NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita has the lead role in Fuji TV's upcoming Monday night drama series, tentatively titled "Buzzer Beat ~Gakeppuchi no Hero~." His female lead this time is actress Keiko Kitagawa, who graduated from Meiji University's School of Commerce one year after he did.

The love story has Yamashita playing a salaryman who belongs to his company's basketball team. Despite his appearance, he is completely weak under pressure when it comes to work and romance. Although he has a girlfriend (Saki Aibu), he falls in love with a spirited and cheerful woman who is unable to be straightforward (Kitagawa).

Shihori Kanjiya plays Kitagawa's friend, while Hideaki Ito serves as Yamashita's rival in love. Junpei Mizobata, Nobuaki Kaneko, Miki Maya, and Masaru Nagai are also part of the supporting cast.

Yamashita's only experience with basketball so far is in classes at school, so he is undergoing special training for two weeks. "Buzzer Beat" premieres in July.