Format
Current
As of episode 48, the members have taken part in a series of missions to become the winner(s) at the end of the race. Missions form the basis of ''Running Man'' as members try to avoid punishment in earlier episodes or to win prizes. Multiple missions are presented in each episode, with the highlight of ''Running Man'' being ''race missions''. The format of the show has veered away from the "race mission + others" to "one continuous race + missions".Previous
Personnel
Cast members
Current * Yoo Jae-suk (Episode 1–present) * Haha (Episode 1–present) * Jee Seok-jin (Episode 1–present) * Kim Jong-kook (Episode 1–present) * Song Ji-hyo (Episode 6–present) * Jeon So-min (Episode 346–present) * Yang Se-chan (Episode 346–present) Former * Lizzy (Episode 18–25) * Song Joong-ki (Episode 1–41) *Timeline
The original cast members consists of Yoo Jae-suk,Production staff
The staff run the games, often showing up on camera either by actively participating in the game or influencing the outcome of various missions. This includes the personal cameramen (VJs), production directors (PDs), floor directors (FDs), stylists, boom operators, etc. Chief producer, Nam Seung-yong, is responsible for the production of the program, with PD Jo Hyo-jin, Im Hyung-taek, and Kim Joo-hyung (also known as Myeok PD) mainly responsible for the directing and production of the recordings of the program since inception. Other PDs have joined the program to assist as the program shifts from a single landmark to multiple locations for recording, notably Hwang Seon-man, Jeong Cheol-min, and Lee Hwan-jin. FD Go Dong-wan assists in the recordings of the program and is known to be shown on camera many times, as well as delivering and assisting the members in missions. Producer Kim Joo-hyung has left the show as of episode 182 as he was reassigned to '' Inkigayo''. Each member has their own personal cameramen who follow them around exclusively during recordings. Notable cameramen include Ryu Kwon-ryeol (Yoo Jae-suk's primary VJ), Kim Yoo-seok (Jee Seok-jin's primary VJ), Choi Yoon-sang (former primary VJ for Lee Kwang-soo), Yoon Sung-yong (Haha's primary VJ), Sung Gyu (Song Ji-hyo's primary VJ), Jo Seong-Oh (Gary's primary VJ, now Yang Se-chan's primary VJ), Kim Ki-jin (Kim Jong-kook's primary VJ), and Ji Bong-jo (Jeon So-min's primary VJ). On November 19, 2014, the show's head director, Jo Hyo-jin, announced his departure from the show after working with the members for four years. On March 20, 2016, the show's main PD, Im Hyung-taek left the show (as of episode 291) as he became the producer of ''Guests with the most appearances
During its run, some of the guests were occasionally featured or invited to the show. The following list are guests who appeared the most often as of November 27, 2022.List of episodes
List of guests
Many guests have taken part in ''Running Man''. The following is a compilation of guests and the number of times they have been on the show. With regards to guest-turned-members (Song Ji-hyo, Jeon So-min, Yang Se-chan) or former members of the show (Lizzy, Song Joong-ki, Gary, Lee Kwang-soo ), only the times they were a guest are counted. The guests were sorted according to their appearances and the number of episodes appeared.Reception
The first episode of the show received mixed reviews. According to ''Asiae'', the show concept was promising, but the crew could not use the location to full potential, and the pace was not fast and dynamic enough. Despite a slow start, ''Running Man'' became increasingly popular in South Korea and throughout Asia. In its home country the show is watched by 2.1 million people on average. Due to the existence of fansubs, it is watched outside of Asia as well, being translated into English, Spanish and Arabic, among others. According to ''Discography
In conjunction with the 9th year of show, the show held their first ever fan-meeting in South Korea. During the fan-meeting, they collaborate with the different singers. On September 22, 2019, the extended play titled ''Running Man Fan Meeting: Project Running 9'' was released.Ratings
In the ratings below, the highest rating for the show is in , and the lowest rating for the show is in each year. * ''Good Sunday'' divides its program into two parts, ''Running Man'' airs as ''Good Sunday Part 1''. * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.) * Note for TNmS ratings, the ones listed here is the higher ratings chosen amongst ratings for each episodes.Tours
Other works
Merchandising
In order to "relay the feeling of ''Running Man''", ''Running Man'' has made merchandises available on sale since 2015. The products ranging from stickers, socks, hats, shirts, and shoes. On May 26, 2015, a special project called the "''Running Man'' Challenge" was made in collaboration with a footwear co-created platform, ROOY. Its main objective is for the fans to design a shoe that "would unify and coordinate between the cast members." 777 submissions were made, and in June 2015, a design made by a fan named Noh Seung-soo was selected to be the official design for the shoes. The shoes went on sale on February 22, 2016. Currently, a second "''Running Man'' Challenge" is held. The winner for this challenge will have their design to be the new shoes. In 2016, ''Running Man'' collaborated with NBA to make a 300th Anniversary special hats and shirts.Animation
