'Running Man' star heads Netflix's new 'meal companion' show

A bite-sized “meal companion” show is headed to Netflix, led by “Running Man” star Jee Suk-jin and Oh My Girl’s Mimi, as the duo tackles everything from science to love through the lens of first-time learners.

“The Late Learner, Mr. Jee” is a knowledge-exploration entertainment series built on unfiltered curiosity.

The two hosts are joined by expert guests including popular YouTuber Orbit, the show aims to lower the barrier to learning by letting questions lead the conversation.

Producer Jeong Do-dam said the concept aimed to be light and companionable.

“I thought it would be nice to have a ‘meal companion’ show,” she said at a press conference held in Seoul, Friday. “I enjoy educational programs, but I wanted something you could watch casually, whether you’re doing the dishes or taking a shower. It needed to feel easy to dip into.”

“We wanted it to be the kind of program where you walk away with one thing you can tell a friend the next day, like, ‘Hey, did you know this?’” Jeong added.

Casting was key. Jeong described Jee as naturally inquisitive, while Mimi was cast to broaden the show’s cross-generational appeal.

“What sets the show apart is the unpredictability of the questions and the range of answers experts bring in response,” she said.

Jee framed the show as intentionally unpolished, with hosts who were curious rather than experts, noting that Mimi, especially, asked questions without hesitation.

“Other knowledge-based shows are usually led by well-informed hosts who deliver information in an entertaining way,” he said. “Ours is different. It’s one knowledgeable person and two people learning in real time. Mimi even asks questions that don’t always make sense.”

Jeong noted that those moments are part of the appeal.

“We often get questions we didn’t even anticipate,” she said. “That’s what makes it interesting. It brings out reactions where you think, ‘Celebrities think like that too?’”

Off-screen, Jee’s own curiosity mirrors the show’s premise.

“I’m interested in mysteries like ghosts, past lives and extraterrestrials,” he said. “I also wonder whether the moon landing was real.”

Mimi, meanwhile, pointed to more personal questions driving her curiosity.

“I wonder whether dating or marriage is really necessary,” she said. “I want to understand things like human psychology and dopamine from a scientific perspective.”

Looking ahead, Jeong said the series will span a wide range of topics, from health through a medical lens to consumer behavior informed by neuroscience.

“Everything seems to come back to science,” she said. “We do lean in that direction, but we wanted to bring in experts from as many different fields as possible.”

“The Late Learner, Mr. Jee” premieres Monday on Netflix.