Scandals are timeless, but the reporting of them has changed considerably over the millennia. The series "Seiki no Wide Show; Konya wa History" ("Century Wide Show: Tonight is History"; TBS, Mon., 7 p.m.) looks at famous historical events through the lens of a typical daytime television scandal reporter.
This week, the program covers the biggest scandal in the annals of the ooku, the inner chamber of Edo Castle where the women who served the shogun, sexually and otherwise, resided in their own world. In 1714, Ejima, the lady in waiting for the shogun's mother, was accused of having a love affair with a noted Kabuki actor and put on trial.
The reporters look at the incident and interview prominent players. In the process, they explain the atmosphere and even the economy of the ooku.