5 Lesser Known Facts About Produce 48 And How It Differs From Produce 101

Following the success of shows like Big Brother and Survivor in the late 1990’s and early 2000, there has been an increase in the production and release of reality TV shows, as it has proven that a large fraction of audiences prefer viewing unscripted real-life occurrences about ordinary people than professional actors. In recent times, there have been lots of criticism as regards the authenticity of some of these reality TV shows, owing to the fact that most of them tend to be scripted or semi-scripted, thus, negating its principle of realism. That, however, has only led to even more success for such shows as it continues to attract a massive following and viewership level keeps soaring. One of such shows which have become a fan favourite in recent years is Produce 48.

Produce 48 is a South Korean musical competition in which a large number of female music acts are selected from popular management companies and screened through a rigorous musical exercise until 11 finalists are fused together to form a girl band. The show which became a hit on its release was immediately drawn into comparison with Produce 101 (which was established earlier than Produce 48) as it’s also a music talent reality show aimed at creating a K-Pop band by selecting the best out of the lot. Without further ado, let’s quickly spell out some differences between both shows before going on to reveal a few unknown facts about Produce 48.

How Does Produce 48 Differ From Produce 101?

Anyone who has seen both shows would most likely notice the vast similarities between them. However, a further look into the background of both shows and it’s easy to spot several differences capable of separating one from the other. Some of those differences are;

Produce 48 is made up of 96 contestants picked from notable record labels and talent promoters, out of which 12 finalists are selected to form a group that will be promoted for two and a half years. Produce 101 is however made up of 101 competitors of which 11 are selected to form a K-Pop group.

Produce 48 is strictly for female trainees whereas Producer 101 is gender-inclusive (season 1 was strictly female, whereas season 2 was strictly male).

• Cross Border Restrictions

Unlike Produce 101 which has 101 of its contestants from a single country, Produce 48 selects 57 from South Korea and 39 from Japanese idol groups. Produce 101 as a franchise has expanded to several other countries like China and Japan, hence, the creation of Produce 101 China, Produce Camp 2019 and Produce 101 Japan. Produce 48, on the other hand, hasn’t gone beyond the shores of South Korea.

5 Lesser Known Facts About Produce 48

Below are 5 fun facts that will let you know more about Produce 48 and how the platform really works.

1. Although the show involves the mixture of South Korean and Japanese contestants, only Korean viewers are allowed to vote.

2. M-Net underwent a series of challenges in shooting the finale concert on August 31, 2018, due to stringent Korean laws which forbid minors from appearing in broadcasts after 10:00 PM as a form of protection.

3. Unknown to most people, Produce 48 featured a long list of Special guests which helped give the show extra flair. They were no other persons than Takada Kenta, Jung Sewoon, YooSeonho, Kahi, Lee Seokhoon, Jeon Somi, Kang Daniel, Bora and Kim Chungha.

4. Produce 48 was lauded by most for its huge display of budding young acts, highly skilled at singing and dancing. While the singing came naturally to all contestants, the dance they had to learn. As a result, the show enlisted the help of 3 established dance coaches namely; May J Lee, Choi Youngjoon and Bae Yoonjung, all who helped polish the contestants with some dancing skills.

5. The show was a subject to several controversies and speculations. One of the causes of such speculations was a trainee named Cho Yuri. At the beginning of the show, Yuri became a centre of attraction, not as a result of her talent in singing, but due to her striking resemblance to a Weki Meki member – Yoojung which led to her being branded her twin. As the show progressed, a certain set of viewers began to think she was more identical to EXO‘s Baekhyun. Interesting indeed.

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