Doctor X is closing in on the 20 percent mark. According to Nielsen Korea, the hit medical drama climbed to an average nationwide rating of 19.5 percent for its latest episode on October 24, wrapping up the first half of its run on its highest ratings yet and making it the most-watched show of any kind to air this week.
The milestone puts Doctor X in rare company. The drama has now earned the fifth-highest viewership ratings of any Friday-Saturday drama in SBS history, tying with The Penthouse 3 for that spot.
Doctor X Ratings Put It Among SBS’s All-Time Greats
Only four SBS Friday-Saturday dramas have ever peaked higher than Doctor X’s current run. The Penthouse 2 leads the pack with a peak of 29.2 percent, followed by Agent Kim Reactivated at 23.1 percent, The Fiery Priest at 22.0 percent and Taxi Driver 2 at 21.0 percent. Doctor X now sits tied with The Penthouse 3 just behind them, and with the second half of its run still to come, it has a real shot at climbing even higher.
The drama’s steady climb through its first half has turned it into appointment viewing, and its latest number shows the audience is still growing rather than plateauing. For a medical drama in a crowded Saturday landscape, holding the title of the week’s most-watched show of any kind is a statement result.
Final Table Premieres as Rivals Hold Their Ground
Meanwhile, JTBC’s new drama Final Table kicked off its run on an average nationwide rating of 1.9 percent. The premiere number gives the newcomer a modest starting point as it looks to build an audience in the weeks ahead.
Over on cable, tvN’s 100 Days of Deception remained the most-watched cable show of any kind to air on Saturday, scoring an average nationwide rating of 6.5 percent for its fifth episode. KBS 2TV’s A Love Other Than Yours held steady at 1.8 percent, while Channel A’s Dive into You scored a nationwide average of 0.2 percent.
Elsewhere on Saturday, KBS 2TV’s Love on the Menu took first place in its time slot across all channels with an average nationwide rating of 15.2 percent, a strong showing that underlines just how competitive the weekend ratings race has become.
With Doctor X heading into the second half of its run at a series high, all eyes will be on whether the medical hit can break past 20 percent and climb further up SBS’s all-time Friday-Saturday chart.
Source: Soompi — read the full story there.
