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''Knowing Bros'' (), also known as ''Men on a Mission'' or ''Ask Us Anything'', is a South Korean television entertainment program produced by
SM C&C SM Culture & Contents ( ko, 에스엠컬처앤콘텐츠; SM C&C) is a South Korean advertising, production, travel and talent company under SM Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SM Entertainment. The company operates as a talent agency, televi ...
that premiered on December 5, 2015, and currently airs on Saturdays at
JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...
. Although the show has taken on different formats in some episodes, the program features a high school classroom setting with the fixed cast - the titular "brothers" - acting as same-aged students. Guests arrive posing as visiting students from another school and are interviewed by the cast in a
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
segment; the program's second half usually features a
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
segment, with the cast and guests taking of activities such as games, talent show, or improvisational acting. ''Knowing Bros''' current fixed cast includes
Kang Ho-dong Kang Ho-dong (born June 11, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers. In 2008, Kang Ho Dong became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksan ...
,
Lee Soo-geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS ''Gag Concert'', and is under the management of SM Culture & Con ...
, Kim Young-chul,
Seo Jang-hoon Seo Jang-hoon (; born 3 June 1974) is a South Korean former professional basketball player, who is currently active as an entertainer and variety show star. Early life Seo attended Whimoon High School, known as one Seoul's high school basketball ...
,
Kim Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Sup ...
, Min Kyunghoon, Lee Sangmin, and Lee Jin-ho;
Hwang Chi-yeul Hwang Chiyeul (; born 3 December 1982) is a South Korean singer. Outside his career as a solo artist, he has also hosted '' Immortal Songs 2'' and competed in the Chinese version of singing competition show ''I Am a Singer''. He made his offici ...
and
Kim Se-hwang Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...
were initial cast members in the program's first few episodes.
Jang Sung-kyu Jang Sung-kyu (; born April 21, 1983) is a South Korean host and television personality. He was formerly a news announcer for JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwi ...
and
Shindong Shin Dong-hee (born September 28, 1985), better known by his stage name Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and i ...
have appeared as recurring special guests by hosting the show's game segments. The show received several accolades during its run.


Format

The current format (from episode 17) explores the high school concept where the cast members act like students in a classroom while guests come as newly transferred students. Most of the segments for this format portray activities that every student would do with their classmates. Subsequently, the program sometimes diversifies at the end with a segment outside of the school concept. This format has received praise from the viewers and led to a significant increase in ratings and popularity of the program. A notable aspect of the show is the usage of the ''banmal'' (
Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 반말; "informal language") manner of speech used by everyone regardless of their age or seniority, thus disregarding the Korean language's strict seniority rules with spoken language and the '' sunbae''–'' hoobae'' hierarchy in the Korean entertainment industry. The informal speech and casual setting also encourages the guests and cast to interact with each other as schoolmates often do, leading them to be comfortable enough to tease one another. There are at least two permanent segments, which have defined the Brother School format: * Entrance Application – a segment where a cast member (typically Lee Soo-Geun) reads the application forms the guests filled beforehand and other cast members comment on them. A highlight of this segment is the guests' preference for which cast members they would like or would not like to sit next to. The guests typically show their strengths and/or weaknesses through this segment. * Guess About Me – a segment where the guests have prepared several questions related to themselves. Some of the questions are vague or extremely private and concern something the guests have never revealed to the public. In another format, idol groups with more than 5 members that are visiting for the first time will have their names covered, and as Heechul reveals a fact about the member, the group members would try to confuse the cast.