On June 14, 2017, it was announced that ''Running Man'' will be adapted into a half-hour animated show. It features the original seven members, including former member Gary, in animal form. The show will have 24 episodes and EXO-CBX will provide the theme song for it. Additionally, the animated show will be the first to be broadcast in UHD in South Korea. On August 11, 2018, the animated show premiered on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia as an English dub. On December 5, 2018, the "Running Man, 2018" animated series was released in theaters. On December 19, 2020, an animated movie, originally serving as a six-episode preview of the new season, premiered on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia as an English dub with the title "Running Man: The Ultimate Challenge".Comic book
In March 2013, a comic book adaptation of the series was published. The series, titled ''Running Man: How do I Find the Kidnapped Idol?'', is written by Hong Yong-hoon and illustrated by Kim Moon-shik. The comic book, which is aimed for children, was released on March 25, 2013.Musical
On March 30 and 31, 2019, a play which was titled, "The Musical Running Man" was performed at Busan Citizen's Hall.Other appearances
International versions
Running Man had first sold the franchise to China which became '' Running Man China'' in 2014. They later sold the franchise to Vietnam and Indonesia in 2019. As of June 6, 2019, there have been aired 9 seasons within 3 franchises of ''Running Man''. : Currently airing (2) : An upcoming season (2) : Status unknown (0) : No longer airing (0) }''Spin-off
''Outrun by Running Man'' is the first official spin-off series of the long running programmme, featuring original cast members Haha, Jee Seok-jin and Kim Jong-kook. The show premiered on November 12, 2021, and is available for streaming onControversy
Gary's departure
In September 2012, Gary made a surprising announcement on social media about his intention to leave the program. It is believed that his intention came from the recent criticism concerning the "Super 7 Concert" which his company, Leessang Company, was producing. Gary decided to take responsibility for its failure by resigning himself from any activities. Due to this, ''Running Man'' production staff and the members decided to postpone their filming schedule on September 24–25, 2012 to convince him to stay in the program. A week later, Gary officially apologized for the controversy he created and confirmed his decision to remain as a member of the program. In 2016, Gary again announced his departure from Running Man to focus on his music. This caused Running Man to have a 6-member cast for a few months before casting two new members, Yang Se Chan and Jeon So Min. Gary returned on episode 336 as a surprise guest.Season 2 proposal
On December 14, 2016, it was announced that Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo were leaving the show, as a new season with a new format starring the remaining cast members and new member Kang Ho-dong would air in January 2017. Initial reception was mixed. However, it was revealed that Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo were not given any notice about their removal, resulting in an overwhelming negative reaction. In addition, news of Kang refusing the offer to join the new season resulted in a possible cancellation of Season 2 of ''Running Man''. On December 16, 2016, an emergency meeting was held with the consensus reached that all members would leave, ending the program altogether in February 2017 with a subsequent program taking its place. However, on January 24, 2017, SBS announced that the show will continue airing with all of the remaining cast members. The decision came after Nam Seung-yong, the new Vice President of SBS Entertainment Headquarters, who was involved in conceiving ''Running Man'', had further conversations with every member in regards to the show's future. Subsequently, after apologizing to Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo for all of the issues regarding the program, the former then became actively involved in convincing the other members to continue working on the program.Webtoon Plagiarism
On April 28, 2019, Running Man was criticized for plagiarizing Naver webtoon “Money Game”. The aired episode showed cast members put into a studio and given money to spend as a group. The fans of the "Money Game" webtoon pointed out the similarities between the episode concept and the webtoon's storyline. “Money Game” writer Bae Jin-Soo and Naver Webtoon, the platform in which the webtoon is published, both stated that they never received prior notificafion or requests for consent to be able to adopt the "Money Game" storyline into a Running Man episode. In response, producers of Running Man issued an apology to both parties.Depiction of Taiwan
During an episode aired on December 7, 2020, the show depicted China andAwards and nominations
References
External links
* * {{Good Sunday Seoul Broadcasting System original programming South Korean variety television shows South Korean game shows 2010 South Korean television series debuts Korean-language television shows Television game shows with incorrect disambiguation