Too much load for Ninomiya? … “Names of former SMAPs” expected to co-star with Masahiro Nakai in “Matsumo to Nakai”.

Matsumoto to Nakai,” a Fuji Television variety show that started on April 30, 2008, was a team effort between Downtown’s Hitoshi Matsumoto (60) and TV personality Masahiro Nakai (51), who served as MC. Now, following the announcement of Matsumoto’s indefinite suspension, the program has been renamed “Dareka to Nakai” since the February 4 broadcast, with Kazuya Ninomiya (40) of “Arashi” serving as Nakai’s partner.

Matsumoto announced his hiatus on January 8. After that, the title was changed and a new partner for Mr. Nakai began to be considered. In the midst of all this, Mr. Ninomiya and lyricist Yasushi Akimoto (65) made a guest appearance on the January 28 broadcast, which was the first broadcast with Mr. Nakai as sole MC.

The recording that day was so exciting that the program made a no-brainer offer to Mr. Ninomiya after the show was over, and he readily accepted. He became the savior of the program. The fact that the influence of the former Johnny’s office (SMILE-UP.) had disappeared was probably one of the reasons why the collaboration went smoothly.

The average household rating for the January 28 episode was 7.2% (Video Research, Kanto region, the same below). The figure was up 1.8 points from the 5.4% for the previous week’s broadcast. The absence of Matsumoto did not cause the ratings to plummet, but what is of interest is the subsequent ratings.

On February 4, when the program was renamed and Ninomiya took over as the new MC, the ratings were 7.4%, followed by 5.1% on February 18 and 6.0% on February 25, when actress Yoko Maki (41)’s “outburst” became a hot topic. The ratings had not increased since Ninomiya took over as MC. The presence of Matsumoto has made it easier to cast big-name guests, and it seems that the difficult situation is not going to change.

At Fuji Television’s regular press conference on February 16, before the program’s harsh results were announced, President Koichi Minato said of the program’s future MC, “I hope you can sense the meaning of the title, and although it is conceivable that it could rotate, I included that in the title ‘Dareka to Nakai’ (Who will be the MC? I have included that in the title . He suggested the possibility of switching MCs from Ninomiya in the future.

In response to this comment, some are already speculating that Matsumoto’s partner, Masanori Hamada (60), and Ishibashi Takaaki (62) of Tunnels, whom President Minato can be said to have “fostered” as Nakai’s next partner. Indeed, Ishibashi and Hamada worked together as MCs of “Utaban,” a music variety show broadcast on TBS from 1996 to 2010, so there is a strong possibility that they will work together.

However, there are those who suggest names other than Hamada and Ishibashi as Nakai’s “best partner.

Goro Inagaki (50), Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (49), and Shingo Katori (47), all former members of SMAP, as well as Nakai, who are working together as a joint project called New Map. Katori made a guest appearance on the first broadcast of “Matsumoto,” co-starring with Nakai for the first time in six years. The program recorded 10.6%, the highest and only double-digit figure in the program’s history. It was the program’s highest-ever double-digit percentage, the only one in its history, at 10.6%.

Speaking of “SMAP,” Shoichi Kuroki, the general producer of “SMAP x SMAP” (Fuji TV), passed away last month. All but Takuya Kimura (51) attended the wake, and one week before his death, each of the five members met with Mr. Kuroki for the last time.

Since Mr. Kuroki had wished for a reunion of “SMAP,” momentum is building for a reunion as a memorial service. For starters, if the three members of “New Map” took turns being Nakai’s partners and the title was “Nakama to Nakai,” the ratings would be much higher and more stable than they are now.

Will this dream collaboration really come true?

FRIDAY Digital is looking forward to hearing from you. Please send your information to the following information form or to the official X.

Information form: https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/tips

Official X: https://twitter.com/FRIDAY_twit