"Columbo" remains one of the most beloved American TV series in Japan and has generated dozens of local copies. One is police Lt. Fukuie, the creation of mystery writer Takahiro Okura. Fukuie is a woman whose persistence tries the patience of not only her suspects, but her colleagues as well.
In the premier episode of the new series "Fukuie Keibuho no Aisatsu" ("The Greeting of Lt. Fukuie"; Fuji TV, Tues., 9 p.m.), a famous screenwriter named Fujido (Takashi Sorimachi) stages his own kidnapping in order to enhance his public image. His scheme is meticulously worked out, but Fukuie (Rei Dan) suspects that something is amiss, despite the fact that her supervisor (Goro Inagaki) believes Fujido's story.
In the provocatively titled new drama series "Yoru no Sensei" ("Night Teacher"; TBS, Fri., 10 p.m.), Arisa Kanzuki plays Sakura, a single woman who loves to spend money on trendy things and never thinks about the future. She changes jobs often and at the age of 38 finds herself as a bar hostess, which she admits is the right kind of job for a person like herself. One of her regular customers, however, is trying to recruit a teacher for a night high school he works at, and challenges her to take the job. There is one condition: If even one student drops out, she'll be fired.