Segments

The episodes may also feature any of the following segments, usually within, in between, or following the above permanent segments: * Second Period – a segment that usually comes after the permanent segments and varies between guests. In most cases, the guests have made suggestions on the activities for this segment. Examples include counseling sessions, art class, and physical education class. * Let's Play – a short segment where the guests challenge the cast members to a game which the former is confident in winning, usually by unorthodox means such as on-the-spot rules. The segment usually ends with a challenge where the guest needs to defeat every cast member consecutively. * Three No's (No Concept, No Basis, No Script) – a segment that revolves around an ad-libbed skit where the cast members and guests are not given any dialogue or definite storyline. They can only rely on the overall theme of the particular week's skit and their own comedic timing. * Music Class (Songstagram) – a segment where the guests have created a list of songs with a specific theme of their preference. The segment focuses on the cast members' effort in guessing all of them in the correct order. There are often hints such as release date, characteristics, or "Jonghyun's game" as it was introduced in ep. 29 by the late Jonghyun (
Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
), wherein the beginning syllable/note of a verse is given with its rhythm to help the members guess the song name. * Lee Sang-min Time – formally introduced in ep. 56 and formerly called Choose Your Type, is a short segment wherein the guests (usually the females) are briefed by Lee Sang-min to choose any of the cast members (plus any accompanying male guest) as their ideal partner. The specifications are that all members are "equal" in terms of legal, socioeconomic, & civil statuses; and that the choice is based only on their physical appearances and personalities. * Dancestagram – formally introduced in ep. 57 by Chanmi ( AOA). In
Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
's episode it became a segment where the PD plays the beginning syllable/note of a song and they have to guess the title, lyrics, and dance move. * 99 Seconds Teamwork Competition – a segment that is often used when a large group of people are guests on the program, such as idol groups. The segment varies each episode in terms of missions, but the members and guests must complete them within 99 seconds. If a team manages to complete them in time, the other team is given a chance to produce a better time record. * Classical Culture Class - a segment all about pop culture references to forgotten decades. * Imagination Time - a segment which starts with a warm-up, like drawing something from shapes, and guessing lip-synced words. The highlight of "Imagination Time" (
Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 상상력 시간) is Guess the Drama Line. The members and guests have to guess what the next line of the scene from a drama shown to them is. * Knowing Lunch - a segment that comes in between the Entrance Application segment and the Guess About Me segment. The members and guests answer questions (either in an individual battle or as a team) given by the production team and if they are guessed correctly they can eat one of the numerous side dishes selected, other than white rice and light soy sauce that was already provided beforehand. ** A variation of this is that each member must ask a question of their choice, but only the specified number of people can guess correctly. For example: Only 4 people can answer this question correctly: What is the name of the famous picture painted by Norwegian painter
Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, ''The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dr ...
? In ep. 183, since
Jeon So-mi Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a Korean and Canadian singer, rapper and dancer signed under The Black Label. Jeon shot to domestic stardom as the first-place winner of the sur ...
answered with a transliteration of its English name (
The Scream ''The Scream'' is a composition created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The agonized face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolizing the anxiety of the human condition. Munch's work, including ...
), and only 3 others answered by its Korean name, it was still deemed as a pass after review. ** There is also one question where a specially requested item is covered under a cloche. The way to gain the food item varies in each episode. * XXX Scholarship Quiz - a second half segment in Brother School, where
Shindong Shin Dong-hee (born September 28, 1985), better known by his stage name Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and i ...
(
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
) enters the classroom and hosts the quiz. The members and guests form pairs and play the games to enjoy the food. Typically this consists of two segments: ** Consonants Charades: When two consonants are given, whichever pair hits the buzzer first gets to answer. To answer, one of the pair has to express the word without saying what the word is, and the other has to guess the word. ** Mix Music Quiz: Shindong sings the lyrics to song "B" in the melody of song "A". One of the pair has to answer song "A" and its singer, and the other of the pair has to answer song "B" and its singer. * Job Consultation Room - an official corner of the show after the Brother School segment for the episode has ended. Jang Sung-kyu, Shindong and
Jeong Se-woon Jeong Se-woon (, born May 31, 1997) is a South Korean singer-songwriter signed under Starship Entertainment. Career 2013–2017: Pre-debut Jeong's first public appearance was in 2013, as a contestant in the third season of ''K-pop Star''. He ...
would let guests (different from in Brother School), as Variety Job Lookers, to prove their variety skills to the three. * After School Activities - the cast members each learn something unique that is not done during the "lesson" in Brother School. This segment is shown on both TV and YouTube, after the end of a Knowing Bros episode. ** Dong Dong Shin Ki: Kang Ho-dong, together with Shindong (Super Junior), visits various idols and learn idol songs choreographs. Several other guests will then watch the final dancing videos and comment on them. This activity lasted from July 11 to October 24, 2020. ** Universe Hipsters: Universe Cowards (Kim Hee-chul, Min Kyung-hoon) visit rappers and learn hip hop and rapping from them. This activity began from October 31, 2020, to January 2, 2021. ** Lots of Advice: Seo Jang-hoon and Lee Soo-geun, a duo in Brother School that is well known for their chemistry, get advices on various games, alongside Shindong (Super Junior). This activity began from January 16 to April 17, 2021.


