 | Aired | ||
| 3 | 2017-10-28 | Aired | ||
| 4 | 2017-11-04 | Aired | ||
| 5 | 2017-11-11 | Aired | ||
| 6 | 2017-11-18 | Aired | ||
| 7 | 2017-11-25 | Aired | ||
| 8 | 2017-12-02 | Aired | ||
| 9 | 2017-12-09 | Aired | ||
| 10 | 2017-12-16 | Aired | ||
| 11 | 2017-12-23 | Aired | ||
| 12 | 2017-12-30 | Aired | ||
| 13 | 2018-01-06 | Aired |
Frequently asked questions
Which episode of Master Key is Cha Eun Woo in?
Cha Eun Woo is in episode 1 of Master Key, broadcast on SBS on 14 October 2017. He played on the Black team and was one of the two players holding a Master Key, along with Henry.
How many episodes does Master Key have?
Master Key has 13 episodes, broadcast on Saturdays from 14 October 2017 to 6 January 2018. There was one season.
What is the Master Key variety show about?
In the Master Key variety show, twelve celebrities search for hidden keys. Two are Master Keys, and the other players must find out who holds them through team missions while viewers vote as Watchers.
Who were the fixed members of Master Key?
Lee Soo-geun and Jun Hyun-moo were the original fixed members of Master Key. Wanna One's Kang Daniel and Ong Seong-wu joined them as regulars for episodes 4 to 10.
Who made Master Key?
Master Key was produced and directed by SBS PD Im Hyung-taek, who said before the first broadcast that he wanted the players to have fun in a relaxed setting.
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