I’m not a huge fan of medical dramas (although I did watch Doctors which was a rare case, all for the leads!). They just are so episodic in the patient-of-the-week manner and even if I do like it, it becomes perfunctory act to watch the hospital politics scenes *yawn*. Hence, I’m not too excited for upcoming MBC show Hospital Ship. But it at least has some new colours to paint the tried and tested genre — we have doctors who provide medical care to remote islands where no or insufficient health services are present, by travelling through a hospital ship.

Hospital Ship features Ha Ji Won (returning to small screen after the disappointing 2015 rom-com The Time I’ve Loved You) as a cold surgeon who is efficient in her work but not so good when dealing with people. This is the first time when the actor is playing the role of a doctor. Kang Min Hyuk (of pop band CNBLUE) plays a warm hearted physician while Lee Seo Won is playing an oriental medicine doctor with family issues. I’m not too sure whether we are going to have a love line in this drama as leads don’t quite match but let’s see what happens when the actual thing arrives. I love Kang Min Hyuk, who is such a cutie pie. He was last seen in 2016 dud Entertainer. Lee Seo Won just starred in The Liar And His Lover. It’s funny how both the two actors appeared in music-based shows in their last project. Hospital Ship also stars Minah (of pop group AOA) as a happy-go-lucky nurse, underrated Wang Ji Won (Fated To Love You) as Kang Min Hyuk’s ex-girlfriend and an artist, newbie Kim In Sik as a dentist, Lee Han Wi (who has done scads of TV dramas and movies, his latest work being Introverted Boss) as the captain of the ship and Jung Kyung Soon (Jealousy Incarnate) as a veteran nurse. I think the show could be a light, fun watch and as it is set in a ship with frequent stops at islands, we are going to have gorgeous outdoor locations.

Hospital Ship is helmed by the PD of A New Leaf, Scandal and I Miss You, and writer of sageuks Secret Door and Hwang Jin Yi. It will begin its broadcast from 30 August in the Wednesday-Thursday slot following currently airing Man Who Dies To Live. The cast and crew held script reading a few days back — check out the pics!