When the Phone Rings is a story that unfolds when a Show Window couple, who have been living without speaking to each other for three years in an arranged marriage, receive a threatening phone call from a kidnapper.
Politician Baek Sa-eon and selectively mute sign-language interpreter Hong Hee-joo have spent the past three years in a loveless arranged marriage. While she isdriving at night, a masked man forcibly enters Hee-joo's vehicle and threatens her. He calls Sa-eon and demands ransom for his wife, but Sa-eon refuses to cooperate without evidence and suggests that he call again when Hee-joo is dead. Though he believes the call to be a scam, Sa-eon attempts to trace the call. Hee-joo, hurt by her husband's words, escapes by crashing her car and does not tell Sa-eon she was kidnapped. Hee-joo recalls the clause in her pre-nup that forbids her from initiating divorce. Hee-joo attends a party with Sa-eon, posing only as his interpreter for a deaf guest. In the bathroom, Hee-joo calls Sa-eon from the kidnapper's phone and speaks to him, her voice disguised by a voice modulator. "He" blackmails Sa-eon with knowledge of his failed wedding to Hee-joo's older sister In-ah, which prompted Sa-eon to privately marry Hee-joo instead. "He" orders Sa-eon to divorce Hee-joo and return to In-ah. Sa-eon refuses and vows to track "him" down.
2
"Episode 2"
November 23, 2024
0.855
3
"Episode 3"
November 29, 2024
0.942
4
"Episode 4"
November 30, 2024
1.020
5
"Episode 5"
December 13, 2024
TBD
6
"Episode 6"
December 14, 2024
TBD
7
"Episode 7"
December 20, 2024
TBD
8
"Episode 8"
December 21, 2024
TBD
9
"Episode 9"
December 27, 2024
TBD
10
"Episode 10"
December 28, 2024
TBD
11
"Episode 11"
January 3, 2025
TBD
12
"Episode 12"
January 4, 2025
TBD
Production
Development
When the Phone Rings series is planned by Kwon Sung-chang, written by Kim Ji-woon, who previously wrote Melancholia (2021) and Doctor John (2019), and co-directed by Park Sang-woo, who previously directed The Forbidden Marriage (2022–2023), and Wi Deuk-gyu.[3] It was produced by Bon Factory and Baram Pictures. It is based on the popular Kakao Page web novel The Number You Have Dialed by Geon Eomul Nyeo. The series consists of 12 episodes.[2]
On May 8, 2024, MBC announced that they had finalized the casting for the series and were starting the production.[11]
Casting
On March 13, 2024, Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin are under review considering appearing in the series.[12] On June 27, it was reported that Jang Gyu-ri received an offer for the series and is positively reviewing it.[13] On May 8, Yoo and Chae had been confirmed to appear in the series.[5] On September 24, Yoo, Chae, Heo Nam-jun [ko], and Jang had confirmed their appearances as the main characters in the series.[3]
Release
When the Phone Rings premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and airs every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST).[14]Netflix announced that the series would be available for streaming exclusively on its platform.[15]
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Reception
When The Phone Rings ranked second globally on Netflix's "TV Shows (Non-English)" chart as of December 1, with 6.6 million views. Between November 25 and December 1, it was the top show in 30 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Malaysia.[17]
The series achieved high rankings in South Korea, reaching the top of Good Data Corporation's Fundex survey for dramas during the fourth week of November and placing first on both TV and OTT charts within two weeks of its release. Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin ranked first and second in actor popularity, while the series dominated multiple metrics, including the Voice of Netizens (VON) category.[18]
Following the series's release, the original web novel and webtoon saw significant increases in popularity. The web novel experienced a substantial rise in both viewership and sales, reaching the top spot on KakaoPage's daily web novel rankings. Similarly, the webtoon, which debuted shortly before the drama series, climbed to the number two in KakaoPage's weekly romance webtoon rankings, demonstrating a notable increase in viewership and sales.[19][20]
References
^Yeon, Hwi-seon (November 13, 2024). "유연석 '어른 멜로' 정점 찍어"...'지금 거신 전화는' 작가, 직접 밝힌 관전 포인트 ["Yoo Yeon-seok's 'Adult Melodrama' Hits Its Peak"...'The Number You Have Dialed' Writer Reveals Points to Watch] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcYoon, Sang-geun (May 5, 2024). "유연석X채수빈 MBC '지금 거신 전화는' 주연 호흡 확정[공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Confirmed to Lead Role in MBC's 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcdeChoi, Yu-na (September 24, 2024). "'지금 거신 전화는', 유연석X채수빈X허남준X장규리 출연 확정 [공식]" ['The Number You Have Dialed', Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin X Heo Nam-joon X Jang Gyu-ri Confirmed to Appear [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024 – via Naver.
^Su, ran (December 14, 2024). 지금 거신 전화는 OST Part 3 / 수란 [When the Phone Rings OST Part 3 / SURAN]. Bugs (in Korean). Genie Music. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
^ abcJeong, Hye-won (June 27, 2024). "유연석·채수빈, 부부된다...'지금 거신 전화는' 출연 확정[공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin become a couple... Confirmed to appear on 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcdefghijklm등장인물 [Characters]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
^Son, Bong-seok (October 7, 2024). "배우 최광일, '지금 거신 전화는' 출연···유연석X채수빈 호흡" [Actor Choi Kwang-il, 'The Phone Call You're Answering' Appearance···Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Breathing] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Soo-in (October 29, 2024). 최우진, 유연석 보필한다 '지금 거신 전화는' 으로 지상파 드라마 데뷔 [Choi Woo-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok to Debut in Terrestrial Drama 'The Phone Call You're Answering'] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Naver.
^Ahn, Byeong-gil (November 8, 2024). 정지환 '지금 거신 전화는' 캐스팅... 유연석과 호흡 [Jung Ji-hwan casts 'The phone you're calling right now'···Breathing with Yoo Yeon-seok] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, A-reum (October 15, 2024). "고상호 '지금 거신 전화는' 합류, 유연석 유일한 친구 된다[공식]" [Ko Sang-ho joins 'The Phone Call You're On' and becomes Yoo Yeon-seok's only friend [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Naver.
^Oh, Myeong-eon (August 2, 2024). "유연석·채수빈, MBC드라마 '지금 거신 전화는'서 부부로 캐스팅" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin cast as a couple in MBC drama 'The Number You Have Dialed'] (in Korean). Yonhap News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Ro-sa (March 13, 2024). "유연석·채수빈 부부 될까 "'지금 거신 전화는' 검토 중" [공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin to become a couple? "'The Number You Have Dialed' is under review" [Official]] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Soo-in (June 27, 2024). "장규리 '지금 거신 전화는'서 유연석 채수빈 만날까 "긍정검토중"[공식입장]" [Jang Gyu-ri to meet Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in 'The Number You Have Dialed': "Positively Reviewing" [Official Position]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
^Choi, Hee-jae (October 22, 2024). "'지금 거신 전화는' 유연석·채수빈, 쇼윈도 부부...티저 포스터 공개" ['The Phone Call You're On' Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin, Show Window Couple... Teaser Poster Released] (in Korean). EDaily. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via Naver.
