[Diary Point=Reporter Park Bo-young] Wavve’s original drama ‘Francesca in the Next Seat’ premieres at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6. Episodes 1 and 2 will be available on launch day, along with a 4K-upscaled version of the original sitcom ‘Hello, Francesca.’
The original series, which aired in 2005, was a sitcom about a vampire family living among humans. The new series keeps the vampire premise but moves the story to a high school, recasting it as a fantasy teen romance.
Vampire Pi Na-young (Han Su-a), a transfer student from Romania, gets caught up with Jang Woo-joo (Kim Hyun-jin), a model class president who hopes to attend medical school, and Yu Hyeol (Lee Seung-gyu), a vampire hiding out at the school. The first two episodes follow Na-young as she adjusts to school and a love triangle develops between Woo-joo and Hyeol.
Original cast members Shim Hye-jin, Park Seul-gi and Park Hee-jin also make special appearances. Shim returns as Francesca, Park Seul-gi as Sophia and Park Hee-jin as Ahn Seong-daek. Park Hee-jin appears in the first episode and delivers Ahn Seong-daek’s catchphrase, “Excuse me~.”
The main change from the original is a shift from family life to students’ classroom experiences. “They’re still the most ‘human’ vampires,” Shim said, pointing to the new characters and story as part of the series’ appeal. Park Seul-gi said, “The original emphasized family bonds; this time, the school is the setting.”
Director Park Sang-woo said the series also reflects how times have changed. “Vampires watch smartphones instead of TV and eat chicken nuggets from the school cafeteria instead of pigeons,” he said, adding that the new show is dotted with details that recall the original.
With Shim Hye-jin, Park Seul-gi and Park Hee-jin returning, viewers will see familiar faces from the original alongside a story centered on the new leads’ school lives. The new series and the 4K-enhanced original will both be available on Wavve at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6.