MBC's big budget sageuk Queen Seon Duk will finally be making it's way onto tv screens on 25th May. The highly anticipated Queen Seon Duk is the final of 3 sageuks this year that centers around a female heroine. The other 2, KBS2TV The Iron Empress and SBS Ja Myung Go have both met with lukewarm responses in Korea (although I am watching and liking them both) with ratings not reaching up to expectations, the earlier suffering from historical inaccuracies and the latter being a fusion between sageuk and fantasy. Although one can attribute it to a waning interest in sageuk dramas in recent times, there are signs that Queen Seon Duk might just buck the trend. The 50 episode sageuk drama is about the lifestory of Princess Duk Man who later becomes Queen Seon Duk (Lee Yo Won), the first Queen of Silla. Her life sees Silla engaged in numerous conflicts in the turbulent era of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla) while internally, she has to contend against her biggest political rival and the 2nd most powerful female in the court, Mi Shil (Go Hyun Jung). Park Ye Jin and Uhm Tae Woong also play important roles in the drama, the earlier gives birth to Kim Chun Chu (Yoo Seung Ho) who becomes the 29th king of Silla while the latter is famed Silla general Kim Yoo Shin. Park Jung Chul, Kim Nam Gil, veterans Jo Min Ki, Lee Moon Shik, Lee Soon Jae, Shin Goo, etc are also in the drama who adds to the star factor. Factors that might see Queen Seon Duk become a success. 1. It's taking over the timeslot vacated by popular and current top-rated drama Queen of Housewives. Unsuspecting viewers will just spill over. 2. The impressive cast. You can always count on the veterans to deliver. 3. A fresh focus and look at Silla history. 4. Weak competition from SBS Ja Myung Go, KBS2TV The Slingshot/Story of a Man (follow-up is The Man Who Can't Get Married) And Queen Seon Duk's entry will mean that we have 2 sageuk dramas competing directly against each other on Monday and Tuesday nights. Now, won't it be interesting if KBS moves The Iron Empress to the same timeslot. But then again, it would just be overdoing it and wishful thinking. Here's a Queen Seon Duk 6 minute preview. credit: FIowerPower2009