Wed, January 3, 2007 (9:01pm EST)
This spring, Muga Tsukaji of the comedy duo Drunk Dragon will star in an improvised drama series titled "Tsukaji no Muga ~12 Nin no Shougensha~". The series has a general premise, but none of the acting will be scripted. Instead, Tsukaji and the rest of the cast will be responsible for creating the story as it goes along. The series will run for 13 half-hour episodes.
Tsukaji plays a writer who loses a year's worth of memories while researching a murder case. In each of the first 12 episodes, a different guest actor will appear on the show, playing a role such as an eyewitness or a police officer. By the end, the truth behind the case will be uncovered.
To further the improvisation, Tsukaji will not even know who the guest actors are until each particular episode is filmed.
The regular cast includes Kitaro and Tsukaji's comedy partner Taku Suzuki. Casting is currently in progress for the guest actors. The series will start airing on WOWOW in April, though a specific time slot has not yet been decided.
Tsukaji plays a writer who loses a year's worth of memories while researching a murder case. In each of the first 12 episodes, a different guest actor will appear on the show, playing a role such as an eyewitness or a police officer. By the end, the truth behind the case will be uncovered.
To further the improvisation, Tsukaji will not even know who the guest actors are until each particular episode is filmed.
The regular cast includes Kitaro and Tsukaji's comedy partner Taku Suzuki. Casting is currently in progress for the guest actors. The series will start airing on WOWOW in April, though a specific time slot has not yet been decided.
Wed, January 3, 2007 (8:35pm EST)
Viewer ratings for the recent Kohaku Uta Gassen were revealed on Tuesday, and they showed a sharp drop from last year's ratings. In the Kanto region, ratings averaged 30.6% for the first half (7:20pm-9:25pm) and 39.8% for the second half (9:30pm-11:45pm). Last year, those numbers were 35.4% and 42.9%, respectively.
Viewership for the first half tied for the lowest rating in the show's history, previously reached in 1990. The latter half was the show's second worst on record, surpassed only by the 39.3% rating from 2004.
In the Kansai region, the first half attracted an audience of 28.5%, also a tie for the show's worst rating in that region. The second half received a 37.6% rating, setting a record low.
Viewership for the first half tied for the lowest rating in the show's history, previously reached in 1990. The latter half was the show's second worst on record, surpassed only by the 39.3% rating from 2004.
In the Kansai region, the first half attracted an audience of 28.5%, also a tie for the show's worst rating in that region. The second half received a 37.6% rating, setting a record low.