Special

* Special segment: Knowing Bros Award, An annual year-closing episode, Knowing Bros Awards, started on December 29, 2018. In the episode, the hosts review the corners and the appearances from the guests that were featured in the latest year. Hosts and some special guests are also provided with distinctive awards. * Special episodes: These episodes do not follow the Brother School format.


Previous


Presenters


Cast

The program's original cast consisted of
Kang Ho-dong Kang Ho-dong (born June 11, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers. In 2008, Kang Ho Dong became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksan ...
,
Lee Soo-geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS ''Gag Concert'', and is under the management of SM Culture & Con ...
,
Seo Jang-hoon Seo Jang-hoon (; born 3 June 1974) is a South Korean former professional basketball player, who is currently active as an entertainer and variety show star. Early life Seo attended Whimoon High School, known as one Seoul's high school basketball ...
, Kim Young-chul,
Kim Hee-chul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Supe ...
,
Hwang Chi-yeul Hwang Chiyeul (; born 3 December 1982) is a South Korean singer. Outside his career as a solo artist, he has also hosted '' Immortal Songs 2'' and competed in the Chinese version of singing competition show ''I Am a Singer''. He made his offici ...
and
Kim Se-hwang Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese fo ...
.
Min Kyung-hoon Min Kyung-hoon (; born October 6, 1984) is a South Korean singer and television personality. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Buzz and one-half of the duo Universe Cowards with Kim Hee-chul. His first solo album, ''Im·pres·sive'', was ...
was added to the cast formation on the second episode aired on December 12, 2015. Hwang Chi-yeul and Kim Se-hwang left the program after the seventh episode, which aired on January 16, 2016. Lee Sang-min joined the cast on March 5, 2016.


Current cast


Former cast


Special Cast


Timeline


List of episodes

; Series overview


Ratings

* Note that the show airs on a cable channel (
pay TV Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...
), which plays part in its slower uptake and relatively small audience share when compared to programs
broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...
( FTA) on public networks such as KBS, SBS, MBC or
EBS EBS may refer to: Broadcasting * EBS TV (Ethiopia) * Educational Broadband Service, US TV service * Educational Broadcasting System, South Korea ** EBS 1, a South Korean television channel * Emergency Broadcast System, former US Warning system ...
. * NR rating means ''"not reported"''. The rating is low. * TNmS have stopped publishing their rating report from June 2018. * In the ratings below, the highest rating for the show will be in red, and the lowest rating for the show will be in blue each year.


Other works


Discography


Other appearances


Other Show appearances


YouTube

They started their YouTube channel called "아는형님 Knowingbros" on October 10, 2020.


Controversy


Disciplinary action

In December 2016, the program received a disciplinary action from South Korea's Broadcast Censorship Committee for using improper remarks, which included objectifying female guests on multiple occasions. In one episode, Min Kyung-hoon gives a handcrafted bra to a female guest (
Jeon So-min Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella''. Jeon played her first leading role in ...
). The committee also highlighted the use of improper language between cast members and the use of homophobic remarks. Besides a warning given by the committee, it is reported that the program has also received numerous complaints from viewers regarding the matter.


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* *
Men on a Mission
' on
JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...
Worldwide * {{JTBC entertainment shows 2020s South Korean television series 2015 South Korean television series debuts Korean-language television shows JTBC original programming South Korean variety television shows Television series by SM C&C