NTV ending “Koi no Karasawagi” after 17 years

Another long-running television show is coming to an end this spring. NTV’s talk show “Koi no Karasawagi” (also known by the title “Much Ado About Love”) will be taken off the air at the end of March, 17 years after its debut in April 1994.

Just last week, it was revealed that TBS is ending “Tokyo Friend Park II” after an 18-year run, counting its predecessor “Tokyo Friend Park.” Like that show, “Koi no Karasawagi” once enjoyed high ratings, but its numbers have significantly declined. After frequently dipping below 10%, it was moved from its long-established Saturday 11:00pm time slot to its current slot on Fridays at 11:30pm, but ratings remained in single-digit territory.

Hosted by Sanma Akashiya (55), “Koi no Karasawagi” features a cast of women discussing love-related issues. The cast is currently in its 17th generation, and the show never held a recruitment process for a new generation for the upcoming year.

“Koi no Karasawagi” also spawned a series of drama specials called “Koi no Karasawagi: Love Stories,” which aired once a year between 2004 and 2009. After “Love Stories IV” in 2007, which starred Maki Horikita, Satomi Ishihara, and Asami Mizukawa, ratings dropped sharply from double digits to the mid-single digits in 2008 and 2009.

Source:
Sponichi Annex