Once upon a time, a tiny Seoyeon lived in a dorm with her 8 members. Some of them played instruments, others had lived abroad, and one had been the president of her class. Seoyeon, living an active but repetitive life, had yet to ride a bicycle.
Thus, Channel_9 was born, a place where all 9 girls could experience what they never had before. A safe space to develop chemistry, learn about themselves, and create unforgettable memories. We, on the other hand, were gifted a show that turned many muggles into flovers, and countless Thursdays into our favorite day of the week.
Believe it or not, Channel_9’s sixth season reaching its 50th episode also marks 100 episodes since the series started. If you know Promise Publications, we couldn’t leave this milestone without a proper celebration.
Season 1 – October 2018 to February 2019
After a brainstorming session to start things off, the very first season of Channel_9 saw each member shoot an individual episode based on a theme of their choice. While Seoyeon scratched an aquarium visit off of her bucket list, Nagyung and Jiwon decided to hold an ultra-competitive Overwatch face-off. Between leisure and exciting content, season 1 gave us numerous legendary moments, such as Chaeyoung and Jiwon’s chocolate chicken mukbang, Jisun’s first-ever ASMR video, and an unforgettable VR arcade visit by Gyuri and Chaeyoung.
A group visit to the amusement park wrapped up the season, followed by a season review episode that awarded Jiwon a dinner coupon for the outstanding performance in her individual episode, Mary Megan Bakery.
Season 2 – May 2019 to July 2019
Riding the success of the previous season, Channel_9 Season 2 turned the production up a notch, mixing reality and variety show elements across 15 episodes. Right off the bat, “Dorm Observation Diary” gave us a peek at fromis_9’s dorm life, from the room assignments and members’ chemistry to the casual conversations they shared.
The focus then switched to variety, with the following episodes being inspired by concern-solving shows and quiz game shows. Beauty and ASMR fans were also satisfied, as dubbed makeup and “What’s in My Bag” videos were also released, as well as another episode of Jisun’s ASMR.
Season 2 ended with a wholesome MT (membership training, similar to a field trip) to a pool villa near Korea’s east coast, where the girls spent two days and one night freely. Be it enjoying the pool, playing games, or having a barbecue party, fromis_9 once again provided viewers with high-quality entertainment, leaving us begging for a new season.
Season 3, In The HOUSE – April 2020 to May 2020
Titled In The HOUSE, Channel_9’s third season was fully shot inside fromis_9’s dorm. It started with “fromie’s veranda,” two episodes where the members were paired randomly to share their thoughts on each other, answering both absurd and heartfelt questions. If you want to know exactly how it went, we have written about it!
It was in the following episodes, “Living with Roommates,” that the girls got to shine doing what they do best: being themselves. From the moment they woke up to what they had for dinner, we followed fromis_9 around their dorm for a day. We watched them cook, chat, or just… roll around in bed. “Living with Roommates” taught us about Jiheon’s “watchdog” nickname, the fact that Bbiyongz share everything, and Seoyeon’s habit of explaining her dreams in detail to a victim member.
All in all, “Living with Roommates” was perhaps fromis_9’s most relaxed look to date. With no script and little makeup, they produced over two hours of entertainment and moments flovers won’t ever forget.
Season 4, EfG – July 2020 to August 2020
Perfectly timed to entertain flovers before the release of “Feel Good,” Channel_9 EfG (a phonetic play on words on “예쁘지,” or “pretty, right”) was divided into three parts. The first one saw fromis_9 once again go on a group trip. This time, they not only played games, but had the fate of who would execute simple daily tasks be decided by sheer luck.
After another entertaining start to a Channel_9 season, what could be up next? If anyone guessed farmer fromis_9 harvesting tomatoes, they’re right. Visiting a tomato farm, the nine girls immersed themselves in the countryside atmosphere and handpicked tomatoes while role-playing as their own mothers. We know, nobody expected that.
The final part of season 4 sent our girls back to school. Again role-playing, but this time as high and middle schoolers, they reminisced about the old days, competed to be class representatives, and declared their love towards their best friends with lovely poems.
Season 5, Year-End Awards – December 2020
When fromis_9 is not invited to award shows, they create their own. Complete with red carpet and all, Channel_9’s shortest season handed made-up awards as any reputable Korean award show would. Now, outstanding prizes such as the “Hamster Wheel Award” and the “Good Vibe Photos Award” can be boasted by the girls.
To end the season, a laid-back pajama party was held. Playing games where the losers would have to treat them all to a meal, fromis_9 enjoyed a relaxing time and had their food while reliving memories of previous seasons.
Season 6 – August 2021 to Present
New company, grander scale. Channel_9’s sixth season started right after fromis_9’s transfer to Pledis Entertainment, and as evidenced by the production value and prizes in pure gold for certain episodes, it became serious(er) business.
With season breaks now being a thing of the past, Thursdays and fromis_9 became synonymous. This sixth season alone produced more episodes than all other seasons combined, and we have yet to know if this streak will ever stop.
Along the 50 episodes, “variety” was never a more apt word. We watched the girls find the culprit in a crime thriller, hold heated MBTI discussions, and force the staff to rethink entire episodes by beating their games too easily.
With so many episodes, it gets hard to pick a favorite moment. To some, it may be the simple joy of finding someone with the surname “Park,” to others, the failure to recognize your country’s biggest football star before a World Cup. At the end of the day, no one better than fromis_9 themselves to highlight the greatness that is Channel_9, and to relive some of the best moments season 6 has given us.
Here’s to 100 more!
Writer: Bruno
Designers: Adam and Mitch
Editor: Mitch
Proofreader: Brad
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