We always complain about the freshness factor in dramaland and tvN’s upcoming Smart Prison Living will definitely help in bringing some much needed mint fresh element for us. It is a prison drama, a black comedy, about the lives of the prisoners and staff of a jailhouse. The highlight of the drama is the director behind the camera, Shin Won Ho, who has helmed all the instalments of the Answer Me franchise. So one can surely hope for lots of amazing relationships, warmth, thoughtfulness, bromance and humour here. It’s great that he has taken up a different set up this time and it will be interesting how the results are.

The show has assembled an eclectic cast. Musical actor Park Hae Soo (Legend Of The Blue Sea, Six Flying Dragons) stars in the lead role of a famous baseball player who gets convicted after an accident and thus begins his new life where he adjusts to the entirely new environment of the prison life. Jung Kyung Ho (Missing 9) stars as a prison guard, who is also a huge fan of the superstar player. Other actors include Krystal (Heirs) as a traditional medicine student, Answer Me regular Sung Dong Il as experienced prison guard chief, Jung Woong In (I Hear Your Voice) as a strict guard, Jung Hae In (cutie pie from While You Were Sleeping) as a prisoner known as Captain Yoo and Im Hwa Young (Chief Kim) as Park Hae Soo’s sister. There are many more other actors and characters and I think we’ll be able to remember all as the drama starts. I’m super excited for the drama as the premise, director and cast looks great, with a lot of potential for being a heartfelt and heartwarming drama.

Smart Prison Living will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 22 November following Avengers Social Club. The other monikers of the drama floating around are Wise Prison Life and Prison Playbook.