Old program, new challenges

Besides new programs, the Vietnamese entertainment market witnessed the return of a series of game shows and TV programs that were once popular such as Meet at the Weekend, Dancing with the Stars, Solo with Bolero... However, the attraction of these programs was not as expected.

After nearly 20 years, Weekend Meeting suddenly announced its return from March 2025, airing every Saturday night. This was a once-popular program, associated with the names of artists such as Tu Long, Xuan Bac, Quang Thang, Van Dung, Huong Tuoi... This time, in addition to familiar faces, the program also brings together young actors such as Do Duy Nam, Duy Hung... to bring something new to viewers.

The return of Weekend Meeting shows an effort to innovate to meet the tastes of the audience. In particular, the program also increases interaction with viewers on digital platforms, when people can send their situations and stories for the crew to turn into skits. However, this "old bottle" has not created a buzz, and many people even reacted because of many limitations such as exaggerated acting, a spread-out script, and insufficiently attractive exploitation of topics...

Dancing with the Stars tried to innovate but failed to make a splash.

PHOTO: Manufacturer

Same situation, Dancing with the Stars returned after 8 years but could not create a breakthrough in the current game show market. In this comeback, the organizers made many changes to the format to increase competition between the players, while also exploiting more of the story behind a performance with emotional details or disagreements between female artists and their dance partners. Not to mention, the organizers also took the trouble to invite Korean beauties to compete, but unfortunately, they could not "save" the program from the competition of other famous game shows .

Solo with Bolero also encountered a similar situation when meeting the audience after 2 years of absence. The program that made the name of artists such as Lam Ngoc Hoa, Thu Hang, To My, Ngoc Phung… could not maintain its attractiveness when returning, despite gathering famous faces in the hot seat such as famous singers Phuong Dung, Ngoc Son, and singer Quang Le.

Meanwhile, even though Vietnam Idol was able to convince My Tam to sit in the hot seat, it still failed to attract attention when it returned. The show even faced many controversies regarding the results, while the champion has not had a breakthrough after a year of leaving this music scene.

Opportunities come with challenges

Media expert Le Anh Tu believes that many "once-famous" programs return because producers see the mark of that program in the audience's memory. However, innovation is necessary because, according to him: "Old programs have potential vitality, but somewhere there must be a shadow of innovation, they cannot remain the same. From the crew, the staging or the plot must be renewed to attract viewers."

Weekend Meeting did not really satisfy the audience when it returned.

PHOTO: Manufacturer

With experience in producing television programs, director Vu Thanh Vinh believes that audience tastes always change over time, and if producers only follow the old path, it will be difficult to create something new and attractive for a program that viewers are already too familiar with.

Mr. Le Anh Tu assessed that the advantage of the old program is that it has a large audience, so it is easy to create attraction when it returns if it does well. However, along with that, the producer also faces many challenges in retaining the old audience, while expanding the new audience. "Typically, with young audiences, how do we convince them when the reception method is no longer traditional television," Mr. Tu stated his opinion.

Human resources are still the issue that producers need to focus on when reviving old game shows. The judges’ appeal is undeniable, but they are not the decisive factor in the success of the program. Instead, contestants who are diverse and know how to make an impression will also contribute significantly to bringing the game show to viewers.

Discussing this story, director Vu Thanh Vinh commented: "There are programs that stop because of lack of contestant resources and also have to take a break to do something new. Typically, with Laughter Across Vietnam , I also had to stop for a while to find good human resources, because if it is not done well, the quality will go down."

According to expert Le Anh Tu, the competition between current TV programs is not small. "For producers of old programs, it is necessary to balance and consider whether to target the old audience or take risks to open up to new audiences. We need to have innovation, a format that harmonizes the old, but the pieces must follow trends, mention new phenomena and have communication campaigns to spread more," he shared.

Source: https://archive.vietnam.vn/chuong-trinh-cu-thach-thuc-moi/