The Return of Superman

The Return of Superman puts the camera on celebrity fathers who are left to manage their children for 48 hours without outside help. Each episode tracks these dads as they handle meals, naps, outings and the everyday chores normally done by their partners, balancing parenting with public life. The show leans on candid moments, small victories and predictable slip-ups, with humor and honest bonding as fathers learn practical skills and see new sides of their kids. Cameras aim for an intimate, fly-on-the-wall feel, emphasizing routines and emotional moments over manufactured stunts.

Premiering in 2013, the series was created by Liu Zhirun, Xu Youjin and Park Ji-young. It features familiar names such as Park Joo-ho, Park Ji-young, Park Na-eun, Park Soo-hong and Choi Ji-woo, and focuses on unscripted domestic scenes rather than celebrity performance.

There isn’t a clear, consolidated record of major international awards for this show. It has received praise and attention within Korea across multiple seasons, but specific nominations and wins tend to be listed season by season and aren’t consistently documented in international databases.

The program helped make hands-on fatherhood a visible theme on Korean variety television, showing famous dads taking active caregiving roles. Those everyday snapshots sparked social media discussion, inspired lighthearted parodies and influenced how other entertainment outlets and segments portray family life in the region.

Audience response skews positive, reflected in a 7.7/10 user vote average, with viewers often noting the show’s warm tone and gentle humor. Main themes include fatherhood, routine caregiving, parent-child bonding and the friction between public careers and private family responsibilities, presented through short, relatable episodes rather than high-stakes challenges.