the history of 𝓴𝓹𝓸𝓹 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀𝓼

new school year, new series!! this is my fourth series on my blog, and before we start i do apologize that im not as active as before 🥲 since the new school year started i want to do better this year since ill be graduating soon and we cannot let those numbers go down yall

anyways if you know me i am a kpop stan and i wanted to post more abt how kpop works bcuz it is so much more than a genre, it is an industry and a lot of my friends on here aren’t in the loop abt it, so sometimes they get confused, which is why i wanted to start my history of series with this!

so kpop survival shows are not like your typical western survival shows. in the west, survival shows are defined as reality shows where contestants are put into harsh environments in order to survive, and they win a prize at the end (usually a lot of money) if they manage to survive. some iconic survival shows are alone, survivor and outlast. but, kpop survival shows are very different.

kpop survival shows are reality shows where trainees compete to earn a spot in a group. they go through evaluations, performances, judges, votings, eliminations and the like. there are actually 3 types of kpop survival shows:

• project/network survival show
• company survival show
• idol reboot survival show

we’ll be getting into these one by one!

before we move forward though, groups that come from survival shows are collectively called survival show groups. however, when people refer to survival show groups, they are mostly, if not always, referring to groups formed from project/network survival shows.

project/network survival shows

project or network survival shows are survival shows hosted by a network (like mnet or sbs, which are major korean networks) and gather trainees from different companies. usually, the final lineup is determined by fan voting. the groups that emerge from this type of survival show are temporary, and unlike the standard 7-year contract for normal kpop groups, survival show groups that come from this type of survival show usually have a 2-year contract, with most of these groups disbanding after said contract. kep1er was the first survival show group that came from this type of survival show to renew their contract, although 2 members didn’t renew, making kep1er now a 7 member group. ahof might be the first survival show group that came from this type of survival show to actually have a permanent 7-year contract, though we’ll see. some iconic project/network survival shows are the produce series (notable examples include produce 101 and produce 48), girls planet 999 and boys planet, and idol school. some iconic project/network survival show groups are ioi, iz*one, and zerobaseone (zb1).

company survival shows

now, company survival shows are survival shows hosted by a company or a collaboration between companies (like jyp, hybe x geffen, etc.) and have trainees from that specific company. fan voting is also a part of these survival shows, but the final lineup is based mostly on the judges and company’s decisions. the groups that emerge from this type of show have the standard 7-year contract that can be renewed like normal kpop groups. some iconic company survival shows are the iland series (1 and 2), sixteen, and yg treasure box. some iconic company survival show groups are enhypen, izna, and twice.

idol reboot survival shows

unlike the previous two, idol reboot survival shows are survival shows for active idols who haven’t achieved mainstream success, giving them a second chance. these are usually groups who compete against each other to gain more recognition and pr basically by the network hosting the show. instead of forming a new group, it gives the winning group a chance to shine in the highly competitive kpop industry. some iconic idol reboot survival shows are peak time, queendom, and good girl.

how did kpop survival shows start?

what many consider to be the first kpop survival show is let’s coke play battle shinhwa, which aired in 2006. it was a show hosted by the kpop boy group shinhwa, who personally picked and mentored trainees. these trainees ended up debuting as the 6-member boy group battle. however, the first kpop survival show with the format that we all know and love is widely considered to be mydol, which aired in 2012. it was hosted by jellyfish entertainment and debuted the 6-member boy group vixx, which debuted under jellyfish. the first kpop survival show that allowed fan voting was produce 101, the first installment in the produce series. this fan voting concept was heavily inspired by jpop girl group akb48 and their sister groups having senbatsu elections, wherein fans can vote for a member to become the center of the group’s next single. the produce series made many groups, with ioi and wanna one from produce 101, iz*one from produce 48, and x1 from produce x 101.

survival shows don’t only exist in kpop, many other countries have their own versions of idol survival shows, such as japan, china, thailand, and even the us, with groups like me:i, nine percent, 4eve, and katseye.

i hope you learned more about how survival shows work in kpop! this blog can also be a guide to other kpop stans, because even we have trouble understanding survival shows sometimes :’) anyways, i hope you enjoyed!

love, calli <3