All Night Fuji” to be revived…? The “predicament” that continues for the new Fuji TV

Fuji Television’s noon information program “Pop Up! Haraichi” and “Poka Poka,” with Aika Kanda (42) as MC, will start anew in January next year.

Generally, new programs start in April and October, when the major TV programs are revamped, but the ratings for “Pop UP! Koichi Minato, 70, who took over as president in June, ordered the program to be terminated as soon as possible, and it was decided to end the program before the end of the year, an unprecedented move. Poka Poka” will be produced not by the information program manager but by the variety program manager of Mr. Minato’s old office. It is likely that Mr. Minato’s color will be reflected in other programs as well,” said a Fuji insider.

(A Fuji insider) Various opinions are flying around in the industry regarding Mr. Minato’s appointment as president.

The fact that the MC of “Poka Poka” has been decided to be “Haraichi,” who belongs to Watanabe Entertainment and has close ties with Fuji Television’s Variety Group, has led many to believe that Minato’s personal connections will be fully utilized in Fuji’s program production in the future. Mr. Minato is a former AD for the “Tunnels” program. He rose through the ranks as the Tunnels rose to stardom, so some are hoping that Fuji will return to a “frontline-first” approach and revive its tradition of aggressive variety shows.

There are rumors about the return of “Tunnels” and the revival of the legendary “All Night Fuji,” but broadcasters laugh, saying, “It’s not impossible.

Yoshitaka Suzuki, 41, the general director of “Poka Poka,” was once in charge of “Campus Night Fuji,” which featured “Halaichi” and others. The project was to revive “All Night Fuji” in the Heisei era, and there is no possibility that it will be revived again in Reiwa. As for “Tunnels,” he probably owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Minato for bringing him up, so it would not be surprising if Mr. Minato gave Takaaki Ishibashi (60) a regular program. However, with the tightening of compliance regulations, it may not be a reinstatement, considering Ishibashi’s artistic style.

The drama team is also gaining momentum.

Mr. Ryo Ohta, 63, who has been appointed as Fuji’s senior managing director, was involved in many hit dramas when he was a producer and established the trendy drama genre. There is talk among some that the special drama “Kyobo” starring Takuya Kimura (49) will be adapted into a serial drama for next spring’s “Tsuki 9. Next January, a revenge series starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (48) will be revived for the first time in six years in the Monday night 10:00 p.m. slot. Big names are returning to Fuji’s drama series, which were once shunned by entertainment agencies due to sluggish ratings” (advertising agency). (Ad agency).

As mentioned in this series, Kazumi Harada, who was in her second year with the company at the time, was in charge of the late-night program “Enter Title Here,” which attracted attention for its daring structure that could have been mistaken for a broadcast accident. The younger generation is also growing up.

The TV people at …… are paying close attention to what Fuji is up to.

The times change, but will Fuji’s catchphrase from the 1980s, “If it’s not fun, it’s not TV,” stick with Reiwa’s viewers?

From the October 21, 2022 issue of FRIDAY