Feb 10, 2013

2,160 Hours of Yasushi Akimoto; AKB48 dramas; CM of the week: U-Can

Some fans can’t get enough of AKB48, and NHK understands this, so on Monday it is broadcasting “Mitchaku: Akimoto Yasushi 2,160-jikan” (“Intense Coverage: 2,160 Hours of Yasushi Akimoto”; BS Premium, 9 p.m.), a two-hour special (presumably just the highlights then) in which NHK’s cameras ...

Feb 3, 2013

A big eating marathon; The worst father; CM of the week: Choya

Though there are professional competitive eaters, one doesn’t have to be certified to participate in such contests. The TV personalities on this week’s two-hour special edition of the variety show “Ikinari! Ogon Densetsu” (“Out of the Blue! Gold Legend”; TV Asahi, Thurs., 6:53 p.m.) ...

| Jan 19, 2013

Share house lovers; "Tonbi"; CM of the week: Open House

A “share house” is a relatively new concept in Japan: unrelated people sharing a rented residence. The new drama series, “Shea Hausu no Koibito” (“Share House Lovers”; Nippon TV, Wed., 10 p.m.) puts the inevitable romantic spin on it. Shio (Asami Mizukawa) is 30 ...

| Dec 9, 2012

"Give it a try!"; A Matsumoto mystery; CM of the week: Pizza Hut

Celebrity couples are very popular among variety-show producers, but in recent years they have shown more interest in another two-for-one bargain: the parent-child pairing. This week a special two-hour edition of the consumer challenge show, “Otameshi Ka!” (“Give It a Try!”; TV Asahi, Mon. ...