Great Escape () is a South Korean comedy reality show that premiered on tvN on 1 July 2018. The show features large-scale themed escape rooms, with a team of celebrities finding clues and solving puzzles in order to successfully escape.
The show ran for 4 seasons, featuring the same cast and airing every Sunday at 10:40pm (KST).
The show's slogan is "ëÂÂê°Âì¼ì°ë¤", literally meaning 'escape to survive'.
Each escape challenge has a different theme, and members uncover the storyline by discovering clues as they progress through different areas of the large-scale escape room. New areas are unlocked by finding and solving puzzles or accomplishing tasks, eventually leading the members to the final exit. In addition, members may have to interact with NPCs and/or assist them in order to proceed further. No time limit is stipulated for each challenge, which ends only when all members, and NPCs if any, successfully escape.
The escape locations are kept unknown to the members at the start of each challenge. They are transported there in a bus with blackout windows, and blindfolded before being escorted to the starting point.
Beginning with the second challenge, a team captain (주ìÂÂ¥ jujang) is assigned before the members arrive at the escape location, based on the best-performing member in the previous challenge.
Rule changes introduced include:
There is no change in the rules from season 2. Between 12 and 26 April 2020, no new episodes were aired as filming of the show was postponed due to COVID-19.
With the tagline of "Post-Earth adventure" (), this season introduced the concept of the DTCU, or Great Escape Universe. This universe contains several running storylines and world settings that string together multiple escape challenges across the four seasons.
Kim Jong-min, Shindong, and P.O were replaced by Go Kyung-pyo, Baekhyun, and Yeo Jin-goo.
In 2019, Mango Television purchased the rights for a Chinese adaptation of the show, titled Great Escape (), which premiered on 30 March 2019.
In 2023, channel STS released an official Russian adaptation of the format, titled ÃÂþûÃÂÃÂþù ÿþñõó, which premiered on 7 March 2023.
In 2022, a program called Thá» thách trá»Ân thoát, was aired on channel VTV3 at 9.15 pm every Sunday night.