Japan's longest-running historical drama series, "Mito Komon" (TBS, Mon., 7 p.m.), ends on Dec. 19 with a special two-hour farewell installment. The series started in 1969 and has been sponsored by the same company (Panasonic, formerly National) the whole time.
The peripatetic nobleman Komon (Kotaro Satomi) has finished his wanderings around the Japanese archipelago and now spends his twilight years quietly at his home in Mito. But he makes the journey to Edo to attend the wedding of his friends Sukezaburo and Shino, which will take place at his second home in the capital. Following the ceremony, Komon and the stepfather of another long-time friend, Kakonoshin, decide to walk to Senju, but they are abducted on the way.
The stepfather is played by Tadashi Yokouchi, who played Kakonoshin in the series many years ago.