ENA and Disney+ are betting that people will watch celebrities play board games. I Didn’t Know One Card Could Shake Our Friendship?, a Korean board game reality-variety show shortened to “Kaumol,” premieres December 18 on ENA and will also be available on Disney+.
The show is hosted by travel creator Pani Bottle and science communicator Gwedo, whose name appears as “Orbit” in some English translations. Each episode brings in new guests to sit down at the board game table and compete against the two hosts.
A First Hosting Job For Pani Bottle
Pani Bottle, one of Korea’s best-known travel YouTubers, is taking on his first regular hosting role with the series. He told reporters at a press conference on Monday, November 9, at Raum Art Center in Seoul’s Gangnam District that the idea came from simply playing board games with friends and thinking the games were fun enough to film. He said there have not been many programs built around board games, and that watching other people play without taking any risk yourself fits what viewers want right now.
Gwedo said the project started when Pani Bottle called to invite him over for a game. He assumed it would be a normal game night at home, and the conversation with the producer turned it into a show. The production team has framed Kaumol as less about who wins than about the alliances, betrayals and shifting friendships that come out during play.
Gwedo Called In Every Favor For The Guest List
Gwedo joked that he used up his entire network booking guests, contacting everyone he thought would be fun to play with alongside Pani Bottle. Sports Kyunghyang reported that the lineup runs from BLACKPINK’s Jisoo to actor Byun Yo-han.
Several guests joined the hosts at the press conference, including Kwon Eun-bi, MEOVV’s Sooin and Narin, Evan, Heize, Yura, Hong Jin-ho, Lee Eun-gyeol, Yoo Hee-kwan, Lee Chang-ho, Um Ji-yoon, Park Se-mi and Tino.
Gwedo, who built his following explaining science, said he plans to keep the science talk to about a tenth of what he usually does so the games stay easy to get into. Pani Bottle noticed the change during filming, saying his co-host barely talked about science and turned out to be far more competitive than he expected. Pani Bottle said he is already hoping the show does well enough to get a second season.
Where Kaumol Will Stream
Kaumol debuts on ENA in Korea on December 18 and will also be released on Disney+. Disney has not said whether the series will be available on Disney+ outside Korea, including in the United States, so viewers here should not expect it on their home screens until Disney confirms it.
The show joins a Korean lineup on Disney+ that includes The Remarried Empress. Kaumol is a different kind of show for the service, with no script and a table full of games where famous guests try not to lose.
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