SBS’s medical noir “Doctor X” is turning into one of the biggest K-drama success stories of the season. On October 17, the show’s fourth episode climbed to an average nationwide rating of 18.5 percent according to Nielsen Korea — making it the most-watched program of any kind to air on Sunday and marking a brand-new all-time high for the series.
Even more impressively, every single episode so far has beaten the ratings of the one before it. That kind of perfect upward streak is rare in Korean television, and it signals that “Doctor X” has struck a chord well beyond its core audience.
Doctor X Ratings Hit a New Peak
The series stars Kim Ji Won and Jang Seung Jo, and their on-screen chemistry has become a major talking point online. Episode 4, in particular, generated buzz after a standout scene in which Jang Seung Jo’s character turned up the charm — a moment that trended among drama fans and likely helped push this week’s numbers to their record high.
Hitting 18.5 percent in today’s fragmented viewing landscape is no small feat. It puts “Doctor X” in the same territory as the biggest terrestrial hits of recent years, and with the show only four episodes in, there is every reason to believe it still has room to climb as the story builds toward its mid-season turning points.
100 Days of Deception Dominates Saturday Cable
Meanwhile, tvN’s spy romance “100 Days of Deception” had its own milestone to celebrate. The drama’s third episode scored a nationwide average of 7.0 percent, its highest Saturday rating yet, and successfully defended its crown as the most-watched cable show of the night.
For a cable drama still in its opening stretch, steady growth like this is exactly what producers want to see. Spy romances are a tricky genre to pull off, but “100 Days of Deception” seems to be winning over viewers with its mix of intrigue and heart.
Elsewhere on Korean TV This Weekend
Not every show shared in the good news. KBS 2TV’s “A Love Other Than Yours” dipped to a nationwide average of 1.8 percent, while JTBC’s “Fly High Butterfly” earned 1.4 percent ahead of its series finale. On the brighter side, KBS 2TV’s “Love on the Menu” stayed strong at 14.3 percent, and Channel A’s “Dive into You” began the second half of its run with a 0.16 percent average.
With “Doctor X” pulling record numbers and the fall drama race heating up, the coming weeks should be fascinating to watch. If the medical noir keeps its perfect streak alive, we could be looking at one of the highest-rated dramas of the year.
Also Read: Jang Seung Jo Launches Charm Offensive on Kim Ji Won in Doctor X Episode 4
Source: Soompi — read the full story there.
