Babel 250 (Korean: 바벨250) is a South Korean reality television program on tvN, which first aired on July 11, 2016. The show features a cast of four men and three women, all from different countries, who live together as an experiment, speaking their own languages and attempting to create a universal one. The show's title is loosely based on the story of the Tower of Babel and 250 families of languages currently in use in the world.[1][2][3]
On September 27, 2016, the first season ended with Episode 12.[4][5]
Background
The concept of the show is a global language project showing what happens when six foreigners living together with one native, in South Korea, must create a lingua franca or "common language", by using their own native languages, not just Korean, and not English.[2][6] The cast members are from South Korea, Brazil, France, Thailand, Russia, Venezuela and China.[3][7] Only the South Korean member speaks Korean, and only the Thai and Chinese members have visited South Korea.[1][2] In an interview with Yonhap, Program Director (PD) Lee Won-hyoung said the ultimate goal was to create a "new world" and mentioned the possibility of "unexpected love lines" developing among the cast.[8]
For the first episode they gathered to live in a southern town they called "Babel 250", the real town of Darengyi in Namhae County, along the South Sea.[1][9] They elect a leader every day, eat their meals together and attempt to work together in community life and mutual understanding.[3][6][7] They initially communicate using their own languages, their eyes and other body language.[10] On the second episode the show's many language interpreters assist the cast, via headphones, as they acquaint themselves with each other.[11]
Filming for the show ended the week the second episode was aired. By that time, South Korean cast member Lee Ki-woo said communicating had become much easier. He said, "We could tell what the other person wanted just from their eyes and expressions," and, "I began to understand that language and nationality are not that important."[9]
On July 25, 2016, the date of the airing of the third episode, PD Lee said in a press conference that their new language "Babel" was not really possible, adding, "We wanted to show that people can communicate with a limited vocabulary like we do with English when we travel." He said the first three episodes were a struggle for the cast getting to know one another, but they would start forming their new language in the fourth episode.[1]
Cast
Producers selected the cast after three months of searching Google and other social networks.[9] Brazil's Matheus Olivério da Silva Rêgo is a samba dancer whose school would soon perform at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics. China's Chen Lin is a professional concert planner, whose concerts have included Jackie Chan's. France's Nicolas Portier is an actor. Russia's Angelina is an interior design college major who likes windsurfing and horseback riding. South Korea's Lee Ki-woo is a film, drama and variety show actor. Thailand's Tanon Varaya has investments in real estates, renting and restaurant operations, and has a luxury philosophy. Venezuela's Michelle Marie Bertolini Araque placed second in the Miss Venezuela 2013 beauty pageant and retired from tennis playing after a knee injury.[2][12]
On August 15, 2016, the date of the airing of the sixth episode, Tanon Varaya had to leave the show midway for health reasons, which he shared in a videotaped farewell. He was replaced by Thailand's Poompat Iam-samang, a student and drum major at Chulalongkorn University and active on social media with the nickname "Up Poompat."[12][13] The newcomer was previewed by media as the show's new 'flower boy'.[14]
Get acquainted meeting with interpreters' help;[11] Lin and Nicolas work in anchovyfishery;[17] rest of cast play at beach and town.[18]
3
July 25
Ki-woo, Angelina (grocery shop); Lin, Nicolas (anchovy fishing); Ki-woo, Matheus (eel fishing); Lin sick visit to hospital; meeting and meal all together.[17][19]
4
August 1
Ki-woo, Matheus (eat eel); Lin, Nicolas (grocery shop, cook); Angelina (shares face masks), Ki-woo, Nicolas (build fire); catch chickens, meeting and meal together.[20]
5
August 8
Matheus, Michelle (seaside walk); Matheus, Angelina (garlic field work);[21] Tanon, Michelle (chicken farm work);[22] Ki-woo (fishing/handyman work); meeting, and meal all together with visiting neighbors.[23]
6
August 15
Matheus (samba lessons);[14] Lin, Ki-woo, Tanon, Angelina, Nicolas (beach); Matheus, Michelle (fishing/cooking); (Vacation break to homes); Tanon sick farewell, introduce new member Up.[12][13]
7
August 22
Ki-woo, Up (goat farm work); Matheus, Lin, Michelle (wine and music); Michelle telephones Tanon; all prepare and join in dinner and drinking party.[24][25]
8
August 29
Matheus, Lin (temple stay/work); Anjelina, Michelle, Up, Ki-woo, Nicolas (wash clothes/housework/play at home); all share dinner and make-up/beauty contest for males.[26][27]
Lin (leads tai chi exercises), Angelina, Up (wall painting/cooking), Tanon (video message reveals real-life dating with Michelle, Matheus is heartbroken), Kiwoo, Matheus (make scarecrows and makgeolli), Michelle, Lin, Nicolas (paint t-shirts), Ki-woo/Lin vs. Matheus/Michelle (dodgeball), Michelle vs. Ki-woo/Nicolas (tennis), Lin (gifts cards), meal and meeting all together.[30][31]
11
September 20
Matheus, Anjelina (farm work/ride bicycle); Kiwoo, Lin, Michelle (inflatable boat fishing); Nicolas, Up (traditional Korean medicine/restaurant work); Michelle (phone chat with Tanon); Michelle, Up (pick corn); cleaning, cooking, meal and meeting all together.[15]
12
September 27
All (beach day/dinner at home); Tanon visits (romantic walk with Michelle); all visit village neighbors, share native foods and hold tearful farewell meeting with interpreters.[4][5]
Ratings and reception
On the show's debut, Chosun Ilbo writer Lee Seung-mi pointed out the obvious comparison (and competition) of this new cable television show, with the recently re-organized older cable television show, JTBC's Non-Summit, that also has foreign cast members, and airs on the same night.[6]
^ abtvN 바벨250. tvN (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
^Seob, Yeong-gi (July 12, 2016). [서병기 연예톡톡]‘바벨250’ 참신하고 특이, 엉뚱하다. Herald Business (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
^Bak, Jeong-seon (August 2, 2016). [리뷰is] '바벨250', 외국인 버전 '삼시세끼'. Daily Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
