If you are like me, chances are you were born sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Additionally if you are like me you will on occassion reference random pieces of pop-culture from this time period in your day to day speech. The problem that arises is that when speaking Korean, this characters and shows are often non-existant…or so it may seem.
Often it is the case that some of the shows have completely different names. So for your benefit, I have complied this list of television programs from my childhood (late 1970s - early 1990s) for you to use in your next conversation. I apologize to any non-Americans who may read this, as the shows mentioned here are for the most part American (though I’m sure most of bore witness to this crap as well).
| 한국어 | English |
| 원더우먼 | Wonder Woman |
| 닌자 거북이 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| 헐크 | The Incredible Hulk |
| 맥가이버 | MacGuyver |
| 심슨가족 | The Simpsons |
| 개구쟁이 스머프 | The Smurfs |
| 지아이 죠 | G.I. Joe |
| 코스비가족 | The Cosby Show |
| 형사 가제트 | Inspector Gadget |
| 세서미 스트리트 | Sesame Street |
| 독수리 오 형제 | Battle of the Planets |
| 전격 Z작전 | Knight Rider |
| 육백만불의 사나이 | The Six Million Dollar Man |
| 마이애미의 두형사 | Miami Vice |
| 치어스 | Cheers |
| 볼트론 | Voltron |
| 케빈은 12살 | The Wonder Years |
| 에이 특공대 | The A-Team |
| 외계인 ‘알프’ | A.L.F. |
| 히맨 | He-man |
| 쉬라 | She-ra |
| 아빠는 가정부 | Who’s The Boss |
| 닥터 두기 / 천재소년 두기 | Doogie Howser M.D. |
| 썬더의 용사들 | Thundercats | 실버호크 | Silverhawks |
| 트랜스포머 | Transformers |
| 비버리 힐스 아이들 | Beverly Hills 90210 |
| 브이 | V |
| 블루문 특급 | Moonlighting |
| 소머즈 | The Bionic Woman |
| 빨간머리앤 | Anne of Green Gables |
| 빨강머리 삐삐 | Pippi Longstocking |
| 엉터리 슈퍼맨 | The Greatest American Hero |
| 초원의 집 | Little House On The Prarie |
| 기둥 순찰대 | CHiPs |
| 아빠는 멋쟁이 | Silver Spoons |
| 수퍼소년 앤드류 | My Secret Identity |
| 형사 콜롬보 | Columbo |
That’s it for the time being. If you have any corrections, or additional programs you feel I have overlooked, please leave a comment so that I can rectify such oversights and errors.
Thanks to Jay Lee, Joel, Jeff, et. al for alerting me to several crucial absences in this list.
Kevin is 12??? You didn’t make that one up, did you? Two Inspectors of Miami?? Mischevious Smurfs?? Lightning Attack Plan Z (this one takes the cake.) I’ve actually never heard of Battle of the Planets. I guess I missed out. I’ll sure to use this names in future conversations. Thanks, Wyatt.
Comment by Outlander — April 2, 2006 @ 14:40 pm
닥터두기, 수퍼소년 앤드류, 형사 콜롬보, 실버 호크, 꼬마자동차 붕붕, 천사들의 합창..
Comment by Jay Lee — April 2, 2006 @ 21:54 pm
What about (썬더 용사들) Thundercats and (트랜스포머) Transformers? Those are just off the top of my head. Your list needs work~!
Comment by Joel — April 2, 2006 @ 22:10 pm
OK.. maybe a little later in years.. and I hate to admit being a fan.. but dude.. “Saved by the Bell”.. that one has me curious. Know it?
Comment by Shaun — April 2, 2006 @ 22:25 pm
Outlander,
This list was throughly researched for errors.
Jay and Joel,
I’ll have to update the list with such programs. Thanks. Though I’ve never heard of either 꼬마자동차 붕붕 or 천사들의 합창. Perhaps I was just not exposed to such programs as a child, or perhaps those come from other lands.
