Poster of "Mari and I" (left, JTBC) and poster of "Men Feed Dogs" (right, Channel A)

Buoyed by the success of live television shows on cooking, Korean broadcasters recently turn to a new trend of giving viewers a sense of relief: pet-bang, or live broadcast of pet-rearing.

JTBC on Dec. 16 launched a brand-new TV show dubbed “Mari and I.” Renowned TV celebrities such as TV show host Kang Ho-dong, boy band iKON (B.I., Kim Min-jae, Kim Jin-hwan), singer Seo In-kook, singer Lee Jae-hoon, rapper Eun Ji-won and actor Shim Hyeong-tak, raise pets in each episode.

Channel A unveiled “Men Feeds Dogs” on Dec. 18. Long-time beloved TV show host Jhoo Byoeng-jin, retired star basketball player Hyeon Joo-yup, and actor Kim Min-joon show pet-rearing might give joy to viewers with their pets.

Viewers are likely to be intrigued when bulky Kang hangs around with a pocket-size tiny cat on the show Mari and I.

But the programs not only cater to viewers’ desire to feel eased by watching cute pets play, but also highlight troubles their pets cause at times.

Jhoo in Men Feeds Dogs gets tired when his pet dodges Jhoo’s attempt to grab it and wanders all around his house.

“Everything seems to be unpredictable in production,” said Kim No-eun, a producer of Mari and I. “It will be fun to watch pets’ random moves and TV celebrities’ reactions to them.”

Mari and I is broadcast at 10:50 p.m. on Wednesdays, and Men Feed Dogs airs at 11 p.m. on Fridays. Both shows have screened two episodes.

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)

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