TV drama “Reply 1988” aired its grand finale Saturday, breaking all records to go down as the most popular cable broadcast of all time.

On Saturday, 19.6 percent of viewers tuned in to watch the 20th and final episode of the retro-drama that debuted in November, broadcaster tvN said.

With the record viewership, the drama became the most popular cable broadcast and TV drama here, proving it’s possible for cable channels to create big hits. 

The previous record for a cable broadcast was held by music audition program “Super Star K2,” which attracted 18.1 percent of viewers in 2010.

The latest episode of “Reply 1988” also became the most successful among the “Reply” series that includes “Reply 1994” (2013) and “Reply 1997” (2012).

On the final episode, female protagonist Deok-sun (Lee Hye-ri)’s husband was finally revealed as Taek (Park Bo-gum), answering the central question of the series. Also, Deok-sun’s sister Bo-ra (Ryu Hye-young) and Sun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo) tied the knot, while all the Ssangmun-dong families left the neighborhood due to the city’s redevelopment projects.

The nostalgia-packed “Reply 1988” centered on family and everyday life against the backdrop of small Seoul neighborhood Ssangmun-dong in 1988, taking viewers back to relive the “good old days.” 

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)