The inter-season TV season is getting longer and longer, with more two- and three-hour specials to tide viewers over until the next batch of hastily assembled drama series start. Presenting something that gets people's attention becomes a challenge.
This week's "Kasupe" ("Tuesday Special"; Fuji TV, 7 p.m.) should, pardon the pun, do the trick, with explanations of magic tricks, a premise that contradicts everything the institution of magic stands for. Maybe the magic authorities think a peek behind the curtain will make their business more popular. In any case, the show will pit some world-famous magicians against a bunch of big-shot celebrities and offer viewers some simple tricks they can perform at parties.
"Kitchen ga Hashiru" ("The Running Kitchen"; NHK-G, Fri., 8 p.m.) features TV personality Taiyo Sugiura, who travels the length and breadth of Japan in a motor home equipped with a full kitchen and accompanied by a professional chef. They sample regional produce and learn how natives prepare local cuisine. The chefs then make up something on the spot using these ingredients.