MBC to extend daily series 'The First Man' by 20 episodes

▲ This poster for MBC's daily drama "The First Man," starring actors Hahm Eun-jung, Oh Hyun-kyung, Yoon Sun-woo and Park Gun-il, is provided by the TV broadcaster. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

SEOUL, April 24 (Yonhap) -- TV broadcaster MBC said Friday it will extend its daily drama "The First Man" by 20 episodes.

The series was originally planned as a 120-episode production but will now conclude with a total of 140 episodes following the extension.

MBC cited the drama's strong buzz, comparable to that of miniseries, as the reason for the decision.

According to data from Good Data Corporation's "Fundex Report," the show ranked No. 8 in search response in the TV-OTT series category for the second week of April (April 6-12) and No. 15 in overall buzz for the third week (April 13-19).

An official from MBC's show studio said the series has achieved results that surpass the typical limits of daily dramas, citing key indicators such as TV-OTT buzz index and real-time OTT rankings, adding that the extension was decided in response to viewers' support.

"The First Man" tells the story of a confrontation between a woman who lives another person's life for revenge and another who steals someone else's life driven by her own desires.

Actress Hahm Eun-jung plays dual roles as twin sisters with contrasting personalities, alongside cast members including Oh Hyun-kyung, Yoon Sun-woo and Park Gun-il.

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