Stream It Or Skip It: ‘A-List To Playlist’ On Netflix, Where A Korean Acting Star Challenges Himself To Write And Record An Album In 100 Days

Imagine if some of the actors-turned-singers in our midst ever did a reality series where they challenged themselves to write and record a full album in 100 days. Would you watch? Of course you would, because watching the fits and starts of that process is entertaining. Also, songwriting has always felt like alchemy to us, so to see someone writing music on the fly is always fascinating. In a new Korean series, a well-known actor has decided to do exactly the scenario we just described.

A-LIST TO PLAYLIST: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: We see the Big Bang, cells splitting, an evolution drawing. “In this universe is a man. A challenge. A story.”

The Gist: In A-List To Playlist, top South Korean actor Cho Jung-seok sets out to write and record an album in the span of 100 days. Why 100 days? Because that’s how long he has between acting projects. Piece of cake, right? Not so fast: Cho has never written a song, much less recorded one. He loves music and loves playing, but he’s never written and recorded songs before.

He rents a massive studio in Seoul, with the caveat on his lease that he has to create a full-length album. He thought he could make a 3-song EP, but a full-length album is actually seven or eight songs, which is daunting for someone who’s never written a song before.

But due to Cho’s 20 year acting career, he has connections. He brings in fellow actor and best friend Jung Sang-hoo to be his agent/manager. Jung suggests another actor, Moon Sang-hoo, to help with marketing, given the popularity of Moon’s YouTube channel. When the three of them meet for the first time, they brainstorm an agency name as well as a YT channel name. Jung and Moon also tell Cho that they’re there to help with the worst-case scenarios, like if his songs turn out to be really bad.

Both Sang-hoos meet without Cho to brainstorm a way to get Cho’s music in front of industry pros who will give honest and constructive feedback. The idea: have monthly check-ins with a judging panel; he’ll perform for them and they’ll give him feedback on the music, almost as if he’s auditioning for a singing competition.

The pair tell Cho that they’ve booked a tiny venue for him to practice performing, and that he’ll need at least one completed song to perform in six days. They make two white lies, though: The venue is bigger than they said and he’ll be performing in front of the aforementioned panel, not just the show’s crew. Why make him more freaked out than he already is?

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The shows we thought of while watching this were ones where actors did other things, like Rennervations.

Our Take: A-List to Playlist is an amusing reality series, mainly because the challenge Cho gives himself is pretty ridiculous. This is a person who has never written a full song before, and now he’s going to write a record a full album in 100 days? Seems like an impossible task.

Having Moon and Jung around him to keep him on track and in check adds to how the producers also think that this challenge is nearly impossible to pull off. When the two of them talk without Cho around, trying to figure out ways to salvage what might be a disaster, is when the show is at its most entertaining.

If you’re a fan of K-pop, the number of guests Cho brings in to help him write music will also be something to keep you watching. But to us, the sheer challenge of being able to write and record even passable songs in such a short period of time, especially because Cho has never done anything in music before, will be the most compelling part of the show.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: Cho calls in one of his singer-songwriter friends. In the next episode, we find out that the person he calls is IU, a well-known singer and actress.

Sleeper Star: The panel of industry pros give amazingly good feedback, which we hope Cho takes to heart.

Most Pilot-y Line: There’s a day-to-day calendar on Cho’s desk that just has the number of days left on it, not the actual date. We wonder if that number was computer generated to superimpose over a real calendar.

Our Call: STREAM IT. A-List To Playlist is a fun show, mainly because the challenge that Cho Jung-seok has given himself is such a tough one. It’ll be fun to see whether he succeeds in making an album in only 100 days.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.