Shaun,
It does not appear that Korea ever was subjected to Saved by the Bell. I’ll have to look further into it.
Comment by Wyatt — April 3, 2006 @ 8:27 am
Oh yeh, don’t forget “ppal gang mur ri Anne”, Anne of Green Gables.
On a totally unrelated note, do you know how to make them nonspeaking kids speak English? I’m tutoring one who won’t speak it to save her life, and there’s a garantee her mom is going to make me a feast of chicken wings if I get her to, seeing as how the kid is in Canada right now going to school.
Comment by Alice — April 3, 2006 @ 9:50 am
Alice,
Depending on the age, try to find some game or activity that they want to partake in and encourage them to use English. Ex. Play dolls or have a tea party or so forth with a little girl. Try to make the atmosphere relaxed and stress-free.
Comment by Wyatt — April 3, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
Wyatt, I don’t doubt the veracity of the list. I’m just wondering just what they were think when they “made uop” the Korean names for the shows. What about Battlestar Glactica and Buck Rogers?? Oh, wait I think that might be late 70’s.
Comment by Outlander — April 3, 2006 @ 12:48 pm
Glactica was sometime during the early 80s. I’ll have to look into such titles.
Comment by Wyatt — April 3, 2006 @ 13:11 pm
Wyatt, you’re right.. 찾아보니까 천사들의 합창 (CARRUSEL)은 멕시코를 배경으로 하고 있네요. 꼬마자동차 붕붕은 일본에서 1985년에 제작됐구여.
Comment by Jay Lee — April 3, 2006 @ 20:48 pm
소머즈 = The Bionic Woman
초원의 집 = Little House on the Prarie
빨강머리 삐삐 = Pippi Longstockings (ok..so this was late 70’s in Korea)
Comment by Jeff in Korea — April 3, 2006 @ 23:48 pm
Uh oh… the Flashbacks are here again!
Cant forget THESE:
비버리 힐스 아이들 = Beverly Hills 90210
엉터리 슈퍼맨 = The Greatest American Hero (Will that song ever leave my head???)
기둥 순찰대 = CHIPS
아빠는 멋쟁이 = Silver Spoons
브이 = V (Still watch that every Sunday night here)
블루문 특급 = Moonlighting
Also, I belive Doogie Howser was “천재소년 두기”
Comment by Jeff in Korea — April 4, 2006 @ 0:00 am
V was fantastic. I still remember Diana? or Diane with her revealed green flesh.
Comment by Jay Lee — April 4, 2006 @ 3:39 am
Jeff, That’s fantastic. I don’t know how I forgot V or Moonlighting, since I’ve watched both of those shows here in recent months.
Comment by Wyatt — April 4, 2006 @ 8:43 am
Can we go beyond programme titles and get into character names? For instance is Skeletor just some approximation in Hangul or have they encapsulated the his essence within the name?
I used to watch Astroboy in Australia who is called 아톰 in Korea. And any suggestions for Bananaman, Dungeons & Dragons, Dogtanian and the 3 Muskahounds……I could go on.
Comment by daeguowl — April 5, 2006 @ 7:14 am
Daeguowl,
That’s the next random list I have in the works.
Comment by Wyatt — April 5, 2006 @ 9:52 am
As you probably know, a lot of these shows were also quite popular in Korea (and far off Canada, too, for that matter!), from what I gather. MacGuyver in particular seems to have acquired some kind of legendary status. As for The Greatest American Hero, I’d completely forgotten about that show until I heard the theme song again recently—on a Korean TV program, if I recall correctly!
Comment by sewing — April 7, 2006 @ 9:59 am
Sewing,
I think my favorite piece of MacGuyver related Korea triva is the fact that a Swiss Army Knife is known as a MacGuyver knife here.
Comment by Wyatt — April 7, 2006 @ 13:02 pm
Oh yeah! Hah, I forgot about that!
Comment by sewing — April 7, 2006 @ 22:37 pm