“Star Tanjo” (“Birth of a Star”) was one of the most influential TV series of the 1970s, an audition show that launched the careers of dozens of idol singers. “Star Draft Kaigi” (“Star Draft Council”; Nippon TV, Tues., 10 p.m.) takes the general structure of “Star Tanjo” — representatives of talent agencies bid for contestants — and tricks it out for 21st-century viewers with a variety-show component: a panel of comedians, in this case led by the duo Cream Stew and outspoken commentator Matsuko Deluxe, who make a point of picking on the contestants.
This week’s lineup features elementary school-age children, including a fashion model who has perfected a kind of “sexy expression,” and a boy who wants to parlay his skills at karate into a career as an action star along the lines of his hero, Bruce Lee.
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