How Do You Play? (놀면 뭐하니?)

- More than now... - It was so great.

(Only the strongest survived these roads.)

(Everyone gathered in front of the new color TV.)

(Among the many legendary programs...)

(MBC Employee ID: Director Yu, No hits, dreams of being a star PD)

My gosh.

Why is the office so big?

"The 80s MBC Seoul Song Festival Promotion Committee."

Goodness.

Okay, so, I'm Director Yu.

The company saw my proposal and green-lit the new program.

I plan to put on a decent song festival.

It has been a long time since I got a chance.

As a director of TV programs,

I really need to prove myself to my employer.

I think Writer Ha's here.

I'm late.

I really need to pee.

No, but I'm late.

(MBC Employee ID: Writer Ha, Yu's helper, worked just 6 months)

My gosh. Director.

The traffic was crazy.

I'm sorry.

(Writer Ha is late for their first meeting.)

But hey.

Writer Ha.

Why are you dressed like that?

- What? - Why are you dressed like...

- On the way... - Why is a writer dressed like that?

The trend these days...

Are you a star?

Why do you want to stand out?

I'm not trying to stand out. This is the current trend.

Director.

Whatever. Fine.

(A war of nerves breaks out from day one.)

- Anyway, you brought... - I had to find all this.

- Good job. Sit down. - That's why I was late.

Buy me a dual cassette player.

- What? - A dual cassette player.

Work with this for now.

- Use what you have. - You people are too stingy.

What did you say?

I had to buy this myself.

- Writer Ha. - What?

If you have the time to dress up, do better at your job.

My gosh...

If this were the year 2025,

- What? - I could sue you.

- Could you? - Yes.

- You can't say that. - It's the 1980s right now.

You can't even imagine saying that in the future.

Let me get a cup of water.

This is so darn irritating.

(He looks for cold water to cool his anger.)

What is this?

- What is this? - That's what we drink.

It's barley tea.

There are snacks.

I liked this.

They released a new version of it.

I loved the curry flavor.

(He goes back in time with the 80s snack.)

(Writer Ha has cooled down and is back to work.)

Are you a celebrity?

Do I look like a celebrity?

There are some writers who have a good sense of fashion.

Singer Lee Moon Sae is my cousin.

- You're cousins? - Yes.

See? I look just like him.

I'm from a family of celebrities.

But are you a celebrity?

I'm from a family of celebrities.

Aren't you here as a writer? My gosh.

You're so authoritative.

Yes, I am.

People were quite authoritative in the 80s.

You know what? I'm good at my job.

I'm good at my job. And I'm stylish too.

- Is that so? - Yes.

What other shows have you worked on then?

Have you worked on a show I would know?

"Laugh for Blessings."

- Did you work on comedy shows? - Yes.

- I was in comedy. - For how many years?

For about six months.

- Then you're new to this. - Do you have any successful shows?

No.

- I'm here to help you. - I don't have any.

They recently gave me a green light to my proposal.

So it's a hard-earned opportunity for me.

That's why it must go well.

- I know that. I also... - But when you walked in,

I noticed that you were all flashy. That's why I'm scolding you.

I wasn't late because I was dressing up.

I was trying to get some materials. I was in Euljiro.

- You should've done it in advance. - I was at Sewoon Shopping Center.

So you should leave earlier.

I got there early. I had to wait for an hour.

You always have to have the last word.

It's not about that. I was just stating the facts.

- It's not my fault. - Listen.

We're already arguing on day one. We can't work together then.

- Okay. Let me apologize then. - Right.

You're quite sensitive.

Listen. This program must go well for me.

It must go well for me too.

- All right. You know what? - Yes.

I hope we can make a good team together.

- Of course. I'm a good worker. - I hope so.

- Is that so? - Yes.

So you know what kind of show we're launching, right?

Not in great detail.

- What? We had a long talk. - I really don't know.

- You don't know what it's about? - I don't know.

What is it about? What was your proposal?

Let me tell you about it.

They passed my proposal for a new show.

As I told you earlier, there's a new trend at TV stations.

There are many song festivals now.

- Yes. - That's the new thing now.

(The program that dominated the TV industry in the 80s)

"College Musicians Festival."

"Riverside Song Festival." "Beachside Song Festival."

(Nationally beloved stars debuted at the festivals.)

(The central force that shaped popular culture beyond competition)

This is a great idea. Old songs...

There are so many amazing songs from the 1980s.

(Popular music in Korea shone brightly then.)

I'm going to join this trend.

Just like the song festivals from the 80s,

we'll give out real awards such as the Grand Award,

Gold Award, Silver Award, and Bronze Award.

- Yes. - It's a real song festival.

"College Musicians Festival" is a hit these days too.

- It's a huge hit. - Right.

But our program is different from that.

- Our targeted age group... - Yes. Are we including everyone?

- It includes everyone. - I see.

There are no requirements to join our show like age...

or educational backgrounds.

And the participants must sing only hit songs...

from the 80s.

Well, the program will air in 2025.

- Is that so? - We're filming in the 1980s.

- I see. - But it will air in 2025.

- That's what I heard. - This is a new way of doing things.

So we're filming this in advance. Many years before it airs.

- That's just crazy. - Yes. You got it, right?

- It's like the drama, "Signal." - Yes.

You can think of it like the plot in "Signal."

That's why people who are auditioning to join us...

are coming from 2025.

So let me explain. If they pass and want to join our festival,

- they must come to the 80s. - They must come? I see.

They must pass the audition in 2025...

- to join us in the 80s. - That's how they can come.

- This is so unique. - Yes.

About 13 people applied...

to audition for the preliminary round.

When they applied,

they used famous spots... or names of the neighborhoods...

- in Seoul as their nicknames. - Yes.

Here's the thing.

They must be good singers...

- by default. - Yes.

- But the vibe of the 80s... - The vibe.

I'm looking for people with the right vibe.

By the time we're watching this on TV in 2025,

- it'll be hard to feel this vibe. - Of course.

- It's not about the tempo or pitch. - Yes.

It's all about the soul.

- The vibe. - No.

- Their spirit. - No.

Why not?

- Tell me. - It's not like that.

There was a unique vibe from the 80s, of course.

But more importantly, the focus was on the lyrics.

The lyrics are quite poetic.

- That's what I meant. - No.

Why not? That's what I'm saying.

We're saying the same thing. I guess what I said sounded too cool.

No.

- Weren't you trying to yank it? - No.

- No. Yank it? - Yes.

- Yank it? - Yes.

- No. - Romance and soul...

- are more important... - That's not it.

than tempo and pitch.

Anyway, let's say they're not the best singers,

but they're bringing the vibe from the 80s.