Turn on the TV today, and all you see are programs that copy each other. Because entertainment programs are especially sensitive to trends, one popular show will give birth to three or four additional shows that mimic the original format. However, there is a growing concern among TV professionals about whether the copying of other shows has gone too far.

One glaring example is KBS's "Mama Island", which was criticized since its inception as a copy of the popular tvN show "Grandpas Over Flowers" program. It was spoken of as the female counterpart to "Grandpas Over Flowers", but it was almost an exact copy of the show. As a result, "Mama Island" was unable to gain any popularity and was taken off air while "Grandpas Over Flowers" is enjoying success and has been renewed for a third season.

Consider programs such as MBC's "We Got Married" and JTBC's "With My Love", which has the same concept of hypothetical marriage. The only difference is that "With My Love" features divorcees, but that's about the only difference between the two shows.

Channel A's "Woman Living Alone" is a copycat program of MBC's "I Live Alone". Again, Channel A's program is the female copycat of MBC's "I Live Alone" with the addition of a small talk-show like session in the end.

SBS' upcoming program "Roommate" and OliveTV's "Share House" has basically the same concept of gathering 10 celebrities in one house and having them deal with each other. The only thing that's different between the two programs is the title. However, the bigger problem is that these two shows are copying the popular Japanese program "Terrace House" which has a similar format of gathering celebrities to live together for a period of time. Viewers are taking to the online forums to complain about the lack of effort that TV stations are displaying.

Being inspired is one thing; copying is another. Bring the concept of the show and then making it a new product requires ample preparation and savvy, but the viewers deserve more than three or four of the same shows on different channels with different people.

Following a trend is important, but simply copying the most popular show without adding any new ideas to make the show unique may ultimately end up in a failed attempt. If copying is inevitable, making it new by adding or taking away is imperative.

"K-Pop Star" is a good example. As soon as "Superstar K" rose to popularity, both MBC and SBS mocked up and released audition programs. MBC released "Star Audition" while SBS released "K-Pop Star". "Star Audition" was simply a copy of "Superstar K", while "K-Pop Star" added in-depth training by the top three entertainment companies in Korea (YG, SM, and JYP). As a result, only "Superstar K" and "K-Pop Star" were able to withstand the test of time.

MBC's "Dad, Where Are We Going" was criticized as a copycat program of KBS's "1 Night 2 Days" in its inception, but the addition of the father-child relationship gave the show a new dimension of popularity. Of course, as soon as the relationship between the father and the child became a hot topic, KBS created "Superman Returns" to focus solely on the father-child relationship without the travel. "Superman Returns" was an immediate hit and now eclipses "Dad, Where Are We Going" in popularity.